title: Angiogenesis is prognostically important in vertical growth phase melanomas.
abstract: The association between microvessel density (MVD) and patient survival has recently been established for various types of human cancers. Immunohistochemical staining (factor-VIII related antigen) was performed on a series of 102 vertical growth phase melanomas and vessels were counted in <hot spot> areas. Increased MVD was associated with large histologic tumor diameter (p=0.006) and tumor ulceration (p=0.04). Further, high vascular density was significantly related to decreased patient survival (p=0.04), with borderline significance (p=0.10) in the final multivariate model. The results of this study suggest that microvessel density is of prognostic importance in aggressive vertical growth phase melanomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Gade Institute, Haukeland Hospital, N-5021 Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Straume
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Salvesen
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Akslen
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies