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Immunohistochemical expression of VEGF predicts response to platinum based chemotherapy in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

For patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cytoreduction, with a combination of taxane and platinum, is the standard of care. Despite this, approximately 50% of patients with advanced disease will relapse and moreover 15–20% of cases of EOC are resistant to platinum based chemotherapy. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), an angiogenic factor, is associated with poor prognosis. This study was undertaken to examine whether there is an association between VEGF-A expression in the tumour of EOC patients and their response to platinum based chemotherapy.

Methods

The study cohort consisted of 66 patients with advanced stage EOC (FIGO III-IV). Ovarian cancer tissue was analysed for VEGF-A expression immunohistochemically. Protein expression was measured and correlated, with platinum sensitivity and overall patient survival.

Results

Median age of patients was 53 years, 45 patients had platinum sensitive disease (68%), the remaining patients being platinum resistant (32%). Of the platinum resistant group, 18 (86%) patients had high VEGF score compared to only 1 (2%) with high VEGF score in the platinum sensitive group. Median survival was 11 months in the patient group with high VEGF score versus 32 months in that cohort with low VEGF score. VEGF expression was significantly inversely correlated with overall survival (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

We demonstrated that tumours of patients with platinum resistant EOC exhibit higher levels of VEGF expression compared to the platinum sensitive group. VEGF in EOC, may be of clinical and therapeutic relevance and suggests a role for first line anti-angiogenic therapy.

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Acknowledgment

Authors received grand support from Cancer Research UK (G. M. B, R. H. J. B) Programme Grant C34-A5149 and Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) (G. M. B, M. R, R. H. J. B). This work was undertaken at UCL, who secured a proportion of funding from the Department of Health–National Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre Funding Scheme.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrivs and Gynaecology, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, UK

    G. K. Siddiqui, A. B. Maclean & A. Wong te Fong

  2. Division of Gynaecological Oncology, Tawam Hospital in affiliation with John Hopkins, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

    K. Elmasry

  3. Research Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, UK

    R. W. Morris & M. Rashid

  4. Research Department of Oncology, UCL Cancer Institute, Paul O’Gorman Building, 72 Huntley St, WC1E 6BT, London, UK

    R. H. J. Begent & G. M. Boxer

Authors
  1. G. K. Siddiqui
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  2. A. B. Maclean
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  3. K. Elmasry
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  7. R. H. J. Begent
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  8. G. M. Boxer
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Correspondence to G. K. Siddiqui.

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Siddiqui, G.K., Maclean, A.B., Elmasry, K. et al. Immunohistochemical expression of VEGF predicts response to platinum based chemotherapy in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. Angiogenesis 14, 155–161 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10456-010-9199-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10456-010-9199-4

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