Table 1.
Patient characteristics
| Characteristics | XEC (n=61) | FEC (n=70) | P-value* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of patients | |||
| Enrolled | 63 | 74 | 0.689 |
| Dropouts | 2 | 4 | |
| Age (years) | |||
| Median (range) | 43 (19–68) | 42 (21–69) | 0.215 |
| ECOG performance status | |||
| 0 | 39 | 44 | 0.898 |
| 1 | 22 | 26 | |
| Clinical T-stage | |||
| ≥5 cm | 35 | 39 | 0.848 |
| <5 cm | 26 | 31 | |
| Pathological pattern | |||
| Invasive ductal carcinoma | 47 | 53 | 0.570 |
| Mucinous carcinoma | 2 | 1 | |
| Cribriform carcinoma | 1 | 0 | |
| Clinical N-stage | |||
| N1 | 28 | 35 | 0.842 |
| N2 | 23 | 23 | |
| N3 | 10 | 12 | |
| HR | |||
| Positive | 39 | 45 | 0.967 |
| Negative | 22 | 25 | |
| HER2 | |||
| Positive | 17 | 21 | 0.814 |
| Negative | 41 | 44 | |
| Unknown | 3 | 5 | |
| Molecular type | |||
| Triple negative | 12 | 11 | 0.553 |
| Non-triple negative | 49 | 59 | |
Notes:
P-value by chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test when the cell expectation was less than six; for comparison of age distribution 2 sample, t-test was used. Her-2(+)meant it was positive in FISH or CISH test or (+++) in ICH test according to NCCN in 2011. In 2010, guidance for investigations of ER and PR in breast cancer was developed by ASCO and CAP where professors recommended that the positive criteria of ER and PR were ≥1% of positive nuclear staining.
Abbreviations: ASCO, American Society of Clinical Oncology; CAP, College of American Pathologists; CISH, chromogenic in situ hybridization; ECOG, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; ER, estrogen receptor; FEC, 5-FU/epirubicin/cyclophosphamide; 5-FU, 5-fluorouracil; FISH, fluorescence in situ hybridization; HER2, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; HR, hormone receptor; ICH, immunohistochemistry; NCCN, National Comprehensive Cancer Network; PR, progesterone receptor; XEC, capecitabine/epirubicin/cyclophosphamide.