Pretreatment vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) serum levels in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
OBJECTIVE
In the present study, we investigated the prognostic value of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 serum levels in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).


METHODS
From September 1999 to June 2001, pretreatment serum levels of VEGF and MMP-9 were analysed in 194 patients of a randomized phase III trial with enzyme-linked immunoassays.


RESULTS
Patients with a VEGF serum level higher than the median serum level (10,995 pg/ml) had a significantly shorter overall survival than those with a lower serum level (P=0.04). The MMP-9 serum level did not correlate with survival. In a multivariate Cox regression analysis, only the pretreatment serum level of VEGF, the Karnofsky performance status, and the presence of bone metastases were identified as independent prognostic factors.


CONCLUSIONS
The pretreatment VEGF serum level was identified as independent prognostic factor in this study and may help to assess individual risk and treatment profiles in patients with metastatic NSCLC.
Department of Medicine-Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany. laack@uke.uni-hamburg.de
Eckart
E
Laack
Antje
A
Scheffler
Iris
I
Burkholder
Ina
I
Boeters
Birte
B
Andritzky
Gunter
G
Schuch
Michael
M
Görn
Gaby
G
Vohwinkel
Lutz
L
Edler
Walter
W
Fiedler
Dieter Kurt
DK
Hossfeld
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9