Research Article

Imaging Biomarkers as Predictors for Breast Cancer Death

Table 3

Unadjusted (crude HR) and adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) for the effects of mammographic appearance, basal phenotype, histologic tumor distribution, conventional tumor attributes, surgery, and adjuvant therapy on the risk for breast cancer death.

CharacteristicNo. of alive or OCD (%)No. of BCD (%)Crude HR (95%CI)aHR (95%CI)

Mammographic appearance
 Stellate/Powdery/Crushed stone-like227 (85.02)40 (14.98)1.001.00
 Circular137 (85.09)24 (14.91)1.09 (0.66, 1.80)0.82 (0.48, 1.39)
 Casting22 (68.75)10 (31.25)2.33 (1.17, 4.66)3.13 (1.46, 6.70)
 Architectural distortion11 (47.83)12 (52.17)4.73 (2.48, 9.05)3.19 (1.55, 6.56)
Basal phenotype
 Non-basal348 (86.78)53 (13.22)1.001.00
 Basal29 (65.91)15 (34.09)3.39 (1.91, 6.01)2.68 (1.33, 5.39)
Histologic tumor distribution
 Unifocal269 (89.97)30 (10.03)1.001.00
 Multifocal87 (75.65)28 (24.35)2.68 (1.60, 4.49)1.62 (0.95, 2.76)
 Diffuse30 (68.18)14 (31.82)3.80 (2.01, 7.17)
Tumor size (mm)
 <15165 (93.22)12 (6.78)1.001.00
 ≥15222 (78.72)60 (21.28)3.77 (2.03, 7.02)1.01† (1.00, 1.02)
Histologic malignancy grade
 I/II298 (87.39)43 (12.61)1.001.00
 III89 (74.79)30 (25.21)2.28 (1.43, 3.63)1.10 (0.65, 1.86)
Lymph node involvement
 Negative298 (90.03)33 (9.97)1.001.00
 Positive86 (68.25)40 (31.75)3.90 (2.46, 6.19)3.04 (1.76, 5.27)
Surgery type
 Breast conserving surgery251 (87.15)37 (12.85)1.001.00
 Mastectomy155 (73.81)55 (26.19)2.39 (1.58, 3.63)1.10 (0.63, 1.91)
Radiotherapy
 No153 (78.46)42 (21.54)1.001.00
 Yes250 (83.61)49 (16.39)0.59 (0.39, 0.89)0.59 (0.36, 0.97)
Chemotherapy
 No342 (83.82)66 (16.18)1.001.00
 Yes61 (70.93)25 (29.07)1.74 (1.10, 2.75)0.64 (0.36, 1.13)
Hormone therapy
 No311 (83.16)63 (16.84)1.001.00
 Yes92 (76.67)28 (23.33)1.52 (0.97, 2.37)1.15 (0.71, 1.87)

size was used as a continuous variable.
OCD, other causes of death; BCD, breast cancer death; CI, confidence interval.