Vascular endothelial growth factor: A potential prognosticator in Ewing sarcoma

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key angiogenic factor involved in cancer development and prognosis.
• The prognostic value of VEGF in Ewing sarcoma (ES), a rare bone cancer, requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the prognostic significance of VEGF expression in patients with Ewing sarcoma.
• To determine if VEGF immunoexpression correlates with survival outcomes in metastatic ES.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 105 histopathologically confirmed Ewing sarcoma cases (2014-2018).
• Immunohistochemical staining for VEGF performed on tumor tissues.
• Classification of VEGF intensity and correlation with clinical data, including metastatic status and survival.

Main Results:

• VEGF immunostaining patterns were analyzed in non-metastatic (n=53) and metastatic (n=52) ES cohorts.
• Metastatic ES patients with >25% VEGF-positive tumor cells or moderate/strong immunostaining showed significantly inferior overall survival (OS) (P = 0.008).
• Treatment-naïve metastatic patients had poorer OS, while those receiving definitive surgery and completing treatment had better OS.

Conclusions:

• VEGF is identified as an independent prognostic marker in metastatic Ewing sarcoma.
• These findings suggest potential therapeutic implications for targeting VEGF in advanced ES.
• Further validation in larger prospective studies is recommended.