title: Tumor microvasculature characteristics studied by image analysis: histologically-driven angiogenic profile.
abstract: Angiogenesis, a hallmark of cancer, has been studied to be a potential marker for diagnosis, prognosis and therapy in breast cancer. To evaluate tumor angiogenesis, histological assessment has been a common approach and counting tumor microvessels after visualizing them by immunohistochemistry has been in use for a long time. With recent advances in digital pathology and image analysis, other characteristics of tumor vasculature can also be evaluated. In this article we briefly review the potentials of image analysis in assessing tumor microvessel morphologically that might be helpful in defining a better angiogenesis marker than other common markers like vessel count.
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto - Japan.
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fakhrejahani
authors.forename: Yasufumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asao
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toi
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D055806:Microvessels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor