Association between tumor angiogenesis and Borrmann type 4 carcinomas of the stomach.

A total of 202 gastric carcinomas, including 33 type 4 carcinomas, were studied. Intratumoral vessels were stained with an anti-CD34 monoclonal antibody before being quantitated by light microscopy (x200). The mean vessel counts for type 4 carcinomas were significantly higher than those for any other type of carcinoma, with the exception of type 1 carcinomas. Multivariate logistic regression showed that the vessel count was one of independent variables associated with type 4 carcinomas. In addition, survival analysis demonstrated that patients with type 4 carcinoma had significantly less favorable survival rates than those with other types of carcinomas.