Angiogenesis: a new prognostic marker for breast cancer

The past two decades have seen a huge increase in the study of angiogenesis or neovascularisation. With it has come realisation of the crucial role that angiogenesis plays in the growth and metastatic potential of carcinoma. One area where there has been particular interest is in the measurement of angiogenesis in breast carcinoma, with the hope that it may prove to be an independent prognostic indicator. As advances in breast cancer treatment have increased, so has the importance of assigning a patient to the optimal treatment regime. A number of studies have assessed tumour vascularity on sections immunostained with endothelial markers. Of these, the majority have found that highly vascular carcinomas have a poorer prognosis than those with low vascularity, although several studies have reported no correlation. These discrepancies may, in large part, be due to variations in the methods employed by different laboratories. At present, microvessel quantification in breast carcinoma has yet to prove it can reliably add a measurable amount of information to that already available from established prognostic indicators such as tumour size, nodal status, histological grade, and hormone receptor status. Although promising, further study is needed to establish the true value of measuring angiogenesis in breast cancer.