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Table 1 Patient characteristics by CTC+ status at baseline (BL) and after one cycle of treatment (1C)

From: Serial enumeration of circulating tumor cells predicts treatment response and prognosis in metastatic breast cancer: a prospective study in 393 patients

  All patients, BL CTCBL+ P All patients, 1C CTC1C+ P
Patients 393 133 (34%)*   201 57 (28%)  
Age, median (range); years       
 at initial diagnosis 51 (23–81) 50 (28–81) 0.853 50 (28–77) 50 (33–77) 0.570
 at study inclusion 59 (29–89) 57 (33–81) 0.030 57 (33–89) 55 (33–77) 0.092
Baseline CTC count, median (range); number/7.5 ml blood 1 (0–930) 21 (5–930)   — —  
ER status    0.631    0.729
 ER+ 271 94 (35%)   136 41 (30%)  
 ER- 107 34 (32%)   55 15 (27%)  
 No data 15 5 (33%)   10 1 (10%)  
PgR Status    0.819    0.866
 PgR+ 240 81 (34%)   124 36 (29%)  
 PgR- 130 46 (35%)   64 20 (31%)  
 No data 23 6 (26%)   13 1 (8%)  
HER2 status of primary tumor    0.119    0.028
 HER2+ 67 18 (27%)   30 4 (13%)  
 HER2- 274 102 (37%)   142 49 (35%)  
 No data 52 13 (25%)   29 4 (14%)  
Molecular subtypes    0.221    0.062
 HR+/HER2- 216 83 (38%)   110 39 (35%)  
 HER2+ 67 18 (27%)   30 4 (13%)  
 TNBC 57 19 (33%)   32 10 (31%)  
 No data 53 13 (25%)   29 4 (14%)  
Metastasis site    < 0.001    0.005
 Bone 68 25 (37%)   40 16 (40%)  
 Visceral/local 134 28 (21%)   68 10 (15%)  
 Both 191 80 (42%)   93 31 (33%)  
 No data 0 0 (0%)   0 0 (0%)  
Number of metastasis sites    0.372    1.000
 1 88 26 (30%)   48 14 (29%)  
 ≥ 2 305 107 (35%)   153 43 (28%)  
 No data 0 0 (0%)   0 0 (0%)  
Line of therapy    0.724    0.097
 1 175 62 (35%)   97 26 (27%)  
 2 81 28 (35%)   44 8 (18%)  
 ≥ 3 135 42 (31%)   59 22 (37%)  
 No data 2 1 (50%)   1 1 (100%)  
Treatments before study       
 Hormonal therapy    0.904    0.167
  Yes 289 97 (34%)   143 45 (31%)  
  No 104 36 (35%)   58 12 (21%)  
  No data 0 0 (0%)   0 0 (0%)  
Antibody therapy (bevacizumab or other)    0.210    0.023
  Yes 103 47 (46%)   54 22 (41%)  
  No 288 86 (30%)   146 35 (24%)  
  No data 2 0 (0%)   1 0 (0%)  
Anti HER2 therapy (trastuzumab, lapatinib)    0.012    0.027
  Yes 81 18 (22%)   37 5 (14%)  
  No 311 115 (37%)   163 52 (32%)  
  No data 1 0 (0%)   1 0 (0%)  
Chemotherapy    0.022    0.054
  Mono-CHT 87 24 28%)   39 8 (21%)  
  Poly-CHT 109 35 (32%)   64 18 (28%)  
  Bevacizumab + CHT 93 44 (49%)   47 21 (45%)  
  Other CHTs 41 9 (22%)   22 3 (14%)  
  No CHT 62 21 (34%)   28 7 (25%)  
  No data 1 0 (0%)   1 0 (0%)  
Radiological response after first cycle of chemotherapy    0.104    0.011
  CR/PR/SD 162 52 (32%)   99 23 (23%)  
  PD 93 40 (43%)   55 24 (44%)  
  No data 138 41 (30%)   47 10 (21%)  
  1. *Percentages of the respective row total for baseline and first-cycle data.
  2. CHT, chemotherapy; CR, complete response; ER, estrogen receptor; HER2, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; HR, hormone receptor; PD, progressive disease; PgR, progesterone receptor; PR, partial response; SD, stable disease; TNBC, triple negative breast cancer.
  3. P-values were calculated for differences between CTC+ and CTC- groups using the Wilcoxon test or Fisher’s exact test, as appropriate. Bold P values indicate statistical significance.
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BMC Cancer

ISSN: 1471-2407

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