Abstract
Plasma levels of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) were measured in 58 female patients with breast cancer and in 9 normal female control subjects by means of a specific radioimmunoassay. Levels in normal control subjects were all below the lower limits of detection by the assay (1.56 fmol/100 μl plasma). Two of 17 (12%) patients with stage 2 breast cancer had detectable plasma levels. Among patients with Stage 4 breast cancer 13/41 (32%) had significantly elevated levels (> 2 times the lower limit of sensitivity of the assay). Patients with elevated PDGF levels had a significantly greater degree of metastatic involvement and significantly shorter survival. Apart from being a marker of aggressive high bulk breast cancer, PDGF may be involved in the acceleration of growth of some metastatic breast tumors.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 11-17 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Breast Cancer Research and Treatment |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Feb 1991 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- breast cancer
- immunoassay
- plasma concentrations
- platelet-derived growth factor
- prognosis
- tumor progression
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oncology
- Cancer Research
