[Change and clinic significance of serum VEGF level before and after breast cancer patients treated].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of breast cancer operation and post-operation therapy on the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) serum level of patients with breast cancer, and the correlation between the VEGF serum level and the treatment effect with disease prognosis. METHODS: By ELISA method, the serum VEGF levels in 44 patients with invasive ductal breast cancer were measured on 1 day before operation, on day 1, 3, 7, 30 and 120 after the resection operation. The proteins of VEGF, ER, PR, PS2 and C-erbB-2 were evaluated by immunohistochemistry LSAB method. RESULTS: Compared with serum level before operation, the VEGF level on day 1 after surgery decreased significantly (P < 0.001). The VEGF serum levels on post-operation day 3 and 7 increased obviously, much higher than preoperative level and that on post-operation day 1 (P < 0.001). The VEGF level almost returned to preoperative level by 30 days after operation. In the 44 patients with breast cancer, there were 29 patients whose VEGF levels on day 120 were much lower than preoperative levels and that on post-operation day 1 (VEGF decrease group, P < 0.01), but 15 patients showing the opposite change (VEGF increase group, P < 0.01). The VEGF level difference between the two groups could be found statistically on day 120 after operation (P < 0.01), but no difference on post-operation day 1, 3, 7 and 30. The median levels of lower ER and higher C-erbB-2 expression were showed in VEGF increase group's patients than in VEGF decrease group's patients. There were the high lymph nodes positive rate and late clinical stage in VEGF increase group's patients. CONCLUSIONS: The surgical operation with other therapy can significantly decrease the VEGF serum level in patients with breast cancer. There is a close correlation between serum VEGF level and treatment effect with disease prognosis. The VEGF serum level may be one of important indexes in monitor forecast of therapy efficiency and disease prognosis.