The usefulness of vascular endothelial growth factor as a prognostic factor in uterine cervix cancer.

Seo, Ki Yun; Myong, Na Hye; Park, Jin Wan

Original Article

Korean Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 2006;49(8):1697-1705.
Published online August 1, 2006.

The usefulness of vascular endothelial growth factor as a prognostic factor in uterine cervix cancer.

¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea. parkdkog@hanmail.net
²Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to determine the relationship between the VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor) expression and histopathologic prognostic factors and 5-year survival rate. METHODS: We examined the expression of the VEGF by immunohistochemical staining in 40 specimens collected from invasive uterine cervix cancer patients. We compared the results of relationship between the VEGF expression and several histopathologic prognostic factors by using Fisher exact test for statistical analysis. RESULTS: All specimens showed low or high immunoreactivity. There was no significant correlation between the expression of the VEGF and histopathologic prognostic factors (p>0.05) except for pathological cell types (p<0.05). Parametrial invasion, the stage and age showed statistically significant correlation with 5 year survival rate (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant correlation between the VEGF expression and 5 year survival rate. CONCLUSION: VEGF expression had no relation with prognostic factors except for histopathologic cell types. Its expression may not play an important role in the prognosis of the uterine cervix cancer patients.

Key Words: Uterine cervix cancer, Vascular endothelial growth factor, Survival prognosis, Immunohistochemistry