Angiogenesis in early-invasive and low-malignant-potential epithelial ovarian carcinoma

Objective: To evaluate angiogenesis in ovaries of women with stage I invasi ve and low-malignant-potential epithelial ovarian carcinoma. Methods: Ovarian specimens of 49 consecutive women with primary stage I inv asive (n = 15) or stage I low-malignant-potential epithelial ovarian carcin oma (ri = 34) were stained immunohistochemically for factor VIII-related an tigen. Microvessel counts were tested for correlation with patient age, rac e, parity, previous oral contraceptive use, histologic type, tumor grade, t umor size, ascites, tumor excrescences, and disease-free and overall surviv al. Statistical analysis included multiple linear regression, Student t tes ts, factorial analysis of variance, and Cox proportional hazards regression , with P < .05 considered statistically significant. Results: Microvessel counts Of ovarian specimens of women with stage I inva sive epithelial ovarian carcinoma (median 30, range 17-73) were significant ly higher than those of women with stage I low-malignant-potential epitheli al ovarian carcinoma (median 10, range 5-23), (P < .001). Among women with low-malignant-potential disease, microvessel counts did not differ signific antly between serous and mucinous carcinomas (median 10, range 5-23 versus median 11, range 5-20, respectively, P = .78). There was no correlation bet ween microvessel counts and age, tumor grade, tumor size, ascites, or tumor excrescences. Conclusion: Angiogenesis as assessed by microvessel counts is more intense in stage I invasive ovarian epithelial carcinoma compared with stage I low- malignant-potential carcinoma, and might assist in differentiating between these histopathologic entities. (C) 2000 by The American College of Obstetr icians and Gynecologists.