Angiosarcoma
| Angiosarcoma | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Micrograph of an angiosarcoma. H&E stain. | |
| Specialty | Oncology  |
Angiosarcoma is a cancer of the cells that line the walls of blood vessels or lymphatic vessels. The lining of the vessel walls is called the endothelium. Cancers from the walls of blood vessels are called hemangiosarcomas, and cancers from the walls of lymphatic vessels are called lymphangiosarcomas.
Most tumors of visceral blood and lymphatic vessel walls are cancerous (malignant). Because these cancers are carried by the blood flow or lymphatic flow, they can more easily metastasize to distant sites, particularly the liver and lungs.
Angiosarcomas will show signs of hemorrhage and necrosis. Pathologically, tumor cells will show increased nuclear to cytoplasm ratio, nuclear hyperchromasia, nuclear pleomorphism and high mitotic activity.[1]
In dogs, hemangiosarcoma is relatively common, especially in larger breeds such as golden retrievers and Labrador retrievers.[citation needed] In humans, hemangiosarcomas and lymphangiosarcomas of the skin are uncommon.[citation needed] Angiosarcoma of the liver, a rare fatal tumor, has been seen in workers intensively exposed to the gas vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) for prolonged periods while working in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) polymerization plants. It has also been associated with individuals exposed to arsenic-containing insecticides and Thorotrast.[citation needed]
See also
- Glomangiosarcoma
- Kaposi's sarcoma, a different type of cancer that also involves endothelial-type cells
- List of cutaneous conditions
- Stewart–Treves syndrome
References
External links
- Pattern.org enables angiosarcoma patients to donate their tumor tissue to research.
- The Angiosarcoma Project from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Direct to patient genomics research; patients from across the USA and Canada may enroll online in order to drive a deeper understanding of this disease, International patients can contribute by sharing their experiences with angiosarcoma
- Angiosarcoma by James Lewis, MD and Vernon Sondak, MD, FACS
- Angiosarcoma Awareness; current angiosarcoma research