TUMOR VASCULARITY AS A PROGNOSTIC INDICATOR IN INTERMEDIATE-THICKNESS(0.76-4 MM) CUTANEOUS MELANOMA - A QUANTITATIVE ASSAY

Tumor vascularity has been reported to be a prognostic factor in solid tumors. We studied the prognostic value of tumor vascularity in 19 pr imary stage I skin melanomas. Only intermediate-thickness melanomas (0 .76-4.00-mm thick) were studied. They were treated surgically to provi de two groups of patients. The first group of 11 patients had no evide nce of metastases after a follow-up of a mean period of 72.36 months, whereas the second one developed metastases in a mean period of 46.87 months. The two groups were matched for important prognostic factors i ncluding tumor thickness, sex, and age. Vascularity was quantified by a morphometric stereological analysis on paraffin sections stained wit h anti CD31 monoclonal antibody. The percentage of vascular area was s ignificantly higher in the metastasizing group than in the nonmetastas izing one. Our study suggests that increased vascularity may have a pr ognostic significance in intermediate-thickness melanoma.