Fig. 2

Prognostic capability of DTCs, CTCs, and slCTCs before and after NACT with regard to PFS. Kaplan-Meier curves were drawn to compare PFS with regard to CTCs/slCTCs in blood and DTCs in BM before and after NACT. No significant associations were found with regard to PFS for every cell type tested (for DTCs, HR 1.065, 95 % CI 0.411–2.763, p = 0.9190 before therapy; HR 1.053, 95 % CI 0.393–2.821, p = 0.8969 after therapy; for CTCs, HR 1.298, 95 % CI 0.466–3.620, p = 0.6179 before NACT; HR 0.607, 95 % CI 0.080–4.582, p = 0.6285 after NACT; and for slCTCs, HR 1.346, 95 % CI 0.450–4.032, p = 0.5950 before therapy; HR 0.254, 95 % CI 0.033–1.942, p = 0.1865 after therapy). In the univariable Cox regression model estimated survival curves, blue line = DTC/CTC/slCTC-negative patients and red line = DTC/CTC/slCTC-positive patients. BM bone marrow, CI confidence interval, CTC circulating tumor cell, DTC disseminated tumor cell, HR hazard ratio, NACT neoadjuvant chemotherapy, PFS progression-free survival, slCTC stem cell–like circulating tumor cell