Growth factors and breast tumors, comparison of selected growth factors with traditional tumor markers
Abstract
The mean of HGF in patients with malignant diseases prior to surgery was 3370 pg/ml compared to 1799 pg/ml in bening tumors with p=0,0016. We found significantly lower serum values of IGF1 at stage III in comparison to stages I and II: mean values: at stege I=181 ng/ml, at stage II=182ng/ml; stage III vs. stage II, p=0,0167.
Tumor markers are currently used for therapy monitoring in cancer patients as one of the indicators of successful therapy. Our findings correspond to existing literature.
IGF1 and its binding protein IGFBP3 cannot be used to distinguish between malignant and bening tumor.HGF is considered to be a marker of progression and of the aggressiveness of breast cancer; our data fully corresponds to this. Based on our data, this marker could potentially be used as an additional tool for the differentiation between benign and malignant tumor.