Table 3. Combined analysis of CTCs and CTC-WBC clusters with patient PFS.
| Variables | n (%) | Univariate analysis | Multivariate analysis | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HR (95% CI) | P | HR (95% CI)* | P* | |||
| <7 CTCs, <1CTC-WBC cluster | 20 (32.79) | 1 | 1 | |||
| <7 CTCs, ≥1CTC-WBC cluster | 9 (14.75) | 2.43 (0.77–7.71) | 0.130 | 2.77 (0.80–9.67) | 0.110 | |
| ≥7 CTCs, <1CTC-WBC cluster | 18 (29.51) | 3.25 (1.26–8.42) | 0.015 | 3.09 (1.15–8.36) | 0.026 | |
| ≥7 CTCs, ≥1CTC-WBC cluster | 14 (22.95) | 8.03 (2.85–22.61) | <0.001 | 7.13 (2.51–20.23) | <0.001 | |
*, adjusted for pathologic type, and main therapy. CTC, circulating tumor cell; CTC-WBC cluster, circulating tumor-cell-associated white blood cell cluster; PFS, progression-free survival; HR, hazard ratio; CI, confidence interval.