Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Primary Carcinoma of the Esophagus

Objective To investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in primary esophageal carcinoma and its relation to the tumor angiogenesis. Methods Surgical specimens from 40 primary esophageal carcinoma were examined for VEGF expression and microvascular density by immunohistochemical staining. Results Twenty seven (67.5%) of the 40 esophageal carcinoma were positive for VEGF protein expression. There was a correlation between the VEGF expression positivity and the microvascular density ( P 0 05). There was a close correlation between the VEGF expression positivity and the incidence of lymph node metastasis ( P 0.01). Conclusion The VEGF expression positivity was well related to the tumor angiogenesis and the lymph node metastasis.