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

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate angiogenesis in ovaries of women with stage I invasive and low-malignant-potential epithelial ovarian carcinoma. Methods: Ovarian specimens of 49 consecutive women with primary stage I invasive ( n = 15) or stage I low-malignant-potential epithelial ovarian carcinoma ( n = 34) were stained immunohistochemically for factor VIII–related antigen. Microvessel counts were tested for correlation with patient age, race, parity, previous oral contraceptive use, histologic type, tumor grade, tumor size, ascites, tumor excrescences, and disease-free and overall survival. Statistical analysis included multiple linear regression, Student t tests, 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 invasive epithelial ovarian carcinoma (median 30, range 17–73) were significantly higher than those of women with stage I low-malignant-potential epithelial ovarian carcinoma (median 10, range 5–23), ( P < .001). Among women with low-malignant-potential disease, microvessel counts did not differ significantly between serous and mucinous carcinomas (median 10, range 5–23 versus median 11, range 5–20, respectively, P = .78). There was no correlation between 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.