title: Preoperative serum vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) levels predict recurrence in patients with esophageal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Circulating vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) levels were measured in patients with esophageal cancer to assess the value of VEGF-C as a biomarker for predicting tumor recurrence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative serum samples were acquired from 80 patients and healthy volunteers who served as normal controls. VEGF-C levels were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The preoperative serum VEGF-C level in patients with esophageal cancer was significantly higher than in healthy volunteers. Furthermore, patients with recurrence had significantly higher preoperative serum VEGF-C levels than patients without recurrence, and a high preoperative serum VEGF-C level was found to be an independent risk factor for recurrence, in addition to lymph node metastasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative VEGF-C levels may reflect malignancy, such as lymph node metastasis, and predict recurrence in patients with esophageal cancer. Therefore, the preoperative VEGF-C level may be a useful biomarker for choice of multimodality therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgical Science, Gunma University, Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, 371-8511, Japan. hkimura@med.gunma-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Naritaka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inose
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faried
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sohda
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukai
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Ryokuhei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manda
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukuchi
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ojima
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsukada
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuwano
mesh_terms: D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C