Vascular endothelial grow factor (VEGF): can we use it as prognostic factor in endometrial cancer?

Aim. The aim of thè study was to investigate if VEGF levels reflect thè severity of endometrial cancer and thè clinic relationship between mi-crovasal density (MVD) and concentration of VEGF in tumor. Methods. The study was conducted on 22 pa-tients affected by endometrial cancer who were submitted to total abdominal radicai hysterec-tomy plus bilateral salpingo-ophorectomy. VEGF (pg/mL) and MVD values were measured on histologic specimens of endometrial can¬cer obtained during thè surgical treatment. The means and standard deviations of estimated values were calculated and a statistical com-parison was effected by student t test for not coupled data. Pearson correlation test was used to analyze thè eventual correlation among VEGF and MVD values in overall patients. Results. We have documented that VEGF ex-pression and MVD change according to FIGO stage, lympho-vascular infiltration and lymph node involvement. Pearson correlation test shows a good linear positive correlation in over¬all patients between VEGF and MVD values. Conclusions. Results obtained show a possible use of VEGF as prognostic factor in endome¬trial cancer. Confirmation of these data may permit both to identify high-risk patients, who must be treated with a more aggressive treat¬ment, and to use an angiogenic therapy in en¬dometrial cancer.