tumor angiogenesis in colorectal cancer, correlation with tumor extension and invasion

tumor angiogenesis shown by microvessel count (mvc) or microvessel density (mvd), is assessed by several studies as prognostic factor in some types of tumors, and also in colorectal carcinoma. this article is payed to correlation between clincopathologic factors and tumor angiogenesis. in this study, immunohistochemical techniques are used for vascular evaluation in specimens from twenty-nine colorectal carcinoma, and stained for factor viii-related antigen (f8ra) by using monoclonal antibody. uni and multivariate analysis disclosed that total mvc was higher in tumor [76.3±33 (×100=2.5 mm²/field) and 29.8±11 (×200=0.785 mm²/field)] than in normal tissue [37.7±15.8 (×100) and 17.6±7.8 (×200)], (p=0.022, p=0.000009). microvessel quantification was significantly higher in stage d (115±36.6, ×100 and 26.7±6.4, ×200, p=0.002 and p=0.04). in this study mvd has correlation with vascular invasion (p=0.024, ×100 and p=0.007, ×200), the mean tumor vessel count although was increased with clinicophatologic findings such as age<60 years, male, right colon involvement, infiltrating type, mucinous carcinoma, transmural penetration, grade iii, lymphatic and perineural invasion, but was not statistically significant. lymph node and hematogenous metastasis and size of tumor also, was not important. as a conclusion, mvd was increased in tumor and has shown correlation with metastasis, and vascular invasion. resulting angiogenesis increase risk of metastasis.