Clinical, Histologic, and Immunohistochemical Factors and PET Parameters According to Pathologic Response
| Variable | Non-pCR | pCR | P |
| Patients (n) | 49 (63) | 29 (37) | |
| Median age (y) | 50 (27–78) | 51 (33–70) | 0.78 |
| Median tumor size (mm) | 50 (18–160) | 40 (21–170) | 0.16 |
| Histology (n) | 0.15 | ||
| Invasive ductal carcinoma | 44 (90) | 29 (100) | |
| Metaplastic | 5 (10) | 0 (0) | |
| Grade (n) | 0.022* | ||
| 2 | 8 (17) | 0 (0) | |
| 3 | 40 (83) | 29 (100) | |
| T-score (n) | 0.003* | ||
| T1 | 1 (2) | 0 (0) | |
| T2 | 17 (35) | 19 (66) | |
| T3 | 20 (41) | 2 (7) | |
| T4 | 11 (22) | 8 (28) | |
| N-score (n) | 0.019* | ||
| N0 | 19 (39) | 13 (45) | |
| N1 | 13 (27) | 14 (48) | |
| N2 | 14 (29) | 1 (3) | |
| N3 | 3 (6) | 1 (3) | |
| Stage (n) | 0.031* | ||
| IIA | 9 (18) | 12 (41) | |
| IIB | 12 (24) | 6 (21) | |
| IIIA | 16 (33) | 2 (7) | |
| IIIB | 9 (18) | 8 (28) | |
| IIIC | 3 (6) | 1 (3) | |
| SUVmax | |||
| At PET1 | |||
| Tumor | 9 (2–28) | 13 (5–27) | 0.004* |
| Axilla (n = 58) | 6 (1–21) | 5 (1–16) | 0.22 |
| Target | 11 (2–28) | 13 (5–27) | 0.066* |
| At PET2 | |||
| Tumor | 5 (1–31) | 3 (1–10) | 0.013* |
| Axilla (n = 58) | 2 (1–17) | 1 (0.5–4) | 0.001* |
| Target | 5 (1–31) | 3 (1–10) | 0.001* |
| Difference (ΔSUVmax %) | |||
| Tumor | −42 (−89 to 142) | −72 (−95 to −49) | <0.0001* |
| Axilla (n = 58) | −53 (−90 to 0) | −74 (−94 to 0) | 0.21 |
| Target | −48 (−90 to 17) | −74 (−95 to −49) | <0.0001* |
↵* Statistically significant.
Data in parentheses are percentage or range.