Prognostic Importance of Ki-67 Expression in Early-Stage Glottic Larynx Cancer Treated with Radiotherapy

OpenAlex İngilizce

Objective: The prognostic importance of Ki-67 expression in early-stage glottic larynx cancer is controversial. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic importance of Ki-67 expression in early-stage glottic cancer treated with curative radiotherapy at a single centre.Material and Method: Between 2010 and 2021, patients with T1a/bN0 stage glottic larynx cancer treated with curative radiotherapy were identified. The cases included in this study were re-evaluated by a single pathologist retrospectively. According to the ROC curve, the optimal cut-off value was 35% for Ki-67. Above these cut-off points were accepted as high expression levels (Ki-67-high), while below these points were accepted as low expression levels (Ki-67-low).Results: A total of 49 patients with early-stage glottic larynx cancer treated with definitive radiotherapy were included. The median follow-up time was 35.74 (range; 7.03-161.65) months. The median OS was 95.4 (range; 62.1-128.8) months. According to univariate analysis, tumour grade (p=0.006) and Ki-67 expression level (low vs high; p=0.039) were the prognostic factors that predict OS. The median DFS was 42.1 (range; 32.8-51.3) months. According to univariate analyses, tumour grade (p=0.008) and Ki-67 expression level (low vs high; p=0.007) were the prognostic factors that predict DFS.Conclusion: Higher Ki-67 expression was associated with lower OS and DFS. Ki-67 expression level can be used as a biomarker to determine treatment choice in these patients. Additional prospective studies with more patients are needed to confirm our results.