title: Preoperative high levels of serum vascular endothelial growth factor are a prognostic marker for poor outcome after surgical treatment of renal cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine whether concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in blood taken preoperatively can predict subtype, survival and recurrence in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The patient group consisted of 124 patients with an RCC that was surgically removed with nephrectomy or nephron-sparing surgery at Haukeland University Hospital from 2007 to 2010. All subtypes and stages were included. Preoperative blood samples were taken on the day of surgery, and the samples were prepared and frozen at -80 °C. The level of VEGF in serum was analysed using Luminex® immunobead technology. The patients were followed until death or to 31 October 2014 (>4.5 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with higher levels of VEGF were more likely to have clear cell RCC [odds ratio (OR) 2.43, p = 0.046], as were older patients (OR 1.04, p = 0.024). In a multivariate analysis, high VEGF, stage and nuclear grade all had a significant predictive value for cancer-specific survival (OR 4.56, p = 0.017; OR 11.54, p < 0.001; and OR 7.85, p = 0.015, respectively). VEGF, stage and nuclear grade predicted recurrence in patients presumed to have been radically treated (OR 4.37, p = 0.03; OR 5.02, p = 0.011; and OR 6.57, p = 0.008, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tumour stage and a high level of serum VEGF were predictors for an increased risk of recurrence and cancer-specific death. Furthermore, the study showed that serum VEGF may be used to determine the subtype of RCC preoperatively.
authors.affiliation: a Departments of 1Urology, Haukeland University Hospital.
authors.forename: Gigja
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guðbrandsdottir
authors.affiliation: a Departments of 1Urology, Haukeland University Hospital.|b 2 Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen , Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Karin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Hjelle
authors.affiliation: a Departments of 1Urology, Haukeland University Hospital.
authors.forename: Jannicke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frugård
authors.affiliation: b 2 Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen , Bergen, Norway.|c 3 Department of Pathology.
authors.forename: Leif
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bostad
authors.affiliation: b 2 Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen , Bergen, Norway.|d 4 Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Haukeland University Hospital , Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Hans J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Aarstad
authors.affiliation: a Departments of 1Urology, Haukeland University Hospital.|b 2 Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen , Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beisland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009392:Nephrectomy; D011379:Prognosis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
keywords: Diagnostics; VEGF; prognosis; recurrence; renal cell carcinoma