Elevated Hepatocyte Growth Factor Level Correlates With Poor Outcome in Early-Stage and Late-Stage Adenocarcinoma of the Lung

Abstract

The 5-year survival rate for patients with all stages of lung cancer combined is only 15%. The survival rate is 48% for patients in whom disease is localized when detected, demonstrating that even when diagnosis occurs at an early stage of disease, relapse and death are common. Thus, identifying prognostic markers is critical for predicting patient survival in early disease and for determining proper therapeutic strategies. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a pleiotropic protein that induces cell proliferation and cell movement,12 and is a powerful angiogenic factor.