Alix Pianka1, Thomas Knösel2, Florian Andreas Probst3, Markus Troeltzsch4, Timothy Woodlock5, Sven Otto6, Michael Ehrenfeld7, Matthias Troeltzsch8. 1. Graduate Student, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany. 2. Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany. 3. Resident, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany. 4. Resident, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Georg - August University of Göttingen, Germany. 5. Medical Oncologist, Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester; and Unity Health System, Rochester, NY. 6. Associate Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany. 7. Professor and Department Chair, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany. 8. Resident, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany. Electronic address: matthias_troeltzsch@hotmail.com.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Although the clinical importance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) overexpression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has been investigated, there are limited data about the overexpression of VEGF receptors (VEGF-Rs) and their clinical importance. VEGF-R isoforms have proven influence on proliferation rates, metastasis, and survival in different neoplasms. This study was conducted to investigate VEGF-R expression levels in OSCC samples and to identify any clinical relevance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study design (n = 50) was used. Clinical data were gathered from patient charts. Validated immunohistochemical methods were applied to determine VEGF-R isoform expression by tumor cells. Descriptive and inferential statistics with respect to the variable scale were computed. The significance level was set at a P value less than or equal to .05. RESULTS: This study found overexpression of different VEGF-R isoforms in 88% of examined specimens. Statistically important associations were detected between overexpression of specific VEGF-Rs and tumor size, neck node metastasis, and tumor-associated death. Furthermore, a history of common OSCC risk factors (smoking and alcohol consumption) were found considerably more often in patients whose OSCC specimens displayed VEGF-R overexpression. CONCLUSION: These findings show that VEGF-R overexpression occurs frequently in OSCC and could have clinical implications.
PURPOSE: Although the clinical importance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) overexpression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has been investigated, there are limited data about the overexpression of VEGF receptors (VEGF-Rs) and their clinical importance. VEGF-R isoforms have proven influence on proliferation rates, metastasis, and survival in different neoplasms. This study was conducted to investigate VEGF-R expression levels in OSCC samples and to identify any clinical relevance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study design (n = 50) was used. Clinical data were gathered from patient charts. Validated immunohistochemical methods were applied to determine VEGF-R isoform expression by tumor cells. Descriptive and inferential statistics with respect to the variable scale were computed. The significance level was set at a P value less than or equal to .05. RESULTS: This study found overexpression of different VEGF-R isoforms in 88% of examined specimens. Statistically important associations were detected between overexpression of specific VEGF-Rs and tumor size, neck node metastasis, and tumor-associated death. Furthermore, a history of common OSCC risk factors (smoking and alcohol consumption) were found considerably more often in patients whose OSCC specimens displayed VEGF-R overexpression. CONCLUSION: These findings show that VEGF-R overexpression occurs frequently in OSCC and could have clinical implications.