Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor and their correlation with cervical lymph node metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Objective To investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and its possible role in cervical lymph node metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods The expression of VEGF and bFGF was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 15 NPC with cervical lymph node metastasis, 20 NPC without lymph node metastasis or metastasis in other sites, 20 nasopharyngeal epithelial dysplasias and 10 nasopharyngitises. Results ① A significant difference was observed between the VEGF-positive rate in NPC ( 48.6% ) and in non-NPC controls ( 6.7% , P=0.000), although we could not find a relationship between the VEGF expression in primary lesions and in lymph node metastatic lesions. And a significant difference was also shown between the frequency of VEGF positivity in patients with cervical lymph node metastasis ( 73.3% ) and in those without lymph node metastasis (30%, P=0.018). ② The bFGF-positive rate in patients with NPC was significantly higher than that in those with non-NPC (P=0.031), but no correlation was found between bFGF expression and age, sex, tumor histologic type, N stage or tumor clinical stage. Conclusion VEGF expression may play an important role in the development of tumor and in predicting patients at risk of cervical lymph node metastasis from NPC. bFGF may also be involved in the growth of NPC but with no correlation with cervical lymph node metastasis in NPC.