Related Experiment Videos
The association between vascular endothelial growth factor, microvessel density and clinicopathological features in
1Laboratory of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium. wiebren.tjalma@uza.uia.ac.be
Objective:
The aim of this study was to analyse the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in a series of cervical carcinomas and to compare the results with the microvessel density (MVD) and clinicopathological features.
Study Design:
The immunoreactivity for VEGF was studied in 130 invasive cervical carcinomas and in 22 patients with a carcinoma in situ of the cervix. The results were compared with the MVD.
Results:
Staining for VEGF of less then 50% per slide occurred in 80% of the invasive carcinomas and in 82% of the in situ carcinomas. The median MVD was 261 vv/mm(2) (range: 11-1000) in the invasive group and 146 vv/mm(2) (range: 25-536) in the in situ group. Unlike the microvessel density there was no association between VEGF expression and survival. The MVD was higher in VEGF poorer (<50%) tumours (P=0.055). Beside tumour histology (P=0.012) there were no other significant relationships between the remaining histopathological findings and VEGF expression.
Conclusion:
Tissue VEGF expression has no prognostic value in contrast with the MVD in patients with invasive cervical cancer.