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Serum endostatin and bFGF as predictive factors in advanced breast cancer patients treated with letrozole

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Abstract

Introduction

To investigate the value of baseline serum levels of VEGF, bFGF, endostatin and their ratio as predictive factors of response to endocrine therapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and positive ER treated with letrozole after tamoxifen failure.

Materials and method

The serum levels of endostatin, VEGF and bFGF were determined in post-menopausal patients with progressing MBC from serum samples obtained before initiation of letrozole. The relation between serum angiogenic factor levels and TTP was investigated.

Results

Seventy-six patients (45.2%) presented a high endostatin level (>24.6 ng/ml), 40% low bFGF levels (0 pg/ml) and 50.4% low VEGF (≤187 ng/ml). With a median follow-up of 22 months, the median TTP was 12.3 months. Median TTP was worse in patients with high endostatin concentration as well as in the low bFGF group, but was not affected when VEGF was considered. When the two factors were combined, the median TTP of patients with endostatin >24.6 ng/ml and bFGF equal 0 pg/ml was 9.5 months versus 19.5 months in patients with endostatin ≤24.6 ng/ml and bFGF>0 pg/ml.

Conclusions

The baseline levels of bFGF and endostatin are predictive factors of efficacy in patients with MBC treated with letrozole and can select groups with different TTP.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Valenciano de Oncología (IVO), Valencia, Spain

    Antonio Llombart & Vicente Soriano

  2. Centro Oncológico de Galicia, A Coruña, Spain

    Manuel Ramos

  3. Hospital Cabueñes, Gijón, Spain

    Roberto Fernández

  4. Hospital Clínico Universitario, Zaragoza, Spain

    José Ignacio Mayordomo

  5. Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain

    Ignasi Tusquets

  6. Institut Catalá d'Oncologia (ICO), Badalona, Spain

    Miguel Gil & Agustí Barnadas

  7. Hospital Carlos Haya, Málaga, Spain

    Francisco Carabante

  8. Hospital Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, Spain

    Manuel Ruiz

  9. Hospital de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain

    Ruth Vera

  10. Hospital Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain

    Isabel Palomero

  11. Institut Catala d'Oncologia (ICO), Girona, Spain

    Ramón Colomer

  12. Service of Oncology, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, Campus Teatinos, s/n, 29010, Málaga, Spain

    Emilio Alba, Nuria Ribelles & Jesús González

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  1. Emilio Alba
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  2. Antonio Llombart
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Correspondence to Emilio Alba.

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Alba, E., Llombart, A., Ribelles, N. et al. Serum endostatin and bFGF as predictive factors in advanced breast cancer patients treated with letrozole. Clin Transl Oncol 8, 193–199 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-006-0010-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-006-0010-3

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