<p><b>BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE</b>It ha been proven that serumvascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentration was elevated significantly after surgery in patients of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Platelet may be the main resource of serumVEGF. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between postoperative dynamic changes of serumVEGF levels and platelet counts in patients of NSCLC who underwent surgery.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>SerumVEGF levels were determined in 76 patients of NSCLC who were treated with surgery by ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) method before operation and on postoperative day 1, 7. At the same day the concentrations of platelet were determined. RESULTS (1) SerumVEGF in patients of NSCLC on preoperative day, postoperative 1 day and 7 day were (842.06 +/- 527.24) pg/mL, (1 119.28 +/- 609.62) pg/mL, (1 574.09 +/- 873.38) pg/mL, respectively (P < 0.001); (2) Platelet counts in patients of NSCLC on preoperative day, postoperative 1 day and 7 day were (230.42 +/- 82.56 x 10(9)/L, (196.47 +/- 81.48) x 10(9)/L, (237.90 +/- 86.94) x 10(9)/L; the value on postoperative 1 day was the lowest (P < 0.001); (3) On postoperative 7 day, serumVEGF in the group of lower than the mean and higher than the mean were respectively (1 398.81 +/- 734.00) pg/mL and (1 842.86 +/- 1 006.63) pg/mL (P = 0.043).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>SerumVEGF in patients of NSCLC after surgery were elevated. In the group of higher platelet counts, serumVEGF increased more significantly.</p>