Corelation between microvascular density (MVD) with the time to appearance of the metastasis in the patients with breast cancer

Introduction: Despite the better posibilities for the treatment of the disease, metastatic breast cancer still remains incurable. Microvascular density plays a significant role in the agressive behavior of the cancer. Angiogenesis is demand for tumor growth and for the forming of the metastasis. Vascularity in progressivly growing cancer is associated with hipoxia and insufficient blood flow. Objective: To show that higer microvascular density is in corelation with prognosis and shorter time to occurrence of the metastasis in women with breast cancer. Method: Microvascular density in the primary and relapsing cancer of the breast was demonstrated with determination of the factor VIII. Tissue samples were stained with IHC (imunohistochemistry) and for VEGFR (vascular endothelial growth factor receptors) Weanalized85tumorsamplesandineverytissuesamplewedeterminedthe degreeofthemicrovasculardensityonthescalefrom0to8,andthedegreeof VEGFR from 0 to 3+, and we calculated time to metastasis appearance. Results: Distribution of the microvascular density was in correlation with higher histologygrade of the cancer (p¼0.42) and it was particulary high in the invasive ductal cancers. Higher degree of the microvascular density was also in correlation with HER2 positive status of the cancer (p ¼0.285) and particularly with the hormon receptor positive cancers (p¼0.05). With the increase of the microvascular density grade, time to metastasis was shorter. In patients with high degree of the microvascular density mean time to metastasis was 13,7 months and in the cancers with the lower degree it was 33 months (p¼0.445). Conclusion: High degree of the microvascular density is in the correlation with worse prognostic factors such as higher histology grade, HER2 positivity, hormon receptor positivity. Also, time to metastasis is shorter with the cancers with higher degree of the microvascular density.