title: [The study of vascular endothelial growth factor in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients before and after radiotherapy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine the serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level before and after radiotherapy in the nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study we used the methods of ELISA to test the serum VEGF level of 66 cases which including 46 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and 20 cases of healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum VEGF levels in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients were significantly higher than those of healthy controls (P < 0.01). The serum levels of VEGF were significantly reduced at the end of radiotherapy (P < 0.01). The recurrence or metastasis rate was significantly higher in cases with > 150 ng/L VEGF level than those with < 150 ng/L.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VEGF plays an important role in the growth and prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012.
authors.forename: Yemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Yu feng
authors.initials: Yf
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Huizhong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Likuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A