Correlation between vascular endothelial growth factor C expression and prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinomas after Ivor–Lewis esophagectomy

Abstract

To investigate the correlation between vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) expression and prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In all, 92 ESCC specimens were re-evaluated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction to detect VEGF-C mRNA. Correlations between VEGF-C expression and clinicopathological factors were analyzed using χ(2) test. The log-rank test was used to calculate survival rate and disease-free survival. A Cox regression multivariate analysis was performed to determine independent prognostic factors. VEGF-C mRNA expression was correlated with tumor invasion (P < 0.01), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.025), tumor stage (P < 0.01) and lymphatic invasion (P < 0.001). The 5-year survival rate in patients was significantly associated with tumor invasion (P < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (P < 0.001), tumor stage (P < 0.001) and VEGF-C mRNA expression (P = 0.001). The 5-year survival rate of patients without VEGF-C mRNA expression was significantly higher than that of the patients with VEGF-C mRNA expression (P = 0.001). Cox regression multivariate analysis confirmed that tumor invasion was the only relevant independent factor. The 5-year disease-free survival rate of patients without VEGF-C mRNA expression in esophageal cancer tissues was also significantly higher than that of the patients with VEGF-C mRNA expression (P < 0.001). Cox regression multivariate analysis confirmed that tumor invasion and VEGF-C mRNA expression were independent factors for 5-year disease-free survival. VEGF-C expression correlates with poor survival in ESCC patients. However, it is not an independent prognostic factor.