Table 4 EGFR and EGFR ligands as prognostic factors in subgroups of early-stage breast cancer patients in relation to overall survival (a) and invasive disease-free survival (b).

From: Prognostic impact of serum levels of EGFR and EGFR ligands in early-stage breast cancer

a

 

Overall survival

 

HR + 

Patients: n = 253

Events: n = 58

HER2 + 

Patients: n = 49

Events: n = 14

Triple negative

Patients: n = 33

Events: n = 10

 

HR (95% CI)

p

HR (95% CI)

p

HR (95% CI)

p

S-EGFR

 < 60.3 ng/mL

–

 

–

 

–

 

 ≥ 60.3 ng/mL

0.5 (0.3–0.9)

0.01

0.2 (0.06–0.5)

0.002

1.1 (0.2–5.2)

0.9

Adjusted*

0.5 (0.3–1.0)

0.06

0.2 (0.07–0.7)

0.007

–

 

S-EGF

 < 296 pg/mL

–

 

–

 

–

 

 ≥ 296 pg/mL

0.5 (0.3–0.9)

0.02

2.2 (0.5–9.9)

0.3

0.7 (0.2–2.6)

0.7

Adjusted*

0.5 (0.3–1.0)

0.04

2.1 (0.5–9.5)

0.3

–

 

S-HBEGF

 < 21.4 pg/mL

–

 

–

 

–

 

 ≥ 21.4 pg/mL

0.5 (0.3–0.9)

0.02

0.5 (0.1–1.9)

0.3

0.3 (0.09–1.1)

0.07

Adjusted*

0.5 (0.3–0.8)

0.01

0.5 (0.1–1.9)

0.3

–

 

S-AREG

 < 5.3 pg/mL

–

 

–

 

–

 

 ≥ 5.3 pg/mL

1.1 (0.6–2.0)

0.8

3.6 (1.3–10.3)

0.02

1.5 (0.3–7.0)

0.6

Adjusted*

1.2 (0.6–2.2)

0.6

6.1 (2.0–18.8)

0.001

–

 

S-TGFα

 < 8.2 pg/mL

–

 

–

 

–

 

 ≥ 8.2 pg/mL

0.8 (0.5–1.4)

0.4

0.6 (0.2–1.9)

0.4

0.7 (0.2–2.7)

0.6

Adjusted*

0.8 (0.5–1.4)

0.5

0.7 (0.2–2.0)

0.5

–

 

S-BTC

 < 9.6 pg/mL

–

 

–

 

–

 

 ≥ 9.6 pg/mL

0.8 (0.4–1.3)

0.3

0.8 (0.3–2.2)

0.6

0.8 (0.2–2.9)

0.7

Adjusted*

0.8 (0.4–1.3)

0.4

0.8 (0.3–2.4)

0.7

–

 

b

 
 

Invasive disease free survival

HR + 

HER2 + 

Triple negative

Patients: n = 253

Patients: n = 49

Patients: n = 33

Events: n = 84

Events: n = 18

Events: n = 12

 

HR (95% CI)

p

HR (95% CI)

p

HR (95% CI)

p

S-EGFR

 < 60.3 ng/mL

–

 

–

 

–

 

 ≥ 60.3 ng/mL

0.6 (0.3–0.9)

0.02

0.3 (0.1–0.8)

0.02

0.9 (0.2–3.3)

0.9

Adjusted*

0.6 (0.4–1.0)

0.06

0.3 (0.1–1.0)

0.06

–

 

S-EGF

 < 296 pg/mL

–

 

–

 

–

 

 ≥ 296 pg/mL

0.6 (0.4–1.0)

0.07

0.9 (0.3–2.6)

0.9

0.7 (0.2–2.2)

0.6

Adjusted*

0.6 (0.4–1.0)

0.07

0.9 (0.3–2.5)

0.8

–

 

S-HBEGF

 < 21.4 pg/mL

–

 

–

 

–

 

 ≥ 21.4 pg/mL

0.6 (0.3–0.9)

0.02

0.8 (0.2–2.8)

0.7

0.4 (0.1–1.5)

0.2

Adjusted*

0.5 (0.3–0.9)

0.01

0.8 (0.2–2.8)

0.7

–

 

S-AREG

 < 5.3 pg/mL

–

 

–

 

–

 

 ≥ 5.3 pg/mL

0.9 (0.5–1.5)

0.6

2.7 (1.0–7.1)

0.046

1.7 (0.5–6.5)

0.4

Adjusted*

0.9 (0.6–1.6)

0.8

4.0 (1.4–11.0)

0.008

–

 

S-TGFα

 < 8.2 pg/mL

–

 

–

 

–

 

 ≥ 8.2 pg/mL

0.9 (0.5–1.3)

0.5

0.6 (0.2–1.5)

0.3

0.8 (0.2–2.5)

0.7

Adjusted*

0.8 (0.5–1.3)

0.4

0.6 (0.2–1.6)

0.3

–

 

S-BTC

 < 9.6 pg/mL

–

 

–

 

–

 

 ≥ 9.6 pg/mL

0.8 (0.5–1.2)

0.2

0.5 (0.2–1.4)

0.2

0.9 (0.3–3.0)

0.9

Adjusted*

0.7 (0.5–1.1)

0.1

0.5 (0.2–1.4)

0.2

–

 
  1. HR: Hazard ratio; HR + : Hormone receptor positive (estrogen receptor positive and/or progesterone receptor positive); 95% CI: 95% conficence interval; HER2 + : Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) (IHC 3 + or IHC 2 + and FISH > 2)
  2. Cox-regressions conducted in subgroups of early-stage breast cancer patients including HR + patients, HER2-positive patients and triple negative patients, respectively. Cutoffs determined using Youden’s method for estimation of optimal cutoff applied to the entire population of early-stage breast cancer patients.
  3. *In the category of HR + patients the adjusted analysis is adjusted for HER2 status. In the category of HER2 + patients the adjusted analysis is adjusted for hormone receptor status.
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