Table 2. Survival median and hazard rate ratio (95% CI) for progression free survival and overall survival, by different cut-offs.
| PFS | OS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaplan-Meier | Cox-unadjusted | Cox-adjusted* | Kaplan-Meier | Cox-unadjusted | Cox-adjusted* | ||
| SA | |||||||
| Negative vs. positive | n=162 | n=162 | n=119 | n=167 | n=167 | n=123 | |
| Median =0.94 vs. 0.46 | RR =0.56 | RR =0.51 | Median =1.62 vs. 0.83 | RR =0.58 | RR =0.51 | ||
| P value =0.002 | (0.39–0.81) | (0.33–0.79) | P value=0.007 | (0.39–0.86) | (0.31–0.81) | ||
| EA | |||||||
| Negative vs. positive | n=150 | n=150 | n=113 | n=154 | n=154 | n=116 | |
| Median =0.83 vs. 0.49 | RR =0.76 | RR =0.68 | Median =1.18 vs. 0.90 | RR =0.78 | RR =0.82 | ||
| P value=0.17 | (0.51–1.13) | (0.43–1.09) | P value =0.27 | (0.50–1.21) | (0.49–1.38) | ||
| <2 vs. ≥2 | n=150 | n=150 | n=113 | n=154 | n=134 | n=116 | |
| Median =0.77 vs. 0.36 | RR =0.61 | RR =0.77 | Median =1.29 vs. 0.86 | RR =0.71 | RR =0.91 | ||
| P value=0.001 | (0.42–0.89) | (0.49–1.20) | P value=0.08 | (0.47–1.08) | (0.59–1.40) | ||
| <3 vs. ≥3 | n=150 | n=150 | n=113 | n=154 | n=134 | n=116 | |
| Median =0.61 vs. 0.43 | RR =0.79 | RR =0.89 | Median =1.19 vs. 0.84 | RR =0.82 | RR =0.99 | ||
| P value =0.25 | (0.53–1.18) | (0.55–1.42) | P value=0.40 | (0.53–1.28) | (0.63–1.57) | ||
| <4 vs. ≥4 | n=150 | n=150 | n=113 | n=154 | n=134 | n=116 | |
| Median =0.66 vs. 0.29 | RR =0.54 | RR =0.62 | Median =1.29 vs. 0.59 | RR =0.61 | RR =0.90 | ||
| P value =0.004 | (0.35–0.83) | (0.36–1.06) | P value=0.04 | (0.38–0.99) | (0.53–1.50) | ||
| <5 vs. ≥5 | n=150 | n=150 | n=113 | n=154 | n=134 | n=116 | |
| Median =0.66 vs. 0.28 | RR =0.52 | RR =0.64 | Median =1.25 vs. 0.49 | RR =0.49 | RR =0.62 | ||
| P value =0.007 | (0.32–0.84) | (0.35–1.15) | P value =0.008 | (0.29–0.82) | (0.36–1.06) | ||
| <6 vs. ≥6 | n=150 | n=150 | n=113 | n=154 | n=134 | n=116 | |
| Median =0.63 vs. 0.29 | RR =0.52 | RR= 0.55 | Median =1.19 vs. 0.59 | RR =0.50 | RR =0.63 | ||
| P value =0.01 | (0.31–0.7) | (0.29–1.04) | P value =0.022 | (0.29–0.88) | (0.36–1.12) | ||
*, Cox regression analysis has been adjusted by sex/age/smoking/performance status. Kaplan-Meyer, Cox Regression unadjusted and Cox Regression adjusted analyses of PFS and OS were used for CTC level considered as a binary (<1 or ≥1 CTC/7.5 mL PB), i.e., negative vs. positive, according to SA enumeration. Different cut-off values were considered for CTC enumeration by EA, from <1 vs. ≥1, up to <6 vs. ≥6 CTCs/7.5 mL PB.