Table 1 Clinicopathological characteristics of tumors according to pre-NAC ER expression levels

From: Impact of estrogen receptor expression levels on chemo-responsiveness and prognosis of breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Clinicopathological characteristics

ER-negative (n = 647)

ER-low positive (n = 49)

ER-intermediate positive (n = 48)

ER-high positive (n = 621)

P value

Age at diagnosis

    

<0.001

 <50

310 (47.9)

23 (46.9)

27 (56.3)

388 (62.5)

 

 ≥50

337 (52.1)

26 (53.1)

21 (43.8)

233 (37.5)

 

Menopausal status

    

<0.001

 Premenopausal

343 (53.0)

26 (53.1)

30 (62.5)

426 (68.6)

 

 Postmenopausal

304 (47.0)

23 (46.9)

18 (37.5)

195 (31.4)

 

Clinical stage

    

0.918

 I & II

342 (52.9)

24 (49.0)

24 (50.0)

331 (53.3)

 

 III

305 (47.1)

25 (51.0)

24 (50.0)

290 (46.7)

 

Clinical T stage

    

0.803

 T1-T2

429 (66.3)

30 (61.2)

32 (66.7)

420 (67.6)

 

 T3-T4

218 (33.7)

19 (38.8)

16 (33.3)

201 (32.4)

 

Clinical N stage

    

0.001

 N0

172 (26.6)

7 (14.3)

6 (12.5)

113 (18.2)

 

 N1-N3

475 (73.4)

42 (85.7)

42 (87.5)

508 (81.8)

 

Histologic grade

    

<0.001

 Low to intermediate

177 (27.4)

17 (34.7)

20 (41.7)

446 (71.8)

 

 High

470 (72.6)

32 (65.3)

28 (58.3)

175 (28.2)

 

Progesterone receptor

    

<0.001

 Negative

635 (98.1)

44 (89.8)

25 (52.1)

103 (16.6)

 

 Positive

12 (1.9)

5 (10.2)

23 (47.9)

518 (83.4)

 

HER2

    

<0.001

 Negative

382 (59.0)

27 (55.1)

26 (54.2)

445 (71.7)

 

 Positive

265 (41.0)

22 (44.9)

22 (45.8)

176 (28.3)

 

Ki-67 index

    

<0.001

 Low (<20%)

42 (6.5)

1 (2.0)

5 (10.4)

233 (37.5)

 

 High (≥20%)

605 (93.5)

48 (98.0)

43 (89.6)

388 (62.5)

 

NAC regimen

    

<0.001

 AC-D

187 (28.9)

12 (24.5)

17 (35.4)

337 (54.3)

 

 Others

460 (71.1)

37 (75.5)

31 (64.6)

284 (45.7)

 

ET†

    

<0.001

 Given

22 (3.4)

33 (67.3)

47 (97.9)

621 (100)

 

 Not given

625 (96.6)

16 (32.7)

1 (2.1)

0 (0)

 

ET completion† (n = 723)

    

0.291

 Completed

14 (63.6)

21 (63.6)

34 (72.3)

466 (75.0)

 

 Not completed

8 (36.4)

12 (36.4)

13 (27.7)

155 (25.0)

 

HER2-targeted therapy†‡ (n = 514)

    

0.138

 Given

258 (97.0)

22 (100)

21 (87.5)

196 (97.0)

 

 Not given

8 (3.0)

0 (0)

3 (12.5)

6 (3.0)

 
  1. NAC neoadjuvant chemotherapy, ER estrogen receptor, HER2 human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, AC-D doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel, ET endocrine therapy
  2. †Adjuvant therapy, ‡Patients were considered candidates for HER2-targeted therapy if HER2 positivity was observed either before or after NAC.
  3. P values were calculated by the chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test. Numbers in parentheses indicate percentage.
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