Retraction Note: BMC Cancer 18, 1286 (2018)https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-018-5199-3The Editor in Chief retracted this article because of significant concerns regarding a number of Figures presented in this work, which question the integrity of the data. Specifically, a number of images appear to be the same and rotated between Fig. 2C, 2D and 4D in this article, and Fig. 2 and 3 in an article published earlier by unrelated authors ([1], now retracted). In addition, it appears that one image was re-used between Fig. 2D and 4D within this article.The Editor-in-Chief therefore no longer has confidence in the integrity of the data in this article.The authors have not responded to any correspondence from the editor or publisher about this retraction.