Pancreatic Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Pancreatic Cancer, including details on symptoms, causes, treatment, information.

Morphometric microvascular characteristics in the prognosis of pancreatic and ampullary carcinoma.

Giannopoulos G, Kavantzas N, Parasi A, Tiniakos D, Peros G, Tzanakis N, Patsouris E, Pavlakis K

Fourth Surgical Department, Attikon Hospital, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. geogianno@med.uoa.gr

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate multiple morphometric microvascular characteristics in addition to microvascular density (MVD) in pancreatic ductal and ampullary adenocarcinomas and provide a better approach in examining the relationship among angiogenesis, several clinicopathologic parameters, and prognosis. METHODS: Histological sections from 32 pancreatic ductal and 17 ampullary adenocarcinomas, immunostained with CD34, were evaluated by image analysis for the quantification of MVD, total vascular area, and microvascular branching, as well as several morphometric parameters related to the vessel size and shape factor. RESULTS: In pancreatic ductal carcinoma, higher levels of MVD, total vascular area, branching, and shape factor were related to N1 tumors. Moreover, MVD, shape factor, and minor axis length were identified as independent prognostic factors of survival. In the ampullary carcinoma group, higher shape factor values were observed in well-differentiated tumors. CONCLUSIONS: In pancreatic ductal carcinoma patients, the assessment of MVD and several morphometric microvascular characteristics provides significant prognostic information. The biologic behavior of the ampullary carcinomas does not seem to be dependent on any of the above mentioned factors of angiogenesis.

Published 18 June 2007 in Pancreas, 35(1): 47-52.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Pancreatic Cancer Research Today. All Rights Reserved.