Prognostic value of nonangiogenic and angiogenic growth patterns in non-small-cell lung cancer.
An essential prerequisite of nonangiogenic growth appears to be the ability of the tumour to preserve the parenchymal structures of the host tissue. This morphological feature is visible on a routine tissue section. Based on this feature, we classified haematoxylin and eosin-stained tissue sections from 279 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer into three growth patterns: destructive (angiogenic; n=196), papillary (intermediate; n=38) and alveolar (nonangiogenic; n=45). A Cox multiple regression model was used to test the prognostic value of growth patterns together with other relevant clinicopathological factors. For overall survival, growth pattern (P=0.007), N-status (P=0.001), age (P=0.020) and type of operation (P=0.056) were independent prognostic factors. For disease-free survival, only growth pattern (P=0.007) and N-status (P<0.001) had an independent prognostic value. Alveolar (hazard ratio=1.825, 95% confidence interval=1.117-2.980, P=0.016) and papillary (hazard ratio=1.977, 95% confidence interval=1.169-3.345, P=0.011) growth patterns were independent predictors of poor prognosis. The proposed classification has an independent prognostic value for overall survival as well as for disease-free survival, providing a possible explanation for survival differences of patients in the same disease stage.
Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital of Antwerp, Belgium. Peyman.Sardari.Nia@uza.be
P
P
Sardari Nia
C
C
Colpaert
B
B
Blyweert
B
B
Kui
P
P
Vermeulen
M
M
Ferguson
J
J
Hendriks
J
J
Weyler
F
F
Pezzella
E
E
Van Marck
P
P
Van Schil
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D011379:Prognosis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies