title: Vascular endothelial growth factor and breast cancer risk.
abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key factor in angiogenesis and is important to carcinogenesis. Previous studies relating circulating levels of VEGF to breast cancer have been limited by small numbers of participants and lack of adjustment for confounders. We studied the association between serum VEGF and breast cancer in an unmatched case-control study of 407 pre- and postmenopausal women (n = 203 cases, n = 204 controls). Logistic regression was used to model the breast cancer risk as a function of natural log transformed VEGF levels adjusted for age, Gail score, education, physical activity, history of breastfeeding, serum testosterone, and hormone therapy (HT) use. The majority of the population was postmenopausal (67.6%) and the average age was 56 years; age and menopausal status were similar among cases and controls. Geometric mean VEGF levels were non-significantly higher in cases (321.4 pg/ml) than controls (291.4 pg/ml; p = 0.21). In a multivariable model, the odds of breast cancer was 37% higher for women with VEGF levels > or =314.2 pg/ml compared to those with levels below 314.2 pg/ml, albeit not significantly (p = 0.16). There was no interaction between VEGF and menopausal status (p = 0.52). In this case-control study, VEGF was not significantly associated with breast cancer risk in pre- and postmenopausal women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, 715 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA. kwreeves@schoolph.umass.edu
authors.forename: Katherine W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Reeves
authors.forename: Roberta B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Ness
authors.forename: Roslyn A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: Joel L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Weissfeld
authors.forename: Victor G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Powers
authors.forename: Francesmary
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Modugno
authors.forename: Jane A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cauley
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008327:Mammography; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D017698:Postmenopause; D017697:Premenopause; D012307:Risk Factors; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone