Aim: To assess the prognostic values of Ki-67 in neoadjuvant setting for breast cancer patients.
Methods: PubMed and EMBASE were searched. Revman software was used to conduct random-effect model meta-analysis.
Results: 49 studies (14,076 patients) were included. High Ki-67 before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy were associated with worse overall survival (OS; before: hazard ratio [HR]: 2.29; 95% CI: 1.42-3.69; after: HR: 2.24; 95% CI: 1.82-2.75) and disease-free survival (DFS; before: HR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.23-1.95; after: HR: 2.08; 95% CI: 1.83-2.37). Low/no reduction or increase might be associated with worse DFS (HR: 2.13; 95% CI: 1.51-3.02) and OS.
Conclusion: Ki-67 before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, as well as the change could predict the prognosis for breast cancer patients.
Keywords: Ki-67; disease-free survival; neoadjuvant chemotherapy; overall survival.