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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

An Orthotopic Murine Model of Human Prostate Cancer Metastasis
Published on: September 18, 2013
Cyclooxygenase-2 expression is associated with vascular endothelial growth factor-C and lymph node metastases in
Jin-Ming Di1, Jing Zhou, Xu-Long Zhou
1Department of Urology, Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
Background And Aims:
Recent observations suggest an implication of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in tumor lymphangiogenesis through an upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) expression. However, it is unclear whether COX-2 is also associated with VEGF-C expression, tumor lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis in human prostate cancer.
Methods:
COX-2 and VEGF-C expression were examined in tumor tissues from 58 prostate cancer patients using immunohistochemical staining. We also analyzed the association of COX-2 and VEGF-C expression with tumor lymphangiogenesis quantified as lymphatic vessel density (LVD), lymph node metastasis, and patients' biochemical progression-free survival (b-PFS).
Results:
High expression of either COX-2 or VEGF-C was correlated with tumor lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis, as well as poor b-PFS. Moreover, a strong correlation was found between expression of COX-2 and VEGF-C (r = 0.631, p <0.001).
Conclusions:
COX-2 is positively associated with VEGF-C expression, tumor lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis in prostate cancer. These findings suggest that COX-2 may play a pivotal role in lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis of prostate cancer via the regulation of VEGF-C expression.
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