Ki-67 can be used for further classification of triple negative breast cancer into two subtypes with different response and prognosis

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of 105 patients

Characteristics	Total No. of Pt (%)	Low Ki-67 No. of Pt (%)	High Ki-67 ^a No. of Pt (%)	P-value
Median age (range)
Age <35 years	18 (17.1)	5 (17.9)	13 (16.9)	0.907
Age ≥35 years	87 (82.9)	23 (82.1)	64 (83.1)
Performance status
ECOG 0	25 (23.8)	7 (25.0)	18 (23.4)	0.686
ECOG 1	78 (74.3)	21 (75.0)	57 (74.0)
ECOG 2	2 (1.9)	0 (0.0)	2 (2.6)
Pathologic characteristics
Invasive ductal carcinoma	101 (96.2)	28 (100.0)	73 (94.8)	0.572
Others	4 (3.8)	0 (0.0)	4 (5.2)
Initial clinical stage
IIA	4 (3.8)	1 (3.6)	3 (3.9)	0.985
IIB	19 (18.1)	5 (17.9)	14 (18.2)
IIIA	45(42.9)	11 (39.3)	34 (44.2)
IIIB	18 (17.1)	5 (17.9)	13 (16.9)
IIIC	19 (18.1)	6 (21.4)	13 (16.9)
Inflammatory breast cancer
No	97 (92.4)	25 (89.3)	72 (93.5)	0.437
Yes	8 (7.6)	3 (10.7)	5 (6.5)
Type of surgery
Breast conserving	44 (41.9)	13 (46.4)	31 (40.3)	0.571
Mastectomy	61 (58.1)	15 (53.6)	46 (59.7)
Radiation therapy
No	11 (10.5)	2 (7.1)	9 (11.7)	0.723
Yes	94 (89.5)	26 (92.9)	68 (88.3)
Nuclear grade
I	1(1.0)	0 (0.0)	1 (1.3)	0.260
II	7 (6.7)	2 (7.1)	5 (6.5)
III	88 (73.3)	24 (85.7)	53 (68.8)
Unknown	20 (19.0)	2 (7.1)	18 (23.4)
Histologic grade
I	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	0.097
II	23 (21.9)	10 (35.7)	13 (16.9)
III	74 (70.5)	17 (60.7)	57 (74.0)
Unknown	8 (7.6)	1 (3.6)	7 (9.1)
bcl-2
Negative	66 (62.9)	15 (53.6)	51 (66.2)	0.235
Positive	39 (37.1)	13 (46.4)	26 (33.8)
p53
Negative	39 (37.1)	12 (42.9)	27 (35.1)	0.657
Positive	65 (61.9)	16 (57.1)	49 (63.6)
Unknown	1 (1.0)	0 (0.0)	1 (1.3)
pCR
No	91 (86.7)	28 (100.0)	86 (81.8)	0.019
Yes	14 (13.3)	0 (0.0)	14 (18.2)

Abbreviations: ECOG, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; pCR, pathologic complete response.
^a High Ki-67 expression was defined as ≥10%

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