title: Significant effects of lymph and blood vascular invasion on the prognosis of early-stage cervical squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the past 10 years, therapeutic advances have led to improved short-term efficacy for cervical carcinoma; however, the 5-year survival rate was not significantly enhanced. To investigate the effects of blood vessel invasion (BVI) and lymph vessel invasion (LVI) on the prognosis of early-stage cervical squamous carcinoma, we carried out immunohistochemical staining to distinguish blood and lymph vessels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Specimens from 111 IB-stage or IIA-stage cervical squamous carcinoma cases were examined for BVI and LVI by streptavidin-peroxidase immunohistochemistry using CD-34 and D2-40 monoclonal antibodies. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 13.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA) statistical software. The survival rate and survival curve were derived by using the life table method and the Kaplan-Meier method, respectively. Multivariate prognosis analysis was conducted with Cox regression model, and prognosis was evaluated by measuring overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  BVI/LVI double positivity was an independent prognostic factor for both OS and PFS, whereas lymph node metastasis and surgical margin positivity affected only PFS. Patients inflicted with either BVI or LVI displayed no significant difference in survival time. Lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI), referring to blood and/or lymph vessel invasion correlated with lymph node metastasis, surgical margin positivity, depth of cervical interstitial invasion, squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SccAg) and age. LVSI was a risk factor for both recurrence (P = 0.013, relative risk 3.060) and death (P = 0.005, relative risk 4.512). Post-operation auxiliary external radiation did not improve survival for LVSI-positive cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BVI/LVI double positivity constitutes an independent prognostic factor for early-stage cervical squamous carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: South China State Key Laboratory of Oncology, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Guangzhou, China. zhangyannapds@163.com
authors.forename: Yanna
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Jiehua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Jinrui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xueming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000378:metabolism; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D018952:Antigens, CD34; C500987:monoclonal antibody D2-40