Objective: To analyze the correlation of preoperative serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level with serum CA125 level in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), and to evaluate the prognostic value of preoperative serum VEGF in these patients.
Methods: Forty-one patients with EOC were included as study group, while 20 healthy women were selected as control group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and chemiluminescence assay were used to measure serum VEGF and CA125 level respectively. The correlations of serum VEGF with CA125 level, postoperative recurrence rate and survival time were analyzed retrospectively.
Results: Serum VEGF levels in patients with EOC were higher than those in healthy women, with the median of 415 and 165 ng/L, range 110-2120 and 100-735 ng/L respectively (P<0.01). No correlation was found between preoperative serum VEGF and CA125 level (Spearman test, P=0.989). High preoperative serum VEGF was positively correlated with postoperative recurrence. Serum VEGF level in patients with postoperative recurrence was higher than that in patients without recurrence, with the median of 490 and 315 ng/L respectively (P=0.035). Univariate analysis showed that higher serum level was reversely correlated with shorter survival. Median overall survival time in patients with higher serum VEGF level and lower serum VEGF level was 18 months and >35 months respectively (P=0.010). Multivariate Cox model analysis showed that high VEGF level was an independent factor for the prognosis of EOC (P=0.042).
Conclusion: Preoperative serum VEGF level is not correlated with CA125 concentration in patients with EOC, and it is an independent risk factor for prognosis.