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Table 2 Relationship of ascorbate levels in tumors with clinicopathological and patient parameters

From: Activation of the hypoxia pathway in breast cancer tissue and patient survival are inversely associated with tumor ascorbate levels

Parameter

Ascorbate in tumor tissuea

<mean

>mean

p valuee

Ethnicity

Maori/Pacific

7

1

0.099

non-Maori/non-Pacific

23

18

 

undeclared

1

0

 

Age

< 55 year

16

9

0.500

> 55 years

15

10

 

Grade

1

2

8

0.007

2

15

4

 

3

14

7

 

Tumor Stage

1

11

5

0.769

2

19

13

 

3

1

1

 

Nottinghamb

≤ 3.4

4

5

0.370

3.41–5.4

14

9

 

> 5.4

13

5

 

Node

negative

11

5

0.500

positive

20

14

 

Vascular invasion

no

13

10

0.357

yes

18

8

 

unknown

 

1

 

Tumor sizec

≤ 2 cm

12

5

0.369

> 2 cm

19

14

 

DCIS Necrosis

no

8

9

0.055

yes

19

6

 

unknown

4

4

 

Hormone Receptor statusd

HR+

24

17

0.452

HR-

7

2

 
  1. aNumber of patients below (n = 31) or above (n = 19) the mean ascorbate level of 0.2 nmol/μg DNA in tumor tissue
  2. bNottingham prognostic index: calculated from tumor size, number of involved lymph nodes and tumor grade [73], with good, moderate and poor prognosis [74].
  3. cTumor size, invasive component only, excluding DCIS
  4. dHormone receptor HR+, ER+(PR+/−, Her2+/−) and includes both Luminal A and B; HR−, ER-PR-(Her2+/−) and includes Her2-enriched and basal-like tumours
  5. eChi-square or Fisher’s exact test, as appropriate. Significance is indicated when p < 0.05