The Ki67 index a prognostic marker in medullary thyroid carcinoma

• Published in: British journal of cancer Vol. 89; no. 11; pp. 2093 - 2097
• Main Authors: Tisell, L E, Oden, A, Muth, A, Altiparmak, G, Mõlne, J, Ahlman, H, Nilsson, O
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 01.12.2003
• Subjects: Adult; analysis; Biomarkers; Biomarkers, Tumor - analysis; Cancer research; Carcinoma; Carcinoma, Medullary - diagnosis; Classification; Clinical Laboratory Medicine; Clinical Medicine; diagnosis; Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Ki-67 Antigen; Ki-67 Antigen - analysis; Klinisk laboratoriemedicin; Klinisk medicin; Lymph Node Excision; Lymphatic system; Male; Medical prognosis; Medical research; Medullary; Metastasis; Middle Aged; Molecular and Cellular Pathology; Prognosis; Scintigraphy; Surgery; Thyroid cancer; Thyroid Neoplasms; Thyroid Neoplasms - diagnosis; Thyroidectomy; Tumor; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - analysis; Tumors; Sweden
• ISSN: 0007-0920; 1532-1827
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6601453

Our objective was to examine the usefulness of the Ki67 proliferation index as a prognostic marker in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). It is difficult to predict the prognosis of MTC by using conventional prognostic factors. Immunocytochemical analysis of tumour proliferation has been used as a prognostic tool in some tumours, but only rarely in MTC. In all, 71 tumours from 36 patients were investigated, by using a semiautomatic image analysis programme. On average 10,000 nuclear profiles were counted per tumour, and the percentage of tumour cells expressing the proliferation marker, Ki67, was calculated. Primary tumours that had metastasised had higher Ki67 indices than primary tumours that had not metastasised. Recurrent lymph node metastasis had higher Ki67 indices than the primary tumours. By using a Poisson model, it was possible to estimate the median survival time for individual patients if the Ki67 index for the primary tumour and the age at surgery were known. The higher the Ki67 index and the age at operation were, the shorter was the survival. Estimating the median survival of individual patients will be of help for planning the patients' life and postoperative follow-up and treatment.