Interestingly, autophagy levels were elevated in patients demonstrating Ki67 ≥ 3% (p = 0.021, Fig. 4a), whereas no significant associations were observed between gender (p = 0.826), age (dichotomous division at 55 years; p = 0.506), functionality (p = 0.266), tumour size (cut-off of 20 mm; p = 0.808), local invasion (p = 0.481), lymph node- (p = 0.849), distant metastases (p = 0.699) and autophagy levels (Fig. 4). Here, MKI67 is linked to neoplasm.