A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that high tumor stromal VEGF-A expression levels were an important prognostic factor for poor BCSS in ER+ (Figure 3A; P <0.01) and HER2+ patients (see Additional file 3: Figure S2: Kaplan-Meier survival estimates of BCSS and DFS in IBC patients positive for PR (A, B) and HER2 (C, D); P = 0.04) and of poor DFS, regardless of ER (Figure 3B; P <0.01), PR, or HER2 status (see Additional file 3: Figure S2B, D; P = 0.03 for both). Here, PGR is linked to neoplasm.