The Relationship between Clinical Features and Changes of Proliferative Activity Analysed by Ki-67 in Recurrent Astrocytic Tumors

ABSTRACT

The relationship between the proliferative activity and clinical features in 21 cases of recurrent astrocytic tumors were studied. The proliferative activity of tumor cell was analysed by Ki-67 labelling index using immunohistochemistry for MIB-1 antibody. Positive relationships were noted on clinical features, such as mean ages, time interval between primary and secondary operation, postoperative survival, and histopathologic grade with Ki-67 labelling indices in the primary tumors. Unlike to these, clinicopathologic characteristrics were not positively correlated in secondary recurrent tumors. It is thus suggested that Ki-67 labelling indices would be valuable in the estimations of clinical prognosis and histopathologic grades in the primary astrocytic tumors but might not be in the recurrent astrocytic tumors due to change of biologic features of tumor cell after radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.