MICROVESSEL QUANTITATION IN INVASIVE BREAST-CANCER BY STAINING FOR FACTOR VIII-RELATED ANTIGEN

The clinical importance of microvessel quantitation as a prognostic in dicator in invasive breast cancer was examined. This study included 15 5 patients with invasive breast cancer, with a median follow-up of 82 months. Microvessels were identified by immunohistochemical staining f or factor VIII-related antigen in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded pr imary tumours. For each tumour, microvessels were counted within a 200 x magnification field in the area of highest microvessel density. Mic rovessel counts (MVCs) had no correlation with tumour size, lymph node status or histological grade. When patients were classified by MVC, h igher counts were associated with shorter disease-free survival and ov erall survival (P < 0.025 and P < 0.01 respectively). Multivariate ana lysis showed that MCV is an independent prognostic factor. Microvessel quantitation may be a useful predictor for identifying breast cancer patients at high risk for relapse and death.