While APOD can inhibit proliferation of BC cells and improve prognosis, its presence in stromal cells may promote cancer progression and worsen outcomes (Zhou2020; Li 2019). APOD ́s role  in gastric (Huo et al. 2022; Wang et al. 2024), thyroid (Ruchong et al. 2021), and cervical cancers (Jiang et al. 2021; Zhang et al. 2022) is associated with poor prognosis, although its mechanisms and therapeutic potential are not fully understood. Here, APOD is linked to breast cancer.