Clinical significance of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) in breast cancer.
Vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) is a specific ligand which induces lymphangiogenesis. We examined the expression of VEGF-C protein to determine its role in the progression of breast cancer. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that VEGF-C was overexpressed in 39 of 98 breast cancer specimens (39.8%) but not in adjacent normal mammary glands. The expression of VEGF-C showed a significant correlation with lymphatic vessel invasion (p = 0.0004). It is noteworthy that the 5-year disease free survival rate of the VEGF-C positive group was significantly poorer than that of negative group (p = 0.0356). We suggest that as expression of VEGF-C is not implicated in lymphatic spread, it may prove to be a promising marker to predict the recurrence of breast cancer.
Kinoshita
J
J
Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. kinojun@surg2.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Kitamura
K
K
Kabashima
A
A
Saeki
H
H
Tanaka
S
S
Sugimachi
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D017931:DNA Primers; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000098:blood supply; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C
D017931:DNA Primers; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C