title: Pretreatment levels of serum vascular endothelial growth factor do not correlate with outcome in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate pretreatment levels of serum VEGF in locally advanced cervical cancer patients, and assess any association with clinocopathological parameters and response to radiotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with histologically proven and diagnosed locally advanced cervical cancer or stages IIB-IVA were included in this study. Blood serum was obtained by peripheral venous puncture about 24 hours before the beginning of radiotherapy. All patients were followed up at one and three month intervals from the last day of the complete treatment for evaluating the responses to radiotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age of the 40 patients was 52.8 ± 11.1 years. Sixty percent were in stage IIB and 90% had squamous cell carcinoma. The median pretreatment level of serum VEGF was 611.3 pg/ml (0.00-4,067 pg/ml). The pretreatment levels of serum VEGF did not correlate with stage (p=0.75), tumor histology (p=0.91), tumor size (p=0.46) or tumor characteristics (p=0.49). Almost all patients received concurrent chemoradiation as a curative treatment, with a complete response found in 94.9%. Values for patients who were completed response was rather lower than in patients with persistent disease, but without statistical significance (581.4 pg/ml vs 759.6 pg/ml, p=0.37).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pretreatment levels of serum VEGF do not correlate with clinicopathological factors or response to radiation therapy.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Section, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Vajira Hospital, University of Bangkok Metropolis, Bangkok, Thailand. Kankatanyoo@yahoo.co.th
authors.forename: Kanyarat
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katanyoo
authors.forename: Amnat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chantarasri
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chongtanakon
authors.forename: Kanisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rongsriyam
authors.forename: Thanatip
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tantivatana
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001918:Brachytherapy; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D016190:Carboplatin; D002945:Cisplatin