Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common type of
uterine cancer. A dualistic model of endometrial
tumorigenesis serves as a useful way of categorizing these
cancers in terms of both etiology and clinical behavior. There are two types of EC: type I and type II. Type I is so-called
estrogen-dependent, and appears mostly in pre- and perimenopausal women, it is well differentiated and therefore has a better prognosis. Type II EC is
estrogen-independent, diagnosed mostly in postmenopausal women, thin and fertile women, or in women with normal menstrual cycles. It is aggressive and has a worse prognosis than type I. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the pretreatment serum levels of
VEGF and
VEGF-C and the outcome of EC patients. A total of 98 patients treated between 1999 and 2003 were included in this study. Circulating
VEGF and
VEGF-C levels were determined using ELISA kits.
VEGF levels among the 76 patients with type I, and the 22 patients with type II EC were significantly higher than those found in the healthy control subjects (p < 0.001). The differences in mean values of
VEGF-C were highly significant in both types of
tumor examined compared to the control (p < 0.001). The results demonstrate that serum
VEGF concentration correlated significantly with advanced FIGO stage in type II EC (p < 0.001). The preoperative
VEGF-C level correlated with advancing
tumor stages in type I EC (p < 0.05). An elevated preoperative
VEGF-C was an independent risk factor for disease-specific survival in patients with type II
tumors. Thus, in type II EC patients with high preoperative levels of
VEGF-C, pelvic and para-aortic
lymphadenectomy should be performed. However, the value of longitudinal measurements of the markers used is yet to be determined.