Nerve Growth Factor and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor: Retrospective Analysis of 63 Patients with Salivary Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma

AIM: To detect the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) tissues, as well as to determine the correlation between growth factor expression and prognosis in SACC. METHODOLOGY: Medical records of 63 patients surgically treated for SACC between January 1988 and October 2005 were reviewed. Immunohistochemistry was performed to examine the expression of NGF and VEGF in tumor tissues. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox's proportional hazard regression model were applied to assess predictors of survival. RESULTS: NGF and VEGF were overexpressed in SACC tissues, compared with those in normal salivary tissues (P<0.05), and the staining intensity of these two factors was stronger in groups of solid subtype, advanced TNM stage, perineural invasion and recurrence. Patients with high-expression of NGF and VEGF, solid subtype, advanced stage, perineural invasion, recurrence and extended resection alone had worse survival rates (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: NGF and VEGF are expressed increasingly in the tissues of SACC cases with invasion and metastasis. NGF expression and VEGF expression are independent prognosis factors for survival.