The prognostic significance of vascular endothelial growth factor levees in sera of non-small cell lung cancer patients

Background: Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from the existing vascular bed, is essential step for the growth and invasion of the primary tumor. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known to play crucial rote in tumor angiogenesis. Increased serum VEGF levels may be associated with poor prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methodology: In the present study we measured ptasma VEGF levels in 20 normal subjects and 75 patients with untreated NSCLC; 23 operable (stages 1, 11, IIIA) and 52 inoperable (stages 11113, IV) (Histology: squannous cell carcinoma, 40; adenocarcinoma, 27; undetermined, 8). VEGF was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results : The median VEGF level in patient group was 119 pg/ml (29-1235), which was significantly higher than the control group (P=0.044). Median survival of patients was 210 days (30-220). The patients were divided into high VEGF (> 119 pg/ ml) and tow VEGIF (< 119 pg/ml) groups using the median value as a cut-off. It was investigated if there were significant associations between serum VEGF level and clinico-pathologicat parameters like age, sex, histopathotogical diagnosis and TNM staging. Also high VEGF and low VEGF patient groups were compared according to the median survival. Conclusions: Serum VEGF level is significantly associated with the clinical staging of the patients (operable and inoperable) (P = 0.031) and it also correlates with the prognosis of the patients (P = 0. 0006). (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.