ATS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Author home page(s):
Richard J. Battafarano
Right arrow Permission Requests
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Battafarano, R. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Battafarano, R. J.
Related Collections
Right arrowRelated Article

Ann Thorac Surg 2000;69:1690
© 2000 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Invited commentary

Invited commentary

Richard J. Battafarano, MD, PhDa

a Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Suite 3107, Queeny Tower, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA

e-mail: battafarano{at}ms.notes.wustl.edu

Increased tumor neovascularization (angiogenesis) has been associated with a worse prognosis in patients with surgically resectable non–small cell lung cancer. Tumor angiogenesis appears to be necessary for tumor growth and plays a critical role in the development of metastases. The authors attempted to clarify the role of mast cells in the promotion of tumor angiogenesis by examining the mast cell number, the microvessel density, and vascular endothelial growth factor expression in paraffin-embedded tumor sections from patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Their results demonstrated a significant correlation between mast cell count and microvessel density. However, there was no association between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and mast cell count. From these results the authors concluded that mast cells may play a role in enhancing tumor angiogenesis in lung cancer by a mechanism independent of VEGF.

Although the authors demonstrated a significant correlation between mast cell counts and microvessel counts, the precise contribution that mast cells make to the development of tumor angiogenesis is not answered by this study. The authors correctly state that the increased microvessel density itself may allow for the nonspecific infiltration of a greater number of mast cells into the tumor. It will be important for future studies to accurately define the role of mast cells in tumor angiogenesis before therapies directed against mast cells or their products are considered as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.


Related Article

Effect of mast cells on tumor angiogenesis in lung cancer
Masaki Tomita, Yasunori Matsuzaki, and Toshio Onitsuka
Ann. Thorac. Surg. 2000 69: 1686-1690. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]




This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Author home page(s):
Richard J. Battafarano
Right arrow Permission Requests
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Battafarano, R. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Battafarano, R. J.
Related Collections
Right arrowRelated Article

HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
ANN THORAC SURG ASIAN CARDIOVASC THORAC ANN EUR J CARDIOTHORAC SURG
J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG ICVTS ALL CTSNet JOURNALS