VEGF as a prognostic factor in ovarian cancer

Overall, high VEGF expression and high degrees of tumor angiogenesis in ovarian cancer have been associated with poor survival outcomes.¹

Microvessel density (MVD) and overall survival in ovarian cancer¹

Adapted with permission from Alvarez AA, Krigman HR, Whitaker RS, et al. Clin Cancer Res. 1999;5:587-591. Figure 1. The degree of angiogenesis, as measured by MVD, is associated with prognosis (as measured by the proportion of patients surviving). In this experiment, survival in patients with high MVD (>10 vessels/field) was significantly lower than in patients with low MVD (3 to 10 vessels/field).

Expression of VEGF in ovarian carcinomas has also been associated with tumor growth and proliferation within the periteoneal space, and intense VEGF staining is more often found in peritoneal metastases than in primary tumors.^2,3

Other significant ovarian cancer findings come from retrospective clinical studies showing that intratumoral VEGF expression — and the carriage of VEGF gene polymorphisms associated with an increased VEGF excretion — are independent poor prognostic factors for ovarian cancer.⁴

VEGF gene polymorphisms and overall survival in ovarian cancer⁴

Adapted with permission from Hefler LA, Mustea A, Konsgen D, et al. Clin Cancer Res. 2007;13:898-901. Figure 1. Carriage of genotypes associated with increased VEGF production is a significant prognostic factor. The above graph demonstrates that overall survival in patients with these genotypes (homozygous VEGF -634C/C, -1154G/G, and -2578C/C) (B) is lower compared with all other genotype combinations studied (A). Heavy lines show overall survival. Light lines indicate 95% confidence bands.

References:

1.

Alvarez AA, Krigman HR, Whitaker RS, et al. Clin Cancer Res. 1999;5:587-591.

2.

Ramakrishnan S, Subramanian IV, Yokoyama Y, Geller M. Angiogenesis. 2005;8:169-182.

3.

Belotti D, Paganoni P, Manenti L, et al. Cancer Res. 2003;63:5224-5229.

4.

Hefler LA, Mustea A, Konsgen D, et al. Clin Cancer Res. 2007;13:898-901.