Intratumoral and peritumoral lymphangiogenesis in colorectal cancer and their prognostic value / 中华普通外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the prognostic significance of introtumoral and peritumoral lymphangiogenesis in colorectal cancer.Methods:Lymphangiogenesis of 120 colorectal cancer specimens, as measured by lymphatic vessel density (LVD), were examined by immunostaining for podoplanin, a lymphatic specific marker. The mean number of lymphatic vessel in three hotspots was calculated in intratumoral and peritumoral areas as intratumoral LVD (LVDit) and peritumoral LVD (LVDpt) respectively. The association of LVDit and LVDpt with the clinicopathologic findings and prognosis were investigated.Results:Compared to the peritumoral lymphatics, the intratumoral lymphatics were small, collapsed and irregular. LVDit was positively correlated with tumor size ( t=2.673, P=0.009), tumor histologic grade ( t=-2.296, P=0.023), and overall survival (χ 2=4.386, P=0.036). LVDpt was associated with lymph node metastasis ( t=-4.053, P<0.001), tumor stage ( t=4.740, P=0.004) and overall survival (χ 2=5.806, P=0.016). Conclusions:LVDpt played an important role in lymph node metastasis, while LVDit was more correlated with tumor growth and histopathologic differentiation. Both LVDs contribute to colorectal cancer progression and predict poor prognosis.