Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor C is a prognostic indicator in esophageal cancer.

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS:

Vascular endothelial growth factor plays an important role in angiogenesis and vascular endothelial growth factor-C is concerned with lymphangiogenesis.

METHODOLOGY:

The present study employed immunostaining to investigate the relationship between expression of these factors and clinicopathologic findings in 100 patients with esophageal cancer.

RESULTS:

Fifty-six of the 100 tumors (56%) showed expressed vascular endothelial growth factor and 43 tumors (43%) expressed of vascular endothelial growth factor-C. Expression of the latter was correlated with the depth of tumor invasion (p=0.0095), lymphatic invasion (p=0.0065), lymph node metastasis (p=0.0l34). The prognosis was significantly worse for patients with tumors positive for vascular endothelial growth factor-C than for those with negative tumors (p=0.036). In contrast, expression of vascular endothelial growth factor was not correlated with the prognosis. Microvessel density was significantly higher in tumors expressing vascular endothelial growth factor-C compared with negative tumors (p=0.0014). Stepwise multivariate analysis with Cox's proportional hazards model identified gender (p=0.0420), age (p=0.0192), vascular endothelial growth factor-C expression (p=0.0286), and lymphatic invasion (p=0.0030) as prognostic determinants.

CONCLUSIONS:

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C is related to lymphatic invasion and is a prognostic indicator for esophageal cancer.

• Authors: T Okazawa, T Yoshida, Y Shirai, R Shiraishi, T Harada, I Sakaida, T Abe, M Oka
• Journal: Hepato-gastroenterology (Hepatogastroenterology) 2008 Sep-Oct Vol. 55 Issue 86-87 Pg. 1503-8 ISSN: 0172-6390 [Print] Greece
• PMID: 19102331 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C

Topics

• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Esophageal Neoplasms (chemistry, mortality, pathology)
• Female
• Humans
• Lymphatic Metastasis
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Prognosis
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C (analysis)