Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) expression by immunohistochemistry as a prognostic factor in gastric carcinoma

Introduction and Aim: Diagnosis of gastric cancer continues to remain a challenge, considering the widespread prevalence of precancerous lesions. The local progression and systemic spread are significantly influenced by tumor angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. This study aimed to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of VEGF and its relationship to tumor grade and stage. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out among 30 patients with gastric carcinoma. The specimens were fixed in buffer formalin, embedded in paraffin, sections were stained with Hematoxylin–Eosin and immunohistochemistry was performed for VEGF as per the standard operating procedure. Evaluation was performed using the VEGF score, based on the intensity of reaction and percent of positive cells. Results: The reaction for VEGF was positive in 27 from 30 cases (90%). VEGF expression was observed in the cytoplasm of tumor cells, with granular pattern. A strong correlation was found between VEGF expression and lymph node status and grade of the primary (p value <0.014), but not with the stage of the tumor. Conclusion: VEGF over expression has significance with respect to only site and grade of the tumor and hence the usefulness of targeted therapy in such cases has to be evaluated by molecular studies.