Serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in patients undergoing prostate biopsy for suspicion of prostate cancer

Objectives. To analyze the correlation between serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and biopsy findings in patients with a suspicion of prostate cancer. Methods. Serum levels of VEGF were measured on frozen, archival serum obtained before prostate biopsy in 47 patients with clinical and/or biologic suspicion of prostate cancer. VEGF-A levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. The prostate biopsies showed cancer in 27 patients (group 1) and benign tissue in the remaining 20 patients (group 2). No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in age, digital rectal examination findings, total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, free PSA levels, and complexed PSA levels. The mean prostate volume was significantly lower in group 1 (45.5 g versus 53.9 g; P = 0.04), and the mean percentage of free PSA (free PSA/total PSA) was significantly lower in group 1 (11.3% versus 19%; P = 0.0003). Serum VEGF-A levels were not significantly different between the two groups. The mean VEGF level was 90.6 pg/mL in group 1 and 107.9 pg/mL in group 2 (P = 0.55). Multivariate analysis showed that VEGF-A levels were not predictive of prostate cancer. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that serum VEGF-A is not helpful to predict prostate cancer in patients with clinical and/or biologic suspicion of prostate cancer.