title: Basic fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor serum levels in breast cancer patients and healthy women: useful as diagnostic tools?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in breast cancer cells and the corresponding serum levels in individual patients. The study also evaluated the potential of serum levels of the two growth factors as diagnostic markers in a case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  VEGF expression and bFGF expression were determined in 62 and 63 tumor samples, respectively. Serum VEGF and bFGF levels were determined in 54 and 65 healthy women and in 69 and 73 breast cancer patients, respectively, using a quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A direct correlation was observed between VEGF expression and bFGF expression in individual tumors (P = 0.001) and between serum levels (P = 0.038) in individual patients, but not between tumor cell expression and the corresponding serum level for either growth factor. Median values of serum levels in healthy women and breast cancer patients were not different for VEGF (P = 0.055), but were significantly different for bFGF (P < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic curve identified a serum bFGF concentration of 1.0 pg/ml, with 84.9% sensitivity and 63.1% specificity, as the best cut-off value to discriminate between healthy women and breast cancer patients. An age-based subgroup analysis showed that serum values of patients older than 70 years of age mainly contributed to the high accuracy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data repropose bFGF as a noninvasive diagnostic tool for breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Oncologico Romagnolo, Forlì, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Granato
authors.forename: Oriana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nanni
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Falcini
authors.forename: Secondo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Folli
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mosconi
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Paola
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Medri
authors.forename: Dino
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Amadori
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volpi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000379:methods; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2