Immunostaining patterns of CD31 and podoplanin in previously untreated advanced oral/oropharyngeal cancer: Prognostic implications

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis patterns in advanced oral/oropharyngeal cancer by immunohistochemical techniques. Forty-five patients with advanced oral/oropharyngeal cancer, treated by primary surgery between January 1996 and December 2005, were selected. All cases were followed for at least 24 months. Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis were evaluated with antibodies against CD31 and podoplanin, respectively. Survival outcomes were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, whereas univariate comparisons were obtained by log-rank, chi-square, and Mann-Whitney tests. Survival correlated with the area of peritumoral blood vessels (p = .02), whereas the number of intratumoral lymphatics (p = .02) correlated with the occurrence of nodal metastasis. The risk for distant metastasis correlated with the perimeter of intratumoral lymphatics (p = .02). Peritumoral angiogenesis presented different expression patterns between survivors and patients who died of disease. Intratumoral lymphangiogenesis was correlated with a higher risk of developing lymph node (LN) and distant metastasis.