Table 1 Baseline characteristics of all patients classified into the SLNB-only or ALND groups, before and after PSM.

From: Feasibility of de-escalating axillary surgery in patients with clinical N2–3, pathological N0 breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy

 

Before PSM

After PSM

Total

SLNB-only

ALND

p-value

SLNB-only

ALND

p-value

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

Patients

521

293 (56.2)

228 (43.8)

 

200 (50.0)

200 (50.0)

 

Age (in years ± SD)

0.313

  

0.940

Mean

50.0 ± 10.9

49.6 ± 11.1

50.6 ± 10.8

 

50.5 ± 10.6

50.6 ± 10.5

 

Clinical T stage

0.003

  

0.954

 T1

45 (8.6)

30 (10.2)

15 (6.6)

 

15 (7.5)

13 (6.5)

 

 T2

266 (51.1)

160 (54.6)

106 (46.5)

 

104 (52.0)

102 (51.0)

 

 T3

138 (26.5)

76 (25.9)

62 (27.2)

 

54 (27.0)

55 (27.5)

 

 T4

72 (13.8)

27 (9.2)

45 (19.7)

 

27 (13.5)

30 (15.0)

 

Clinical N stage

0.250

  

1.000

 N2

174 (33.4)

104 (35.5)

70 (30.7)

 

55 (27.5)

55 (27.5)

 

 N3

347 (66.6)

189 (64.5)

158 (69.3)

 

145 (72.5)

145 (72.5)

 

Histologic grade

0.086

  

0.841

 G2

269 (51.6)

161 (55.0)

108 (47.4)

 

101 (50.5)

99 (49.5)

 

 G3

252 (48.4)

132 (45.0)

120 (52.6)

 

99 (49.5)

101 (50.5)

 

Nuclear grade

0.138

  

0.841

 G2

266 (51.1)

158 (53.9)

108 (47.4)

 

100 (50.0)

98 (49.0)

 

 G3

255 (48.9)

135 (46.1)

120 (52.6)

 

100 (50.0)

102 (51.0)

 

Estrogen receptor status

0.252

  

0.919

 Negative

303 (58.2)

164 (56.0)

139 (61.0)

 

120 (60.0)

121 (60.5)

 

 Positive

218 (41.8)

129 (44.0)

89 (39.0)

 

80 (40.0)

79 (39.5)

 

Progesterone receptor status

0.040

  

0.795

 Negative

415 (79.7)

224 (76.5)

191 (83.8)

 

163 (81.5)

165 (82.5)

 

 Positive

106 (20.3)

69 (23.6)

37 (16.2)

 

37 (18.5)

35 (17.5)

 

HER2 status

0.137

  

0.841

 Negative

250 (48.0)

149 (50.9)

101 (44.3)

 

93 (46.5)

91 (45.5)

 

 Positive

271 (52.0)

144 (49.2)

127 (55.7)

 

107 (53.5)

109 (54.4)

 

Ki-67 index

0.608

  

0.760

 < 20%

16 (3.1)

10 (3.4)

6 (2.6)

 

5 (2.5)

6 (3.0)

 

 ≥ 20%

505 (96.9)

283 (96.6)

222 (97.4)

 

195 (97.5)

194 (97.0)

 

Breast surgery type

0.012

  

0.763

 TM

276 (53.0)

141 (48.1)

135 (59.2)

 

109 (54.5)

112 (56.0)

 

 BCS

245 (47.0)

152 (41.9)

93 (40.8)

 

91 (45.5)

88 (44.0)

 

Radiotherapy(RT)

    

 Yes

493(94.6) a

271(92.5) b

222(97.4) b

0.014

198(99.0) b

199(99.5) b

0.223

 No

28(5.4) a

22(7.5)

6(2.6)

 

2(1.0)

1(0.5)

 

Hormone therapy(HT)

    

 Yes

225(43.2) a

135(46.1) c

90(39.5) c

0.131

87(43.5) c

81(40.5) c

0.543

 No

296(56.8) a

158(53.9)

138(60.5)

 

113(56.5)

119(59.5)

 
  1. PSM propensity score matching, ALND axillary lymph node dissection, SLNB sentinel lymph node biopsy, SD standard deviation, HER2 human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, TM total mastectomy, BCS breast-conserving surgery.
  2. aPercentages are based on the total number of patients (N = 521).
  3. bPercentages are based on the group total within the RT group.
  4. cPercentages are based on the group total within the HT group.
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