Prognostic impact of vascular endothelial growth factor-A and E-cadherin expression in completely resected pathologic stage I non-small cell lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of vascular endothelial growth factor-A and E-cadherin expression as well as other confirmed prognostic factors in predicting the clinical outcome after definitive surgery of pathologic stage I non-small cell lung cancer.


METHODS
One hundred and eighty-five consecutive and non-selected patients who underwent definitive surgery for stage I non-small cell lung cancer in our institute were included in this study. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens were stained for vascular endothelial growth factor-A and E-cadherin and the correlation between the staining, its clinicopathological parameters and its prognostic power were analyzed statistically.


RESULTS
Of the 185 patients studied, 92 cases (49.7%) were strongly positive for vascular endothelial growth factor-A. Vascular endothelial growth factor-A expression was only related to visceral pleural involvement (P < 0.001). A total of 95 carcinomas (51.4%) were E-cadherin-negative tumors. E-cadherin expression correlated with histology (P < 0.001), tumor size (P = 0.001) and visceral pleural involvement (P < 0.001). In univariate analysis by log-rank test, gender, tumor size, lymphovascular invasion, visceral pleural involvement, vascular endothelial growth factor-A expression and E-cadherin expression were significant prognostic factors (P = 0.003, 0.042, 0.026, 0.035, 0.008 and 0.006, respectively). In multivariate analysis, gender, vascular endothelial growth factor-A and E-cadherin expression maintained its independent prognostic influence on overall survival (P = 0.013, <0.001 and 0.036, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-A is related to visceral pleural involvement, and E-cadherin expression correlates with histology, tumor size and visceral pleural involvement. Multivariate analysis confirmed gender, vascular endothelial growth factor-A and E-cadherin expression were significant predictive factors for overall survival in completely resected pathologic stage I non-small cell lung cancer.
Lin
Qiang
Q
Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow, People's Republic of China.
Li
Maoquan
M
Shen
Zhen-Ya
ZY
Xiong
Li-Wen
LW
Pan
Xu-Feng
XF
Gen
Jun-Feng
JF
Bao
Guo-Liang
GL
Sha
Hui-Fang
HF
Feng
Jiu-Xian
JX
Ji
Chun-Yu
CY
Chen
Ming
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A