Table 4 Correlation between clinical data and DTCs, CTCs, and slCTCs after therapy

Tumor size

163

33 (20)

131

11 (8)

88

18 (20)

 ypTis, ypT0

43

12 (28)

0.25

36

3 (8)

0.86

21

3 (14)

0.50

 ypT1a

15

2 (13)

13

0 (0)

12

1 (8)

 ypT1b, ypT1c

52

6 (12)

40

4 (10)

26

5 (19)

 ypT2

41

11 (27)

31

2 (6)

23

7 (30)

 Above ypT2

12

2 (17)

11

2 (18)

6

2 (33)

Nodal status

163

33 (20)

131

11 (8)

88

18 (20)

 yN0

103

26 (25)

0.13

83

6 (7)

0.17

56

11 (20)

0.73

 yN1

44

5 (11)

35

2 (6)

22

4 (18)

 yN2, yN3

46

2 (13)

13

3 (23)

10

3 (30)

Histology

163

33 (20)

131

11 (8)

89

18 (20)

 Ductal

122

28 (23)

1.00

94

9 (10)

0.75

66

14 (21)

0.83

 Lobular

21

5 (24)

19

1 (5)

9

2 (22)

 Other

20

0 (0)

18

1 (6)

14

2 (14)

Grade

162

32 (20)

130

11 (8)

88

18 (20)

 I

11

2 (18)

0.95

9

2 (22)

0.35

3

1 (33)

0.85

 II

72

15 (21)

55

4 (7)

39

8 (21)

 III

79

15 (19)

66

5 (8)

46

9 (20)

ER status

165

33 (20)

133

11 (8)

90

18 (20)

 Negative

52

14 (27)

0.13

43

1 (2)

0.12

30

3 (10)

0.11

 Positive

113

19 (17)

90

10 (11)

60

15 (25)

PR status

165

33 (20)

133

11 (8)

90

18 (20)

 Negative

62

17 (27)

0.07

49

2 (4)

0.20

35

5 (14)

0.28

 Positive

103

16 (16)

84

9 (11)

55

13 (24)