title: Serum vascular endothelial growth factor: a prognostic factor in cervical cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study pre-treatment serum VEGF of patients with invasive cervical cancer and its possible role as prognostic indicator.
  
  
  METHODS
  VEGF was measured using ELISA in the largest patient group (n = 167) to date.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum VEGF was significantly higher in advanced tumor stage (P = 0.01), large tumor size (tumors larger than 2 cm) (P = 0.03), and the presence of vascular space invasion (P = 0.05). Serum VEGF was associated with disease free and overall survival [DFS: Hazard Ratio (HR) = 2.61; 95% CI 1.32-5.17; P = 0.006; for OS: HR = 2.09; 95% CI 1.54-2.84; P < 0.001, respectively]. In multivariate Cox regression serum VEGF retained its prognostic value for DFS (HR = 2.10, P = 0.03) and OS (HR = 1.92, P = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum VEGF levels correlate with more advanced and more aggressive disease in cervical cancer and may be a useful prognostic factor in patients with cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Petra L M
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Zusterzeel
authors.forename: Paul N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Span
authors.forename: Marja G K
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Dijksterhuis
authors.forename: Chris M G
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Fred C G J
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Sweep
authors.forename: Leon F A G
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Massuger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012044:Regression Analysis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A