The aim of the present study was to study the expression and relationship of potential angiogenic factors. Paraffin-embedded tumour sections from 261 breast cancer patients were stained immunohistochemically for thrombospondin (TSP-1) expression. p53 status was previously determined by cDNA-based sequencing, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein expression had been previously analysed using an immunoassay. 241 cancers (92%) had detectable levels of TSP-1. No associations between TSP-1 and p53 status or VEGF were found. No correlations between TSP-1 and relapse-free (P=0.3), breast cancer-corrected (P=0.2) or overall survival (P=0.5) were found. A correlation was found for patients with p53 mutations, but negative p53 expression, with higher VEGF levels (P=0.009), but there was no correlation between this p53 group and those with low TSP-1 levels (P=0.2). In conclusion, TSP-1 expression was not prognostic and was not associated with neither p53-status or VEGF expression.