VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH-FACTOR (VEGF) IN HUMAN BREAST-CANCER - CORRELATION WITH DISEASE-FREE SURVIVAL

Studies have shown that microvessel density influences breast-cancer p rognosis, Since tumor angiogenesis is considered to be substantially a ffected by the excretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from tumor cells, we examined whether VEGF concentration is different in malignant and in non malignant breast tissue, It was also of intere st to discover whether intratumoral VEGF concentration influences dise ase-free survival (DFS) of breast-cancer patients. Analysis is based o n 120 tissue specimens taken from breast fibromas (n = 23), normal epi thelial breast tissue adjacent to fibromas (n = 8) and invasive breast cancer (n = 89), VEGF concentration was quantified by using an immuno assay. Microvessel density was determined by immunostaining for factor -VIII-related antigen. Median VEGF concentration is given in pg/mg pro tein (25%-quantile-75%-quantile) and it was 0 (0-1.8) in normal breast tissue, 9.8 (0.52-43.0) in fibromas and 130.4 (50.8-362.2) in invasiv e carcinomas, A univariate Cox model revealed that node status, tumor size, estrogen-receptor concentration, histological grading and microv essel density were prognostic factors for disease-free survival in bre ast cancer. We found a significant correlation between VEGF concentrat ion and microvessel count, but VEGF concentration did not significantl y influence disease-free survival. Although VEGF protein was found at a significantly higher concentration in malignant than in nonmalignant tissue, determination of intratumoral VEGF protein by an enzyme immun oassay was not prognostically relevant in our patient population, (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.