Correlation of VEGF-C tissue expression and cervical lesion diameter on cervical cancer patients given neoadjuvant therapy

Abstract

Background: Management of cervical cancer is still debated. The diameter of cervical lesions are predictors of lymph node metastases, lymphovascular invasion, survival rates and are related to cell hypoxia. VEGF-C plays a role in the process of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis which are important for metastasis. Objective: To describe the correlation between VEGF-C tissue expression and the diameter of the cervical cancer lesion before and after being given neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Methods: We conducted an observational study using consecutive sampling in the Obstetrics Gynecology and Anatomy Pathology Department of Dr. Moewardi Hospital, the teaching hospital of the Faculty of Medicine, Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta, Indonesia. A total of 30 tissue biopsies of IB2 and IIA2 cervical cancer patients before and after undergoing Paxus-Carboplatin chemotherapy were examined for immunohistological expression of VEGF-C. The diameter of the largest cervical lesions of each patient was recorded. Result: The mean of the largest diameter of the cervical lesion prior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy was bigger than after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (5.62 vs. 3.50, p<0.001). A decrease in VEGF-C tissue expression was significantly related to the decrease in the diameter of the largest cervical lesion after neoadjuvant chemotherapy administration (p=0.008). Conclusion: There is a significant negative correlation between VEGF-C tissue expression with the diameter of the cervical lesions given neoadjuvant chemotherapy.