Background & aims:
VEGFR-3 has been shown of great significance in
lymph node metastasis and some
malignancies, however, its expression in
tumors and impact on outcome of
intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) remains unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the role of
VEGFR-3 positive
tumors for prognosis of iCCA and
tumor-associated lymphangiogenesis. Methods: Clinicopathological features, prognostic factors and survival rate were analyzed to evaluate the influence of
VEGFR-3 positive expression on prognosis of iCCA. In addition,
tumor-associated lymphangiogenesis quantified as micro-lymphatic vessel density (MLVD) was assessed to explore the correlation between
VEGFR-3 expression and
lymph node metastasis for iCCA. Results: Patients with
VEGFR-3 positive
tumors had increased
lymph node metastasis (p=0.025) and were more likely to suffer from
tumor recurrence compared with
VEGFR-3 negative
tumors (p<0.001).
VEGFR-3 expression in
tumors was identified as an independent prognostic factor for both overall and recurrence-free survival in surgical resected patients with iCCA. In addition, higher MLVD was significantly associated with
VEGFR-3 positive expression in
tumors (p<0.001), which facilitate
lymph node metastasis and significantly worse survival rates. Conclusions: Our study reveals that
VEGFR-3 positive expression in
tumors represents an independent prognostic factor for both overall and recurrence-free survival in hepatic resected patients with iCCA.
VEGFR-3 positive
tumors favor
lymph node metastasis,
tumor recurrence and worse outcomes through
tumor-associated lymphangiogenesis.