Article

Preoperative serum levels of serum VEGF-C is associated with distant metastasis in colorectal cancer patients.

Academic Surgical Unit, Division of Cancer, Postgraduate Medical Institute in association with the Hull and York Medical School, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Kingston-upon-Hull HU6 7RX, UK.
International Journal of Colorectal Disease (impact factor: 2.38). 12/2008; 24(3):269-74. DOI:10.1007/s00384-008-0622-x
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) is one of the most potent lymphangiogenic members of the VEGF family that has been associated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, we evaluated the relationship of preoperative serum VEGF-C (sVEGF-C) and survival in CRC patients.
sVEGF-C levels were determined, prior to resection, in a cohort of 120 newly presenting patients with CRC by quantitative ELISA.
Patients who had positive lymph node involvement and higher Dukes' staging (C&D) were associated with shorter time to metastases as expected (p = 0.002 and 0.001, respectively). Patients with distant metastasis had significantly lower levels of sVEGF-C than those without histopathologically proven disease (p = 0.004). However, there was no significant difference in the median sVEGF-C level in patients with or without lymph node metastatic involvement (91 pg/ml vs. 124 pg/ml; p = 0.81). Patients with a sVEGF-C concentration less than the median value (103 pg/ml) showed a poorer overall survival than patients with sVEGF-C levels greater than the median; but this was not statistically significant.
In this study, low sVEGF-C levels are associated with distant metastasis; hence, preoperative levels may aid in the selection of CRC patients who require further investigation.

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Keywords

colorectal cancer
 
CRC patients
 
distant metastasis
 
higher Dukes'
 
low sVEGF-C levels
 
lymph node metastasis
 
lymph node metastatic involvement
 
median sVEGF-C level
 
median value
 
patients
 
poor prognosis
 
potent lymphangiogenic members
 
preoperative levels
 
quantitative ELISA
 
shorter time
 
sVEGF-C
 
sVEGF-C concentration
 
sVEGF-C levels
 
sVEGF-C levels greater
 
Vascular endothelial growth factor-C