Abstract

Vascular endothelial growth factor in malignant and non malignant prostatic tissue. Association with tumor recurrence at one year after prostatectomy Background: Prostate cancer (PC) is the second cause of death by cancer in men in Chile. Its behavior is so variable that it is necessary to search reliable prognostic markers. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is one of the most powerful pro-angiogenic factors. There is no agreement on its validity as a diagnostic or prognostic factor. Aim: To search for VEFG in prostatic tissue. Material and Methods: This study was performed in prostatectomy tissue coming from 41 patients with PC and 39 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Specimens were studied using immunohistochemical staining for VEGF. The percentage of stained glandular cells per patient was calculated and associated with pathological diagnosis in cancer patients. Results: PC biopsies had a mean of 82% of VEGF (+) stained cells, while BPH had only 1.6% (p < 0.01). No relationship was found between the percentage of staining and recurrence at one year of follow-up in the case of PC. Conclusions: These results would rule out VEGF as a prognostic factor in this series of patients. (Rev Med Chile 2013; 141: 153-159).