Table 1. Clinicopathological characteristics and ASS1 distribution of eligible patients with breast cancer.
| No. of cases | No. of patients with low ASS1 abundance (%)* |
P | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | |||
| <40 | 12 | 9 (75) | |
| 40–49 | 53 | 34 (64.1) | |
| 50–59 | 43 | 26 (60.5) | |
| 60–69 | 23 | 15 (65.2) | |
| 70–79 | 14 | 10 (81.4) | |
| >80 | 4 | 3 (75.0) | 0.573 |
| T stage† | |||
| T0–T1 | 36 | 15 (41.7) | |
| T2–T4 | 108 | 76 (70.4) | 0.002‡ |
| N stage† | |||
| N0 | 72 | 44 (61.1) | |
| N1–N3 | 77 | 51 (66.2) | 0.516 |
| ER | |||
| Negative | 52 | 30 (57.7) | |
| Positive | 73 | 47 (64.4) | 0.448 |
| PR | |||
| Negative | 62 | 30 (48.4) | |
| Positive | 60 | 43 (71.7) | 0.009‡ |
| Ki-67 | |||
| Negative | 48 | 36 (75.0) | |
| Positive | 78 | 51 (55.3) | 0.012‡ |
| HER2 | |||
| Negative | 97 | 63 (64.9) | |
| Positive | 30 | 14 (46.7) | 0.07 |
| Molecular subtype§ | |||
| Luminal A | 36 | 27 (75) | |
| Luminal B | 43 | 26 (60.5) | |
| TNBC | 22 | 12 (54.5) | |
| HER2 | 12 | 2 (16.7) | 0.005‡ |
| p53 | |||
| Negative | 62 | 42 (67.7) | |
| Positive | 61 | 33 (54.1) | 0.12 |
*
Either no staining or weak cytoplasmic ASS1 staining.
†
Tumor node metastasis stage is according to AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, 6th Edition.
‡
Statistical significance, P < 0.05.
§
Molecular subtype is categorized according to ER, PR, HER2, and Ki-67 status. Luminal A subtype is defined as ER-positive and/or PR-positive, HER2-negative, and Ki-67–negative; luminal B subtype is defined as ER-positive and/or PR-positive, HER2-negative, and Ki-67–positive; TNBC subtype is defined as ER-negative, PR-negative, and HER2-negative; HER2 subtype is defined as ER-negative, PR-negative, and HER2-positive.