Evaluation of the proliferation marker Ki67 as a prognostic factor in patients with breast carcinoma

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer in women worldwide and in Iraq. Proliferation rates of neoplastic process can be useful in predicting prognosis, aggressiveness of cancers and to guide treatment protocols in clinical practice.
Objectives: To evaluate the role of Ki67 as a proliferative marker through analysing the associations between Ki67 with the clinic-pathological parameters, hormone receptors and Her2/neu expression.
Patients and methods: Forty paraffin blocks belonging to patient with breast carcinoma and ten blocks with benign diseases were included in this retrospective cross-sectional study and used for the immunohistochemical assessment of hormone receptors, Her2/neu and Ki67.
Results: Mean age of the malignant cases was (50.30±9) years; invasive ductal carcinoma was the main histopathological type (87.5%). Three quarters of the cases were with (Grade II) and (T2). Positive lymph node reported in (72.5%) of cases. Malignant cases positively expressed ER, PR, Her2/neu (score 3+) and Ki67 in (75%), (72.5%), (17.5%) and (75%) respectively. Luminal B subtype was the commonest among studied cases.
Conclusions: Ki67 proliferative index represented a valuable tool and provided information about aggressiveness and prognosis of breast carcinoma, significant correlations found between Ki67 and tumor grade, lymph node involvement and Her2/neu score.