Prognostic significance of VEGF expression in patients with bulky cervical carcinoma undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy
2008

VEGF Expression and Cervical Cancer Treatment Response

Sample size: 29 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Choi Chel Hun, Song Sang Yong, Choi Jung-Joo, Ae Park Young, Kang Heeseok, Kim Tae-Joong, Lee Jeong-Won, Kim Byoung-Gie, Lee Je-Ho, Bae Duk-Soo

Primary Institution: Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Hypothesis

Does VEGF expression predict the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with bulky cervical carcinoma?

Conclusion

VEGF expression assessment can help identify cervical cancer patients who are less likely to respond to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Supporting Evidence

  • 51.7% of patients were VEGF-positive.
  • 27.6% of patients showed a complete or optimal response to chemotherapy.
  • VEGF positivity was an independent predictor for poor response to treatment.

Takeaway

This study found that patients with high VEGF levels are less likely to respond well to chemotherapy for cervical cancer.

Methodology

VEGF expression was analyzed using immunohistochemistry on pre-treatment cervical biopsy tissues from 29 patients.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to the selection of patients and the single-center study design.

Limitations

The study had a small sample size and focused only on a specific stage of cervical cancer.

Participant Demographics

Median age was 47 years, with 69% having stage IB2 disease.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.009

Confidence Interval

1.15 – 112.58

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2407-8-295

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