Angiogenic properties of carcinoma in situ and microinvasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

Neovascularization is a critical step in the growth, progression and metastasis of tumors. The degree of angiogenesis may correlate with disease stage and provide prognostic information in various neoplasms. Microvessel density was studied in 24 patients with severe cervical intraepithelial neoplasias, 15 patients with microinvasive carcinomas (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics IA1) and 15 healthy controls who had undergone hysterectomy for benign conditions. The microvessel density (MVD) in microinvasive squamous cell carcinomas was 40 +/- 2.42 (mean +/- SD) and in squamous carcinomas in situ (CIS) 20.41 +/- 2.29 (p < 0.05). Among patients with CIS and controls (13.33 +/- 1.59) there was also a significant difference in the number of vessels (p < 0.05). No significant correlation was found in relation to depth of invasion and histological grade of the microinvasive carcinomas. It is concluded that microinvasive squamous cell cervical carcinoma is an angiogenetic disorder and it seems that the onset of angiogenesis is an early event, usually in a preinvasive stage.