[Clinical significance of vascular endothelial growth factor in sera of patients with gynaecological malignant tumors].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Experimental and clinical evidence links tumor growth, invasion, and metastatic potential with neoangiogenesis. This process is modulated by several angiogenic growth factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF). Few data are currently available on serum level in patients with gynaecological malignant tumors. This study was designed to determine the serum VEGF level in the patients with gynaecological malignant tumors and its significance as a tumor marker.

MATERIAL & METHODS: Preoperative serum VEGF level were measured in 50 cervical cancer, 39 endometrial cancer, 89 ovarian cancer patients, and 80 normal healthy women; The serum VEGF levels were also measured in 3, 6, 9 months after operation and when recurrence in three curative resection patients with ovarian cancer; using commercially available enzymelinked immonosarbent assay (R & D systems Inc. Minneapolis, MN, USA). Statistical analysis was performed by using the SPSS9.0 software package. Using 5th and 95th percentage describe the variant degree.

RESULTS

The median level of VEGF in sera of 80 healthy women was 218.50 ng/L(42.06-671.70 ng/L), while in 50 cervical cancer, 39 endometrial cancer, and 89 ovarian cancer patients were 272.00 ng/L(91.94-745.53 ng/L), 383.50 ng/L(105.67-776.50 ng/L), and 479.85 ng/L (99.47-1326.88 ng/L), respectively. The VEGF levels in endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer patients were significantly higher than that in healthy women (P < 0.0001). But in cervical cancer patients the VEGF level, was not significant diffent compare with health wanen. After operation, 3, 6, 9 months the VEGF levels in 3 ovarian cancer patients were significantly lower than that of preoperative but it ascended again when the disease was recurrent 14, 17 months later in two cases. The VEGF level was significantly higher in advanced ovarian cancer patients (stage III-IV) than that in the early stage (stage I-II) (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The serum level of the VEGF may be used as a new tumor marker of endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer, for diagnoses and monitoring the progress of the disease.