title: Decreased angiogenic activity in breast cancer in ever-users of oral contraceptive therapy--preliminary report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Angiogenic activity defined by microvessel density or measurement of vascular endothelial growth factor is a key process under physiological and malignant conditions in steroid hormone responding organs. The aim of this study was to relate microvessel density (MVD) in primary breast cancer to reproductive data and use of exogenous hormones.
  
  
  METHODS
  MVD was calculated retrospectively in forty-two consecutive tumours and related to clinical, histopathological and gynecological data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tumours in ever-users of oral contraceptive therapy (OC) had lower MVD (p = 0.002), a finding not explained by smaller tumour size or lower histological grade. There was no influence on MVD by other reproductive data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary data on a supposed interaction between the use of OC and angiogenesis in breast cancer indicate that biological properties in breast tumours may be altered by ever-use of OC, but have to be further explored in an extended number of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Helsingborg Hospital, S-251 87 Helsingborg, Sweden. lisa.ryden@helsingborgslasarett.se
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rydén
authors.forename: Poul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boiesen
authors.forename: Per-Ebbe
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Jönsson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology*; D010298:Parity; D017698:Postmenopause; D017697:Premenopause; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal