There was an inverse relationship between both PHD1 and PHD3 positivity and high tumour grade (P < 0.03 and P = 0.04, respectively), but no significant relationship was observed between PHD1 or PHD2 expression and HER2, T status, N status, p53, bcl2, Ki67, ER or progesterone receptor (P > 0.05; see Tables S2 to S4 in Additional file 1). Here, PGR is linked to neoplasm.