Hormone-replacement therapy influences gene expression profiles and is associated with breast-cancer prognosis: a cohort study

Table 1 Characteristics of the HRT and non-HRT users in the full study cohort (n = 88) and for estrogen-receptor-positive patients (n = 72): Characteristics of the HRT and non-HRT users in the study population

	No HRT		HRT
	All n = 56	*ER+ n = 50*	All n = 32	*ER+ n = 22*	P value^a
Age at breast cancer diagnosis^b	67.2 ± 11.0		60.1 ± 8.6		0.001
		*67.8± 10.8*		*59.9± 8.7*	0.004
Tumor size, mm^b	23.0 ± 12.4		26.1 ± 17.1		0.39
		*23.4± 12.8*		*26.2± 18.4*	0.47
Affected lymph nodes	40% 21/52		39% 12/31		1.00
		*41%* 19/46		*43%* 9/21	1.00
Estrogen receptor-negative tumors^c	11% 6/56		31% 10/32		0.02
		N/A		N/A	N/A
Estrogen receptor-protein, fmol/g^d	1.8 ± 2.1		0.8 ± 1.5		0.01
		*2.0± 2.2*		*1.2± 1.8*	0.11
Progesterone receptor-negative tumors^c	27% 15/56		41% 13/32		0.23
		*18%* 9/50		*23%* 5/22	0.75
Recurrence-free survival^e	71% 40/56		84% 27/32		0.20
		*72%* 36/50		*86%* 19/22	0.24
Elston grade					0.61
					0.27
Grade I	18% 9/51		23% 7/30		-
		*20%* 9/45		*33%* 7/21	-
Grade II	45% 23/51		50% 15/30		-
		*49%* 22/45		*52%* 11/21	-
Grade III	37% 19/51		27% 8/30		-
		*31%* 14/45		*14%* 3/21	-

Values for the ER+ cohort are shown in italics. Means and percentages are shown in bold, standard deviations and counts in plain font. ^a Calculated via a t-test for age, size, and estrogen-receptor protein, via Fisher's exact test otherwise. ^b Mean plus/minus standard deviation. ^c Measured through an immunoassay in which monoclonal antibodies react with the receptor protein in cytosol from tumor homogenates, >0.5 fmol receptor protein/g of cytosol protein was considered as receptor positive. ^d The immunoassay measurement as described in ^c above.^e Measured as death or distant metastasis within 5 years of diagnosis.

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