Analysis of and prognostic information from disseminated tumour cells in bone marrow in primary breast cancer: a prospective observational study

Table 3 Cox univariate and multivariate analysis of distant disease-free survival

	Univariate analysis (n ≤ 401)			Multivariate analysis (n = 377)
Variable	HR*	95% CI	p-value	HR**	95% CI	p-value
DTC status (IF and IC) (n=401) DTC+ vs DTC-	1.2	0.66-2.2	0.55
DTC status (IF) (n=327)	1.2	0.63- 2.2	0.60
DTC+ vs DTC-	1.2	0.63- 2.2	0.60
DTC statuc (IC) (n=74) DTC+ vs DTC-	0.84	0.09-8.1	0.88
Age	0.99	0.97-1.02	0.61
per year	0.99	0.97-1.02	0.61
Node status	5.5	2.7- 11	< 0.001	3.4	1.6- 7.2	0.001
N+ vs N0	5.5	2.7- 11	< 0.001	3.4	1.6- 7.2	0.001
Tumor size	4.9	2.6-9.4	< 0.001	2.5	1.2- 5.2	0.01
> 20 mm vs ≤ 20 mm	4.9	2.6-9.4	< 0.001	2.5	1.2- 5.2	0.01
NHG status	6.9	0.92-52	0.06	4.9	0.65-37	0.12
NHG 2 vs NHG 1	6.9	0.92-52	0.06	4.9	0.65-37	0.12
NHG 3 vs NHG 1	20	2.7- 147	0.004	8.7	1.1- 70	0.04
ER status	0.39	0.21-0.72	0.003	0.85	0.38- 1.9	0.7
ER+ vs ER-	0.39	0.21-0.72	0.003	0.85	0.38- 1.9	0.7
PR status	0.43	0.24- 0.79	0.007	0.67	0.33- 1.4	0.3
PR+ vs PR-

* No significant deviations from proportional hazards (Schoenfeld’s test).
* *P=0.05 in Schoenfeld’s global six degree-of-freedom test of proportional hazards.
Abbreviations: IF= immunofluorescence, IC=immunocytochemistry, HR= hazard ratio, CI= confidence interval, DTC= disseminated tumor cells, N0= node negative, N+= node positive, NHG= Nottingham histological grade, ER= oestrogen receptor, PR= progesterone receptor.

ISSN: 1471-2407