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Table 1 Patient characteristics by CTC+ status at baseline (BL) and after one cycle of treatment (1C)

From: Serial enumeration of circulating tumor cells predicts treatment response and prognosis in metastatic breast cancer: a prospective study in 393 patients

 

All patients, BL

CTCBL+

P

All patients, 1C

CTC1C+

P

Patients

393

133 (34%)*

 

201

57 (28%)

 

Age, median (range); years

      

 at initial diagnosis

51 (23–81)

50 (28–81)

0.853

50 (28–77)

50 (33–77)

0.570

 at study inclusion

59 (29–89)

57 (33–81)

0.030

57 (33–89)

55 (33–77)

0.092

Baseline CTC count, median (range); number/7.5 ml blood

1 (0–930)

21 (5–930)

 

 

ER status

  

0.631

  

0.729

 ER+

271

94 (35%)

 

136

41 (30%)

 

 ER-

107

34 (32%)

 

55

15 (27%)

 

 No data

15

5 (33%)

 

10

1 (10%)

 

PgR Status

  

0.819

  

0.866

 PgR+

240

81 (34%)

 

124

36 (29%)

 

 PgR-

130

46 (35%)

 

64

20 (31%)

 

 No data

23

6 (26%)

 

13

1 (8%)

 

HER2 status of primary tumor

  

0.119

  

0.028

 HER2+

67

18 (27%)

 

30

4 (13%)

 

 HER2-

274

102 (37%)

 

142

49 (35%)

 

 No data

52

13 (25%)

 

29

4 (14%)

 

Molecular subtypes

  

0.221

  

0.062

 HR+/HER2-

216

83 (38%)

 

110

39 (35%)

 

 HER2+

67

18 (27%)

 

30

4 (13%)

 

 TNBC

57

19 (33%)

 

32

10 (31%)

 

 No data

53

13 (25%)

 

29

4 (14%)

 

Metastasis site

  

< 0.001

  

0.005

 Bone

68

25 (37%)

 

40

16 (40%)

 

 Visceral/local

134

28 (21%)

 

68

10 (15%)

 

 Both

191

80 (42%)

 

93

31 (33%)

 

 No data

0

0 (0%)

 

0

0 (0%)

 

Number of metastasis sites

  

0.372

  

1.000

 1

88

26 (30%)

 

48

14 (29%)

 

 ≥ 2

305

107 (35%)

 

153

43 (28%)

 

 No data

0

0 (0%)

 

0

0 (0%)

 

Line of therapy

  

0.724

  

0.097

 1

175

62 (35%)

 

97

26 (27%)

 

 2

81

28 (35%)

 

44

8 (18%)

 

 ≥ 3

135

42 (31%)

 

59

22 (37%)

 

 No data

2

1 (50%)

 

1

1 (100%)

 

Treatments before study

      

 Hormonal therapy

  

0.904

  

0.167

  Yes

289

97 (34%)

 

143

45 (31%)

 

  No

104

36 (35%)

 

58

12 (21%)

 

  No data

0

0 (0%)

 

0

0 (0%)

 

Antibody therapy (bevacizumab or other)

  

0.210

  

0.023

  Yes

103

47 (46%)

 

54

22 (41%)

 

  No

288

86 (30%)

 

146

35 (24%)

 

  No data

2

0 (0%)

 

1

0 (0%)

 

Anti HER2 therapy (trastuzumab, lapatinib)

  

0.012

  

0.027

  Yes

81

18 (22%)

 

37

5 (14%)

 

  No

311

115 (37%)

 

163

52 (32%)

 

  No data

1

0 (0%)

 

1

0 (0%)

 

Chemotherapy

  

0.022

  

0.054

  Mono-CHT

87

24 28%)

 

39

8 (21%)

 

  Poly-CHT

109

35 (32%)

 

64

18 (28%)

 

  Bevacizumab + CHT

93

44 (49%)

 

47

21 (45%)

 

  Other CHTs

41

9 (22%)

 

22

3 (14%)

 

  No CHT

62

21 (34%)

 

28

7 (25%)

 

  No data

1

0 (0%)

 

1

0 (0%)

 

Radiological response after first cycle of chemotherapy

  

0.104

  

0.011

  CR/PR/SD

162

52 (32%)

 

99

23 (23%)

 

  PD

93

40 (43%)

 

55

24 (44%)

 

  No data

138

41 (30%)

 

47

10 (21%)

 
  1. *Percentages of the respective row total for baseline and first-cycle data.
  2. CHT, chemotherapy; CR, complete response; ER, estrogen receptor; HER2, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; HR, hormone receptor; PD, progressive disease; PgR, progesterone receptor; PR, partial response; SD, stable disease; TNBC, triple negative breast cancer.
  3. P-values were calculated for differences between CTC+ and CTC- groups using the Wilcoxon test or Fisher’s exact test, as appropriate. Bold P values indicate statistical significance.