ISRN Obstet Gynecol. 2012;2012:245756. doi: 10.5402/2012/245756. Epub 2012 Jun 26.

Prognostic significance of vascular endothelial growth factor serum determination in women with ovarian cancer.

ISRN obstetrics and gynecology

Elisabetta Bandiera, Roberta Franceschini, Claudia Specchia, Eliana Bignotti, Chiara Trevisiol, Massimo Gion, Sergio Pecorelli, Alessandro Davide Santin, Antonella Ravaggi

PMID: 22792477 PMCID: PMC3390037 DOI: 10.5402/2012/245756

Abstract

Introduction. We performed a review of the literature to elucidate the potential prognostic significance of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (sVEGF) levels in ovarian cancer. Methods. Eligible studies in English and Italian were identified in MEDLINE/PubMed from VEGF discovery to October 2011. All studies evaluating: (i) sVEGF levels before any surgical and chemotherapeutic treatment; (ii) the association between sVEGF levels and the established prognostic variables; (iii) the value of sVEGF levels in predicting patients' outcomes, were selected for this review. Results. The search resulted in 758 titles. Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. A statistically significant association between the level of sVEGF and FIGO stage, tumour grade, residual tumour size, lymph node involvement, and presence of ascites was found in at least one study. sVEGF, in comparison with the established prognostic factors, appears to be the best prognostic marker for overall survival, since it stands out as an independent prognostic factor in most of the studies considered. Moreover, sVEGF levels were shown to be independent prognostic factors by 2 out of the 3 studies that considered DFS as an end point. Conclusion. High levels of sVEGF identify a subgroup of patients with higher risk of death and/or recurrence. These patients should be eligible for individually tailored therapeutic interventions.

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Publication Types

• Journal Article

Grant support

• P30 CA016359/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States
• R01 CA122728/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States