SERUM VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH-FACTOR IS OFTEN ELEVATED IN DISSEMINATED CANCER

In adults, marked angiogenesis takes place only during the female repr oductive cycles, during wound healing, and accompanying some disease p rocesses, such as tumor development, Vascular endothelial growth facto r (VEGF) is a secreted, endothelial cell-specific growth factor, which is induced by tissue hypoxia and is angiogenic in vivo. We measured s erum VEGF (S-VEGF) concentrations by ELISA in patients with a variety of types of cancer, as well as in healthy volunteers, and in patients with diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis, Elevated S-VEGF concentrations were found in patients with Iocoregional (a = 39; median, 158 pg/ml; r ange, 8-664 pg/ml) or disseminated (n = 58; median, 214 pg/ml; range, 17-1711 pg/ml) cancer in comparison to individuals without cancer (n = 113; median, 17 pg/ml; range, 1-177 pg/ml; P < 0.0001 for both compar isons), Values higher than 200 pg/ml were observed in 74% of patients with untreated metastatic cancer, and high serum levels were measured regardless of the histological type of cancer, S-VEGF levels were foun d to be higher in untreated patients with disseminated cancer than in those with local cancer (P = 0.006), and patients undergoing cancer th erapy had lower values than those without cancer therapy (P = 0.03), T he results indicate that both patients with locoregional cancer and pa tients with disseminated cancer may have elevated S-VEGF levels, regar dless of the histological type of cancer, and that S-VEGF is often ele vated in cancer with distant metastases.