CLINICAL PROGNOSTIC-SIGNIFICANCE OF TUMOR ANGIOGENESIS

Background: The importance of tumour angiogenesis in the process of tu mour growth and metastasis has recently gained wide acceptance. This h as lead to intense investigation into the biology of tumour angiogenes is and its clinical significance. An understanding of angiogenesis may allow therapeutic modulation in order to interrupt the progression fr om tumourigenesis to metastatic disease and control growth of distant metastases. Design: A review was undertaken of studies relating clinic al outcome to the assessment of tumour angiogenesis in patients with c ancer. Results: Studies have been recently reported in a variety of tu mours, particularly early breast cancer and melanoma. Quantitative pat hology, using microvessel counting, has been the main method applied. However assessment of angiogenic growth factors may provide an alterna tive. In early breast cancer many studies have shown a worse prognosis for those patients with highly vascular tumours. The prognostic influ ence of tumour angiogenesis is independent of conventional prognostic indicators. Similar, although more varied results, have been obtained in studies of melanoma and other tumour types. Conclusion: Tumour angi ogenesis, as assessed with quantitative pathology, is an important pro gnostic indicator in early breast cancer and possibly in other tumour types. Further confirmatory studies are required before this indicator is routinely used to guide treatment selection. Assessment of tumour angiogenesis will be increasingly important in the investigation of ne w therapies aimed at inhibiting angiogenesis or targeting tumour vascu lature.