title: Angiogenic factors in relation to clinical effect in a phase II trial of weekly paclitaxel.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several anticancer agents including paclitaxel have an inhibitory effect on angiogenesis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the overall response rate and time to progression with changes in circulating angiogenic factors during palliative treatment with weekly paclitaxel.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with metastatic BC, ECOG 0-2, received weekly paclitaxel, concomitant with trastuzumab if HER2+ BC (n = 7). Circulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were determined at base-line and before start of new course.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-five of 63 included patients were evaluable. The overall response rate including stable disease ≥24 weeks (CR + PD + SD) was obtained in 25 of the evaluable patients (45%). The median time to progression (TTP) was 5.3 months and overall survival (OS) 16.7 months. Patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) showed a trend towards higher base-line VEGF compared with hormone receptor positive or HER2+ tumours and had shorter TTP. Significant differences in VEGF and bFGF levels at 12 weeks were found between patients with longer versus shorter TTP (VEGF: p = 0.046, bFGF: p = 0.005) and between patients gaining versus lacking clinical benefit (VEGF: p = 0.05, bFGF: p = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical utility of circulating VEGF may be a useful tool for monitoring treatment efficacy.
authors: Department of Oncology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Oncology/Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: barbro.linderholm@ki.se.
authors: B K
authors: BK
authors: Linderholm
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Lidbrink
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Tallroth
authors: Z
authors: Z
authors: Einbeigi
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Svensson
authors: A
authors: A
authors: von Wachenfeldt
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Norberg
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Carlsson
authors: M E
authors: ME
authors: Olsson
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Bergh
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Wilking
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Hatschek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D000068878:Trastuzumab; D064726:Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D017239:Paclitaxel; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D000068878:Trastuzumab; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human
keywords: Circulating VEGF and bFGF; Palliative treatment; Weekly paclitaxel