Expression of vascular endothelian growth factor-C does not predict occult lymphnode metastasis in early oral squamous cell carcinoma

Autor(es)

Faustino, S. E. S. ^[1] ; Oliveira, D. T. ^[1] ; Nonogaki, S. ^[2] ; Landman, G. ^[3] ; Carvalho, A. L. ^[4] ; Kowalski, L. P. ^[4]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Bauru Sch Dent, Dept Stomatol, Area Pathol, Bauru - Brazil

^[2] Adolfo Lutz Inst, Div Pathol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[3] AC Camargo Canc Hosp, Dept Pathol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[4] AC Camargo Canc Hosp, Dept Otorhinolaryngol Head & Neck Surg, Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; v. 37, n. 4, p. 372-378, APR 2008.
• Citações Web of Science: 16

Resumo

Strong vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) expression has been correlated to occurrence of lymph-node metastases in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The incidence of occult lymph-node metastasis remains a decisive factor in the prognosis of patients with early OSCC. The aim of this study was to evaluate VEGF-C expression as a predictor of occult lymph-node metastasis in OSCC. Eighty-seven patients with primary OSCC arising in the tongue or floor of mouth, clinically T1N0M0 or T2N0M0, with (pN+) and without (pN0) occult lymph-node metastases were analyzed for VEGF-C expression by malignant cells. Occult lymph-node metastases (pN+) were detected in 22% of the 64 patients who were submitted to elective neck dissection. No statistically significant difference was found between OSCC with and without occult lymph-node metastasis in regard to VEGF-C immunoexpression by malignant cells and clinicopathologic features. Independently of VEGF-C expression, lymph-node metastasis (PN+) was the most significant prognostic factor for overall survival of patients with OSCC (p = 0.030). These findings indicate that isolated VEGF-C expression by malignant cells is not of predictive value for occult lymph-node metastasis in the early stages of OSCC. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 05/04577-4 - Influência do VEGF-C e da densidade de vasos linfáticos nas metástases linfonodais e no prognóstico de pacientes com carcinoma espinocelular de boca
• Beneficiário: Denise Tostes Oliveira
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular