Changes in the Circulating Plasma Levels of VEGF and VEGF-D after Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients with Breast Cancer and 1 to 3 Positive Lymph Nodes

• Published in: Anticancer research Vol. 26; no. 2C; pp. 1719 - 1726
• Main Authors: KÜMMEL, Sherko, EGGEMANN, Holm, KOBL, Michael, KORLACH, Susanne, SCHMID, Peter, SEHOULI, Jalid, ELLING, Dirk, BLOHMER, Jens-Uwe, LÜFTNER, Diana, THOMAS, Anke, JESCHKE, Sophia, ZERFEL, Nadine, HEILMANN, Volker, EMONS, Günter, ZEISER, Tobias, ULM, Kurt
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Attiki International Institute of Anticancer Research 01.03.2006
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Breast Neoplasms - blood; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Cyclophosphamide - administration & dosage; Epirubicin - administration & dosage; Female; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor - administration & dosage; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Lymphatic Metastasis; Mammary gland diseases; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Paclitaxel - administration & dosage; Prospective Studies; Tumors; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - blood; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D - blood; Human; adjuvant chemotherapy; Lymph node; VEGF; Adjuvant treatment; Breast cancer; Malignant tumor; Blood plasma; Mammary gland diseases; Angiogenesis; Chemotherapy; Cancerology; Vascular endothelium growth factor; Neovascularization
• ISSN: 0250-7005; 1791-7530

Background: The goal of the present study was to investigate the changes in concentration of the important lymph-angiogenesis factors vascular endothelium-derived growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF-D under adjuvant chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: The blood plasma of a total of 142 patients with breast carcinoma and with 1 to 3 affected lymph nodes was investigated, using the quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique, prior to and following chemotherapy, within the framework of a randomized phase III study: the patients received either conventional or dose-intensified chemotherapy. Results: In general, there was a significant reduction in VEGF levels after chemotherapy only in patients with large tumors (T3) (p=0.043). There was also an almost significant reduction in patients with an overexpression of c-erbB-2 (Dako Score +3, p=0.052). In contrast, the clearest reduction in VEGF-D occurred in patients with a positive hormone receptor status (p=0.04) or in patients with a low expression of c-erbB-2 (Dako Score +1, p=0.05). A significant effect of chemotherapy on VEGF-D was determined only in patients who had a baseline level that was above the normal (conventionel treatment p=0.005; dose-intensified treatment p=0.004). Conclusion: Both VEGF and VEGF-D levels changed after chemotherapy, depending on the patient and tumor characteristics. With respect to changes in the plasma levels of VEGF and VEGF-D, there were no significant differences between dose-intensified and conventional chemotherapy.