Angiogenesis in early-invasive and low-malignant-potential epithelial ovarian carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate angiogenesis in ovaries of women with stage I invasive and low-malignant-potential epithelial ovarian carcinoma.


METHODS
Ovarian specimens of 49 consecutive women with primary stage I invasive (n = 15) or stage I low-malignant-potential epithelial ovarian carcinoma (n = 34) were stained immunohistochemically for factor VIII-related antigen. Microvessel counts were tested for correlation with patient age, race, parity, previous oral contraceptive use, histologic type, tumor grade, tumor size, ascites, tumor excrescences, and disease-free and overall survival. Statistical analysis included multiple linear regression, Student t tests, factorial analysis of variance, and Cox proportional hazards regression, with P <.05 considered statistically significant.


RESULTS
Microvessel counts of ovarian specimens of women with stage I invasive epithelial ovarian carcinoma (median 30, range 17-73) were significantly higher than those of women with stage I low-malignant-potential epithelial ovarian carcinoma (median 10, range 5-23), (P <.001). Among women with low-malignant-potential disease, microvessel counts did not differ significantly between serous and mucinous carcinomas (median 10, range 5-23 versus median 11, range 5-20, respectively, P =.78). There was no correlation between microvessel counts and age, tumor grade, tumor size, ascites, or tumor excrescences.


CONCLUSIONS
Angiogenesis as assessed by microvessel counts is more intense in stage I invasive ovarian epithelial carcinoma compared with stage I low-malignant-potential carcinoma, and might assist in differentiating between these histopathologic entities.
Abulafia
O
O
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA.
Ruiz
J E
JE
Holcomb
K
K
Dimaio
T M
TM
Lee
Y C
YC
Sherer
D M
DM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*