Predictive values of vascular endothelial growth factor and microvessel-density levels in initial biopsy for prostate cancer

Abstract Angiogenesis is an important factor in the development and progression of prostate cancer (PCA). We aimed to investigate the values of vascular-endothelial-growth-factor (VEGF) expression level and microvessel density (MVD) in the prediction of PCA diagnosis at repeated prostate biopsy (re-PBx). We retrospectively evaluated 167 patients with re-PBx according to elevated prostate-specific antigen levels, suspicious digital rectal examination, and the presence of premalignant lesions. Patients with PCA on re-PBx were included in the cancer group ( n = 17). Patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia or normal tissues on re-PBx were included in the control group ( n = 21). The groups were compared according to the expression level of VEGF and MVD in initial prostate biopsy. There was no statistically significant difference between groups according to age and serum prostate-specific-antigen values. The mean VEGF scores of the cancer and control groups were 232.64 ± 11.14 and 183.09 ± 14.56, respectively ( p