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Table 1 Baseline patient characteristics

From: Development and validation of a pre- and intra-operative scoring system that distinguishes between non-advanced and advanced axillary lymph node metastasis in breast cancer with positive sentinel lymph nodes: a retrospective study

Characteristics

Training Cohort

(n = 501)

Validation cohort

(n = 303)

P value

Age (years)

 Median (IQR)

52

(45–64)

52

(45–63)

0.971

Clinical tumor size, n (%)

    

0.086

 ≦1 cm

40

(8.0)

20

(6.6)

 

 1–2 cm

184

(36.7)

109

(36.0)

 

 2–3 cm

177

(35.3)

106

(35.0)

 

 3–4 cm

48

(9.6)

33

(10.9)

 

 4–5 cm

37

(7.4)

14

(4.6)

 

 > 5 cm

15

(3.0)

21

(6.9)

 

Histologic grade, n (%)

    

0.577

 1

107

(21.4)

66

(21.8)

 

 2

254

(50.7)

143

(47.2)

 

 3

140

(27.9)

94

(31.0)

 

Histologic type, n (%)

    

0.615

 IC-NST

420

(83.8)

254

(83.8)

 

 ILC

53

(10.6)

30

(9.9)

 

 IMPC

15

(3.0)

6

(2.0)

 

 Others

13

(2.6)

13

(4.3)

 

Ki-67, n (%)

    

0.721

 ≤ 10%

80

(16.0)

46

(15.2)

 

 10–30%

214

(42.7)

121

(39.9)

 

 ≥ 30%

145

(28.9)

94

(31.0)

 

 Unknown

62

(12.4)

42

(13.9)

 

Subtype, n (%)

    

0.465

 HR+/HER2−

407

(81.2)

237

(78.2)

 

 HR+/HER2+

45

(9.0)

32

(10.6)

 

 HR−/HER2+

14

(2.8)

14

(4.6)

 

 HR−/HER2-

35

(7.0)

20

(6.6)

 

Breast surgery, n (%)

    

0.794

 Total mastectomy

299

(59.7)

178

(58.8)

 

 Breast-conserving surgery

202

(40.3)

125

(41.3)

 

No. of suspicious ALNs on US imaginga, n (%)

    

0.213

 0

375

(74.9)

222

(73.3)

 

 1 (solitary)

86

(17.2)

46

(15.2)

 

 ≥ 2 (multiple)

40

(8.0)

35

(11.6)

 

Size of SLN metastasis, n (%)

    

0.301

 ITC

86

(17.2)

41

(13.5)

 

 Micrometastasis

97

(19.4)

55

(18.2)

 

 Macrometastasis

318

(63.5)

207

(68.3)

 

Ratio of no. of positive SLNs to total no. of SLNs, n (%)

    

0.254

 < 0.5

244

(48.7)

135

(44.6)

 

 ≥ 0.5

257

(51.3)

168

(55.5)

 

Total no. of dissected SLNs

 Median (IQR)

3

(2–4)

3

(2–4)

0.908

No. of metastatic SLNs

    

0.380

 0 (ITC)

86

(17.2)

41

(13.5)

 

 1

297

(59.3)

180

(59.4)

 

 2

89

(17.8)

58

(19.1)

 

 3

29

(5.8)

24

(7.9)

 

Total no. of dissected ALNs

 Median (IQR)

17

(13–21)

17

(13–20)

0.967

Nodal status, n (%)

    

0.513

 pN0i+

78

(15.6)

37

(12.4)

 

 pN1

348

(69.5)

217

(71.2)

 

 pN2

62

(12.4)

38

(13.0)

 

 pN3

13

(2.6)

11

(3.3)

 
  1. IQR interquartile range, IC invasive carcinoma, NST no special type, ILC invasive lobular carcinoma, IMPC invasive micropapillary carcinoma, HR hormone receptor, HER2 human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, ALN axillary lymph node, US ultrasound, ITC isolated tumor cells, SLN sentinel lymph node
  2. aAxillary lymph nodes were considered suspicious if at least one of the following were noted: diffuse cortical thickness > 5 mm, focal cortical thickness > 3 mm, and effacement or replacement of the fatty hilum on US imaging