Evaluation of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and microvessel density (MVD) as prognostic indicators in carcinoma breast

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent angiogenic peptide. A great deal of interest has been paid to the predictive value of neoangiogenesis represented by microvessel density (MVD), on clinical progression and prognosis of several types of tumors. Serum VEGF levels may therefore be clinically useful for the prediction of increase in tumor growth, metastasis or recurrence spread in individual patients. A total of 265 cases of breast lesions were studied to note the importance of Serum VEGF as a prognostic marker in cases of breast carcinoma. The expressed serum VEGF levels and microvessel density (MVD) were assessed quantitatively and were correlated with tumor grade, tumor necrosis, stromal reaction and nodal metastasis. Serum VEGF was increased in patients with lesions of breast and the levels of serum VEGF in malignant lesions were significantly increased when compared to benign lesions. It was also noted that the levels of serum VEGF increased with increasing grades of malignancy. MVD showed a significant correlation in the early stages of the malignant tumors, where there was no necrosis, but in tumors associated with necrosis and hemorrhage MVD failed to show significant correlation. Hence, serum vascular endothelial growth factor can be used as a more reliable, non-invasive adjunctive diagnostic criteria in the assessment of the grade and hence, the prognosis of malignant tumors of the breast.