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The Prognostic Value of Serum Semaphorin3A and VEGF Levels in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

Despite new treatment options in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), new prognostic markers are still needed to determine optimal chemoregimen especially for anti-angiogenesis drugs. In this study, we evaluated the serum semaphorin and VEGF-A levels as prognostic factors in patients with mCRC.

Methods

Patients with diagnosed mCRC who were treated with first-line bevacizumab plus chemotherapy were included in the study. Venous blood samples of 37 patients with metastatic colon cancer were taken, and serum semaphorin 3A and VEGF-A levels were studied in pre-treatment and the 1st and third months after the treatment was initiated.

Results

Totally, 37 patients were enrolled in the study. The patients’ mean age was 62 years. Twenty-eight (49%) of the patients were male, and 19 (51%) were female. Serum semaphorin3A (sema3A) levels of the patients were 5.4 ± 7.4 ng/ml before the treatment, 3.5 ± 3.3 ng/ml at the first month, and 3.5 ± 3.7 ng/ml at the third month. Serum VEGF-A levels were 27.7 ± 32.9 ng/l before the treatment, 23.1 ± 28.1 ng/l at the first month, and 28.9 ± 30.2 ng/l at the third month. There was no significant correlation between the survival and pre-treatment VEGF-A level (p = 0.064). Overall survival (OS) was statistically significantly higher in patients with pre-treatment semaphorin 3A levels below 5.4 ng/ml than higher than 5.4 ng/ml (10.5 months vs 4.5 months, respectively, HR 0.23, 95% CI 19.635–11,391, p = 0.012).

Conclusion

Pre-treatment semaphorin 3A level can be a prognostic marker for the mCRC patients who were treated with bevacizumab in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Necmettin Erbakan University for supporting this trial, and I thank the all other authors for providing language help, writing assistance, and proofreading the article.

Funding

This work was supported by Necmettin Erbakan University Scientific Research Project Committee with a project number 151518014.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Faculty of Medicine, Saraykoy Akyokus Street, 42080, Konya, Turkey

    Tuba Karpuz

  2. Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology, Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Faculty of Medicine, Saraykoy Akyokus Street, 42080, Konya, Turkey

    Murat Araz, Levent Korkmaz, Mustafa Karaagaç, Melek Karakurt Eryilmaz & Mehmet Artac

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Faculty of Medicine, Saraykoy Akyokus Street, 42080, Konya, Turkey

    Ibrahim Kılınc

  4. Department of Pathology, Saraykoy Akyokus Street, Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Faculty of Medicine, postal code, 42080, Konya, Turkey

    Sidika Findik

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  1. Tuba Karpuz
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Correspondence to Murat Araz.

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The ethical approval was obtained from Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Faculty of Medicine, Ethics Committee of the Non-Medical Devices Research (decision number 2015-169), before the study.

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Karpuz, T., Araz, M., Korkmaz, L. et al. The Prognostic Value of Serum Semaphorin3A and VEGF Levels in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. J Gastrointest Canc 51, 491–497 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12029-019-00263-4

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