Status of the VEGF expression in Indian gastric cancer patients

Background Gastric carcinogenesis is poorly understood as it takes a complex multifactorial pathway. Tumour angiogenesis is important for growth and metastasis of solid tumours and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors (VEGFR) have a major role. Aim To investigate the immunohistochemical expression of VEGF in gastric cancer patients. Methods An immunohistochemical analysis was done to identify the presence of VEGF in locally advanced (T4) gastric cancer patients. The results were studied by blinded pathologists to avoid bias. Results 29 gastric adenocarcinoma patients were included in the study group of which twenty-one of them were men. Age group varied from 37 to 83 years. Fourteen of them stained positive for VEGF of which eight were men. Based on grading, nine of twentyone well-differentiated tumours were positive, three of five moderately differentiated tumours were positive and two of three poorly differentiated tumours were positive. Conclusion Our study demonstrated the expression of VEGF in gastric cancer. More extensive studies will confirm the significance of VEGF and its receptors in gastric cancer and new therapeutic approaches targeting VEGF and receptors may also be considered. So far no similar studies are available from this part of the world.