RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Elevated Preoperative Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Does Not Predict Poor Outcomes in Curatively Resected Non-metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treated Without Neoadjuvant Therapy
JF Anticancer Research
JO Anticancer Res
FD International Institute of Anticancer Research
SP 2333
OP 2341
DO 10.21873/anticanres.16398
VO 43
IS 5
A1 NAKAI, NOZOMU
A1 MAEDA, ANRI
A1 YANAGITA, TAKESHI
A1 SUZUKI, TAKUYA
A1 MAEDA, YUZO
A1 HIROKAWA, TAKAHISA
A1 SHIGA, KAZUYOSHI
A1 HARA, MASAYASU
A1 TAKAHASHI, HIROKI
A1 OGAWA, RYO
A1 MATSUO, YOICHI
A1 TAKIGUCHI, SHUJI
YR 2023
UL http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/43/5/2333.abstract
AB Background/Aim: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) influences colorectal cancer (CRC) progression and is a key target in the treatment for metastatic CRC. However, the oncological impact of preoperative circulating VEGF in non-metastatic CRC (non-mCRC) has not been clearly elucidated. Herein, we have investigated the prognostic significance of elevated preoperative serum VEGF concentration in curatively resected non-mCRC without neoadjuvant therapy. Patients and Methods: A total of 474 patients with pStage I-III CRC who underwent curative resection without neoadjuvant therapy were included. The relationship between preoperative serum VEGF concentration and clinicopathologic characteristics, overall survival (OS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were investigated. Results: The median follow-up duration was 47.4 months. No significant relationship between preoperative VEGF and clinicopathologic characteristics including tumor markers, pStage, and lymphovascular invasion was identified; however, VEGF values were wide-ranged in every pStage. Patients were categorized into four groups as follows: VEGF < median, median to 75th percentile, 75th percentile to 90th percentile, and ≥90th percentile. A tendency for a difference in 5-year OS (p=0.064) and RFS (p=0.089) was observed among the groups; however, OS and RFS were not correlated with VEGF elevation. In multivariate analyses, VEGF ≥90th percentile was paradoxically associated with better RFS. Conclusion: Preoperative elevated serum VEGF concentration was associated with neither worse clinicopathological characteristics nor worse long-term outcomes in curatively resected non-mCRC. The prognostic value of preoperative circulating VEGF in initially resectable non-mCRC remains limited.