Intratumor microvessel density in biopsy specimens predicts local response of hypopharyngeal cancer to radiotherapy.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this retrospective study was to identify reliable predictive factors for local control of hypopharyngeal cancer (HPC) treated by radiotherapy.


METHODS
A cohort of 38 patients with HPC treated by radical radiotherapy at the National Cancer Center Hospital East between 1992 and 1999 were selected as subjects for the present study. Paraffin-embedded pre-therapy biopsy specimens from these patients were used for immunostaining to evaluate the relationships between local tumor control and expression of the following previously reported predictive factors for local recurrence of head and neck cancer treated by radiotherapy: Ki-67, Cyclin D1, CDC25B, VEGF, p53, Bax and Bcl-2. The predictive power of microvessel density (MVD) in biopsy specimens and of clinicopathologic factors (age, gender and clinical tumor-node-metastasis stage) was also statistically analyzed.


RESULTS
Twenty-five patients developed tumor recurrence at the primary site. Univariate analysis indicated better local control of tumors with high microvessel density [MVD >or= median (39 vessels/field)] than with low MVD (< median, P = 0.042). There were no significant associations between local control and expression of Ki-67 (P = 0.467), Bcl-2 (P = 0.127), Bax (P = 0.242 ), p53 (P = 0.262), Cyclin D1 (P = 0.245), CDC25B (P = 0.511) or VEGF (P = 0.496). Clinicopathologic factors were also demonstrated to have no significant influence on local control (age, P = 0.974; gender, P = 0.372; T factor, P = 0.602; N factor, P = 0.530; Stage, P = 0.499).


CONCLUSIONS
Microvessel density in biopsy specimens was closely correlated with local control of HPC treated by radiotherapy.
Zhang
Shi-Chuan
SC
Pathology Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute East, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan.
Miyamoto
Shin-ichi
S
Kamijo
Tomoyuki
T
Hayashi
Ryuichi
R
Hasebe
Takahiro
T
Ishii
Genichiro
G
Fukayama
Masashi
M
Ochiai
Atsushi
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D007013:Hypopharynx / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D020687:cdc25 Phosphatases / Q000096:biosynthesis
C494826:BAX protein, human; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D019938:Cyclin D1; C517008:CDC25B protein, human; D020687:cdc25 Phosphatases