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Table 4 Correlation between immunocytochemistry (IC) cytokeratin (CK) -positive and immunomagnetic (IM) EpCAM-positive breast cancer patients

From: Enrichment methods to detect bone marrow micrometastases in breast carcinoma patients: clinical relevance

IC morphology

IM patient classification

 

Group A (cells ≥ 150)

Group B (50 < cells < 150)

Group C (cells < 50)

Total patients

Class A (CK-positive, morpho-positive)

3

1

0

10

Class B (CK-positive, morpho-undefined)

3

3

0

 

Class C (CK-positive, morpho-negative)

4

2

1

22

Class D (CK-negative, morpho-negative)

5

6

4

 

Total patients

15

12

5

32

  1. CK, cytokeratin; EpCAM, Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; morpho, tumor cell morphology.