Quantitative evaluation of angiogenesis in laryngeal cancer by digital image measurement of the vessel density.
OBJECTIVE
the aim of our study was determination of the relationship between angiogenesis and clinical as well as histological features in laryngeal cancer.


METHODS
we used two different methods of estimation of the amount of microvessels in the series of 55 cases, e.g. classical count of endothelial cells group (h-MVD) and digital image measurement of the vessel density (VD).


RESULTS
neither h-MVD nor VD correlated significantly with clinical features of the tumour. The results of VD examination correlated significantly with the existence of nodal metastases (P=0.02). The relationship between h-MVD and N status was on the statistical borderline (P=0.07). Multivariate analysis of Cox's proportional hazards model revealed that only N status correlated significantly with patients' survival.


CONCLUSIONS
our results indicate that measurements of angiogenesis in laryngeal cancer may be of some value in predicting N status in laryngeal cancer patients. This issue should be confirmed in prospective studies.
Krecicki
Tomasz
T
Department of Otolaryngology, Medical University of Wrocław, ul. Smoleńskiego 4, 51-607 Wrocław, Poland. krecicki@orl.am.wroc.pl
Dus
Danuta
D
Kozlak
Joanna
J
Tarnawski
Wojciech
W
Jelen
Michal
M
Zalesska-Krecicka
Maria
M
Szkudlarek
Teresa
T
D000368:Aged; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies