Table 3 Clinical features of patients with circulating tumor cell clusters
No CTC clusters (n = 61) | CTC clusters (n = 12) | P value | Estimate (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Age at primary diagnosis, years, mean (SD) | 58.08 (10.99) | 50.63 (12.6) | 0.033 | − 8.26 (− 15.3, − 0.44) |
Age at first CTC evaluation, years, mean (SD) | 63.03 (10.77) | 54.87 (12.14) | 0.025 | − 8.3 (− 16.06, − 1.04) |
Stage at diagnosis, n (%) | 0.726 | – | ||
I | 7 (11.67%) | 2 (16.67%) | ||
IA | 1 (1.67%) | 0 (0%) | ||
II | 7 (11.67%) | 2 (16.67%) | ||
IIA | 4 (6.67%) | 1 (8.33%) | ||
III | 16 (26.67%) | 2 (16.67%) | ||
IIIA | 2 (3.33%) | 0 (0%) | ||
IIIC | 1 (1.67%) | 1 (8.33%) | ||
IV | 21 (35%) | 4 (33.33%) | ||
Lymphocyte node involvement, n (%) | 0.855 | – | ||
N0 | 15 (27.27%) | 4 (36.36%) | ||
N1 | 22 (40%) | 3 (27.27%) | ||
N2 | 6 (10.91%) | 0 (0%) | ||
N3 | 11 (20%) | 4 (36.36%) | ||
Histologic subtype, n (%) | 0.679 | – | ||
Invasive lobular | 9 (14.75%) | 1 (8.33%) | ||
Invasive ductal | 49 (80.33%) | 11 (91.67%) | ||
Inflammatory invasive lobular | 1 (1.64%) | 1 (8.33%) | ||
Inflammatory | 3 (4.92%) | 1 (8.33%) | ||
% of ER+ cells, mean (SD) | 62.34 (41.8) | 66.42 (42.1) | 0.675 | 0 (− 10, 20) |
% of PR+ cells, mean (SD) | 32.71 (37.79) | 34 (37.3) | 0.888 | 0 (− 10, 20) |
% of Ki-67+ cells, mean (SD) | 30 (19.65) | 23 (16.43) | 0.384 | − 5 (− 20, − 10) |
HER2+, n (%) | 13 (22.03%) | 1 (9.09%) | 0.442 | 0.36 (0.01–2.97) |
Triple-negative, n (%) | 7 (12.28%) | 0 (0%) | 0.588 | 0 (0–3.7) |
Tumor grade, n (%) | 0.093 | – | ||
1 | 5 (8.33%) | 3 (27.27%) | ||
2 | 26 (43.33%) | 5 (45.45%) | ||
3 | 29 (48.33%) | 3 (27.27%) | ||
Bisphosphonates, n (%) | 14 (23.33%) | 2 (16.67%) | 1.000 | 0.66 (0.06–3.68) |
Denosumab, n (%) | 19 (31.15%) | 2 (16.67%) | 0.489 | 0.45 (0.04–2.41) |
Radiotherapy, n (%) | 30 (49.18%) | 5 (41.67%) | 0.756 | 0.74 (0.17–3.06) |
Relapse, n (%) | ||||
Any | 47 (77.05%) | 9 (75%) | 1.000 | 0.9 (0.19–5.83) |
Local | 4 (6.56%) | 3 (25%) | 0.082 | 4.61 (0.58–32.62) |
Metastasis | 40 (65.57%) | 5 (41.67%) | 0.193 | 0.38 (0.08–1.59) |
Days between primary diagnosis and relapse, mean (SD) | 1969.49 (2003.96) | 1636.67 (1538.48) | 0.633 | − 236.86 (− 1643, 1203) |
Established metastatic disease at CTC evaluation, n (%) | 54 (88.52%) | 11 (91.67%) | 1.000 | 1.42 (0.15–70.01) |
Number of metastatic sites, mean (SD) | 1.96 (0.98) | 2.18 (0.98) | 0.452 | 0 (0–1) |
Metastasis site, n (%) | ||||
Bone | 37 (61.67%) | 7 (58.33%) | 1.000 | 0.91 (0.22–4.08) |
Liver | 19 (31.67%) | 3 (25%) | 1.000 | 0.74 (0.12–3.42) |
Lymph node | 15 (25%) | 4 (33.33%) | 0.497 | 1.52 (0.29–6.74) |
Pleural | 9 (15%) | 0 (0%) | 0.339 | 0 (0–2.57) |
Peritoneal | 5 (8.33%) | 2 (16.67%) | 0.323 | 2.21 (0.19–16.05) |
Lung | 7 (11.67%) | 1 (8.33%) | 1.000 | 0.7 (0.01–6.47) |
Skin | 3 (5%) | 0 (0%) | 1.000 | 0 (0–12.81) |
Brain | 3 (5%) | 1 (8.33%) | 0.521 | 1.74 (0.03–24.14) |
Uterus | 1 (1.67%) | 1 (8.33%) | 0.304 | 5.27 (0.06–433.34) |
Muscular | 2 (3.33%) | 1 (8.33%) | 0.421 | 2.63 (0.04–54.78) |