Prognostic value of carcinoembryonic antigen and vascular endothelial growth factor tumor tissue content in colorectal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to assess the prognostic significance of the combined measurement of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) tissue content with respect to relapse-free and overall survival of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).


METHODS
Quantitative evaluation of VEGF and CEA content was performed on protein extracts obtained from tissue biopsies from 69 CRC patients and 15 healthy donors.


RESULTS
VEGF significantly correlated with CEA content of either tumor tissues (rho = 0.55, p < 0.0001) or corresponding normal mucosa (rho = 0.34, p < 0.005). General regression analyses demonstrated that CEA was an independent predictor of VEGF tissue content either in CRC biopsies (regression coefficient = 0.57, p < 0.0001) or normal mucosa (regression coefficient = 0.25, p < 0.05). Cox proportional hazards survival analysis showed that tumor tissue content of both VEGF and CEA had an independent prognostic value in predicting both relapse-free (hazards ratio = 5.98, p = 0.002) and overall (hazards ratio = 4.73, p = 0.007) survival, irrespective of Dukes' stage. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that an elevated tumor content of both CEA and VEGF had a negative prognostic value in respect to either relapse-free (log-rank test: 10.4, p = 0.001) or overall survival (log-rank test: 7.33, p = 0.007).


CONCLUSIONS
Tumor tissue VEGF and CEA content determination might add useful prognostic information in the management of patients with CRC.
Ferroni
Patrizia
P
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Advanced Biotechnologies, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, Italy. patrizia.ferroni@sanraffaele.it
Palmirotta
Raffaele
R
Spila
Antonella
A
Martini
Francesca
F
Formica
Vincenzo
V
Portarena
Ilaria
I
Del Monte
Girolamo
G
Buonomo
Oreste
O
Roselli
Mario
M
Guadagni
Fiorella
F
D000368:Aged; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D016019:Survival Analysis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A