title: Angiogenesis and p53 at the invading tumor edge: prognostic markers for colorectal cancer beyond stage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Angiogenesis has emerged as a major prognostic factor in many human malignancies and it is a prospective target for cancer therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we investigated immunohistochemically the angiogenic activity and the expression of p53 and bcl-2 proteins in a series of 170 operable colorectal carcinomas, stage B and C.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A high vascular density at the invading tumor front was directly related to nuclear p53 accumulation, and inversely to cytoplasmic expression of bcl-2. Furthermore, high angiogenic activity was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis. Survival analysis showed that Dukes stage and vascular density were the most important and independent prognostic factors in colorectal cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is believed that angiogenesis at the invading tumor edge can be used as an independent prognostic marker to identify subgroups of colorectal cancer patients with an unfavorable post-operative outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Democritus University of Thrace Medical School, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors.forename: Loucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Georgiou
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Minopoulos
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lirantzopoulos
authors.forename: Aliki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiska-Demetriou
authors.forename: Efstratios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maltezos
authors.forename: Efthimios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sivridis
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D011379:Prognosis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53