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Overall, research continues to provide insight into the complex and critical role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in angiogenesis in breast cancer. Increased VEGF expression in breast cancer appears to be strongly associated with high microvessel density and poor outcome in breast cancer patients. The interaction between VEGF and other breast cancer markers continues to be a vital area of investigation. In an analysis of VEGF from breast cancer patient tissue banks, Ragaz and colleagues recently concluded, "Expression of VEGF, and its intensity, are associated with a significantly inferior outcome of early [breast cancer], and with co-expression of several markers of relevance in [breast cancer] biology."27 Large prospective studies are necessary to better define the relationship of prognosis to angiogenesis and VEGF.
