Expression of vasculoendothelial and plate growth factors in primary colorectal tumor as a predictor of early recurrence

The prognostic factors that determine colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment are disease status, tumor grade, microsatellite instability, invasion degree, and the index of proliferative activity. However, the assessment of the adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer does not imply the assessment of angiogenic factors in a primary tumor. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the prognostic role of PDGFAA and VEGFA expression in tumor tissue of stages II/III colorectal cancers. Materials and Methods. Paraffin blocks of primary CRC tumor (n=50) were used as study material. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to examine the expression of vasculoendothelial and platelet growth factors and calculate IHC score in the tumor parenchyma and CRC stroma. Results. According to IHC staining, CRC tumor expresses VEGFA and PDGFAA factors in 92 % of cases, in the resection line - in 37 % of the samples. There were no differences in VEGFA and PDGFAA expression in tumor parenchyma in CRC, depending on the process stage and grade degree. The cumulative risk of disease progression within a year after surgery in patients with stage II/III CRC with VEGFA+PDGFAA overexpression in the primary tumor is 4.9 times higher (CI 2.123-11.089, p=0.011) compared to the group of patients with reduced expression of the studied angiogenic factors. Conclusions. The data obtained suggest that co-expression of angiogenic VEGFA and PDGFAA factors in the tumor may reflect the initial CRC regarding neoangiogenesis. If VEGFA and/or PDGFAA IHC score is more or equal to 6, the risk of disease recurrence within 1 year from the start of medical observation increases, which is an unfavorable prognostic factor.