VEGF-C serum level is associated with response to bevacizumab maintenance therapy in primary ovarian cancer patients.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

At present, maintenance therapy with the antiangiogenic agent bevacizumab or with PARP-inhibitors represent two options for BRCA-wildtype ovarian cancer patients, after platinum-based first line chemotherapy. The identification of molecular markers to predict patient response to different maintenance therapies remains a major challenge. In the present study we analyzed the predictive potential of vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) to identify ovarian cancer patients that might benefit from an antiangiogenic therapy.

METHODS:

101 patients with primary epithelial ovarian cancer were analyzed for serum levels of VEGF-A,-C and CA-125 by ELISA. Serum levels were compared between patients with low pT-stage (pT1a-pT2c n = 11), healthy individuals (n = 27) and patients with higher pT-stage (> = pT3 n = 90). Adjusted ROC curves and an adjusted logistic regression model were carried out to evaluate the potential impact of VEGF-A and -C, as well as CA-125 serum level concentration on bevacizumab-therapy response, under consideration of covariates such as FIGO, pM, pN and residual tumor after surgery.

RESULTS:

A patient which has in comparison twice the VEGF-C concentration in serum, has a significant increased chance of response to bevacizumab by a factor of 2.79. Further, only VEGF-C serum levels were significantly higher in the group of patients with lower pT-stage compared to healthy individuals, whereas VEGF-A or CA-125 serum levels could not discriminate between healthy individuals and patients with ovarian cancer at low pT-stages.

CONCLUSION:

VEGF-C serum level might serve as as a biomarker to evaluate treatment response under bevacizumab.

• Authors: Yi Ding, Leticia Oliveira-Ferrer, Eike Vettorazzi, Karen Legler, Karin Milde-Langosch, Linn Woelber, Anna Jaeger, Katharina Prieske, Volkmar Mueller, Barbara Schmalfeldt, Sascha Kuerti
• Journal: PloS one (PLoS One) Vol. 17 Issue 6 Pg. e0269680 ( 2022) ISSN: 1932-6203 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 35687576 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Angiogenesis Inhibitors
• CA-125 Antigen
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C
• Bevacizumab

Topics

• Angiogenesis Inhibitors (therapeutic use)
• Bevacizumab (therapeutic use)
• CA-125 Antigen
• Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial (drug therapy)
• Female
• Humans
• Ovarian Neoplasms (pathology)
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (metabolism)
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C