OBJECTIVES: MATERIAL AND METHODS: RESULTS: (a) As anticipated, serum IGF-II levels were elevated as early as ASCUS with CIN on biopsy and continued to be elevated in CIN (all grades; pre- therapy and persistent) and cervical cancer (pre- therapy, early, late and persistent). Serum IGF-II levels were normal in ASCUS with normal biopsy, successfully treated CIN-I, II/III, cervical cancer as well as pre- therapy ovarian and endometrial cancers ( therapy efficacy: P < 0.0001 by chi-square analysis). Serum IGF-BP3 showed a significant decrease with advancing disease. Serum VEGF-A [corrected] levels were the highest in pre- therapy, early, advanced and persistent cervical cancer, as well as in ovarian and endometrial cancers. Serum VEGF-C levels, on the other hand, were the highest in late and persistent cervical cancers, but not in ovarian or endometrial cancers. (b) In the 5 women with serial samples, the serum levels of the growth factors showed similar trends. (c) VEGF-C levels in serum and tissue were elevated in cervical cancers especially in advanced grades, while they were normal in serum and tissue from the controls and women with ovarian and endometrial cancers. There was a highly significant positive correlation between VEGF-C and IGF-II and a negative correlation between IGF-BP3 and VEGF-C (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION:
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