Table 1 Clinical and pathological characteristics of the study population and tumours according to the HER2 status of the primary tumour at diagnosis.

From: Anticipating changes in the HER2 status of breast tumours with disease progression—towards better treatment decisions in the new era of HER2-low breast cancers

  

HER2 status at diagnosis

 
 

All (n = 512)

HER2-negative (n = 201)

HER2-low (n = 230)

HER2-positive (n = 81)

P values

Age at diagnosis (years)

    

0.060

 Mean ± SD

55.8 ± 12.9

55.7 ± 12.8

56.8 ± 12.9

53.2 ± 13.1

 

 Median [min–max]

56.0 [25.0–89.0]

57.0 [26.0–89.0]

57.0 [25.0–86.0]

52.0 [31.0–81.0]

 

Unifocal tumour

    

0.034

 Yes

397 (77.5%)

165 (82.1%)

177 (77.0%)

55 (67.9%)

 

 No

115 (22.5%)

36 (17.9%)

53 (23.0%)

26 (32.1%)

 

Histology

    

<0.001

 IDC

412 (80.5%)

149 (74.1%)

184 (80.0%)

79 (97.5%)

 

 ILC

91 (17.8%)

45 (22.4%)

44 (19.1%)

2 (2.5%)

 

 Other

9 (1.8%)

7 (3.5%)

2 (0.9%)

0 (0.0%)

 

Tumour size (cm)

    

0.008

 Mean ± SD

2.7 ± 1.9

2.5 ± 1.9

2.8 ± 1.7

3.0 ± 2.1

 

 Median [min–max]

2.2 [0.1–10.5]

2.0 [0.1–10.5]

2.5 [0.1–10.0]

2.5 [0.2–10.0]

 

 Missing data

6

4

1

1

 

E&E grade

    

0.007

 I

83 (16.4%)

40 (20.3%)

40 (17.6%)

3 (3.7%)

 

 II

264 (52.3%)

97 (49.2%)

123 (54.2%)

44 (54.3%)

 

 III

158 (31.3%)

60 (30.5%)

64 (28.2%)

34 (42.0%)

 

 Missing data

7

3

3

1

 

Glandular differentiation

    

0.320

 I

7 (1.4%)

5 (2.5%)

2 (0.9%)

0 (0.0%)

 

 II

146 (28.9%)

52 (26.3%)

73 (32.2%)

21 (26.3%)

 

 III

352 (69.7%)

141 (71.2%)

152 (67.0%)

59 (73.8%)

 

 Missing data

7

3

3

1

 

Nuclear grade

    

<0.001

 I

18 (3.6%)

14 (7.1%)

4 (1.8%)

0 (0.0%)

 

 II

330 (65.3%)

126 (63.6%)

163 (71.8%)

41 (51.2%)

 

 III

157 (31.1%)

58 (29.3%)

60 (26.4%)

39 (48.8%)

 

 Missing data

7

3

3

1

 

Mitosis score

    

0.105

 I

237 (46.9%)

93 (47.0%)

117 (51.5%

27 (33.8%)

 

 II

124 (24.6%)

50 (25.3%)

50 (22.1%)

24 (30.0%)

 

 III

144 (28.5%)

55 (27.8%)

60 (26.4%)

29 (36.3%)

 

 Missing data

7

3

3

1

 

Lymph node status

    

0.030

 N0–N0i+

235 (45.9%)

106 (52.7%)

102 (44.3%)

27 (33.3%)

 

 N1–N1mic

188 (36.7%)

60 (29.9%)

89 (38.7%)

39 (48.1%)

 

 N2–N3

89 (17.4%)

35 (17.4%)

39 (17.0%)

15 (18.5%)

 

Disease stage

    

0.001

 I

165 (32.2%)

79 (39.3%)

68 (29.6%)

18 (22.2%)

 

 II

179 (35.0%)

62 (30.8%)

88 (38.3%)

29 (35.8%)

 

 II

128 (25.0%)

50 (24.9%)

59 (25.7%)

19 (23.5%)

 

 IV

40 (7.8%)

10 (5.0%)

15 (6.5%)

15 (18.5%)

 

Oestrogen receptor expression

    

<0.001

 Positive

413 (81.6%)

162 (81.0%)

201 (89.3%)

50 (61.7%)

 

 Negative

93 (18.4%)

38 (19.0%)

24 (10.7%)

31 (38.3%)

 

 Missing data

6

1

5

0

 

Progesterone receptor expression

    

<0.001

 Positive

322 (66.4%)

124 (66.7%)

168 (76.7%)

50 (67.5%)

 

 Negative

163 (33.6%)

62 (33.3%)

51 (23.3%)

30 (37.5%)

 

 Missing data

27

15

11

1

 

Time to recurrence (months)

    

0.010

 Mean ± SD

72.3 ± 50.8

78.1 ± 53.6

72.2 ± 49.1

58.1 ± 45.9

 

 Median [min–max]

60 [1.0–240.0]

60 [1.0–240.0]

62 [1.0–235.0]

48 [1.0–182.0]

 
  1. E&E Elston and Ellis, HER2 human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, IDC invasive ductal carcinoma, ILC invasive lobular carcinoma, SD standard deviation.
  2. Values in bold italic show statistically significant P-values.
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