Because of the imbalances in parameter distributions the results of a retrospective analysis should be interpreted carefully, especially considering the prognostic value of tumor-related factors, like LVI.
These findings may have important clinical implications when considering the prognostic value of HRQL in several chronic diseases, including ESRD: decreases in HRQL have been repeatedly associated with increased morbidity and hospitalizations [ 7], increased mortality [ 7, 8] as well as limited adherence to ESRD regimens [ 9, 10] among hemodialysis (HD) patients.
Therefore, it is important to consider why the prognostic value of sVEGFR-1 or S/V ratio was associated with ER-negative status.
The following variables were considered for the prognostic value: age at diagnosis, sex, tumour size, tumour site (extremity and trunk), surgery modality (wide and marginal excision), histological type, FNCLCC system, UICC system, and SS18-SSX fusion type.
In total, there were 393 possible subpopulations (see Additional file 1 for an exhaustive listing), of which only those with more than N = 20 samples were further considered for testing the prognostic value of the BRAF and KRAS mutations.
In contrast, Reiman et al. [ 20] conducted a meta-analysis considering the prognostic and predictive value of TUBB3 in resected NSCLC patients enrolled in four randomized controlled trials of adjuvant chemotherapy, showing a prognostic effect of high TUBB3 expression while they were unable to demonstrate its predictive role in adjuvant setting.
In this analysis we consider only one criterion: the prognostic value of four types of performance tests over and above self-reported limitations for five-year mortality.
Considering this prognostic value, the new challenges for physicians are represented by detecting degree of inflammation in each patient through specific inflammatory markers, clearly correlated with prognosis and able to preoperatively recognize immune changes for a better stratification of patient's risk.
As myocardial infarction was not considered as an endpoint the prognostic value regarding ischemic events needs further corroboration.
Considering the independent prognostic value of the HR+ status in our population, this fact could explain the relatively similar OS results obtained compared with the EMBRACE trial patients, this favourable prognostic factor counter-balancing the classical lower results of retrospective studies due to the lack of selection in a daily-care setting population.
