title: Ki-67 immunostaining in 322 primary breast cancers: associations with clinical and pathological variables and prognosis.
abstract: Cell-proliferation markers are very important in the clinical management of cancer patients, and the identification of Ki-67 (a monoclonal antibody that recognizes proliferating cells) can make it easier to define the level of proliferative activity. This study investigated the associations between the Ki-67 levels measured by means of immunohistochemistry, and other clinical and pathological variables and prognosis in 322 breast-cancer patients. A significant association was found (p < 0.001) between Ki-67 values and tumor size, nodal status, estrogen and progesterone receptor status; multivariate analysis showed that Ki-67 levels were associated with disease-free and overall survival, thus confirming that it is an independent prognostic variable. Various statistical approaches were used in an attempt to establish the best cut-off point for dividing patients into groups at high or low risk of relapse but, in this series, we could find no evidence leading to a single "best" cut-off point. We conclude that the quantitative level of Ki-67 could be used as a prognostic factor in breast-cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, University of Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Molino
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Micciolo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Turazza
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonetti
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Piubello
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonetti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nortilli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pelosi
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Cetto
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D012008:Recurrence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen