Since the number of microvessels reported by Western investigators appears to be higher than that by Japanese (Axelsson et al, 1995; Costello et al, 1995; Ogawa et al, 1995; Kato et al, 1999) and green tea, consumed many times daily by the average Japanese, inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor induction in human breast cancer cells (Sartippour et al, 2002), we hypothesised that differences in MVD might contribute to the Japanese and British disparities in breast cancer outcomes. This evidence concerns the gene VEGFA and breast cancer.