Tumor angiogenesis: An independent prognostic parameter in cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the intensity of tumor angiogenesis, expressed as microvessel density, is a parameter predicting the probability of lymph node metastasis and survival in patients with cervical cancer stages IB and IIA. STUDY DESIGN: In a retrospective study of 114 patients with cervical cancer stages IB and IIA, microvessel density, lymph node status, and several other prognostic parameters were correlated with disease-free survival by a multivariate analysis according to Cox proportional-hazards model. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in mean microvessel density between tumors with and without pelvic lymph node metastatis (p = 0.002). Both microvessel density (vessels per square millimeter of stroma) (p = 0.05) and pelvic lymph node metastasis (p = 0.007) correlated significantly and independently with disease-free survival. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that microvessel density is an independent prognostic parameter for disease-free survival in patients with cervical cancer stages Ib and IIa.