Pathologic response during chemo-radiotherapy and variation of serum VEGF levels could predict effects of chemo-radiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer.
BACKGROUND
To investigate the relationship between pathologic tumor response to concurrent chemo- radiotherapy and variation of serum VEGF in patients with esophageal cancer.


METHODS
Forty six patients with esophageal cancer who were treated with concurrent chemo-radiotherapy were enrolled. Endoscopic and pathologic examination was conducted before and four weeks afterwards. Serum level of VEGF was documented before, four weeks later and after chemo-radiotherapy. The relationship between pathologic response and the variation of serum level of VEGF and its influence on the prognosis were investigated.


RESULTS
Serum level of VEGF decreased remarkably during and after chemo-radiotherapy in patients whose pathologic response was severe (F=5.393, 4.587, P(0.05). There were no statistical differences of serum VEGF level before, during and after chemo-radiotherapy for patients whose pathologic response was moderate or mild. There were 18 (85.7%), 7 (53.8%) and 6 patients (50.0%) whose serum VEGF level dropped in the severe, moderate and mild group, respectively, with significant differences among these groups (p=0.046). Two year survival rates of patients with severe, moderate and mild pathologic response were 61.9%, 53.8% and 33.3% respectively, and no statistically difference between severe and mild group regarding OS (p=0.245) was tested.


CONCLUSIONS
Tumor pathologic response during chemo-radiotherapy and the changes of serum VEGF lever could predict curative effects of chemo-radiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer.
Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou NO.2 People's Hospital, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, China E-mail : ssq@126.com.
Jing-Ping
JP
Yu
Wen-Bin
WB
Lu
Jian-Lin
JL
Wang
Xin-Chu
XC
Ni
Jian
J
Wang
Zhi-Qiang
ZQ
Sun
Su-Ping
SP
Sun
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D017239:Paclitaxel; D002945:Cisplatin