Vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) is a more specific risk factor for lymph node metastasis than VEGF-D in submucosal colorectal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
It is useful to decide whether lymphatic involvement or lymph node metastasis exists before polypectomy or operation in submucosal colorectal cancer. Whether vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) or VEGF-D could predict lymph node metastasis and lymphatic involvement is uncertain.


METHODS
Expression of the VEGF-C and VEGF-D in human submucosal colorectal cancers was investigated in paraffin-embedded stepwise sections by means of immunohistochemistry, and the correlation between immunohistochemical expression pattern and clinicopathological features was also evaluated.


RESULTS
The results showed that VEGF-C overexpression correlated with lymphatic involvement (P = 0.01) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.02), but VEGF-D overexpression did not correlate significantly. In multivariate analysis lymphatic invasion was the predictive factor (P = 0.0129), but VEGF-C positivity was not predictive (P = 0.3437).


CONCLUSIONS
These results may suggest that VEGF-C is a more specific risk factor for lymph node metastasis than VEGF-D in submucosal colorectal cancer.
Kazama
Shinsuke
S
Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. kaz-tky@umin.ac.jp
Watanabe
Toshiaki
T
Kanazawa
Takamitsu
T
Hatano
Kenji
K
Nagawa
Hirokazu
H
D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000378:metabolism*; D042643:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D / Q000378:metabolism*
C467486:VEGFC protein, human; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D042643:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D