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Lymphatic microvessel density in epithelial ovarian cancer: its impact on prognosis
P Birner1, M Schindl, A Obermair
1Department of Gynecopathology and Cytology, University of Vienna, Austria. peter.birner@akh-wien.ac.at
Background:
The influence of lymphatic microvessel density (MVD) on survival in epithelial ovarian cancer is still unknown, owing to the fact that until recently no reliable immunohistologic markers for lymphatic endothelium were available.
Materials And Methods:
By using a polyclonal antibody staining podoplanin, a novel marker for lymphatic endothelium, lymphatic MVD in tissue samples of 90 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer treated by radical surgery and chemotherapy was investigated. Survival analysis was performed using univariate and multivariate analysis. Furthermore, lymphatic MVD was compared to MVD assessed by CD34 immunostaining.
Results:
Lymphatic MVD was significantly lower than CD34 MVD (p < 0.0001). There was no significant association between lymphatic MVD and various histological and clinical parameters. Lymphatic MVD had no influence on overall survival and disease free survival (p = 0.4627 and p = 0.4337, respectively; log-rank test).
Conclusion:
The formation of lymphatic vessels has no influence on the progression of epithelial ovarian cancer.