TY - JOUR
T1 - Prognostic significance of vascular endothelial growth factor protein in node-negative breast carcinoma
AU - Gasparini, Giampietro
AU - Toi, Masakazu
AU - Gion, Massimo
AU - Verderio, Paolo
AU - Dittadi, Ruggero
AU - Hanatani, Mitsuya
AU - Matsubara, Isamu
AU - Vinante, Orazio
AU - Bonoldi, Emanuela
AU - Boracchi, Patrizia
AU - Gatti, Carlo
AU - Suzuki, Hideo
AU - Tominaga, Takeshi
PY - 1997/1/15
Y1 - 1997/1/15
N2 - Background: The clinical outcome is generally positive for patients with node-negative breast carcinoma (i.e., those who do not have detectable metastases in the lymph nodes) who have been treated with surgery or surgery plus radiation therapy. In about 30% of the patients, however, the disease recurs, and they are at risk of death. Determination of valid new prognostic indicators would improve the ability to identify patients at high risk of recurrence. Breast cancer can entail substantial development of new blood vessels within the tumor tissue, and it is known that the growth and metastasis of solid tumors are dependent on such angiogenesis. The conversion of tumor cells to an angiogenic phenotype may be preceded by a change in the balance of angiogenic growth factors and angiogenesis inhibitors. Purpose: This study was conducted to determine if the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein, a potent endothelial growth factor and mediator of vascular permeability and angiogenesis, measured in the primary tumors of women with node-negative breast cancer are associated with known prognostic factors and patient survival. Methods: By use of a selective enzymatic immunoassay, levels of VEGF protein were measured in cytosolic extracts of primary tumor tissue surgically obtained from 260 women with node-negative breast carcinoma who had been treated with surgery with or without radiation therapy but not with adjuvant therapy and who had been followed for a median time of 66 months. The relationships between VEGF concentrations and other prognostic dichotomous variables or clinical outcome were tested by the use of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and univariate and multivariate Cox analyses, respectively. The relationship between VEGF and hormone receptors (i.e., those for estrogen and progesterone) was examined by the use of Spearman's correlation analyses. All P values resulted from the use of two-sided statistical tests. Results: Tumors from 247 (95%) of the 260 patients had detectable VEGF, ranging in concentration from 5.0 to 6523 pg/mg protein (median, 126.25 pg/mg protein). No statistically significant associations were found between VEGF and the other prognostic factors (e.g., age, menopausal status, histologic tumor type, tumor size, and hormone receptors) examined. Levels of VEGF were found to be prognostic for both relapse-free and overall survival in univariate and multivariate analyses (likelihood ratio tests; all four P values
AB - Background: The clinical outcome is generally positive for patients with node-negative breast carcinoma (i.e., those who do not have detectable metastases in the lymph nodes) who have been treated with surgery or surgery plus radiation therapy. In about 30% of the patients, however, the disease recurs, and they are at risk of death. Determination of valid new prognostic indicators would improve the ability to identify patients at high risk of recurrence. Breast cancer can entail substantial development of new blood vessels within the tumor tissue, and it is known that the growth and metastasis of solid tumors are dependent on such angiogenesis. The conversion of tumor cells to an angiogenic phenotype may be preceded by a change in the balance of angiogenic growth factors and angiogenesis inhibitors. Purpose: This study was conducted to determine if the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein, a potent endothelial growth factor and mediator of vascular permeability and angiogenesis, measured in the primary tumors of women with node-negative breast cancer are associated with known prognostic factors and patient survival. Methods: By use of a selective enzymatic immunoassay, levels of VEGF protein were measured in cytosolic extracts of primary tumor tissue surgically obtained from 260 women with node-negative breast carcinoma who had been treated with surgery with or without radiation therapy but not with adjuvant therapy and who had been followed for a median time of 66 months. The relationships between VEGF concentrations and other prognostic dichotomous variables or clinical outcome were tested by the use of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and univariate and multivariate Cox analyses, respectively. The relationship between VEGF and hormone receptors (i.e., those for estrogen and progesterone) was examined by the use of Spearman's correlation analyses. All P values resulted from the use of two-sided statistical tests. Results: Tumors from 247 (95%) of the 260 patients had detectable VEGF, ranging in concentration from 5.0 to 6523 pg/mg protein (median, 126.25 pg/mg protein). No statistically significant associations were found between VEGF and the other prognostic factors (e.g., age, menopausal status, histologic tumor type, tumor size, and hormone receptors) examined. Levels of VEGF were found to be prognostic for both relapse-free and overall survival in univariate and multivariate analyses (likelihood ratio tests; all four P values
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0031032073&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0031032073&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 8998183
AN - SCOPUS:0031032073
VL - 89
SP - 139
EP - 147
JO - Journal of the National Cancer Institute
JF - Journal of the National Cancer Institute
SN - 0027-8874
IS - 2
ER -