Table 1 Clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancers according to CEA or CA15–3 levels
Characteristics | CEA higha (n = 191) | CEA lowa (n = 885) | p value | CA15-3 highb (n = 314) | CA15-3 lowb (n = 762) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Menopausal status | ||||||
 Pre- | 30 (8.3)c | 330 (91.7) | < 0.0001 | 96 (26.7) | 264 (73.3) | 0.200 |
 Post- | 157 (22.3) | 546 (77.7) |  | 214 (30.4) | 489 (69.6) |  |
 Unknown | 4 (30.8) | 9 (69.2) |  | 4 (30.8) | 9 (69.2) |  |
Histological type | ||||||
 IDC | 165 (16.9) | 806 (83.1) | 0.096 | 278 (28.6) | 693 (71.4) | 0.276 |
 ILC | 8 (20.5) | 31 (79.5) |  | 11 (28.2) | 28 (71.8) |  |
 Others | 18 (27.3) | 48 (72.7) |  | 25 (37.9) | 41 (62.1) |  |
Tumor size | ||||||
 ≤ 2 cm | 87 (13.6) | 552 (86.4) | < 0.0001 | 157 (24.6) | 482 (75.4) | < 0.0001 |
 > 2 cm | 102 (23.9) | 324 (76.1) |  | 155 (36.4) | 271 (63.6) |  |
 Unknown | 2 (18.2) | 9 (81.8) |  | 2 (18.2) | 9 (81.8) |  |
Lymph node metastasis | ||||||
 Negative | 121 (16.3) | 622 (83.7) | 0.036 | 186 (25.0) | 557 (75.0) | < 0.0001 |
 Positive | 64 (20.2) | 253 (79.8) |  | 123 (38.8) | 194 (61.2) |  |
 Not examined | 6 (37.5) | 10 (62.5) |  | 5 (31.3) | 11 (68.8) |  |
Tumor grade | ||||||
 1 | 90 (16.0) | 471 (84.0) | 0.251 | 156 (27.8) | 405 (72.2) | 0.424 |
 2 + 3 | 90 (18.8) | 389 (81.2) |  | 144 (30.1) | 335 (69.9 |  |
 Unknown | 11 (30.6) | 25 (69.4) |  | 14 (38.9) | 22 (61.1) |  |
Estrogen receptor | ||||||
 Positive | 144 (16.9) | 709 (83.1) | 0.168 | 235 (27.6) | 618 (72.5) | 0.021 |
 Negative | 47 (21.1) | 176 (78.9) |  | 79 (35.4) | 144 (64.6) |  |
Progesterone receptor | ||||||
 Positive | 113 (15.4) | 622 (84.6) | 0.0025 | 197 (26.8) | 538 (73.2) | 0.013 |
 Negative | 78 (23.2) | 258 (76.8) |  | 115 (34.2) | 221 (65.8) |  |
 Unknown | 0 (0.0) | 5 (100.0) |  | 2 (40.0) | 3 (60.0) |  |
HER2 status | ||||||
 Negative | 150 (16.7) | 747 (83.3) | 0.044 | 248 (27.6) | 649 (72.4) | 0.024 |
 Positive | 38 (23.5) | 124 (76.5) |  | 59 (36.4) | 103 (63.6) |  |
 Unknown | 3 (17.6) | 14 (82.4) |  | 7 (41.2) | 10 (58.8) |  |
Ki67 statusd | ||||||
 Low | 65 (20.2) | 256 (79.8) | 0.764 | 99 (30.8) | 222 (69.2) | 0.098 |
 High | 60 (21.3) | 222 (78.7) |  | 105 (37.2) | 177 (62.8) |  |
 Unknown | 66 (14.0) | 407 (86.0) |  | 110 (23.3) | 365 (76.7) |  |
Chemotherapy | ||||||
 Yes | 89 (17.4) | 423 (82.6) | 0.870 | 171 (33.4) | 341 (66.6) | 0.0011 |
 No | 92 (18.0) | 420 (82.0) |  | 123 (24.0) | 389 (76.0) |  |
 Unknown | 10 (19.2) | 42 (80.8) |  | 20 (38.5) | 32 (61.5) |  |