The relationship betwen serum level of VEGF and given prognostic factors in colorectal cancers

7.SUMMARYBACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in developed nations, and the incidence of this disease is continuing to increase. A clinician encountering patients with colorectal cancer needs to know the prognostic factor expected outcome to plan appropriate therapy. There are numerous variables being related to survival. Angiogenesis plays an important role in colorectal cancer progression. Evidence from preclinical and clinical studies indicates that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the predominant angiogenic factor in human colorectal cancer and is associated with formation of metastases and poor prognosis. The aim of the presented study is to analyze serum VEGF levels and its correlation with the other clinicopathological characteristics of patients with colorectal carcinoma.METHODS: 71 patient with colorectal adenocarcinoma were evaluated by estimation of VEGF and correlation with clinicopathological features. None of the patients received pre- and/or post-operative chemo- and/or radiotherapy. The results of serum VEGF were analysed with respect to stage, gender, age, CEA, metastases and topographical tumour localization.RESULTS: Patients with stage 3?4 disease had significantly (P<0.003) higher values of VEGF than patients with stage 1?2, who had comparable values. Patients with the primary tumour localized in the colon had no significantly (P=0.266.) higher levels of serum VEGF than patients with the primary tumour localized in the rectum. The VEGF expression significantly correlated with serum CEA level ( p< 0.01) and clinical stages of CRC (p<0.01 ). The VEGF expression was not correlated with patient ages (p =0.955) and gender (p =0.740).CONCLUSION: The VEGF expression was found significantly correlated with advanced stage, and metastases but not age, gender, and tumour localization. VEGF may play an important role in the invasion and metastasis of CRC. Therefore, VEGF could be applied as prognostic markers in CRC and measurement of VEGF in the serum may be a useful noninvasive clinical marker for evaluating the disease status.Keywords: Angiogenesis, VEGF, Colorectal cancer