Natural killer (NK) cell profiles in blood and tumour in women with large and locally advanced breast cancer (LLABC) and their contribution to a pathological complete response (PCR) in the tumour following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC): differential restoration of blood profiles by NAC and surgery

Table 6 Clinical and pathological characteristics of patients with LLABCs investigated for blood CD56⁺ parameters (n = 25) and tumour-infiltrating CD56⁺ parameters (n = 16)^b

Characteristics	Blood studies (n = 25)	Tumour studies (n = 16)	Pre NAC intratumoural median (range)^e	P value^f	Pre NAC peritumoural median (range)^e	P value^f
Age (years)
<50	9	5	1 (0–6)	0.510	1 (0–1)	0.090
≥50	16	11	3 (0–17)	0.510	2 (0–17)	0.090
Menopausal status
Pre	10	7	2 (0–7)	0.918	1 (0–17)	0.536
Post	15	9	1 (0–17)	0.918	2 (0–11)	0.536
Tumour size (clinical)
<40 mm	14	9	1 (0–17)	0.470	1 (0–17)	0.536
≥40 mm	11	7	5 (0–7)	0.470	2 (0–5)	0.536
Nodal metastasis
Negative	15	9	3 (0–17)	0.351	2 (0–17)	0.071
Positive	9	7	1 (0–6)	0.351	1 (0–3)	0.071
Tumour grade
1 (low)	2	2	4 (1–7)	0.152^g	2.5 (0–5)	0.082^g
2 (moderate)	14	7	1 (0–6)		1 (0–2)
3 (high)	9	7	5 (0–17)		3 (0–17)
ER^b status
Negative	5	4	4 (1–17)	0.262	3 (2–11)	0.058
Positive	20	12	1 (0–7)	0.262	1 (0–17)	0.058
HER2^c status
Negative	18	13	3 (0–17)	0.189	1 (0–17)	1.000
Positive	7	3	1 (0–1)	0.189	2 (0–3)	1.000
TILs
Low	NA	9	1 (0–7)	0.091	1 (0–5)	0.091
High	NA	7	5 (1–17)	0.091	3 (0–17)	0.091
NAC regimen
ACTX^d	11	5	3 (0–7)	0.661	2 (0–17)	0.441
ACT	14	11	1 (0–17)	0.661	1 (0–11)	0.441

LLABCs large (≥ 3 cm) and locally advanced breast cancers (T3–4 N1–2 M0): all had 8 courses of NAC, 22 tumours were ductal, 2 lobular and 1 metaplastic, TILs tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes, NAC neoadjuvant chemotherapy, NA not applicable.
^aPart of the same cohort of patients: all had 8 courses of NAC, 15 tumours were ductal and 1 metaplastic.
^bOestrogen receptor status (Allred scoring system used to assess oestrogen receptor status).
^cHuman epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status (FISH: in situ hybridisation).
^dDoxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, taxotere and Xeloda^® (capecitabine), respectively.
^eTotal cell count per 5 HPFs.
^fMann–Whitney U test.
^gKruskal–Wallis test.

ISSN: 1479-5876