Prognostic factors for response to chemotherapy in advanced tumors of the uterine cervix: the role of neoangiogenesis.

ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), its receptor (VEGFR-2), age and histological type of advanced cervical carcinomas with respect to the clinical response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Methods: we studied 40 patients with cervical carcinoma (IB2 and IVA) diagnosed by biopsies prior to treatment. All patients underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy and evaluation for clinical response and expression of VEGF. We considered a tumor regression greater than 50% as a good clinical response. Results: eighteen patients (45%) had good response to chemotherapy, and 22 (55%), poor response. VEGF expression was positive in 16 patients and negative in 24. When analyzed separately for response to chemotherapy, only the positive expression of VEGF was associated with good clinical response (p=0.0157). Conclusion: VEGF expression alone was an important marker of good response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with advanced carcinoma of the cervix.

摘要
目的：分析晚期宫颈癌患者的血管内皮生长因子（Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, VEGF）及其受体VEGFR-2的表达情况、患者年龄与组织学类型，及其与新辅助化疗临床应答的相关性。
方法：本研究纳入40例经治疗前活检确诊的宫颈癌（IB2期及IVA期）患者，所有患者均接受新辅助化疗，并对其临床应答情况及VEGF表达水平进行评估。本研究将肿瘤退缩幅度超过50%定义为良好临床应答。
结果：18例患者（45%）对化疗表现出良好应答，22例（55%）应答不佳。VEGF表达阳性者16例，阴性者24例。针对化疗应答单独分析后发现，仅VEGF阳性表达与良好临床应答存在显著相关性（p=0.0157）。
结论：在晚期宫颈癌患者中，单独的VEGF表达即可作为新辅助化疗良好应答的重要标志物。