[Vascular endothelial growth factor in non-small cell lung carcinoma expression and its significance].

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the relationship between the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the angiogenesis, invasion, prognostic value in non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: 53 patients with NSCLC after radical resection were evaluated. A significantly higher microvessel density (MVD) was observed in the tumors with high expression of VEGF compared with that of the low expression (P < 0.001). 29 patients (80%, 29/33) with the high expression of VEGF showed lymph node metastasis and 4 patients (27%, 4/15) unlymph node metastasis (P < 0.001). By Cox's proportional hazard model analysis, the expression of VEGF was considered an independent predictor for the prognosis of NSCLC. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of VEGF has a significant correlation among MVD, growth, invasion, and lymph node metastasis. The patient with the tumor of the higher expression of VEGF and MVD may have poor prognosis. VEGF may be an independent predictor of prognosis.