title: Is the thymidine labeling index a good prognostic marker in breast cancer?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the present study was to determine the prognostic relevance of thymidine labeling index (TLI) in patients with breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  TLI of the primary tumor was measured in 268 patients at the time of the surgical biopsy by an in vitro method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-four patients had stage I disease, and 138 patients had stage II disease, and 76 patients had stage III disease. One hundred-four patients were found to have low TLI-index (<3%), and 164 patients had high TLI-index (>/=3%). The median follow-up was 71.5 months (range, 6-138 months). The 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) rates was 84% and 74%, respectively. Lymph node involvement, tumor size more than 2 cm, high nuclear grade and estrogen receptor negativity were found to be associated with poorer DFS and OS rates. On subgroup analysis, however, the 5-year OS rate was significantly higher in the low TLI-group than in the high TLI-group in patients with stage I disease (100% vs 76%, p = 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that the prognostic significance of TLI appears to be limited to early breast cancer that might help to distinguish patients who need more aggressive adjuvant treatment.
authors: Departments of General Surgery, Istanbul Medical School, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. ebrusenoran@hotmail.com.
authors: Ebru
authors: E
authors: Sen-Oran
authors: Vahit
authors: V
authors: Ozmen
authors: Ayhan
authors: A
authors: Bilir
authors: Neslihan
authors: N
authors: Cabioglu
authors: Mahmut
authors: M
authors: Muslumanoglu
authors: Abdullah
authors: A
authors: Igci
authors: Nese
authors: N
authors: Guney
authors: Mustafa
authors: M
authors: Kecer
references: Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2000 Oct;63(3):181-92
references: 11110052
references: Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2001 Jul;68(2):147-57
references: 11688518
references: Ann Surg. 2002 Jan;235(1):10-26
references: 11753038
references: J Clin Oncol. 2002 Sep 1;20(17):3628-36
references: 12202663
references: Br J Cancer. 1957 Sep;11(3):359-77
references: 13499785
references: Cancer Res. 1992 Oct 1;52(19):5198-203
references: 1394123
references: Am J Pathol. 2004 Jan;164(1):35-42
references: 14695316
references: Am J Clin Oncol. 2004 Aug;27(4):400-6
references: 15289735
references: N Engl J Med. 2004 Dec 30;351(27):2817-26
references: 15591335
references: Eur J Cancer. 1992;28(2-3):424-6
references: 1591056
references: N Engl J Med. 1992 Jun 25;326(26):1756-61
references: 1594018
references: Breast Cancer Res. 2006;8(3):R25
references: 16737553
references: J Clin Oncol. 1990 Aug;8(8):1321-6
references: 2380758
references: Breast Cancer Res Treat. 1988 Oct;12(2):191-204
references: 3242648
references: Cancer Treat Rep. 1987 Apr;71(4):375-9
references: 3829014
references: Lab Invest. 1986 Jan;54(1):41-51
references: 3941541
references: Int J Cancer. 1984 Apr 15;33(4):441-5
references: 6706431
references: Cancer. 1981 Aug 15;48(4):974-9
references: 7272939
references: J Clin Oncol. 1995 Mar;13(3):697-704
references: 7884430
references: J Clin Oncol. 1993 Feb;11(2):351-9
references: 8426213
references: Ann Oncol. 1993 Mar;4(3):213-9
references: 8471553
references: Int J Cancer. 1999 Dec 22;84(6):580-6
references: 10567902
references: Breast Cancer Res Treat. 1998;51(3):267-81
references: 10068084
references: J Clin Oncol. 2000 Sep;18(17):3125-34
references: 10963641
references: Int J Cancer. 2000 Jan 20;89(1):74-80
references: 10719734
references: J Natl Cancer Inst. 1993 Jun 16;85(12):965-70
references: 8496982
references: J Clin Oncol. 1993 Jun;11(6):1150-5
references: 8501501
references: Cancer. 1995 Sep 15;76(6):1009-18
references: 8625202
references: Int J Cancer. 1997 Feb 20;74(1):122-7
references: 9036880
references: Anticancer Res. 1996 Nov-Dec;16(6C):3907-12
references: 9042311