Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression and Angiogenesis in Invasive Cervical Cancer

Objective : A large body of evidence suggests that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is important in tumor growth and angiogenesis of gastrointestinal and other cancers. This was the study to determine the relationship between tumor vascularity and COX-2 expression in invasive cervical cancer. Methods : We examined the expression of COX-2 and microvessel density (MVD) by immunohistochemical staining in 21 specimens collected from invasive cervical cancer patients. Results : All specimens showed weak and strong immunoreactivity, with 52.4% strong reactivity. Microvessel count was higher (median 136) in the strong COX-2 immunoreactivity specimens than the weaks (median 90), and MVD was significantly correlated with the COX-2 immunoreactivity (P=0.002). Conclusion : These preliminary data indicate that overexpression of COX-2 may play an important role in carcinogenesis of cervical cancer and this could be partially attributable to modulation of angiogenesis by COX-2. COX-2 maybe a target for future research in the tumorigenesis of the invasive cervical cancer.