Preoperative Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Levels as a Prognostic Marker for Stage II or III Colorectal Cancer Patients

Background: The aim of the present study was to determine whether serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) can provide prognostic information independent of carcinoembryonic antigen levels in patients undergoing curative surgery. Methods: Serum samples were collected from 158 patients with colorectal cancer and from 100 controls. Serum and tissue levels of VEGF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum VEGF levels in colorectal cancer patients were compared with those in healthy controls, and we retrospectively assessed the association between serum VEGF levels and clinicopathologic findings and survival. Results: VEGF expression was significantly higher in colorectal cancer tissue compared with nontumor tissue. Mean serum VEGF levels in patients were significantly higher than those in controls, and significantly higher in patients with large tumors, lymph node involvement, and distant metastases. Conclusion: Elevated serum VEGF was significantly associated with poor survival, but was only an independent risk factor for poor survival in Stage II and/or III disease. Elevated serum VEGF is significantly associated with development of colorectal cancer, and lymph or distant invasive phenotypes and survival, especially in Stage II and III patients.