Personalized treatment of patients with invasive ductal breast cancer is one of the most pressing issues in modern oncology. Today, information on the human genome and molecular markers is used to targeted therapy and optimize treatment strategies. One of the molecular markers is abnormal tumor angiogenesis. PECAM-1, or CD31, may be a marker of this process. The aim of the study was to comprehensively assess the morphological features and clinical significance of different types of tumors microvessels in invasive ductal breast cancer.
CD31 expression was assessed by positive vascular endothelial staining. Using antibodies to CD31 (Ab-1, JC70A, Thermo scientific), we investigated 86 cases of invasive ductal breast cancer. In histological specimens stained with antibodies to CD31, the density of microvessels and areas with strong vascularization, the presence of dilated and atypical dilated capillaries in the intratumoral and peritumoral stroma, the presence of structures with local endothelial lining were assessed. The number of dilated and atypical dilated capillaries, as well as structures
with partial endothelial lining was estimated by the semi-quantitative method. According to the results of our study, we showed some differences in the severity of vascular density of the tumor in patients with invasive ductal breast cancer. No differences in microvascular density were found depending on the age of the patients, T and N stages. At the same time, higher values of microvascular density in the intratumoral stroma were noted at G3 degree of differentiation, in triple-negative breast cancer and at HER2/neu positive. The most significant
from the prognostic point of view were the number of atypical dilated vessels and structures with local endothelial lining, as well as the presence of characteristic porous structures in loose softly fibrous unformed connective tissue of the peritumoral stroma. Angiogenesis, morphology of tumor vessels is important for prognostic value and this marker can be used to predict the course of invasive ductal breast cancer.