Relationship between the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and the prognosis of primary lung cancer patients

Objective To investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and its relationship with proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA)and the prognosis of primary lung cancer patients.Methods The VEGF and PCNA as well as p53 expression were examined using immunohistochemistry with monoclonal antibody in 78 surgical samples of primary lung cancer.Results VEGF expression was positive in 94.87% primary lung cancer patients.It had a positive relation with the PCNA expression(rs=0.568,P0.001),but no relation with the p53 expression(rs=0.217,P0.05).In patients with lymph node metastasis,VEGF high expression was 60.38%(32/53).While in no lymph node metastasis patients,VEGF high expression was 24.00%(6/25)(χ2=8.997,P0.005).In high VEGF expression patients,the 5 year survival rate was 5.3%.But it was 35.0% in VEGF low expression patients(χ2=10.569,P0.005).Cox analysis showed that the VEGF expression can work as a independent marker of prognosis.Conclusion The over-expression of VEGF plays an important role in the growth and metastasis of primary lung cancer and it can effect the patients' prognosis.