Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40437449›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2025

Ki-67-Playing a key role in breast cancer but difficult to apply precisely in the real world.

Changsong Wang, JingChang Chen, Xuexia Lv, Tian Yun, Yaxi Wang, Nianlong Meng, Fulin Li, Yansha Cao, Naijun Fan, Xiaoyue Wang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Changsong Wang *Department of Pathology, People's Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force 989 th Hospital, Huaxia West Road, Luoyang, 471031, Henan, China. wangtmmu150@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5686-7912
JingChang Chen *School of Nursing, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-0037-3072
Xuexia Lv *Department of Pathology, People's Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force 989 th Hospital, Huaxia West Road, Luoyang, 471031, Henan, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3183-824X
Tian YunDepartment of Pathology, People's Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force 989 th Hospital, Huaxia West Road, Luoyang, 471031, Henan, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3015-2577
Yaxi WangDepartment of Pathology, People's Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force 989 th Hospital, Huaxia West Road, Luoyang, 471031, Henan, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0248-2256
Nianlong MengDepartment of Pathology, People's Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force 989 th Hospital, Huaxia West Road, Luoyang, 471031, Henan, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1219-5653
Fulin LiDepartment of Pathology, People's Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force 989 th Hospital, Huaxia West Road, Luoyang, 471031, Henan, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7158-8911
Yansha CaoDepartment of Pathology, People's Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force 989 th Hospital, Huaxia West Road, Luoyang, 471031, Henan, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8275-5762
Naijun FanDepartment of Pathology, People's Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force 989 th Hospital, Huaxia West Road, Luoyang, 471031, Henan, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0246-7603
Xiaoyue WangDepartment of Pathology, People's Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force 989 th Hospital, Huaxia West Road, Luoyang, 471031, Henan, China. xiaoyuewnormal@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-9681-0430

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The Ki-67 index, which is a proliferative index, has become more important in making treatment decisions for patients with breast cancer (BC) and plays both a predictive role and a prognostic role. However, a few factors limit its use in clinical practice, particularly the assessment of the percentage of Ki-67-positive cells and the cutoff value of Ki-67. In this study, we examined the expression of Ki-67 via immunohistochemistry and systematically evaluated the value of the Ki-67 index in patients with BC. This was a retrospective study including 280 patients diagnosed with BC. There were marked differences in overall survival (OS) between patients with BC when the Ki-67 index ranged from 46 to 68% (χ2 = 5.87, P = 0.0154; χ2 = 7.64, P = 0.0057, respectively), and the same results were also found when the staining density was added to the Ki-67 index; however, the staining density alone has limited value in assessing the value of Ki-67. There were marked differences in disease-free survival (DFS) among BC patients when the Ki-67 index ranged from 50 to 58% (χ2 = 7.31, P = 0.0069; χ2 = 7.88, P = 0.005). When 14% was used as a cutoff point to classify the molecular type of BC, the luminal A-type patients were significantly different from patients with HER2-overexpressing subtype BC in terms of OS (χ2 = 5.33, P = 0.021). There was a significant difference in the OS of patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2)-overexpressing subtype BC when the Ki-67 index fell within the range of 49-60% (χ2 = 4.86, P = 0.0275; χ2 = 5.50, P = 0.019, respectively). There were significant differences between luminal A-type BC and HER2-overexpressing subtype BC in terms of OS (χ2 = 5.53, P = 0.019), according to suggestions of the 2019 CSCO consensus. There were significant differences between the two groups of luminal B HER-2(-) BC when the Ki-67 index was 52% (χ2 = 6.61, P = 0.0101). The differentiated Ki-67 index can be used to assess the OS and DFS of patients with BC, and the staining density of Ki-67 has little value in assessing prognosis in these patients. Different molecular classification methods may influence the assessment of prognosis and the results of molecular subtype in patients with BC. To predict the prognosis of BC patients, it is more scientifically feasible to use the interval values of Ki-67 than a specific value.

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorBreast NeoplasmsKi-67 AntigenAdultAgedAged, 80 and overDisease-Free SurvivalErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesFemaleHumansImmunohistochemistryMiddle AgedPrognosisRetrospective StudiesBiomarkers, TumorErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesKi-67 AntigenBreast CancerKi-67Molecular TypePrognosisSurvive

Identifiers

PMID40437449
PMCPMC12121036

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.