Vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) expression predicts metastasis in tongue cancer.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

We evaluated predictive factors for cervical lymph node metastasis of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

STUDY DESIGN:

We present a retrospective analysis of 90 patients with T1-2 N0 SCC who underwent primary excision as initial treatment without preoperative radiotherapy or chemotherapy. We examined the clinicopathologic factors (gender, age, clinical stage, surgical margin, grade of differentiation, lymphatic invasion, tumor depth of invasion, pattern of invasion [POI]) and immunohistochemical factors (vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF]-A and VEGF-C expression) to predict the probability of lymph node metastasis.

RESULTS:

The local progression-free 5-year survival rate was 100%. Tumor depth of invasion (≥4 mm, P = .022), POI (score >4, P = .000), and VEGF-C expression (P = .008) were associated with the lymph node metastasis of tongue SCC in a multiple logistic regression analysis (odds ratios [ORs]: 5.075, 17.383, and 9.533, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS:

The local control rate of tongue SCC in the early stages has significantly improved as a result of development of surgical techniques. On the other hand, we believe that tumor depth of invasion (≥4 mm), POI, and VEGF-C expression all need to be considered in the preoperative and postoperative planning stages for tongue cancer treatment.

• Authors: Taiki Matsui, Takashi Shigeta, Masashiro Umeda, Takahide Komori
• Journal: Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol) Vol. 120 Issue 4 Pg. 436-42 (Oct 2015) ISSN: 2212-4411 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 26216169 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C

Topics

• Aged
• Biomarkers, Tumor (metabolism)
• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell (metabolism, pathology, surgery)
• Disease Progression
• Female
• Humans
• Lymphatic Metastasis
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Invasiveness
• Neoplasm Staging
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Retrospective Studies
• Survival Rate
• Tongue Neoplasms (metabolism, pathology, surgery)
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (metabolism)
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C (metabolism)