Preoperative serum vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) levels predict recurrence in patients with esophageal cancer.
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.
Kimura
Hitoshi
H
Department of General Surgical Science, Gunma University, Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, 371-8511, Japan. hkimura@med.gunma-u.ac.jp
Kato
Hiroyuki
H
Tanaka
Naritaka
N
Inose
Takanori
T
Faried
Ahmad
A
Sohda
Makoto
M
Nakajima
Masanobu
M
Fukai
Yasuyuki
Y
Miyazaki
Tatsuya
T
Masuda
Norihiro
N
Manda
Ryokuhei
R
Fukuchi
Minoru
M
Ojima
Hitoshi
H
Tsukada
Katsuhiko
K
Kuwano
Hiroyuki
H
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*
D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C