ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The impact of chemotherapy on the extent of breast cancer angiogenesis is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of primary chemotherapy on tumor microvessel density and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and correlate this changes with tumor response, post-chemotherapy changes and other biological variables. PATIENTS AND METHOD: In 41 consecutive patients with breast cancer stages II and III, treated with anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy, immunohistochemical analysis of microvessel density and VEGF were performed before and after the administration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. RESULTS: Microvessel density was the same in post-chemotherapy that in pre-chemotherapy samples (p = 0.29). There were no changes in the expression of VEGF (p = 0.23). The expression of VEGF and microvessel density did not show any relationship with the response in the pre-chemotherapy analysis (p = 0.60 and p = 0.30 respectively), nor in the post-chemotherapy analysis (p = 0.50 and p = 0.65 respectively). Changes post-chemotherapy were not associated with VEGF expression (p = 0.53 in the pre-chemotherapy samples and p = 0.43 in the post-chemotherapy samples) nor microvessel density (p = 0.72 in the pre-chemotherapy samples and p = 0.65 in the post-chemotherapy samples). CONCLUSIONS: Anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy does not cause a reduction of the density of microvessel nor of the expression of VEGF in breast cancer.
Subject(s)
Anthracyclines/therapeutic use , Breast Neoplasms/blood supply , Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy , Neovascularization, Pathologic/drug therapy , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Breast Neoplasms/chemistry , Chemotherapy, Adjuvant , Humans , Middle Aged , Neoadjuvant Therapy , Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/analysisABSTRACT
Fundamento y objetivo: Se desconoce qué impacto tiene la quimioterapia neoayuvante en la angiogenia del cáncer de mama. Se ha investigado su efecto sobre marcadores de angiogenia y su correlación con la respuesta, con los cambios tras la administración de quimioterapia y con otras variables biológicas. Pacientes y método: En 41 pacientes consecutivas con carcinoma de mama en estadios II y III, tratadas con quimioterapia neoadyuvante con antraciclinas, se determinaron por inmunohistoquímica la densidad de microvasos y el factor de crecimiento del endotelio vascular (VEGF) en las biopsias diagnósticas y en las muestras quirúrgicas. Resultados: No se observó ningún cambio en la expresión del VEGF (p = 0,23) ni en la densidad de microvasos (p = 0,29). No hubo asociación significativa entre la expresión de ambos marcadores y la respuesta en los análisis realizados antes de la quimioterapia (p = 0,60 y p = 0,30, respectivamente) y después de ésta (p = 0,50 y p = 0,65, respectivamente). Tampoco los cambios observados tras quimioterapia estuvieron asociados con la expresión del VEGF (p = 0,53 en el análisis prequimioterapia y p = 0,43 en el posquimioterapia) ni con la densidad de microvasos (p = 0,72 en el análisis prequimioterapia y p = 0,65 en el posquimioterapia). Conclusiones: La quimioterapia neoadyuvante con antraciclinas no ocasiona una reducción de la densidad de microvasos ni de la expresión del VEGF en el cáncer de mama
Background and objective: The impact of chemotherapy on the extent of breast cancer angiogenesis is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of primary chemotherapy on tumor microvessel density and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and correlate this changes with tumor response, post-chemotherapy changes and other biological variables. Patients and method: In 41 consecutive patients with breast cancer stages II and III, treated with anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy, immunohistochemical analysis of microvessel density and VEGF were performed before and after the administration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Results: Microvessel density was the same in post-chemotherapy that in pre-chemotherapy samples (p = 0.29). There were no changes in the expression of VEGF (p = 0.23). The expression of VEGF and microvessel density did not show any relationship with the response in the pre-chemotherapy analysis (p = 0.60 and p = 0.30 respectively), nor in the post-chemotherapy analysis (p = 0.50 and p = 0.65 respectively). Changes post-chemotherapy were not associated with VEGF expression (p = 0.53 in the pre-chemotherapy samples and p = 0.43 in the post-chemotherapy samples) nor microvessel density (p = 0.72 in the pre-chemotherapy samples and p = 0.65 in the post-chemotherapy samples). Conclusions: Anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy does not cause a reduction of the density of microvessel nor of the expression of VEGF in breast cancer
