Premium
Clinical significance of vascular endothelial growth factor‐C and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 in patients with T1 lung adenocarcinoma
Author(s) -
Kojima Hiroshi,
Shijubo Noriharu,
Yamada Gen,
Ichimiya Shingo,
Abe Shosaku,
Satoh Masaaki,
Sato Noriyuki
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/cncr.21366
Subject(s) - medicine , vascular endothelial growth factor , adenocarcinoma , pathology , vascular endothelial growth factor c , lymphangiogenesis , immunohistochemistry , lung cancer , vascular endothelial growth factor a , cd34 , cancer , metastasis , biology , vegf receptors , stem cell , genetics
BACKGROUND Vascular endothelial growth factor‐C (VEGF‐C) plays an important role in lymphangiogenesis and activates VEGF receptor‐3 (VEGFR‐3). Lymphatic spread is an important prognostic factor in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. The aim of the current study was to determine whether the expression of VEGF‐C and VEGFR‐3 correlates with clinicopathologic factors and prognosis in patients with TNM classification T1 lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS The authors conducted a retrospective review of 129 consecutive patients who underwent complete resection for T1 lung adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining for VEGF‐C, VEGF, VEGFR‐3, CD34 (microvessels), tryptase (mast cells), and CD68 (macrophages) was performed to statistically analyze clinicopathologic implications of VEGF‐C and VEGFR‐3 status. RESULTS Of 129 patients with T1 lung adenocarcinoma, 56 (43.3%) patients were positive for tumor‐cell VEGF‐C and 73 (56.6%) and 69 (53.5%) patients were positive for tumor‐cell and endothelial‐cell VEGFR‐3, respectively. Patients with positive staining for tumor‐cell VEGF‐C showed significantly less favorable survival rates than patients with negative staining ( P = 0.031). The survival rates of patients with positive staining for tumor‐cell and endothelial‐cell VEGFR‐3 were significantly lower than those with negative staining ( P = 0.0034 and P = 0.0020, respectively). Patients with positive staining for both tumor‐cell VEGF‐C and endothelial‐cell VEGFR‐3 exhibited the most unfavorable prognoses. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that coexpression of tumor‐cell VEGF‐C and endothelial‐cell VEGFR‐3 was an independent negative prognostic factor ( P = 0.0129) as well as N factor ( P = 0.0020). CONCLUSIONS VEGF‐C and VEGFR‐3 status may be indicative of survival rates for patients with T1 lung adenocarcinoma. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.