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Background: Inflammatory cells contribute to the growth and spread of human malignancies by producing molecules that enhance tumour invasiveness.

Aims: To characterise the inflammatory infiltrate in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and to analyse its contribution to angiogenesis and its prognostic relevance.

Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to identify inflammatory cells and evaluate the expression of proangiogenic and prolymphangiogenic molecules (vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), VEGF-C, and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)) by inflammatory and cancer cells in 137 pancreatic cancers. Intratumorous microvessel density (IMD) was assessed using CD34 as an endothelial cell marker.

Results: There were significantly more mast cells and macrophages in pancreatic cancers than in normal pancreas and the number of mast cells directly correlated with the presence …