[Angiogenesis and density of dendritic cells do not correlate with metachronous distant metastases after curative surgery of rectal carcinoma].
BACKGROUND
Besides surgery, treatment of rectal cancer increasingly comprises (neo-)adjuvant strategies. To optimise the selection process for these therapy regimens especially in the field of cellular and molecular biology, new prognostic factors besides the established TNM system are being investigated.


METHODS
Retrospectively, two groups of patients (n = 2 x 85) with rectal carcinoma curatively treated by surgery alone were studied (median follow-up: 6.1 years). The patients were selected to be free of local disease, in order to exclude surgical influence. Patient groups were matched for age, gender, UICC stage and year of operation (1982-1991) and differed only in subsequent metachronous distant metastatic spread, the criterion to be studied. The factors to be investigated in uni- and multivariate analysis were angiogenesis, density of dendritic cells, grading, venous and lymphatic invasion.


RESULTS
Grading always proved to be the only significant prognostic factor (P < 0.0001). In univariate analysis, absent venous invasion also correlated significantly with increased disease-free survival (P = 0.0170).


CONCLUSIONS
Angiogenesis and density of dendritic cells in rectal cancer are not prognostic factors for metachronous distant metastasis and, therefore, cannot serve as selection parameters for adjuvant therapy.
Günther
K
K
Chirurgische Klinik mit Poliklinik, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen. klaus.guenther@rzmail.uni-erlangen.de
Radkow
T
T
Reymond
M A
MA
Pflüger
R
R
Dimmler
A
A
Hohenberger
W
W
Papadopoulos
T
T
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003713:Dendritic Cells; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D011379:Prognosis; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors