Decrease in circulating anti-angiogenic factors (angiostatin and endostatin) after surgical removal of primary colorectal carcinoma coincides with increased metabolic activity of liver metastases

C. Peeters, L. de Geus, J. Westphal, R. de Waal, D. Ruiter, T. Wobbes, W. Oyen and T. Ruers

Department of Pathology 437, University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen 6500 HB, The Netherlands. c.peeters@pathol.umcn.nl
Feb, 2005

DOI PMID

Abstract

Removal of a primary colorectal tumor resulted in an increase in metabolic activity in its liver metastasis. Concomitantly, levels of angiostatin and endostatin in urine and plasma, respectively, dropped. This finding indicates that the primary tumor suppressed angiogenesis in its distant metastasis, and that removal of the primary lesion caused a flare-up in vessel neoformation and, thus, enhanced metabolic activity in its liver metastasis.