Table 1 Patient characteristics before study start

Staging of the primary tumor

is

1

I

5

II

21

III

6

IV

6

Histology

Ductal

24

Lobular

5

Ductal/lobular

2

Other*

5

Not known

3

Grading

1

4

2

16

3

18

Not known

1

Receptor expression

Estrogen and progesterone receptor

Pos

26

Estrogen receptor

Pos

31

Progesterone receptor

Pos

26

HER2 overexpression

Pos (3⁺)

11

DAKO 2⁺/FISH^-

3

Sites of metastasis

Visceral + nonvisceral

21

Visceral

11

Nonvisceral

7

Cerebral

0

Elevated markers

CEA

25

Ca15-3

27

Not known

1

Treatment

(Neo-)adjuvant treatment at primary diagnosis

Chemotherapy

19

Radiation

11

Hormone

18

Trastuzumab

1

Not known

0

Treatment in the metastatic setting

Chemotherapy line

First

13

Second

4

Third

6

Fourth and more

12

Not known

0

Trastuzumab

11

Hormone therapy

23