. 2017 Oct 10;14(6):7549–7556. doi: 10.3892/ol.2017.7164

Table I.

Correlation between patients' characteristics and initial tumor marker levels at the first relapse (n=232).

		CEA levels (ng/ml)			CA15-3 levels (U/ml)

Characteristic	n	Mean/median	SE	P-value	Mean/median	SE	P-value
Age, years				NS^b			NS^a
≤35	37	9.77	4.04		20.96	7.45
>35	195	18.48	58.96		21.42	5.85
BMI				NS^b			NS^b
<23.9	108	13.61	3.83		49.14	6.43
≥23.9	124	20.12	5.88		59.12	7.66
Pathological type				NS^a			NS^a
IDC	188	2.77	12.43		51.84	5.37
Others	44	2.87	15.90		65.74	13.74
Histological grade				NS^b			NS^b
Well/moderate	84	16.50	4.24		49.69	7.47
Poor	20	12.97	9.56		50.52	23.31
Unknown	128
Tumor size				NS^b			NS^b
T1	58	15.87	4.41		45.12	9.88
T2-T4	122	19.98	6.38		63.47	7.56
Unknown	52
Nodal status				NS^a			NS^b
N0-N1	127	2.71	2.36		52.46	6.50
N2-N3	91	3.00	8.52		61.31	9.10
Unknown	14
Ki-67, %				NS^b			NS^b
≤14	50	21.72	5.48		60.83	11.31
>14	58	13.80	5.40		54.15	10.82
Unknown	124
ER expression				NS^b			<0.001^a
Negative	66	10.35	3.23		15.89	6.89
Positive	133	20.78	6.00		27.05	7.24
Unknown	33
PR expression				NS^b			0.001^a
Negative	75	14.50	5.00		16.45	6.66
Positive	124	19.03	5.95		27.41	7.59
Unknown	33
HER-2 expression				NS^b			NS^b
Negative	151	16.16	4.95		49.55	5.59
Positive	27	24.13	11.67		45.56	12.02
Unknown	54
HR expression				NS^a			<0.001^a
Negative^c	56	2.29	2.51		15.89	7.14
Positive^d	143	3.00	5.67		27.05	6.90
Unknown	33
Triple negative				0.021^a			<0.001^a
Yes	36	2.00	1.10		11.93	5.43
No	158	2.92	5.19		25.79	6.32
Unknown	38
Metastatic sites, n				NS^b			<0.001^a
1	134	2.77	2.55		18.18	5.24
≥2	98	2.82	7.80		33.08	9.36
Sites of metastases
Bone				<0.001^a			<0.001^a
Yes	112	4.35	7.22		39.14	9.07
No	120	2.21	1.26		17.17	3.48
Lung				NS^a			NS^b
Yes	82	9.24	9.26		65.58	9.16
No	150	2.73	2.34		48.40	6.00
Liver				NS^b			0.009^a
Yes	33	17.94	5.01		37.23	16.85
No	199	16.95	4.13		20.15	5.17
Brain				NS^b			NS^b
Yes	7	8.48	5.06		36.27	7.47
No	225	17.36	3.72		55.04	5.22
Local site				NS^a			0.039^a
Yes	54	2.29	2.38		16.58	7.58
No	178	3.04	4.64		23.87	6.16
Regional lymph node				0.002^a			0.039^a
Yes	62	1.99	1.42		18.54	8.56
No	170	3.11	4.86		25.07	6.13
Non-regional lymph node				NS^b			NS^b
Yes	35	7.70	2.63		50.01	13.11
No	197	18.76	4.22		55.27	5.51

Mann-Whitney U-test was used for statistical calculations.

Samples were analyzed using a Student's t-test.

Either ER- or PR-positive.

Both ER- and PR-negative. NS, not significant; BMI, body mass index; IDC, invasive ductal carcinoma; HR, hormone receptor; ER, estrogen receptor; PR, progesterone receptor; SE, standard error; HER-2, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2; CEA, carcinoembryonic antigen; CA15-3, carbohydrate antigen 15-3.