Chapter category: Angiogenesis
VEGF in Esophageal Cancer
VEGF and Cancer
Edited by: Judith H. HarmeyISBN: 0-306-47988-5
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Chapter authors:
Axel Kleespies, Markus Guba, Karl-Walter Jauch and Christiane J. Bruns
Esophageal carcinoma growth is relatively fast and patients generally have a poor prognosis. The influence of angiogenesis and pro-angiogenic molecules such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on progression and recurrence of esophageal carcinoma has been debated over the last years. In this chapter we review published work about VEGF expression in esophageal carcinoma. VEGF contributes to the aggressive characteristics of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and appears to correlate with tumor stage as well as patient prognosis. Raised levels of circulating serum VEGF have been found in many esophageal carcinoma patients. In Barrett«s dysplasia and adenocarcinoma (AC) of the esophagus, angiogenic properties are acquired in the early stages of the disease, particularly in pre-cancerous lesions. However VEGF expression patterns in AC fail to give prognostic information. VEGF-C expression appears to be associated with advanced disease and lymphatic tumor invasion in esophageal SCC and AC. It remains controversial how treatment response to chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) is influenced by VEGF expression, vascular permeability or interstitial fluid pressure. Early results on experimental blockade of VEGF and its receptors are promising and gene therapy may prove to be a useful way of delivering anti-VEGF treatment.
Additional chapters from this book:
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and Its Role in Non-Endothelial Cells: Autocrine Signalling by VEGF
Angela M. Duffy, David J. Bouchier-Hayes and Judith H. Harmey
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent angiogenic factor and was first described as an essential growth factor for vascular endothelial cells. VEGF is up-regulated in many tumors and ...
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Malignant Disease of the Central Nervous System
David Stefanik
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is a major contributor to the growth of malignant tumors of the central nervous system. It stimulates tumor angiogenesis and vascular proliferation characte...
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D: Biology, Functions and Role in Cancer
Sarah E. Duff and Gordon C. Jayson
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors (VEGF)-C and VEGF-D are angiogenic and lymphangiogenic members of the VEGF family. These two growth factors form a subgroup by virtue of their structural and func...
Effects of Fibrinogen and Associated Peptide Fragments on the Activation of Human Endothelial Cells by VEGF in Vitro
Carolyn A. Staton, Nicola J. Brown and Claire E. Lewis
Angiogenesis, the development of new blood vessels from existing vasculature involves the migration, proliferation and differentiation of endothelial cells and is crucial for the growth and metastas...
Targeting VEGF in Pancreatic Cancer
Cheryl H. Baker, Carmen C. Solorzano and Isaiah J. Fidler
The progressive growth and metastasis of neoplasms, including pancreatic cancers, depend, in part, on angiogenesis, the extent of which is determined by the balance between pro-angiogenic and anti-a...
VEGF in Hematopoietic Malignancy
Philip T. Murphy and John Quinn
Increasing evidence suggests that angiogenesis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of all major hematopoietic malignancies. For example, increased angiogenesis has been correlated with risk ...
VEGF in Colorectal Cancer
Markus Guba, Hendrik Seeliger, Karl-Walter Jauch and Christiane J. Bruns
Angiogenesis plays an important role in colorectal cancer progression. Evidence from preclinical and clinical studies indicates that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the predominant angi...
VEGF in Esophageal Cancer
Axel Kleespies, Markus Guba, Karl-Walter Jauch and Christiane J. Bruns
Esophageal carcinoma growth is relatively fast and patients generally have a poor prognosis. The influence of angiogenesis and pro-angiogenic molecules such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VE...
VEGF and Tumor Progression in Human Melanoma
Domenico Ribatti, Angelo Vacca and Franco Dammacco
Angiogenesis occurs in pathological conditions, such as tumors, where a specific critical point is the transition from the avascular to the vascular phase. Tumor angiogenesis depends mainly on the r...
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Breast Cancer
Tilmann Lantzsch and Lukas Hefler
Breast cancer, as with most solid tumors, needs to develop the angiogenic phenotype for invasiveness, progression and metastasis. Several studies have determined that the degree of peritumoral vascu...
Molecular Mechanisms of VEGF-Induced Angiogenesis
Sandra Donnini, Marina Ziche and Lucia Morbidelli
Angiogenesis is a complex process that occurs in a series of inter-related steps, and involves the release of pro-angiogenic factors. One of the most important angiogenic factors is vascular endothe...
Hypoxic Regulation of VEGF
Nina S. Levy, Ilana Goldberg-Cohen and Andrew P. Levy
The induction of VEGF is an important step in the angiogenic response to hypoxia. Molecular studies have determined that VEGF is regulated primarily at the level of the mRNA. Specifically, hypoxia l...
VEGF and Its Receptors
Napoleone Ferrara
The development of a vascular supply is a highly complex process. Work done over the last decade has elucidated the critical role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the regulation of no...
Crosstalk Between VEGF and Bcl-2 in Tumor Progression and Angiogenesis
Donatella Del Bufalo, Daniela Trisciuoglio and Michele Milella
The study of genes involved in angiogenesis allows clarification of molecular and cellular events related to this phenomenon, as well as identification of new prognostic markers and new targets ...
