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Ann Thorac Surg 2001;71:1635-1639
© 2001 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
a Division of Pathology, Institute of Pulmonary Cancer Research, Chiba University School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
b Department of Surgery, Institute of Pulmonary Cancer Research, Chiba University School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
c Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chiba Rosai Hospital, Chiba, Japan
Accepted for publication February 1, 2001.
Address reprint requests to Dr Iyoda, Division of Pathology, Institute of Pulmonary Cancer Research, Chiba University School of Medicine, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
e-mail: iyoda{at}haibyo1.m.chiba-u.ac.jp
Background. A body of data indicates that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression by carcinomas is closely related to the prognosis of carcinomas. However, the relationship between VEGF expression and the prognosis of sarcomas is contradictory.
Methods. Tissue from 27 cases of thoracic sarcoma was analyzed immunohistochemically for VEGF expression while tumor vascularity was quantified using an antibody directed against endothelial CD34. The relationship between VEGF expression and the prognosis of patients with sarcomas was then evaluated semiquantitatively.
Results. The microvessel count in sarcomas with strong VEGF expression was significantly higher than that in sarcomas with absent or faint VEGF expression. The disease-free survival rates of sarcomas with strong VEGF expression were significantly lower than those of sarcomas with absent or faint VEGF expression. We found that strong VEGF expression impacted on the disease-free survival in multivariate analyses.
Conclusions. VEGF expression of thoracic sarcomas is directly related to angiogenesis and tumor vascularity, and our findings suggest that strong VEGF expression is an independent prognostic factor in patients with thoracic sarcomas.
Related Article
Ann. Thorac. Surg. 2001 71: 1639.
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