Table 5 Comparison of minimal residual disease markers in primary breast cancer patients with menopausal status and with tumour size and grade of the primary tumour

From: The presence of disseminated tumour cells in the bone marrow is inversely related to circulating free DNA in plasma in breast cancer dormancy

 

Menopausal status

Tumour size

Grade

 

Post

Pre

T1

T2

T3

1

2

3

Total circulating free DNA 96-bp (ng ml−1)

 Mean

32.61

4.31

8.3

40.99

3.73

13.84

7.26

27.73

 95% CI

3.32 to 61.9

2.6 to 6.02

3.85 to 12.74

−3.12 to 85.17

1.71 to 5.76

−9.53 to 37.21

3.46 to 11.06

−0.89 to 56.36

 Median

1.72

1.72

1.91

1.01

1.12

0.55

1.27

1.9

 Range

0–2626

1–197.6

0–439.6

0–2626

0–45.41

0–439.6

0–264

0–2626

 No. of samples

212

262

254

139

53

38

217

2

P-value

0.120

0.262

0.032a

Circulating free DNA 291-bp (ng ml−1)

 Mean

6.77

1.35

2.38

7.74

0.74

1.47

1.78

5.99

 95% CI

−0.78 to 14.32

0.71 to 1.2

1.1 to 3.66

−3.53 to 19.08

0.2 to 1.29

0.35 to 2.53

0.39 to 3.17

−1.31 to 13.3

 Median

0.32

0.095

0.4

0.14

0.12

0.03

0.17

0.29

 Range

0–785.4

0–56

0–124.2

0–785.4

0–13.68

0–16.04

0–124.2

0–785.4

 No. of samples

211

260

251

139

52

36

215

215

P-value

0.033a

0.102

0.305

Disseminated tumour cells(qRT-PCR) b

 Mean

0.087

0.088

0.08

0.09

0.104

0.08

0.08

0.1

 95% CI

0.07–0.1

0.07–0.1

0.07–0.1

0.07–0.11

0.07–0.14

0.05–0.1

0.07–0.10

0.08–0.11

 Median

0.05

0.06

0.05

0.05

0.05

0.04

0.05

0.05

 Range

0–1.12

0–1.25

0–1.124

0–1.02

0–1.25

0–0.4

0–1.25

0–1.02

 No. of samples

258

358

256

192

113

49

257

290

P-value

0.299

0.846

0.519

Disseminated tumour cells (ICC) c

 Mean

0.8

0.97

0.88

0.73

1.12

0.92

0.88

0.93

 95% CI

0.62–0.97

0.78–1.12

0.67–1.08

0.56–0.89

0.66–1.57

0.31–1.52

0.69–1.07

0.72–1.13

 Median

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

 Range

0–11

0–15

0–12

0–7

0–15

0–12

0–9

0–15

 No. of samples

259

351

259

215

87

47

262

284

P-value

0.307

0.378

0.809

Circulating tumour cells d

 Mean

0.37

0.46

0.17

0.59

1.03

0.35

0.15

0.68

 95% CI

−0.09 to 0.83

0.14 to 0.79

0.09 to 0.25

−0.06 to 1.25

−0.34 to 2.4

0.01 to 0.68

0.07 to 0.23

0.12 to 1.24

 Median

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

 Range

0–23

0–19

0–2

0–23

0–19

0–3

0–2

0–23

 No. of samples

100

125

120

71

29

23

95

107

P-value

0.026a

0.197

0.201

  1. Abbreviations: CI=confidence interval; ICC=immunocytochemistry; qRT-PCR=quantitative reverse transcription-PCR.
  2. aStatistically significant by one-way analysis of variance, Kruskal–Wallis or Mann–Whitney t-test.
  3. bCalculated as the percentage ratio of qRT-PCR CK19:ABL (0.1 or more is considered positive).
  4. cDetected by pan-CK antibody.
  5. dSamples were considered positive for circulating tumour cells when at least one cell was detected in 22.5 ml of blood by the CellSearch system.