ABSTRACT
Angiogenesis is essential for the growing tumor delivering blood born nutrients to the tumor cells that promote their survival, proliferation and then their metastatic potential. In the present study, plasma levels of the angiogenic peptide, basic fibroblast growth factor [bFGF] was measured in twenty-five females, fourteen of them with primary breast ductal carcinoma, and in eleven normal female subjects of comparable age and socioeconomic status as the patients. A significant increase in bFGF was found in cancer group than controls. Basic FGF plasma levels in cancer patients were correlated with age, menopausal state, tumor size, pathological stage, grade, number of lymph nodes involved, estrogen and progesterone receptors and the extent of angiogenesis as measured by counting microvessel density using F VIII immunohistochemical staining. Vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF], which is another angiogenic growth factor, has been evaluated in breast tissue and was found to be increased in malignant tissue than normal breast tissue. VEGF was also measured in the plasma of control subjects and some patients having the highest values of bFGF. There was a relative increase in the plasma VEGF levels in patients than controls. There was a positive correlation between VEGF in the plasma and tissues and between them and the plasma bFGF levels in the studied patients. There was a signifiant increase in the plasma level of bFGF and older patient's age, smaller tumor size and pathologic stage as well as estrogen receptors positivity. These findings confirm that the plasma bFGF could be an important regulator of human breast cancer growth and that patients with high levels of bFGF had better prognosis