Angiogenesis as a prognostic marker for carcinomas of the urinary bladder

ABSTRACT

To verify the relationship of tumor angiogenesis with some histopathological variables [tumor grade, stage and nodal metastasis] and prognosis in the different types of urinary bladder carcinoma, 33 radical cystectomy specimens were evaluated for angiogenesis using manual quantification technique of microvessel density [MVD] after immunohistochemical staining of vascular endothelium using an antibody for factor VIII-related antigen. The study involved different glades of bilharzial and non-bilharzial squamous cell carcinoma [SCC], transitional cell carcinoma [TCC] and adenocarcinoma of the urinary bladder. A significant relationship was found between tumor angiogenesis and the histopathological variables in both of bladder SCC and TCC. In bladder adenocarcinoma significant relationship was found between angiogenesis and each of tumor grade and presence of lymph node metastasis