| Clinico-pathological features | Total number of cases (n = 93) | Number positive cases for MMP-7 (%) (n = 36) | P* value | Number positive cases for VEGF (%) (n = 55) | P* value |
| Patients’ age (years) |
|
|
|
|
|
| <60 | 31 | 8 (25.8) | 0.072 (NS) | 18 (58.0) | 0.882 (NS) |
| >60 | 62 | 28 (45.2) |
| 37 (59.7) |
|
| Gender |
|
|
|
|
|
| Female | 45 | 19 (42.2) | 0.503 (NS) | 28 (62.2) | 0.560 (NS) |
| Male | 48 | 17 (35.4) |
| 27 (56.3) |
|
| Ethnicity |
|
|
|
|
|
| Malay | 29 | 11 (37.9) | 0.975 (NS) | 15 (51.7) | 0.620 (NS) |
| Chinese | 53 | 21 (39.6) |
| 33 (62.3) |
|
| Indian | 11 | 4 (36.4) |
| 7 (63.6) |
|
| Histological grade |
|
|
|
|
|
| Grade I | 32 | 7 (21.9) | 0.030 (S) | 11 (34.4) | 0.002 (S) |
| Grade II | 25 | 14 (56.0) |
| 18 (72.0) |
|
| Grade III | 36 | 15 (41.7) |
| 26 (72.2) |
|
| Dukes’ stage |
|
|
|
|
|
| A | 9 | 3 (33.3) | 0.186 (NS) | 4 (44.4) | 0.477 (NS) |
| B | 29 | 15 (51.7) |
| 20 (69.0) |
|
| C | 39 | 15 (38.5) |
| 23 (59.0) |
|
| D | 16 | 3 (18.8) |
| 8 (50.0) |
|
| Lymph node status (N) |
|
|
|
|
|
| N+ | 55 | 18 (32.7) | 0.156 (NS) | 31 (56.4) | 0.515 (NS) |
| N− | 38 | 18 (47.4) |
| 24 (63.2) |
|