Background/aim: Melanoma represents one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. With the rapid increases in the incidence of melanoma in the United States, Australia and Europe over the last decades, melanoma has been considered an epidemic cancer in these areas. The aim of our study was to evaluate the utility of osteoprotegerin (OPG), osteopontin (OPN), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor VEGF for the diagnosis and prognosis of melanoma.
Patients and methods: Overall, 322 individuals were assessed: 183 melanoma patients and 139 healthy individuals. Melanoma patients were divided into four subgroups according to the Breslow score. OPN, OPG, EGF, and VEGF were determined in each plasma sample.
Results: The serum levels of the following biomarkers were statistically significantly higher in the melanoma group compared to the control group: OPG and, OPN (p<0.0001), EGF (p=0.0379). In the first stage, OPG (p=0.0236) and OPN (p=0.0327) showed a statistically significant increase. Concerning positive and negative sentinel node metastases a statistically significant change was observed in: OPN (p<0.0001), EGF (p=0.0114), VEGF (p=0.0114).
Conclusion: OPG and OPN are promising biomarkers of early-stage melanoma. EGF and VEGF appear to be prognostic biomarkers.
Keywords: Breslow score; EGF; Melanoma; OPG; OPN; VEGF; sentinel node.
Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.