Prognostic value of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptor Flt-1 in squamous cell lung cancer.

Tumor specimens from 109 patients with previously untreated squamous cell lung carcinomas were analyzed immunohistologically for the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor Flt-1. Our analysis attempted to determine whether these factors have additional prognostic value for the patients' survival. VEGF staining was seen in 59% and Flt-1 staining in 68% of the cases. No significant correlations were detected between VEGF or Flt-1 expression and stage or metastasis. Patients with VEGF-stained tumors had significantly lower survival times than patients with negative tumors. Expression of Flt-1 showed no significant correlation with survival. Combining VEGF and Flt-1 expressions did not improve the prognostic value. Multivariate analysis showed that metastasis and VEGF expression are significant and independent prognostic factors for the survival of patients with squamous cell lung carcinomas.