Prediction model of lymphovascular invasion based on clinicopathological factors in Chinese patients with invasive breast cancer

The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and tumor size, histological grade, and the expression statuses of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2), Ki67, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), E-cadherin, and P53 in invasive breast cancer, then establish a prediction model of LVI based on the associated clinicopathological factors. A total of 392 patients with primary invasive breast cancers were enrolled, and their paraffin-embedded tissues were manufactured into the tissue microarray. We evaluated the expression statuses of ER, PR, HER-2, Ki67, EGFR, VEGF, E-cadherin, and P53 based on immunohistochemistry, histological grade and LVI based on the hematoxylin and eosin stain, and tumor size. The positivity of LVI was significantly higher in the patients with HER-2 positive expression, Ki67 high expression, and tumor size >2cm by Chi-square test. HER-2, Ki67, and tumor size were risk factors of LVI by multivariate analysis. The areas under the receiver operating curve of HER-2, Ki67, tumor size, and the combination of the 3 clinicopathological factors were 0.614 [P=.001, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.544-0.683], 0.596 (P=.006, 95% CI: 0.529-0.662), 0.575 (P=.03, 95% CI: 0.510-0.641), and 0.670 (P<.001, 95% CI: 0.607-0.734), respectively. HER-2 positive expression, Ki67 high expression, and tumor size >2cm were risk factors of LVI, whereas the power of the prediction model of LVI based on the 3 clinicopathological factors in invasive breast cancer was low.