Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 30, 2026
Dual Bioluminescence Imaging of Tumor Progression and Angiogenesis
Published on: August 1, 2019
Evidence for dermal angiogenesis in breast cancer related lymphedema demonstrated using dual-site fluorescence
R H Mellor1, A W B Stanton, L Menadue
1Division of Physiological Medicine (Dermatology Unit), St. George's Hospital Medical School, London, UK. rmellor@sghms.ac.uk
Objective:
To determine whether the skin expansion associated with breast cancer related lymphedema (BCRL) reduces microvessel density or causes a compensatory angiogenesis.
Methods:
Dermal microvessel density was measured by simultaneous fluorescence video angiography in the ipsilateral and contralateral forearms of 25 patients treated for breast cancer, 12 with BCRL (excess volume 30 +/- 20%) and 13 without.
Results:
Microvessel density was as high in the swollen arm (27.2 +/- 7.2 mm(-2)) as in the contralateral arm (24.2 +/- 6.2 mm(-2)) despite a 16 +/- 12% increase in local circumference. Total microvessels in a 1-mm annulus of skin was 30% greater in the swollen arm (752 +/- 211) than the contralateral arm (578 +/- 157; p = 0.005, t-test). Microvessel density was similar in each arm in control patients (ipsilateral 24.1 +/- 6.2 mm(-2), contralateral 26.1 +/- 8.8 mm(-2)).
Conclusions:
The number of microvessels increased in the expanded skin to maintain microvessel density at a normal level. Therefore, angiogenesis occurs during chronic limb swelling. The control group results indicate that angiogenesis is not caused by the cancer treatment.
