Negative results - Thoracic general Lack of prognostic significance of tumor angiogenesis in resected pN2 non-small cell lung cancer

Objective: Despite extensive studies of tumor angiogenesis in non-small cell lung cancer, only a few studies had concentrated on pN2 disease. Methods: Sixty patients with pN2 non-small cell lung cancer who had undergone a complete resection with a systematic mediastinal lymph node dissection were reviewed retrospectively. Immunohistochemical study, using antibodies against factor VIII, was conducted. We compared between 5-year survivors and the others rather than the cumulative survival rate. Results: There were 13 patients (21.7%) survived longer than 5 years after a surgical resection. The microvessel density in survivor and non-survivor group was 22.9 ^ 14.8 and 24.3 ^ 21.9, respectively. This data indicated that microvessel density might not be related to the ratio of 5-year survivors (P 1⁄4 0:723). Multivariate analysis also showed that microvessel density was not independent prognostic factor. Conclusions: We failed to find a prognostic significance of tumor angiogenesis in pN2 disease. Although tumor angiogenesis might be important for the development and maintenance, it was not identified as a prognostic factor of pN2 non-small cell lung cancer. q 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.