Table 3 Multivariate analysis of breast cancer samples at 5-year survival. Multivariate analysis N=257 (Validation set split at cut-point generated by X-tile

From: Antibody validation by quantitative analysis of protein expression using expression of Met in breast cancer as a model

Variable

Risk ratio (95% confidence interval)

P

(a)

Nodal status

  

 Node positive

1.00

 

 Node negative

2.63 (1.55–4.64)

0.0002

Nuclear grade

  

 1

1.00

 

 2

1.20 (0.59–2.70)

 

 3

1.26 (0.74–2.13)

0.5205

Tumor size

  

2 cm

1.00

 

 >2 cm

1.74 (1.07–2.89)

0.0261

ER

  

 Low (0)

1.00

 

 High (1 to 3+)

0.49 (0.29–0.83)

0.0072

PR

  

 Low (0)

1.00

 

 High (1 to 3+)

0.64 (0.37–1.08)

0.0991

Her2

  

 Low (0 to 2)

1.00

 

 High (3+)

2.12 (1.08–3.89)

0.0304

Met (nuclear)

  

 Low

1.00

 

 High

1.30 (0.79–2.14)

0.2891

(b)

ER

  

 Low (0)

1.00

 

 High (1 to 3+)

1.35 (1.06–1.76)

0.0166

PR

  

 Low (0)

1.00

 

 High (1 to 3+)

1.29 (0.99–1.68)

0.0525

Her2

  

 Low (0–2)

1.00

 

 High (3+)

0.77 (0.58–1.07)

0.1107

Met (nuclear)

  

 Low

1.00

 

 High

1.72 (1.09–2.74)

0.0206

(c)

Nodal status

  

 Node positive

1.00

 

 Node negative

0.60 (0.47–0.77)

<0.0001

ER

  

 Low (0)

1.00

 

 High (1 to 3+)

1.32 (1.03–1.71)

0.0238

PR

  

 Low (0)

1.00

 

 High (1 to 3+)

1.28 (0.99–1.67)

0.0528

Her2

  

 Low (0 to 2)

1.00

 

 High (3+)

0.71 (0.53–0.99)

0.0460

Met (nuclear)

  

 Low

1.00

 

 High

1.58 (1.00–2.52)

0.0512

(d)

Tumor size

  

2 cm

1.00

 

>2 cm

0.74 (0.59–0.94)

0.0121

ER

  

 Low (0)

1.00

 

 High (1 to 3+)

1.40 (1.09–1.82)

0.0072

PR

  

 Low (0)

1.00

 

 High (1 to 3+)

1.27 (0.98–1.65)

0.0690

Her2

  

 Low (0 to 2)

1.00

 

 High (3+)

0.75 (0.56–1.05)

0.0914

Met (nuclear)

  

 Low

1.00

 

 High

1.64 (1.04–2.61)

0.0345

  1. (a) High nuclear expression of Met is not an independent predictor of outcome in a model that includes nodal status, nuclear grade, tumor size and ER, PR and Her2 status. (b) High nuclear Met expression does predict outcome for a population that is independent of ER, PR and Her2 status. (c) Addition of nodal status to the multivariate analysis makes high nuclear expression Met no longer a significant independent marker with a P-value of 0.0512, suggesting a slight relationship between high nuclear Met expression and nodal status. (d) Addition of tumor size to the model that includes only ER, PR and Her2 status shows high expression of nuclear Met is an independent predictor of outcome in this model.