Background: Carcinomas of the salivary glands are uncommon heterogeneous tumors characterized by locoregional invasion and distant metastasis. Angiogenesis is a necessary condition for invasion and metastasis, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is considered a prime mediator of this process. The relationship between VEGF and clinical outcome in cancers of diverse locations has been examined, yielding inconclusive results.
Patients and methods: An immunohistochemical study was conducted on the expression of VEGF protein in 66 salivary gland carcinomas and the relation between VEGF and clinicopathological parameters explored.
Results: VEGF expression was seen in 41 tumors (62%) and was correlated with lymph node metastasis (p<0.005), clinical stage (p<0.02), cause-specific survival (p<0.01) and local failure-free survival (p<0.02).
Conclusion: VEGF can contribute to the progression of salivary gland carcinomas and seems to be associated with neck node metastasis, worse survival and poor local control of the disease.