Table 4.
Relationship betweenEZH2 expression in primary and metastatic breast cancer lesions and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients (n = 96)
| Characteristic | Primary EZH2 | P-value | Metastatic EZH2 | P-value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| low (n = 42) | high (n = 54) | low (n = 17) | high (n = 79) | |||
| Age, years (mean ± SD) | 52 ± 8.5 | 50 ± 9.8 | 0.198 | 50 ± 7.8 | 51 ± 9.7 | 0.241 |
| Menopausal status, n (%) | ||||||
| pre- | 17 (38.6) | 27 (61.4) | 0.353 | 10 (22.7) | 34 (77.3) | 0.236 |
| post- | 25 (48.1) | 27 (51.9) | 7 (13.5) | 45 (86.5) | ||
| Tumor size, n (%) | ||||||
| ≤ 20 mm | 8 (47.1) | 9 (52.9) | 2 (11.8) | 15 (88.2) | ||
| > 20 mm | 33 (42.9) | 44 (57.1) | 0.936 | 14 (18.2) | 63 (81.8) | 0.396 |
| unknown | 1 (50.0) | 1 (50.0) | 1 (50.0) | 1 (50.0) | ||
| LN status, n (%) | ||||||
| positive | 23 (36.5) | 40 (63.5) | 11 (17.5) | 52 (82.5) | ||
| negative | 19 (57.6) | 14 (42.4) | 0.048* | 6 (18.2) | 27 (81.8) | 0.930 |
| Histological type, n (%) | ||||||
| ductal | 32 (38.6) | 51 (61.4) | 0.010* | 12 (14.5) | 71 (85.5) | 0.035* |
| special | 10 (76.9) | 3 (23.1) | 5 (38.5) | 8 (61.5) | ||
| LVI status, n (%) | ||||||
| positive | 32 (50.8) | 31 (49.2) | 11 (17.5) | 52 (82.5) | ||
| negative | 8 (32.0) | 17 (68.0) | 0.148 | 4 (16.0) | 21 (84.0) | 0.842 |
| unknown | 2 (25.0) | 6 (75.0) | 2 (25.0) | 6 (75.0) | ||
| Operation status, n (%) | ||||||
| partial mastectomy | 4 (23.5) | 13 (76.5) | 0.064 | 2 (11.8) | 15 (88.2) | 0.479 |
| mastectomy | 38 (48.1) | 41 (51.9) | 15 (19.0) | 64 (81.0) | ||
| Chemotherapy, n (%) | ||||||
| adjuvant | 34 (41.0) | 49 (59.0) | 0.164 | 12 (14.5) | 71 (85.5) | 0.035* |
| none | 8 (61.5) | 5 (38.5) | 5 (38.5) | 8 (61.5) | ||
| Hormone therapy, n (%) | ||||||
| adjuvant | 26 (52.0) | 24 (48.0) | 0.089 | 12 (24.0) | 38 (76.0) | 0.092 |
| none | 16 (34.8) | 30 (65.2) | 5 (10.9) | 41 (89.1) | ||
| Primary ER status, n (%) | ||||||
| positive | 28 | 23 | 0.019* | 12 | 39 | 0.112 |
| negative | 14 | 31 | 5 | 40 | ||
| Primary PR status, n (%) | ||||||
| positive | 24 | 23 | 0.157 | 12 | 35 | 0.049* |
| negative | 18 | 31 | 5 | 44 | ||
| Primary HER2 status, n (%) | ||||||
| positive | 1 | 15 | 0.001* | 0 | 16 | 0.042* |
| negative | 41 | 39 | 17 | 63 | ||
| Primary Ki-67 expression, n (%) | ||||||
| high | 8 | 47 | <0.001* | 2 | 53 | <0.001* |
| low | 34 | 7 | 15 | 26 | ||
| Metastatic ER status, n (%) | ||||||
| positive | 21 | 20 | 0.203 | 8 | 33 | 0.689 |
| negative | 21 | 34 | 9 | 46 | ||
| Metastatic PR status, n (%) | ||||||
| positive | 22 | 17 | 0.039* | 9 | 30 | 0.254 |
| negative | 20 | 37 | 8 | 49 | ||
| Metastatic HER2 status, n (%) | ||||||
| positive | 1 | 13 | 0.003* | 0 | 14 | 0.060 |
| negative | 41 | 41 | 17 | 65 | ||
| Metastatic Ki-67 expression, n (%) | ||||||
| high | 23 | 49 | <0.001* | 2 | 70 | <0.001* |
| low | 19 | 5 | 15 | 9 | ||
| Site of recurrence, n (%) | ||||||
| viscerab | 14 (37.8) | 23 (62.2) | 0.102 | 5 (13.5) | 32 (86.5) | 0.012* |
| soft tissuec | 13 (37.1) | 22 (62.9) | 3 (8.6) | 32 (91.4) | ||
| bone | 15 (62.5) | 9 (37.5) | 9 (37.5) | 15 (62.5) | ||
| Disease free interval | ||||||
| ≤ 2 years | 7 (23.5) | 24(77.4) | 0.04* | 4 (12.9) | 27 (87.1) | 0.394 |
| > 2 years | 35 (53.8) | 30 (46.1) | 13 (20) | 52 (80) | ||
| ≤ 10 years | 32 (38.6) | 51 (61.4) | 0.010* | 13 (15.7) | 70 (84.3) | 0.185 |
| > 10 years | 10 (76.9) | 3 (23.1) | 4 (30.8) | 9 (69.2) | ||
Abbreviations: ER estrogen receptor, EZH2 enhancer of zeste homolog 2, HER2 human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, LN lymph node, LVI lymphovascular invasion, PR progesterone receptor, SD standard deviation
aSpecial type is invasive breast carcinoma except invasive ductal carcinoma
bViscera includes brain, lung, liver and ovary
cSoft tissues includes chest wall, lymph node, distant skin
*Indicates values that are statistically significant (P < 0.05)