As regards p53 protein alterations, we did not observe in 51 of the cases analyzed any association between these alterations and vascular count and/or VEGF expression, although a high percentage of p53 mutations have been reported to be very frequent also in SCLC (Takahashi et al, 1991; Levin et al, 1994). This evidence concerns the gene VEGFA and small cell lung carcinoma.