Markers of angiogenesis and epidermal growth factor receptor signalling in patients with pancreatic and gastroesophageal junction cancer

Cancer Biomark. 2010;7(3):141-51. doi: 10.3233/CBM-2010-0157.

Abstract

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and angiogenesis are well established targets in anti-cancer therapy. Several targeted anti-cancer therapies are in clinical trials in pancreatic and gastroesophageal (GEJ) cancer. However, many patients do not respond to these targeted therapies and there is therefore an increasing need for biomarkers for selection of patients to these therapies. We investigated the expression of EGFR, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), and VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) in tumour tissue by immunohistochemistry, and soluble EGFR (sEGFR), soluble VEGFR-2 (sVEGFR-2), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), placental growth factor (PlGF), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), and different forms of the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR): uPAR (I), uPAR (I-III), and uPAR (I-III)+(II-III) in plasma by quantitative immunoassays in 14 patients with pancreatic and GEJ cancer. We found expression in tumour tissue and the plasma levels to be similar to those found in patients with other tumour types. No correlation was found between the blood levels of soluble receptors and the corresponding tumour tissue levels. We conclude that these markers are present in pancreatic and GEJ cancer patients, and could be investigated further as predictive biomarkers in such patients treated with EGFR or angiogenesis targeted therapies.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / blood
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Carcinoma / blood
  • Carcinoma / blood supply
  • Carcinoma / diagnosis*
  • Carcinoma / metabolism
  • Early Detection of Cancer / methods
  • ErbB Receptors / metabolism*
  • ErbB Receptors / physiology
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / blood
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / blood supply
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Female
  • Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / blood
  • Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / blood supply
  • Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / metabolism*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / blood
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / blood supply
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Prognosis
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • ErbB Receptors