[Is tumour expression of VEGF associated with venous invasion and survival in pT3 renal cell carcinoma?].
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether there is a relationship between VEGF expression and renal vein and vena cava invasion in stage pT3 renal cell carcinoma and to evaluate the impact of VEGF expression on survival in pT3 renal cell carcinoma.


METHODS
78 patients with a pT3a or pT3b tumour without vena cava invasion or pT3b tumour with vena cava invasion were compared for age, gender, Fuhrman grade and immunohistochemical expression of VEGF. All these variables were submitted to univariate and multivariate analysis to establish their impact on survival.


RESULTS
Only tumour size appeared to be significantly different between the 3 groups. On univariate analysis, invasion of the perirenal fat, lymph node involvement, distant metastases and VEGF expression were significantly associated with survival (p < 0.01). On multivariate analysis, lymph node involvement, distant metastases and VEGF expression (OR 6.07) were identified as independent predictive factors of survival.


CONCLUSIONS
Progression of a pT3 tumour into the renal vein and vena cava is not associated with increased tumour expression of VEGF. However, VEGF is an independent prognostic factor in this group of poor prognosis renal tumours.
Bensalah
Karim
K
Service d'urologie, Hôpital Pontchaillou, Rennes, France.
Rioux-Leclercq
Nathalie
N
Vincendeau
Sébastien
S
Guille
François
F
Patard
Jean-Jacques
JJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D002423:Cause of Death; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012082:Renal Veins / Q000473:pathology*; D015996:Survival Rate; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000032:analysis*; D019043:Vascular Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000473:pathology*
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A