Markers of angiogenesis and epidermal growth factor receptor signalling in patients with pancreatic and gastroesophageal junction cancer.
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and angiogenesis are well established targets in anti-cancer therapy. Several targeted anti-cancer therapies are in clinical trials in pancreatic and gastroesophageal (GEJ) cancer. However, many patients do not respond to these targeted therapies and there is therefore an increasing need for biomarkers for selection of patients to these therapies. We investigated the expression of EGFR, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), and VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) in tumour tissue by immunohistochemistry, and soluble EGFR (sEGFR), soluble VEGFR-2 (sVEGFR-2), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), placental growth factor (PlGF), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), and different forms of the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR): uPAR (I), uPAR (I-III), and uPAR (I-III)+(II-III) in plasma by quantitative immunoassays in 14 patients with pancreatic and GEJ cancer. We found expression in tumour tissue and the plasma levels to be similar to those found in patients with other tumour types. No correlation was found between the blood levels of soluble receptors and the corresponding tumour tissue levels. We conclude that these markers are present in pancreatic and GEJ cancer patients, and could be investigated further as predictive biomarkers in such patients treated with EGFR or angiogenesis targeted therapies.
Department of Oncology, The Finsen centre, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. kristoffer@onkolog.dk
Kristoffer Staal
KS
Rohrberg
Birgit Guldhammer
BG
Skov
Ulrik
U
Lassen
Ib Jarle
IJ
Christensen
Gunilla
G
Høyer-Hansen
Ian
I
Buysschaert
Helle
H
Pappot
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D015398:Signal Transduction
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D066246:ErbB Receptors