Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha in high-risk breast cancer: an independent prognostic parameter?

Background Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (hif-1α) furnishes tumor cells with the means of adapting to stress parameters like tumor hypoxia and promotes critical steps in tumor progression and aggressiveness. We investigated the role of hif-1α expression in patients with node-positive breast cancer.