Prognostic significance of intratumoral vascular endothelial growth factor as a marker of tumour angiogenesis in epithelial ovarian cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine the prognostic significance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).


METHODS
Surgical specimens of 105 patients with primary EOC FIGO Stages 1 to 4, who underwent surgical staging, were investigated. Expression of VEGF was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining using related monoclonal antibodies. The correlation of this data with survival and established prognostic factors such as histological grade, FIGO stage and residual tumour status was evaluated. Multivariate analysis and correlation tests were performed.


RESULTS
The results of VEGF expression were correlated with clinicopathological variables and overall survival. No correlation between the VEGF expression and clinicopathological factors was identified. However, VEGF expression was found to be significantly correlated to survival, and a prognostic factor independent of the stage of disease and residual tumour status (p < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
High intratumoral VEGF expression, a marker of angiogenesis, appeared to be an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in women with EOC. Angiogenic evaluation of patients with EOC may play a role in predicting a subgroup of patients with aggressive disease. These patients could be the target of front-line molecular targeted therapy with anti-angiogenic agents.
Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Royal Free & University College Medical School, London, UK. g.siddiqui@ucl.ac.uk
G K
GK
Siddiqui
K
K
Elmasry
A C
AC
Wong Te Fong
C
C
Perrett
R
R
Morris
J C C
JC
Crow
A B
AB
Maclean
D000328:Adult; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A