Table 3. Association of clinical and pathological pre and post-NAC parameters with relapse-free survival after univariate and multivariate analysis in the whole population.
| Univariate | Multivariate | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | Class | Number | Events | HR | CI | p* | p | HR | CI | p |
| Pre-NAC parameters | ||||||||||
| Age (years) | <45 | 285 | 92 | 1 | 0.266 | |||||
| 45–55 | 254 | 67 | 0.81 | [0.59–1.11] | ||||||
| >55 | 178 | 46 | 0.78 | [0.55–1.11] | ||||||
| Menopausal status | pre | 451 | 127 | 1 | 0.796 | |||||
| post | 259 | 74 | 1.04 | [0.78–1.38] | ||||||
| BMI | 19≤BMI≤25 | 414 | 111 | 1 | 0.348 | |||||
| <19 | 41 | 11 | 1.01 | [0.54–1.87] | ||||||
| >25 | 261 | 83 | 1.23 | [0.93–1.64] | ||||||
| Tumor size | T1 | 47 | 13 | 1 | 0.027 | |||||
| T2 | 481 | 127 | 0.93 | [0.53–1.65] | 0.812 | |||||
| T3 | 189 | 65 | 1.41 | [0.77–2.55] | 0.263 | |||||
| Clinical nodal status | N0 | 282 | 78 | 1 | 0.597 | |||||
| N1-N2-N3 | 434 | 127 | 1.08 | [0.81–1.43] | ||||||
| Mitotic index | ≤22 | 389 | 110 | 1 | 0.185 | |||||
| >22 | 293 | 90 | 1.21 | [0.91–1.6] | ||||||
| Histology | NST | 660 | 182 | 1 | 0.026 | |||||
| other | 53 | 22 | 1.65 | [1.06–2.57] | ||||||
| Grade | I-II | 211 | 70 | 1 | 0.268 | |||||
| III | 490 | 131 | 0.85 | [0.63–1.13] | ||||||
| Ki67 | <20% | 33 | 10 | 1 | 0.53 | |||||
| ≥20% | 146 | 51 | 1.24 | [0.63–2.45] | ||||||
| Subtype | luminal | 222 | 75 | 1 | <0.001 | 1 | - | - | ||
| TNBC | 319 | 102 | 1.1 | [0.82–1.49] | 0.523 | 2,13 | [1.54–2.96] | <0.001 | ||
| HER2 | 176 | 28 | 0.46 | [0.3–0.71] | <0.001 | 0,92 | [0.58–1.45] | 0,7 | ||
| ER status | negative | 396 | 112 | 1 | 0.516 | |||||
| positive | 321 | 93 | 0.91 | [0.69–1.2] | ||||||
| PR status | negative | 473 | 135 | 1 | 0.26 | |||||
| positive | 221 | 59 | 0.84 | [0.62–1.14] | ||||||
| HER2 status | negative | 541 | 177 | 1 | <0.001 | |||||
| positive | 176 | 28 | 0.43 | [0.29–0.65] | ||||||
| NAC regimen | AC | 61 | 25 | 1 | 0.115 | |||||
| AC-Taxanes | 576 | 161 | 0.66 | [0.43–1] | ||||||
| Others | 80 | 19 | 0.58 | [0.32–1.06] | ||||||
| TILs | (continuous) | 0,99 | [0.98–0.99] | 0,002 | ||||||
| Post-NAC parameters | ||||||||||
| Nodal involvment | 0 | 445 | 86 | 1 | <0.001 | |||||
| 1–3 | 188 | 69 | 2 | [1.45–2.74] | <0.001 | |||||
| ≥4 | 84 | 50 | 3.85 | [2.71–5.45] | <0.001 | |||||
| RCB class | pCR | 202 | 23 | 1 | <0.001 | 1 | - | - | ||
| RCB-I | 65 | 7 | 0.98 | [0.42–2.3] | 0.972 | 1,17 | [0.50–2.74] | 0.48 | ||
| RCB-II | 309 | 102 | 3.25 | [2.07–5.11] | <0.001 | 3,38 | [2.11–5.39] | <0.001 | ||
| RCB-III | 141 | 73 | 5.61 | [3.51–8.97] | <0.001 | 6,29 | [3.73–10.62] | <0.001 | ||
| Interaction term RCB class*BC subtype | 0,051 | |||||||||
| Interaction term RCB class*Post-NAC TILs | 0,058 | |||||||||
| LVI | no | 500 | 108 | 1 | <0.001 | 1 | - | - | ||
| yes | 148 | 75 | 2.76 | [2.06–3.71] | <0.001 | 1,55 | [1.15–2.08] | 0,004 | ||
| TILs | (continuous) | 1,01 | [0.99–1.02] | 0,311 | ||||||
Abbreviations: pCR = pathological complete response; BMI = body mass index; NST = no special type; ER = oestrogen receptor; PR = progesterone receptor; NAC = neoadjuvant chemotherapy; AC = anthracyclines; TILs = tumor infiltrating lymphocytes; RCB = residual cancer burden; LVI = lymphovascular invasion.