Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A (VEGF-A) as a Biomarker in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck Patients Undergoing Chemoradiotherapy

Background: To evaluate serum VEGF-A levels in squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN)patients and relationships with response to therapy. Materials and
Methods: Serum VEGF-A levels in patients(n=72) treated with radiotherapy (RT) or radio-chemotherapy (RCT) and controls (n=40) were measured byELISA.
Results: Serum VEGF-A levels of the SCCHN cases were significantly higher (p=0.001) than in healthycontrols, and in patients with positive as compared to negative lymph node status (p=0.004). Similarly, patientswith advanced stage (Stage III-IV) disease had more greatly elevated levels of serum VEGF-A level than theirearly stage (Stage I-II) counterparts (p=0.001). In contrast, there was no significant difference (p=0.57) inserum level of VEGF-A in patients with advanced T-stage (T3-4) as compared to early stage (T1-2). Similarly,patients with distant metastasis had no significant (p=0.067) elevation in serum VEGF-A level as compared tonon-metastatic disease. However, the non-responder patients had significantly higher serum VEGF-A level ascompared to responders (p=0.001).
Conclusions: Our results suggest that the serum VEGF-A level may be auseful biomarker for the prediction of response to therapy in SCCHN.