title: Serum vascular endothelial growth factor is often elevated in disseminated cancer.
abstract: In adults, marked angiogenesis takes place only during the female reproductive cycles, during wound healing, and accompanying some disease processes, such as tumor development. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a secreted, endothelial cell-specific growth factor, which is induced by tissue hypoxia and is angiogenic in vivo. We measured serum VEGF (S-VEGF) concentrations by ELISA in patients with a variety of types of cancer, as well as in healthy volunteers, and in patients with diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis. Elevated S-VEGF concentrations were found in patients with locoregional (n = 39; median, 158 pg/ml; range, 8-664 pg/ml) or disseminated (n = 58; median, 214 pg/ml; range, 17-1711 pg/ml) cancer in comparison to individuals without cancer (n = 113; median, 17 pg/ml; range, 1-177 pg/ml; P < 0.0001 for both comparisons). Values higher than 200 pg/ml were observed in 74% of patients with untreated metastatic cancer, and high serum levels were measured regardless of the histological type of cancer. S-VEGF levels were found to be higher in untreated patients with disseminated cancer than in those with local cancer (P = 0.006), and patients undergoing cancer therapy had lower values than those without cancer therapy (P = 0.03). The results indicate that both patients with locoregional cancer and patients with disseminated cancer may have elevated S-VEGF levels, regardless of the histological type of cancer, and that S-VEGF is often elevated in cancer with distant metastases.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Oncology and Clinical Chemistry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 4, FIN-00290 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salven
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mänpää
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Orpana
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alitalo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Joensuu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D012016:Reference Values; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D008222:Lymphokines; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors