Table 1

Survival associated tissue-section-based prognostic factors and lymph node status in breast cancer.
Prognosticator
 N
 Age range or median
 Country
 Methods
 Stage/LN status of all patients
 Stength of association (survival %)*
 P value, type of analysis
 Mean or median follow-up (months)
 Reference
LN+ patients








AgNOR
 164
 N.A.
 Italy
 MA
 N-, N+
 DFS (42,61)
 0.0093 M
 108
 Derenzini90
Bcl-2
 107
 56
 Belgium
 IHC
 N-, N+
 DFS (21,62)
 <0.001 U
 91
 Hellemans55
CD44
 74
 62
 Finland
 IHC
 N-, N+
 DSS (45,56)
 0.02 U
 84
 Joensuu158
E-cadherin
 57
 59
 Finland
 IHC
 N-, N+
 OS (36,88)
 0.0001 U
 66.5
 Elzagheid150
EGFR
 404
 53.4
 Japan
 IHC
 N-, N+
 DFS (50,75)
 <0.0001 U
 46
 Tsutsui110
ER
 705
 54
 UK
 IHC
 I-IV
 DFS, ReR 0.651
 0.004 M
 62
 Rehim122
HER2/neu
 106
 59
 Finland
 IHC
 N-, N+
 OS (13,80)
 0.001 U
 67.2
 Jalava16
IGF-1
 98
 57.1
 Finland
 IHC
 N-, N+
 OS (16,35)
 0.0286 U
 169.2
 Toropainen115
Mitoses
 131
 59
 Finland
 SMI
 N-, N+
 RR 3.5
 0.0005 U
 69
 Kronqvist71
Mitoses
 368
 25–81
 MC
 MAI
 N+
 OS (57,83)
 0.00003 U
 60
 Simpson68
P21
 328
 N.A.
 USA
 IHC
 N-, N+
 DFS, X2 74.61
 0.054 M
 195.6
 Thor 37
PgR
 106
 58
 Finland
 IHC
 N-, N+
 N.A.
 0.0186
 70
 Jalava 123
SPF
 257
 25–81
 MC
 FCM
 N+
 OS (70,82)
 0.026 U
 60
 Simpson68










LN- patients








Ploidy
 50
 56
 UK
 FCM
 N-
 DFS (32,71)
 <0.0001 U
 >120
 Yuan132
Cathepsin D
 262
 60
 Finland
 IHC
 N-
 DFS (47,68)
 <0.0001 U
 98.4
 Isola100
CD44
 237
 56
 Holland
 IHC
 N-, N+
 DFS (50,75)
 0.005 U
 84
 Foekens156
EGFR
 618
 53.4
 Japan
 IHC
 N-, N+
 DFS, ReR 2.05
 0.0241 M
 46
 Tsutsui110
HER2/neu
 324
 N.A.
 USA
 FISH
 N-
 DFS (57,75)
 0.0077 U
 50
 Press17
HER2/neu
 224
 59
 Finland
 IHC
 N-, N+
 N.A.
 N.S.
 67.2
 Jalava16
Ki-67
 89
 60.5
 Finland
 IHC
 N-, N+
 OS (50,70)
 0.0297 U
 103.2
 Pietilainen78
Mitoses
 516
 <55
 MC
 MAI
 N-
 DFS (62,85)
 <0.00001U
 118
 Baak69
Mitoses
 232
 59
 Finland
 SMI
 N-, N+
 RR 4.2
 0.0007 U
 69
 Kronqvist71
P27
 75
 <65
 Canada
 IHC
 N-, N+
 DSS, ReR 0.24
 0.03 M
 180
 Foulkes47
P53
 700
 <50
 USA
 IHC
 N-
 DFS (53,85)
 0.0001U
 54
 Allred33
PCNA
 205
 60.5
 Finland
 IHC
 N-
 DFS (56,80)
 0.0003 U
 141.6
 Aaltomaa84
SPF
 180
 N.A.
 China
 N.A.
 N-
 N.A.
 <0.001
 60
 Zhang 96

Prognosticators for LN+ patients are presented first followed by those for LN- patients. The database applied was PubMed, the presented papers were published during years 1991–2005. The most significant p-values with defined survival characteristics for each marker are shown. P-values are not comparable with each other in absolute terms because also the size of the sample influences the p value. The value of prognosticators can only be compared reliably by comparing different prognosticators in the same patient material.

* The figures within the parantheses refer to the survival of 2 cutpoint-associated patient groups after median follow up. IHC, immunohistochemistry; N-, node negative; N+, node positive; MA, morphometric analysis; FCM, flow-cytometry; NA, not available; MC, multicenter study; SMI, standardized mitotic index; MAI, mitotic activity index; OS, overall survival; DFS, disease free survival; DSS, disease specific survival; RR, risk ratio; ReR, relative risk; X2, Chi square;, FISH, fluorescence in situ hybridization; N.S, not significant; M, multivariate; U, univariate.

Elzagheid et al. Diagnostic Pathology 2006 1:41   doi:10.1186/1746-1596-1-41