title: Immunohistochemical detection of lymphovascular invasion with D2-40 in melanoma correlates with sentinel lymph node status, metastasis and survival.
abstract: Using immunohistochemistry with anti-D2-40 for the detection of lymphovascular invasion (LVI-IHC) in 74 cases of invasive melanoma, we found LVI in 23% (16/74) of the tumors. Data on sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy were available for 36 patients. Sixty-seven percent (6/9) of patients with LVI-IHC and 19% (5/27) without LVI-IHC had positive SLN. Follow-up data were available for 60 patients. Data on recurrence/metastasis were available for 60 patients. Twenty-five percent (15/60) had LVI with immunohistochemistry. Fifty-three percent (8/15) of these patients had "distant" metastasis or regional recurrence compared with 11% (5/45) in those without LVI-IHC. Overall and disease-specific survival was shorter for patients with LVI. In both the univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models, LVI-IHC in addition to ulceration was statistically significant with respect to overall survival. Specifically, in the reduced multivariate model, compared with patients with no LVI, patients with intratumoral LVI had a hazard ratio (HR) of 5.4 (95% CI 1.6-18.4), while patients with peritumoral LVI had a HR of 3.8 (95% CI 0.7-20.9). In addition, patients with ulceration had an increased hazard of 4.4 (95% CI 1.2-16.8). For the first time, we herein show a positive correlation with LVI in melanoma detected with immunohistochemistry and distant metastasis, overall survival and disease-free survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. fredrikpetersson@live.se
authors.forename: Fredrik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Petersson
authors.forename: A Hafeez
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Diwan
authors.forename: Doina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ivan
authors.forename: Jeffrey E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Gershenwald
authors.forename: Marcella M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harrell
authors.forename: Victor G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Prieto
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; C500987:monoclonal antibody D2-40