title: Predictive value of high Ki-67 expression in stage I oral squamous cell carcinoma specimens after primary surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Until now prognostic evaluation for patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains difficult. Thus, the aim of the present study was to ascertain the value of Ki-67 expression in predicting locoregional recurrence in OSCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a large, homogeneous study population consisting of 166 patients with OSCC exclusively treated with primary surgery, expression of Ki-67 was investigated by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We report that high proliferation significantly correlated to a higher risk of locoregional recurrence in stage I OSCC patients (p = .029). Carcinomas with a Ki-67 labeling index above the median showed a mean time to recurrence of 42 months, whereas mean time to recurrence was 55 months for those tumors below the median (p = .017).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides the evidence of a predictive value of Ki-67 expression in stage I OSCC. Therefore, Ki-67 expression level could be used to identify a subgroup of surgically treated patients with stage I OSCC who might benefit from treatment intensification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Tuebingen University Hospital, Tuebingen, Germany. christian.freudlsperger@klinikum.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Freudlsperger
authors.forename: Sandra E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Rohleder
authors.forename: Siegmar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reinert
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
chemical_list: D019394:Ki-67 Antigen