The Role of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Breast Cancer Prognosis
Author Information
Author(s): Manders P, Beex L V A M, Tjan-Heijnen V C G, Geurts-Moespot J, Van Tienoven T H, Foekens J A, Sweep C G J
Primary Institution: University Medical Centre Nijmegen
Hypothesis
Is vascular endothelial growth factor associated with the natural course of the disease in primary invasive breast cancer?
Conclusion
High levels of vascular endothelial growth factor predict poorer relapse-free and overall survival in node-negative breast cancer patients who did not receive adjuvant systemic therapy.
Supporting Evidence
- A high vascular endothelial growth factor level predicted reduced relapse-free survival and overall survival.
- VEGF levels were positively associated with age and tumor size.
- VEGF was shown to be an independent predictor of poor outcomes in multivariate analysis.
Takeaway
This study found that a substance called vascular endothelial growth factor can help doctors understand how likely it is for breast cancer to come back in patients who didn't get extra treatment after surgery.
Methodology
Cytosolic levels of vascular endothelial growth factor were measured using a quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in tumor samples from patients with node-negative breast cancer.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the retrospective nature of the study and exclusion of certain patient groups.
Limitations
The study had a significant number of missing data for histological grade, which may affect the results.
Participant Demographics
Median age of participants was 60 years, with a range from 31 to 88 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
P=0.005 for univariate analysis of relapse-free survival.
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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