Circulating VEGF levels in the serum of gastric cancer patients: correlation with pathological variables, patient survival, and tumor surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical usefulness of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in gastric cancer patients. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Vascular endothelial growth factor plays an important role in the formation of new blood vessels involved in the growth and metastatic spread of solid tumors, but there is limited information regarding the clinical significance of serum VEGF levels in cancer patients. METHODS: Serum VEGF concentrations were measured by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in 61 healthy controls and in 58 gastric cancer patients before surgery, and then again at 7 and 30 days after surgery. The association between preoperative serum VEGF levels, clinicopathological features and patient survival, and their changes following surgery were evaluated. RESULTS: Serum VEGF levels in gastric cancer patients were significantly higher than those in controls. There was a significant association between serum VEGF levels and disease stage, as well as invasion depth of the tumor and the presence of distant metastases. Serum VEGF levels decreased significantly after radical resection of the primary tumor and increased in patients with unresectable tumors. Multivariate regression analysis showed that serum VEGF level is an independent prognostic factor for survival. CONCLUSIONS: Serum VEGF levels in gastric patients are significantly higher compared with normal controls and correlate with local tumor extent, disease stage, and the presence of distant metastases. Preoperative serum VEGF concentration decreases significantly after radical resection of the primary tumor and is an independent prognostic factor for patient survival suggesting that determination of serum VEGF levels may be clinically useful.