title: Predictive value of vascular endothelial growth factor-C expression for local recurrence of rectal carcinoma.
abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) is considered to be a specific factor promoting lymphangiogenesis. There have been reports of a positive correlation between local recurrence of rectal carcinoma and lymphatic invasion by the tumor. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical significance of VEGF-C expression for identifying lymphangiogenesis as a predictor of the local recurrence of rectal carcinoma. One hundred surgical specimens of rectal carcinoma from patients with (n=26) or without (n=74) local recurrence were studied. VEGF-C protein expression was assessed immunohistochemically. The correlations between VEGF-C expression, various clinicopathologic factors, the microscopic lymphatic vessel density (MLVD), and lymphatic invasion were studied. The MLVD (determined by immunohistostaining for D2-40) was significantly higher in VEGF-C positive tumors than VEGF-C negative tumors. VEGF-C positivity was only correlated with lymphatic involvement. Moreover, multivariate analysis showed that VEGF-C protein expression was an independent risk factor for the local recurrence of rectal carcinoma, and patients with VEGF-C positive tumors had a significantly worse prognosis than those with VEGF-C negative tumors. Expression of VEGF-C may be a good predictor of the local recurrence of rectal carcinoma and may also be a useful prognostic indicator.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka 545-8585, Japan. nodatch@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Tamahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishihara
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishiguchi
authors.forename: Masaichi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohira
authors.forename: Kosei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirakawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C