Abstract
As a promoter of angiogenesis, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is believed to play a pivotal role in tumour growth and metastasis. The aim of this study was to determine the value of preoperative serum VEGF levels in the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer and in the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses. We examined preoperative serum VEGF levels in healthy women (n = 131), patients with benign ovarian cysts (n = 81) and in ovarian cancer patients (n = 44) by using an ELISA (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA). A logistic regression model was carried out to determine the influence of VEGF and CA 125 on the probability of malignancy. VEGF revealed a significant influence on the odds of presenting with malignancy vs healthy women (P = 0.001). At 363.7 pg ml(-1), VEGF achieved a sensitivity of 54% and a specificity of 77%. With respect to the differentiation between benign cysts and ovarian cancer, CA 125 (P < 0.0001) but not VEGF (P = 0.229) predicts the presence of malignancy in a multivariate model. In conclusion, VEGF does not appear to be a useful tool in the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer or for indicating the absence or presence of malignancy in patients with an adnexal mass.
Highlights
Serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels and the presence of ovarian carcinoma compared with healthy women The overall median VEGF concentration was 256.8 pg ml-l (0-2835 pg ml-')
The median serum VEGF levels were 218.9pg ml-' for the healthy patients, 290.8 pg ml' (69.3-719.7 pg ml-') for the benign ovarian cyst group and 379.7 pg ml' (64.2-2835 pg ml-') for the ovarian carcinoma group (Figure 1)
In a univariate logistic regression model, VEGF revealed a significant influence on the odds of presenting with malignancy vs healthy women (P = 0.001)
Summary
The aim of this study was to determine the value of preoperative serum VEGF levels in the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer and in the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses. The aim of the present study was to compare preoperative serum levels of VEGF and the tumour marker CA 125 in healthy patients, in patients with benign ovarian cysts and in ovarian carcinoma patients, with regard to their value in the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer or in the differential diagnosis of the adnexal mass
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