Furusato M, Wakui S, Sasaki H, Ito K, Ushigome S
Department of Pathology, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Br J Cancer. 1994 Dec;70(6):1244-6. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1994.480.
Unrestrained growth of various malignant tumours has been shown to depend upon a critical number of tumour cells which have switched to the angiogenic phenotype. Angiogenic phenotypes were noted in the early stage of prostatic carcinoma (PCa). We investigated 65 cases of latent PCa to define the correlation between tumour angiogenesis and tumour volume. Tumour angiogenesis was determined by the blood capillary density ratio (BCDR) evaluated by a colour image analysis system. Using experimental regression analysis, the correlation between the BCDR and PCa volume was divisible into two distinct stages. When the PCa showed a volume of more than 83 mm3, there was a significant positive correlation between the BCDR and PCa volume (rS-test P < 0.001). However, when the PCa showed a volume of less than 83 mm3, the BCDR remained at a low level which did not change until larger volumes were present (rS-test, NS; ANOVA, NS). The present study suggested that latent PCa showing a volume of less than 83 mm3 would be 'early' indolent carcinoma which, on undergoing additional events concerning tumour angiogenesis, would assume more aggressive growth.
各种恶性肿瘤的无节制生长已被证明取决于已转变为血管生成表型的临界数量的肿瘤细胞。在前列腺癌（PCa）的早期阶段就已观察到血管生成表型。我们研究了65例潜伏性PCa病例，以确定肿瘤血管生成与肿瘤体积之间的相关性。通过彩色图像分析系统评估的毛细血管密度比（BCDR）来确定肿瘤血管生成。使用实验回归分析，BCDR与PCa体积之间的相关性可分为两个不同阶段。当PCa体积超过83立方毫米时，BCDR与PCa体积之间存在显著正相关（rS检验P<0.001）。然而，当PCa体积小于83立方毫米时，BCDR保持在低水平，直到体积增大时才会改变（rS检验，无显著性差异；方差分析，无显著性差异）。本研究表明，体积小于83立方毫米的潜伏性PCa可能是“早期”惰性癌，在经历与肿瘤血管生成有关的其他事件后，会呈现出更具侵袭性的生长。
