title: Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C does not predict occult lymph-node metastasis in early oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: Strong vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) expression has been correlated to occurrence of lymph-node metastases in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The incidence of occult lymph-node metastasis remains a decisive factor in the prognosis of patients with early OSCC. The aim of this study was to evaluate VEGF-C expression as a predictor of occult lymph-node metastasis in OSCC. Eighty-seven patients with primary OSCC arising in the tongue or floor of mouth, clinically T1N0M0 or T2N0M0, with (pN+) and without (pN0) occult lymph-node metastases were analyzed for VEGF-C expression by malignant cells. Occult lymph-node metastases (pN+) were detected in 22% of the 64 patients who were submitted to elective neck dissection. No statistically significant difference was found between OSCC with and without occult lymph-node metastasis in regard to VEGF-C immunoexpression by malignant cells and clinicopathologic features. Independently of VEGF-C expression, lymph-node metastasis (pN+) was the most significant prognostic factor for overall survival of patients with OSCC (p=0.030). These findings indicate that isolated VEGF-C expression by malignant cells is not of predictive value for occult lymph-node metastasis in the early stages of OSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Area of Pathology, Bauru School of Dentistry - University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil.
authors.forename: S E S
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Faustino
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nonogaki
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Landman
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Kowalski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C