Table 1.
Clinical and pathological characteristics of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients (n = 29).
| Category | Number | % |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 29 | |
| Age at the time of sampling (years) | ||
| Median and range | 56 (50–68) | |
| Menopausal status | ||
| Premenopausal | 15 | 51.7 |
| Postmenopausal | 14 | 48.3 |
| Histologic type | ||
| IDC/NST | 25 | 86.2 |
| ILC | 2 | 6.9 |
| Mixed type | 1 | 3.4 |
| Other | 1 | 3.4 |
| Tumor grading (at primary diagnosis) | ||
| G1 | 0 | 0 |
| G2 | 12 | 41.4 |
| G3 | 16 | 55.2 |
| Unknown | 1 | 3.4 |
| Tumor size (primary tumor) | ||
| pT1 | 10 | 34.5 |
| pT2 | 9 | 31 |
| pT3/pT4 | 4 | 13.8 |
| Unknown | 6 | 20.7 |
| Lymph node status | ||
| N0 | 10 | 34.5 |
| N1–3 | 12 | 41.4 |
| Unknown | 7 | 24.1 |
| ER status | ||
| Negative | 5 | 17.2 |
| Positive | 24 | 82.8 |
| PR status | ||
| Negative | 9 | 31 |
| Positive | 20 | 69 |
| Her2 status | ||
| Negative | 21 | 72.4 |
| Positive | 8 | 27.6 |
| Subtype (primary tumor) | ||
| HR+/Her2− | 18 | 62.1 |
| HR−/Her2− | 3 | 10.3 |
| Her2+ | 8 | 27.6 |
| Bone metastases | ||
| No | 9 | 31 |
| Yes | 20 | 69 |
| Lung metastases | ||
| No | 16 | 55.2 |
| Yes | 13 | 44.8 |
| Liver metastases | ||
| No | 19 | 65.5 |
| Yes | 10 | 34.5 |
| Other metastases | ||
| No | 7 | 24.1 |
| Yes | 22 | 75.9 |
| Number of metastatic sites | ||
| One | 9 | 31 |
| Multiple | 20 | 69 |
| Number of previous therapy lines for metastatic disease | ||
| 0 | 18 | 62.1 |
| 1 | 4 | 13.8 |
| ≥2 | 7 | 24.1 |
| OS status | ||
| Alive | 19 | 65.5 |
| Dead | 10 | 34.5 |
| PFS status | ||
| No progress | 6 | 20.7 |
| Progress | 23 | 79.3 |
| CTC ≥ 1 | ||
| No | 12 | 41.4 |
| Yes | 17 | 58.6 |
| CTC ≥ 5 | ||
| No | 21 | 72.4 |
| Yes | 8 | 27.6 |
| Z-score ≥ 3 | ||
| No | 18 | 65.5 |
| Yes | 10 | 34.5 |
| CTC (≥1) or z-score (≥3) positive | ||
| No | 10 | 34.5 |
| Yes | 19 | 65.5 |
MBC metastatic breast cancer, IDC/NST invasive ductal carcinoma/not otherwise specified, ILC invasive lobular carcinoma, ER estrogen receptor, PR progesterone receptor, HR hormone receptor, OS overall survival, PFS progression-free survival, CTC circulating tumor cells.