Stromal expression of vascular endothelial growth factor correlates with tumor grade and microvessel density in mammary phyllodes tumors: a multicenter study of 185 cases.
A retrospective review of 185 mammary phyllodes tumors (105 benign, 51 borderline, 29 malignant) from 4 centers was performed by immunohistochemistry to investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in the epithelial and stromal cells of mammary phyllodes tumors. The correlation of vascular endothelial growth factor with tumor grade, stromal cell nuclear pleomorphism, cellularity, mitotic rate, margin histomorphology, and the stromal microvessel density was evaluated. Vascular endothelial growth factor expression was found in the epithelium in 29% and in the stromal cells in 31% of cases. There was significant increase of vascular endothelial growth factor expression in the stromal cells with increasing degree of malignancy, but not the epithelium. Microvessel density in the stroma also showed significant correlation with tumor malignancy, and a correlation was shown with the stromal vascular endothelial growth factor expression. Statistical overlap of stromal vascular endothelial growth factor and microvessel density in predicting malignancy suggests that angiogenesis may be an effector mechanism for vascular endothelial growth factor. Assessment of stromal VEGF may be useful as an adjunctive diagnostic criterion in the histologic assessment of malignancy in phyllodes tumors.
Tse
Gary M K
GM
Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong.
Lui
Philip C W
PC
Lee
C Soon
CS
Kung
Fred Y l
FY
Scolyer
Richard A
RA
Law
Bonita K B
BK
Lau
Tai-Shing
TS
Karim
Rooshdiya
R
Putti
Thomas C
TC
D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology; D003557:Phyllodes Tumor / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A