Objective: To measure plasma levels of VEGF, bFGF and MMP-9 in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and evaluate their prognostic value.
Methods: The plasma levels of VEGF, bFGF and MMP-9 in 46 cases with advanced NSCLC were measured by ELISA before chemotherapy and in 30 cases after chemotherapy.
Results: The plasma levels of VEGF, bFGF and MMP-9 in patients before chemotherapy were significantly higher than those in healthy control persons (P < 0.05). The correlation between plasma levels of VEGF and bFGF was significant, Spearman's r = 0.329 (P = 0.027). No correlation was found among the levels of angiogenic factors studied above and the following clinical parameters such as age, sex, histological subtype, differentiation of tumor cells, TNM-stage and also blood leukocyte, hemoglobin and platelet counts. The plasma level of MMP-9 in patients with extensive metastasis (including bone metastasis) was significantly higher than that in patients with bone metastasis only (P = 0.013). Reduction of plasma bFGF level after chemotherapy was a unique independent good prognostic factor (RR = 11.737, P = 0.02).
Conclusion: The measurement of plasma levels of such angiogenic factors as VEGF, bFGF and MMP-9 in advanced NSCLC is helpful for prediction of metastasis tendency and evaluation of prognosis.