title: Serum vascular endothelial growth factor concentrations in hepatocellular cancer patients undergoing percutaneously radiofrequency thermal ablation.
abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known to play a central role in tumour angiogenesis. However, no data have been published with regard to the clinical-biological significance of serum (S)-VEGF in hepatocellular cancer (HCC) patients undergoing to percutaneously radiofrequency thermal ablation (PRFA). The aim of this study was to assess the modifications of S-VEGF levels in a series of 28 HCC patients in hepatitis C virus-positive cirrhosis before and after PRFA, respectively. Samples of S were taken before, 2 and 5 days after PRFA respectively and VEGF levels were assessed by ELISA. No significant difference was found between pre- and post-VEGF levels (p= n.s.; by Wilcoxon test). We suggest that S-VEGF level is not useful as early predictive marker of response to PRFA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Critical Area and Surgery, National Cancer Institute of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gadaleta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coviello
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Catino
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Venneri
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stea
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quaranta
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mattioli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ranieri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A