Prognostic value of vascular density and cell proliferation in breast cancer patients

We measured microvessel density and cell proliferation index in 84 breast c ancers using survival analysis to find out their prognostic value. Immunohistochemistry was applied using antibody to factor VIII-related anti gen as a marker for microvessels and MIB-1 antibody to stain proliferating cells. We were not able to show any difference in survival with a mean follow-up o f 10.3 years between patients with high and low microvessel count or cell p roliferation index. Vascular density did not correlate with the cell prolif eration rate (p = 0.4), However, patient age correlated negatively with the cell proliferation index of the tumor (p = 0.0009). There was no significa nt difference both in microvessel count and in cell proliferation between p atients with lymph node metastasis and node negative patients. This result questions the usefulness of vascular density and cell prolifera tion rate as prognostic markers in breast cancer.