Abstract
High preoperative circulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is predictive of poor prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). However, postoperative circulating VEGF has not yet been evaluated as a prognostic marker in CRC patients. In 318 consecutive patients who had undergone curative resection of primary CRC, the prognostic value of VEGF concentrations in plasma and serum obtained 6 months postoperatively was analysed and the results compared with the prognostic value of postoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) concentrations in matched serum samples. In univariate analyses, high serum and plasma VEGF ( > 533 pg/ml and > 112 pg/ml, respectively) had no significant (p = 0.17 and p = 0.13, respectively) impact on overall survival. On the contrary, high serum CEA ( > 5 ng/ ml) was significantly (p < 0.0001) correlated to a poor prognosis. Finally, in multivariate analyses, the combination of high serum CEA and high serum VEGF was significantly (hazard ratio 3.0, p = 0.02) associated with poor survival compared to high serum CEA and low serum VEGF. It is concluded that 6 months postoperatively serum CEA is a better prognostic marker than corresponding serum and plasma VEGF. However, high serum VEGF within high serum CEA was an even better predictor of overall survival than high serum CEA alone.
| Translated title of the contribution | Circulating vascular endothelial growth factor six months after primary surgery as a prognostic marker in patients with colorectal cancer. |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Journal | Acta Oncologica |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| Pages (from-to) | 837-845 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| ISSN | 0284-186X |
| Publication status | Published - 2003 |
