Table 1.

Age-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for longer telomere length and all-cause or breast cancer-specific mortality after 8 years of follow-up among a population-based cohort of women diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996–1997, Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project

characteristics	Telomere length* (T/S ratio)	No. of cases	All-cause mortality		Breast cancer-specific mortality
			Death	HR (95%CI)	Death	HR (95%CI)
All subjects	< 0.73	510	89	1.00 (Ref.)	53	1.00 (Ref.)
	≥ 0.73	516	103	1.10 (0.83–1.46)	54	1.01 (0.69–1.47)
Menopausal status
Premenopausal	< 0.73	183	24	1.00 (Ref.)	22	1.00 (Ref.)
	≥ 0.73	145	19	1.01 (0.55–1.84)	13	0.75 (0.38–1.50)
Postmenopausal	< 0.73	315	62	1.00 (Ref.)	28	1.00 (Ref.)
	≥ 0.73	359	82	1.16 (0.83–1.62)	41	1.30 (0.81–2.11)
Cancer type**
Invasive	< 0.73	418	83	1.00 (Ref.)	50	1.00 (Ref.)
	≥ 0.73	430	96	1.07 (0.80–1.44)	52	1.01 (0.69–1.50)
Tumor size**
≥ 2cm	< 0.73	97	25	1.00 (Ref.)	21	1.00 (Ref.)
	≥ 0.73	96	21	0.69 (0.38–1.25)	13	0.53 (0.26–1.06)
ER status
Positive	< 0.73	254	40	1.00 (Ref.)	25	1.00 (Ref.)
	≥ 0.73	253	50	1.11 (0.73–1.69)	26	1.05 (0.60–1.83)
Negative	< 0.73	72	23	1.00 (Ref.)	16	1.00 (Ref.)
	≥ 0.73	86	26	0.87 (0.50–1.52)	15	0.74 (0.37–1.50)
PR status
Positive	< 0.73	254	40	1.00 (Ref.)	25	1.00 (Ref.)
	≥ 0.73	253	50	1.11 (0.73–1.69)	26	1.05 (0.60–1.83)
Negative	< 0.73	72	23	1.00 (Ref.)	16	1.00 (Ref.)
	≥ 0.73	86	26	0.87 (0.50–1.52)	15	0.74 (0.37–1.50)
HER-2/neu status
Positive	< 0.73	325	67	1.00 (Ref.)	41	1.00 (Ref.)
	≥ 0.73	344	65	0.85 (0.61–1.20)	37	0.83 (0.53–1.29)
Negative	< 0.73	185	22	1.00 (Ref.)	12	1.00 (Ref.)
	≥ 0.73	172	38	1.90 (1.12–3.22)	17	1.62 (0.77–3.39)
Chemotherapy**
Prior to	< 0.73	453	81	1.00 (Ref.)	49	1.00 (Ref.)
	≥ 0.73	436	84	1.04 (0.77–1.41)	43	0.91 (0.60–1.37)

^*Median;

^**Sample sizes were less than 5 for select subgroups (breast cancer cases with in situ tumor stage, tumors <2 cm, and blood draw occurred after chemotherapy had been initiated) yielding unstable results, thus these data are not shown.