Tumor angiogenesis in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma

Objective. Angiogenesis has been shown to correlate positively with the pre sence of metastatic disease in some tumors, but has not been studied in inv asive vulvar squamous cell carcinoma. Fifty cases of invasive vulvar squamo us cell carcinoma were studied in an effort to correlate angiogenesis with stage, survival, and pattern of invasion. Methods. These patients were diagnosed between 1987 and 1993. Microvessels were identified immunohistochemically using antibody to Factor VIII, and ar eas of greatest microvessel density associated with tumor were counted. The pattern of invasion was categorized as "spray," "pushing," or "mixed." The mean microvessel count was correlated with surgical and clinical stage, pa ttern of invasion, and survival. Results. Mean microvessel counts in surgical stage I/II cases (31.1 +/- 7.3 ) were not significantly different from stage III/IV cases (26.3 +/- 8.6) ( P = 0.089). Similarly mean microvessel counts in clinical stage I/II cases (31.6 +/- 11.9) were not significantly different from stage III/IV cases (2 7.0 +/- 8.7) (P = 0.198). Seventeen patients who died of disease had mean c ounts of 26.1 +/- 6.4, while 21 patients alive with or without evidence of disease had counts of 31.1 +/- 10.8 (P = 0.087). Mean microvessel counts di d not vary significantly with the spray pattern (30.1 +/- 8.7), pushing pat tern (31.4 +/- 12.9), or mixed pattern of invasion (31.4 a 12.9) (P = 0.920 ). Conclusions. Tumor angiogenesis in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma does not correlate positively with stage, survival, or pattern of invasion and canno t be used as a prognostic indicator. (C) 1999 Academic Press.