Evidence of VEGF expression in lung cancer

VEGF expression in NSCLC¹

Yuan et al investigated the role of VEGF in NSCLC. This image shows immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of a lung adenocarcinoma for VEGF. VEGF is mainly expressed in the cytoplasm of cancerous cells.¹

Int J Cancer. 2000;89(6):475-483. © 2000 International Union Against Cancer. Reprinted with permission of Wiley-Liss, Inc., a subsidiary of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

VEGF expression: an important factor in lung cancer

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression, while not universal, is an important factor of lung cell tumors. In an analysis of 72 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), Yuan and colleagues found VEGF mRNA levels in tumor samples to be significantly higher than in adjacent normal tissue in 100% of cases (P<0.001). They showed that adenocarcinomas had greater amounts of VEGF mRNA and were more likely to have high levels of VEGF protein compared with squamous cell carcinomas, a factor that may contribute to the high metastatic potential observed with adenocarcinomas.¹

In a separate study, Imoto et al discovered VEGF to be expressed in the majority of tumors in 91 patients with completely resected stage I–III NSCLC. There was a statistically significant association between VEGF expression and microvessel counts in the tumor tissue, as microvessel counts were significantly higher in patients with VEGF–positive tumors than in patients with VEGF–negative tumors (P=0.01). Microvessel counts in this study were higher in patients with nodal metastases than in those without nodal metastases.² Other studies have also shown a correlation between microvessel count and systemic metastases in NSCLC.^3,4

References:

1.

Yuan A, Yu CJ, Chen WJ, et al. Int J Cancer (Pred Oncol). 2000;89:475-483.

2.

Imoto H, Osaki T, Taga S, et al. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1998;115:1007-1014.

3.

Yamazaki K, Abe S, Takekawa H, et al. Cancer. 1994;74:2245-2250.

4.

Macchiarini P, Fontanini G, Hardin MJ, et al. Lancet. 1992;340:145-146.