Table 1

Breast cancer subtypes according to disease status.

IHC subtype
No. (%)
p Value†




Patients with EBC (n = 118)
Patients with MBC* (n = 556)
Patients with BM (n = 126)


Luminal A (ER or PR+/HER2-)
68 (57.6)
254 (46.7)
23 (18.3)
< 0.0001
Luminal B (ER or PR+/HER2+)
16 (13.6)
73 (13.1)
19 (15.1)

HER2+/ER- (ER-/PR-/HER2+)
15 (12.7)
91 (16.4)
37 (29.4)

Triple-negative (ER-/PR-/HER2-)
19 (16.1)
138 (24.8)
47 (37.3)


Abbreviations: BM, brain metastases; EBC, early breast cancer; ER, estrogen receptor; HER2, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2; IHC, immunohistochemistry; MBC, metastatic breast cancer; PR, progesterone receptor.

*Excluding patients with brain metastases.

†Comparing three groups (patients with EBC, patients with MBC other than BM, and patients with BM) using the chi-square test.

Nam et al. Breast Cancer Research 2008 10:R20   doi:10.1186/bcr1870