Immunohistochemical evaluation of tumour angiogenesis in adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of lung.

Experimental studies revealed that growth and expansion of solid tumours depend on angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is very important factor for neoplastic metastasis. The presence of the metastasis is an ominous prognostic factor for many tumours, also for lung cancer. Studies of tumour microvessel density in resected non-small lung cancers have not given convincing data about value of angiogenesis. Only few reports regarded the association with angiogenesis in different histological types in lung carcinoma. Samples of 35 adenocarcinomas and 41 squamous cell resected, primary lung carcinomas were studied. Paraffin sections of tumours were stained immunohistochemically by antibody against endothelial marker CD34. Angiogenesis intensity was measured in the areas of the most active fields of tumour neovascularization. Microvessel density (MD) was higher in adenocarcinoma comparing to squamous cell cancer, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0,095). The groups of various stage of extension of disease in each histological type were compared-MD correlated with lymph node metastasis (p = 0,003) in the adenocarcinoma, whilst in squamous cell can cer differences between various groups of nodal involvement were not statistically significant (p = 0,53 and p = 0,22 respectively). Our results suggest that more intensive angiogenesis in adenocarcinoma could be more important factor for metastasis of adenocarcinoma than for squamous tumours. In the latter group angiogenesis may be more important for growth of squamous cell cancers, while the spread of squamous tumours may depend on other mechanisms.