Serum VEGF-C is associated with metastatic site in patients with malignant melanoma

Figures & data

Table I.  Key characteristics of the patients.

Variable	Number
Patients	64
Gender
Male	39
Female	25
Age (years)
Median (range)	62 (30–75)
Overall survival (months)
Median (range)	42 (5–265)
Survival after the initiation of therapy (months)
Median (range)	9 (0.3–73)
Time to progression (months)
Median (range)	4 (0.3–73)
Previous treatment^1
No treatment	22
Radiotherapy	11
Surgery	42
Interferon-α	8
Treatment arms
Dacarbazine + interferon-α	33
BOLD^2+interferon-α	31
Number of metastatic sites
One site	15
Two or more sites	49
Metastatic sites
Bone	17
Liver	27
Lung	33
Deep lymph nodes	15
Superficial lymph nodes	29
Skin/subcutaneous	22
Other sites	20
Treatment response
Complete response	6
Partial response	5
Stable disease	23
Progressive disease	25
Not evaluated	5

¹Eight patients had both radiotherapy and surgery, six patients had surgery combined with interferon-α and two patients had both radiotherapy and surgery combined with interferon-α.

²dacarbazine, vincristine, bleomycin and lomustine.

Figure 1.  Serum VEGF-C levels related to the site of the primary tumour. NUD – non ultra descriptus (unknown primary site). The amount of the analysed mucosal melanomas is two.

Table II.  Serum VEGF-C levels and metastatic sites.

The main site of metastasis	n	VEGF-C pg/ml (Mean)
Skin, subcutaneous only	22	1643*
Superficial nodes^1	29	2298
Deep nodes^2	15	2827
Lung^2	33	2024
Liver^2	27	2436

¹Metastases also present in the skin and subcutis in some patients.

²Metastases also in other sites in some patients.

*p = 0.033 between skin/subcutaneous vs. other sites.

Table III.  VEGF-C levels of the patients in different treatment arms.

Arm	DTIC + IFN-α^1	BOLD + IFN-α^2	mean PFS^3
Serum VEGF-C below
Median (<1 590 pg/ml)	11 (33.3%)	21 (67.7%)	9.45
Serum VEGF-C above
median (>1 590 pg/ml)	22 (66.7%)	10 (32.3%)	7.68

¹Dacarbazine combined with subcutaneous interferon-α therapy.

²Dacarbazine, vincristine, bleomycin and lomustine combined with subcutaneous interferon-α therapy.

³Progression-free survival (months).