Basic fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor serum levels in breast cancer patients and healthy women: useful as diagnostic tools?

Table 1 Tumor and serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in relation to clinical, pathological and biological characteristics in breast cancer patients

	Tumor VEGF			Serum VEGF
	Number of cases	% positive cells [median (range)]	P	Number of cases	Serum level (pg/ml) [median (range)]	P
Age
51–70 years	40	65 (10–100)	0.91	43	180.5 (30.8–768.4)	0.11
> 70 years	22	65 (5–100)		26	241.5 (22.7–953.5)
Histotype
Ductal	53	70 (5–100)		56	189.9 (30.8–953.5)	0.71
Others	9	50 (10–75)		13	238.4 (22.7–456.8)
Tumor size
≤ 2 cm	42	70 (10–100)	0.09	49	193.6 (30.8–953.5)	0.42
> 2 cm	20	47.5 (5–90)		19	144.5 (22.7–561.0)
Node status
Node-negative	30	70 (15–95)	0.22	34	204.4 (36.6–768.4)	0.50
Node-positive	27	60 (5–100)		25	144.5 (22.7–953.5)
Grade
1–2	38	75 (10–100)	0.05	40	183.7 (30.8–768.4)	0.348
3	11	35 (5–90)		11	144.5 (36.3–953.5)
Steroid status
ER-positive	43	70 (10–95)	0.05	47	187.0 (30.8–953.5)	0.45
ER-negative	10	30 (5–90)		10	270.8 (48.3–768.4)
PgR-positive	31	65 (10–95)	0.72	34	187.1 (30.8–953.5)	0.70
PgR-negative	22	67.5 (5–95)		23	193.6 (48.3–674.1)

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