Table 1 Patient characteristics in the case-control series: patients with extracted RNA sample

Number of patients

246

232

258

245

238

222

Number (%)

Age at hist. diagnosis

Median (years)

57.1

51.5

55.7

51.0

55.9

51.2

Grade

1

11 (4%)

33 (14%)

7 (3%)

36 (15%)

20 (8%)

20 (9%)

2

81 (33%)

89 (38%)

113 (44%)

127 (52%)

114 (48%)

97 (44%)

3

135 (55%)

87 (38%)

122 (47%)

62 (25%)

81 (34%)

88 (40%)

Unknown

19 (8%)

23 (10%)

16 (6%)

20 (8%)

23 (10%)

17 (8%)

ER IHC status

Positive

147 (60%)

160 (69%)

162 (63%)

174 (71%)

188 (79%)

158 (71%)

Negative

99 (40%)

72 (31%)

96 (37%)

71 (29%)

50 (21%)

64 (29%)

PR status

Positive

97 (39%)

121 (52%)

116 (45%)

131 (53%)

146 (61%)

113 (51%)

Negative

149 (61%)

111 (48%)

142 (55%)

114 (47%)

92 (39%)

109 (49%)

HER2 status

Positive

58 (24%)

35 (15%)

55 (21%)

30 (12%)

35 (15%)

23 (10%)

Negative

108 (44%)

102 (44%)

116 (45%)

98 (40%)

108 (45%)

107 (48%)

Unknown

80 (33%)

95 (41%)

87 (34%)

117 (48%)

95 (40%)

92 (41%)

Tumour size

<= 2 cm

96 (40%)

113 (49%)

99 (38%)

136 (56%)

101 (42%)

117 (53%)

>2 cm

146 (60%)

113 (49%)

155 (60%)

101 (41%)

133 (56%)

99 (45%)

Unknown

-- --

6 (3%)

4 (2%)

8 (3%)

4 (2%)

6 (3%)

Lymph nodes positive

0

51 (21%)

97 (42%)

61 (24%)

109 (44%)

61 (26%)

103 (46%)

1–3

74 (30%)

81 (35%)

64 (25%)

80 (33%)

70 (29%)

64 (29%)

4+

74 (30%)

28 (12%)

81 (31%)

28 (11%)

64 (27%)

29 (13%)

Unknown

47 (19%)

26 (11%)

52 (20%)

28 (11%)

43 (18%)

26 (12%)

Invasive subtype

NOS/no special type

217 (88%)

189 (81%)

219 (85%)

206 (84%)

196 (82%)

189 (85%)

Ductal - mucinous

1 (0%)

3 (1%)

4 (2%)

2 (1%)

1 (0%)

4 (2%)

Ductal - tubular

-- --

6 (3%)

1 (0%)

7 (3%)

3 (1%)

3 (1%)

Ductal - other

6 (2%)

3 (1%)

1 (0%)

3 (1%)

1 (0%)

3 (1%)

Lobular - classical

14 (6%)

23 (10%)

19 (7%)

22 (9%)

29 (12%)

13 (6%)

Lobular - pleomorphic

3 (1%)

2 (1%)

6 (2%)

3 (1%)

3 (1%)

4 (2%)

Lobular - other

2 (1%)

3 (1%)

3 (1%)

2 (1%)

4 (2%)

1 (0%)

Other

3 (1%)

3 (1%)

5 (2%)

-- --

1 (0%)

5 (2%)

Surgery type (any time)

Breast conserving

58 (24%)

80 (34%)

70 (27%)

82 (33%)

64 (27%)

72 (32%)

Breast conserving + mastectomy

53 (22%)

28 (12%)

56 (22%)

32 (13%)

37 (16%)

27 (12%)

Mastectomy

106 (43%)

110 (47%)

99 (38%)

120 (49%)

115 (48%)

114 (51%)

Unknown

29 (12%)

14 (6%)

33 (13%)

11 (4%)

22 (9%)

9 (4%)

Radiotherapy (adj/neo)

Yes

168 (68%)

140 (60%)

197 (76%)

126 (51%)

194 (82%)

125 (56%)

No

78 (32%)

92 (40%)

61 (24%)

119 (49%)

44 (18%)

97 (44%)

Hormone treatment (adj/neo)

Yes

204 (83%)

120 (52%)

230 (89%)

130 (53%)

218 (92%)

114 (51%)

No

42 (17%)

112 (48%)

28 (11%)

115 (47%)

20 (8%)

108 (49%)

Chemotherapy

Neo-adj only

-- --

3 (1%)

3 (1%)

67 (27%)

8 (3%)

3 (1%)

Neo-adj and adj

6 (2%)

1 (0%)

9 (3%)

1 (0%)

1 (0%)

2 (1%)

Adj only

146 (59%)

85 (37%)

150 (58%)

2 (1%)

101 (42%)

67 (30%)

No

94 (38%)

143 (62%)

96 (37%)

175 (71%)

128 (54%)

150 (68%)