Abstract: Objective Secreted proteinacidic and rich in cysteine(SPARC) plays an important role in tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. This article explores the expression of SPARC in breast cancer tissues and its relationship with prognosis. 
Methods In total,122 postoperative specimens of primary breast cancer patients from the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and 38 normal breast tissue specimens were randomly collected. Chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship of SPARC with the clinicopathological data of patients. Kaplan-Meier method, Log-rank test and COX regression model were used to analyze survival and risk factors. 
Results The positive rate of SPARC in breast cancer tissues was higher than that in normal breast tissues(24.6% vs. 7.9%), and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05). The positive rates of interstitial cells in the two groups were 54.9% and 68.4% respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant(P＞0.05). The staining of epithelial cells in tumor tissue was defined as positive. The expression of SPARC in breast cancer tissues was not related to patient age, tumor diameter, lymph node status, TNM stage, vascular tumor thrombus, histological grade, molecular typing, estrogen receptor(ER), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2) status(all P＞0.05), but related to pathological type and progesterone receptor(PR) status(P＜0.05). The difference in overall survival(OS) of breast cancer patients with positive and negative SPARC protein expression was statistically significant(P＜0.05), and disease-free survival(DFS) was not statistically different(P＞0.05). SPARC protein expression was not an independent prognostic factor for OS in patients［P=0.052, HR=0.142(0.019-1.060)］. 
Conclusion The expression of SPARC in epithelial cells of breast cancer tissue is significantly higher than normal breast tissue and is related to pathological type and PR status. The expression of SPARC is related to the patient′s OS, which may be an independent prognostic factor that affects the patient′s death and can reduce the patient′s risk of death.

Key words: breast neoplasms, SPARC, immunohistochemistry