Clinicopathological significance of vascular endothelial growth factor-C and cyclooxygenase-2 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Byeon, Jeong-Sik; Jung, Hwoon-Young; Lee, Yun Jung; Lee, Don; Lee, Gin Hyug; Myung, Seung-Jae; Yang, Suk-Kyun; Hong, Weon-Seon; Kim, Jin-Ho; Min, Young Il; Kim, Jung Sun

Vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) is a specific growth factor of lymphatics, which is known to play some role in tumor growth and metastasis to lymph nodes and distant organs in various malignancies.The purpose of the present study was to investigate the expression of VEGF-C in human esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) to elucidate its role in tumor progression and lymph node metastasis. Another aim of the study was to investigate the relation between VEGF-C and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in ESCC. The degree of VEGF-C expression increased as the depth of primary tumor progressed (r = 0.521, P = 0.002), the stage progressed (r = 0.572, P < 0.001), and the degree of COX-2 expression increased (r = 0.387, P = 0.024).TheVEGF-C positive rate was different between early cancers in which regional lymph node metastasis was thought to be absent and advanced cancers in which regional lymph node metastases were confirmed after surgery (20.0% vs 100.0%; P < 0.001). The VEGF-C expression in ESCC is related to COX-2 expression, and VEGF-C is also associated with the depth of primary tumor, the stage, and probably lymph node metastasis. Thus the investigation of VEGF-C expression in ESCC may assist in management planning. © 2004 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd

CYCLOOXYGENASE 2; SURGICAL excision; SQUAMOUS cell carcinoma; GROWTH factors; LYMPHATICS; TUMOR growth; METASTASIS

Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 2004, Vol 19, Issue 6, p648

0815-9319

Academic Journal

10.1111/j.1440-1746.2004.03348.x