High serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor predict poor response to transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma: A prospective study

  • Authors:
    • Ronnie Tung-Ping Poon
    • Cecilia Lau
    • Wan-Ching Yu
    • Sheung-Tat Fan
    • John Wong
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: May 1, 2004     https://doi.org/10.3892/or.11.5.1077
  • Pages: 1077-1084
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Abstract

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important mediator of tumor angiogenesis. A high serum VEGF level has been shown to predict poor response to chemotherapy and poor survival in several cancers, but its prognostic value in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the prognostic significance of pretreatment serum VEGF levels on tumor response to treatment and survival of patients with HCC undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Pretreatment serum VEGF levels were measured by an enzyme-linked immunsorbent assay in 80 patients with inoperable HCC undergoing TACE. Serum VEGF levels were correlated with clinical data, tumor response to TACE and survival results. The median serum VEGF level was 240 pg/ml (range 9-1730). Serum VEGF levels were positively correlated with the presence of venous tumor thrombus (P=0.011). Pretreatment serum VEGF levels were significantly higher in patients with progressive disease (median 434 pg/ml) than those with stable (median 176 pg/ml, P=0.010) or responsive disease (median 142 pg/ml, P<0.001) after TACE. Patients with serum VEGF >240 pg/ml had significantly worse survival than those with serum VEGF <240 pg/ml (median survival 6.8 vs. 19.2 months, P=0.007). In a Cox multivariate analysis, serum VEGF >240 pg/ml was an independent prognostic factor of survival. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that serum VEGF level may be useful as a novel prognostic predictor of tumor response and survival of patients with inoperable HCC undergoing TACE treatment.

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May 2004
Volume 11 Issue 5

Print ISSN: 1021-335X
Online ISSN:1791-2431

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Spandidos Publications style
Poon RT, Lau C, Yu W, Fan S and Wong J: High serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor predict poor response to transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma: A prospective study. Oncol Rep 11: 1077-1084, 2004
APA
Poon, R.T., Lau, C., Yu, W., Fan, S., & Wong, J. (2004). High serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor predict poor response to transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma: A prospective study. Oncology Reports, 11, 1077-1084. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.11.5.1077
MLA
Poon, R. T., Lau, C., Yu, W., Fan, S., Wong, J."High serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor predict poor response to transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma: A prospective study". Oncology Reports 11.5 (2004): 1077-1084.
Chicago
Poon, R. T., Lau, C., Yu, W., Fan, S., Wong, J."High serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor predict poor response to transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma: A prospective study". Oncology Reports 11, no. 5 (2004): 1077-1084. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.11.5.1077