Can ki-67 play a role in prediction of breast cancer patients' response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy?
BACKGROUND
Currently the choice of breast cancer therapy is based on prognostic factors. The proliferation marker Ki-67 is used increasingly to determine the method of therapy. The current study analyses the predictive value of Ki-67 in foreseeing breast cancer patients' responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.


METHODS
This study includes patients with invasive breast cancer treated between 2008 and 2013. The clinical response was assessed by correlating Ki-67 to histological examination, mammography, and ultrasonography findings.


RESULTS
The average Ki-67 value in our patients collectively (n = 77) is 34.9 ± 24.6%. The average Ki-67 value is the highest with 37.4 ± 24.0% in patients with a pCR. The Ki-67 values do not differ significantly among the 3 groups: pCR versus partial pathological response versus stable disease/progress (P = 0.896). However, Ki-67 values of patients with luminal, Her2 enriched, and basal-like cancers differed significantly from each other. Furthermore, within the group of luminal tumors Ki-67 values of patients with versus without pCR also differed significantly.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data shows that the Ki-67 value predicts the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy as a function of the molecular subtype, reflecting the daily routine concerning Ki-67 and its impressing potential and limitation as a predictive marker for neoadjuvant chemotherapy response.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Homburg University Medical Centre, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
Juhasz-Böss
JB
Ingolf
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Homburg University Medical Centre, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
Mavrova
M
Russalina
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Homburg University Medical Centre, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
Moga
M
Simona
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Homburg University Medical Centre, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
Radosa
R
Julia
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Homburg University Medical Centre, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
Schmidt
S
Gilda
Department of Pathology, Homburg University Medical Centre, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
Rainer M
RM
Bohle
Department of Pathology, Homburg University Medical Centre, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
Hasenfus
H
Andrea
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Homburg University Medical Centre, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
Solomayer
S
Erich
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Homburg University Medical Centre, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
Herr
H
Daniel
D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human