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Objective The present study was aimed at clarifying whether the microvessel density (MVD) and the e-pression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were related to the degree of local invasion and metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Study Design We measured the MVD and examined whether VEGF was expressed in NPC tissue using histological study combined with immunohistochemistry. Methods MVD and VEGF expression was measured in 73 specimens of NPC, 15 benign tumors of nasopharyngeal region, and 20 nasopharyngeal tissue without tumor. MVD and VEGF expression in NPC was compared between a metastasis group (49 specimens) and a non-metastasis group (24 specimens). Results Both MVD and VEGF expression were markedly increased in NPC tissue as compared with those in benign tumors of nasopharyngeal region. Both MVD and VEGF expression in NPC tissue with metastasis were statistically significantly increased as compared with those in NPC without metastasis. Therefore, the invasion and metastasis of NPC cells were closely related to MVD and the expression of VEGF in NPC tissue. Conclusion The metastatic potency of NPC tissue and the prognosis of the patients with NPC can be estimated by measuring MVD and the expression of VEGF in NPC tissue. Drugs that have inhibitory actions on angiogenesis could be useful to prevent metastasis of NPC cells in the patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]