VEGFR2 and CD34 expression associated with longer survival in patients with pleural mesothelioma in the IFCT-GFPC-0701 MAPS phase 3 trial

Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is a rare but aggressive cancer with poor prognosis, primarily caused by asbestos occupational exposure [1]. PM ’s earliest event and hallmark is the increased expression of proteins involved in neo-angiogenesis. Expression of multiple proangiogenic cytokines, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), has been shown to correlate with increased microvasculature vessel density (MVD) [2]. High serum VEGF concentrations correlated with worse prognosis in PM patients accrued to the phase 3 Mesothelioma Avastin Cisplatin Pemetrexed Study (MAPS), which assessed bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy, but did not display any predictive value, patients with high or low serum VEGF levels deriving the same benefit from bevacizumab treatment [3].

Source: Lung Cancer - June 25, 2023 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Gu énaëlle Levallet, Fatéméh Dubois, Nicolas Elie, Christian Creveuil, Solenn Brosseau, Claire Danel, Arnaud Scherpereel, Sylvie Lantuejoul, Julien Mazières, Laurent Greillier, Clarisse Audigier-Valette, Emmanuel Bergot, Denis Moro-Sibilot, Olivier M Source Type: research