BACKGROUND: Pleomorphic carcinoma (PC) of the lung is a rare tumor that usually has an aggressive clinical course and a poor prognosis. In this study, 75 cases of PC were reviewed to identify its clinical features, and we examined the expression of angiogenic factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We immunohistochemically examined the expression of angiogenic factors in tissue specimens of PC. RESULTS: 66 males and 9 females were examined. The median survival time was 16.5 months. The stage and symptomatical diagnosis were significantly associated with the survival. In the immunohistochemical analyses, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was expressed in many cases of PC. A high score for angiogenesis was significantly related to a poorer prognosis. CONCLUSION: We conclude that PC should be considered an aggressive disease, and that the stage and symptomatical diagnosis are strong prognostic factors. Furthermore, tumor angiogenesis provides significant prognostic information about the clinical outcome in PC.
BACKGROUND:Pleomorphic carcinoma (PC) of the lung is a rare tumor that usually has an aggressive clinical course and a poor prognosis. In this study, 75 cases of PC were reviewed to identify its clinical features, and we examined the expression of angiogenic factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We immunohistochemically examined the expression of angiogenic factors in tissue specimens of PC. RESULTS: 66 males and 9 females were examined. The median survival time was 16.5 months. The stage and symptomatical diagnosis were significantly associated with the survival. In the immunohistochemical analyses, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was expressed in many cases of PC. A high score for angiogenesis was significantly related to a poorer prognosis. CONCLUSION: We conclude that PC should be considered an aggressive disease, and that the stage and symptomatical diagnosis are strong prognostic factors. Furthermore, tumor angiogenesis provides significant prognostic information about the clinical outcome in PC.