Patient characteristics.

<p>Patient characteristics.</p

Estimated continuous annual BCSM rates and hazard ratio of BCSM in certain subpopulations.

<p>(A) Patients were age<40 with ER negative and node positive diseases. (B) Patients were age≥60 with ER positive and node negative diseases.</p

Estimated continuous annual BCSM rates and hazard ratio of BCSM.

<p>A, B & C show estimated continuous annual BCSM rates. The solid line represents patients in cohort 1; the dashed line represents patients in cohort 2.D, E & F show differences of BCSM between patients in the two cohorts. Patients in C1 as reference, the absolute number of decreased BCSM rate (C2 minus C1).G, H & I show hazard ratio of BCSM (Cohort 1 versus cohort 2). Light grey shadows represent 95% CI of survival. HRs with 95% CIs were estimated from the flexible parametric survival models. Curves cut off at 0.5 yrs from diagnosis because of sparse data. Total population: A, D & G; ER negative: B, E & H; ER positive: C, F & I. Notes: Rates were reported per 1000 persons per year; y-axis scales were different in different analyses.</p

Filtration process.

<p>We identified 228209 female patients (20 and 84 yrs) diagnosed stages I to III unilateral invasive breast cancer between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 2005, through Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program (<a href="http://www.seer.cancer.gov/" target="_blank">www.seer.cancer.gov</a>) SEER*Stat Database: Incidence—SEER 18 Regs Research Data released April 2015, based on the November 2014 submission.</p

Annual BCSM rates and hazard ratio of BCSM in the total population and different subgroups.

<p>Annual BCSM rates and hazard ratio of BCSM in the total population and different subgroups.</p

Compared with the cumulative disease free survival rate curve of invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) (<i>P</i> = .606).

<p>Compared with the cumulative disease free survival rate curve of invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) (<i>P</i> = .606).</p

The pathologic characteristics between IMPC patients with and without recurrence.

1<p><b>IMPC:</b> invasive micropapillary carcinoma;</p>2<p><b>LVI:</b> Lymphovascular invasion;</p>3<p><b>G1:</b> Grade 1;</p>4<p><b>G2</b>: Grade 2;</p>5<p><b>G3:</b> Grade 3.</p><p>The pathologic characteristics between IMPC patients with and without recurrence.</p

Positive stain for EMA antigen on the peripheral cell membranes is suggestive of “inside-out” morphology.

<p>Positive stain for EMA antigen on the peripheral cell membranes is suggestive of “inside-out” morphology.</p

Disease free survival comparison of patients according to the semi-quantitative ER level in the whole group (<i>P</i> = .023) (A), IMPC group (<i>P</i> = .575) (B) and IDC group (<i>P</i> = .025) (C).

<p>Disease free survival comparison of patients according to the semi-quantitative ER level in the whole group (<i>P</i> = .023) (A), IMPC group (<i>P</i> = .575) (B) and IDC group (<i>P</i> = .025) (C).</p

Pure and mixed invasive micropapillary carcinoma.

<p>Pure invasive micropapillary carcinoma, ×100 original magnification (A); Mixed carcinoma with IMPC (left up area) and invasive ductal carcinoma, not otherwise specified (right low area), ×40 original magnification (B).</p