title: Prognostic value of tumour microvessel density in cancer of the uterine cervix stage IB to IIB.
abstract: High intensity of tumour angiogenesis has been correlated with an increased potential of metastasis and poor prognosis in human malignancies. We investigated 43 patients with cervical cancer stages IB (n = 13), IIA (n = 8) and IIB (n = 22). All patients were treated by radical hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy. In the tumour specimen blood vessels were highlighted by staining endothelial cells for factor VIII. Microvessels were counted on a 200x field (0.74 mm2) in the most active areas of neovascularisation. The mean microvessel counts per field for stage IB, IIA and IIB tumours were 59.6 +/- 28.1, 56.3 +/- 24.3 and 55.7 +/- 55.6, respectively (p-value = n.s.). We found no significant correlation of microvessel density and established prognostic factors like pelvic lymph node involvement, vascular space invasion and stromal reaction. Patients with tumours showing low microvessel density (< 40 microvessels per field) had a significantly poorer recurrence-free interval (log-rank test: p-value = 0.01).
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Women's University Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kainz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Speiser
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wanner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Obermair
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tempfer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sliutz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reinthaller
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Breitenecker
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000473:pathology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D011379:Prognosis; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology