Vasculogenic mimicry correlates to presenting symptoms and mortality in uveal melanoma

• Published in: Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology 2022-03, Vol.148 (3), p.587-597
• Main Authors: Sabazade, Shiva, Gill, Viktor, Herrspiegel, Christina, Stålhammar, Gustav
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cancer Research; Enucleation; Extracellular matrix; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Hematology; Humans; Image processing; Internal Medicine; Male; Medical prognosis; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Melanoma; Melanoma - mortality; Melanoma - pathology; Melanoma - surgery; Middle Aged; Mimicry; Mortality; Neovascularization, Pathologic - pathology; Oncology; Original Article – Cancer Research; Original – Cancer Research; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Survival Rate; Tumors; Uveal Neoplasms - mortality; Uveal Neoplasms - pathology; Uveal Neoplasms - surgery; Visual field
• ISSN: 0171-5216; 1432-1335; 1432-1335
• DOI: 10.1007/s00432-021-03851-9

Purpose Fluid-conducting extracellular matrix patterns known as vasculogenic mimicry (VM) have been associated with poor prognosis in uveal melanoma and other cancers. We investigate the correlations between VM, presenting symptoms, mortality, and the area density of periodic acid-Schiff positive histological patterns (PAS density). Methods Sixty-nine patients that underwent enucleation for uveal melanoma between 2000 and 2007 were included. Clinicopathological parameters presenting symptoms and outcomes were collected. Histological tumor sections were evaluated for VM and PAS density was quantified with digital image analysis. Results Thirty-four patients (49%) presented with blurred vision. 18 (26%) with a shadow in the visual field, 7 (10%) with photopsia and/or floaters, and 2 (3%) with metamorphopsia. Nine patients (13%) had no symptoms at all. Median follow-up was 16.7 years (SD 2.6). A shadow in the visual field, but no other symptom, was positively correlated with the presence of VM ( φ 0.70, p