ASSOCIATION OF TUMOR-INDUCED VASCULARIZATION WITH CLINICOPATHOLOGICALPARAMETERS IN CERVICAL NEOPLASM

Angiogenic properties have been shown in preinvasive cervical lesions. Our goal was to determine the angiogenesis in cervical intraepithelia l neoplasms (CIN), the relationship between microvessel counts, histop athological parameters and the clinical outcome in invasive cervical c arcinoma. Comparison of microvessel counts from normal epithelium with that from CIN and invasive carcinoma showed significant increases in pre-cancerous lesions and invasive cancer (p < 0.0001). Microvessel de nsity, assessed by CD31 immunostaining, was found to be associated wit h the overall survival in women with clinical stage IB cervical carcin oma (p < 0.03). There was a significant association of microvessel den sity (p < 0.05) with relapse-free survival in patients with regional l ymph node metastasis.