Ki-67 expression was positively correlated with tumor size (r = 0.244, P < 0.05), alcohol use (r = 0.357, P < 0.01), and lymph node metastasis (r = 0.260, P < 0.05) and negatively correlated with the degree of differentiation (r =  − 0.483, P < 0.05, Table 3). Here, MKI67 is linked to neoplasm.