Cancer progression is a complex multi-step process. Two critical steps in tumor growth and invasion: are the proteolytic processing of the extracellular matrix environment and the angiogenic switch enabling blood supply into the tumor. VEGF is a major regulator of both physiological and pathological neovascularization thus, considered as an important factor for the initiation of angiogenesis. The aims of the current study were to determine whether VEGF mRNA insitu expression, has any significant correlation with various histopathological parameters during colorectal adenocarcinoma progression and its correlation with metastatic potency. Accordingly, 35 colorectal adenocarcinoma paraffin embedded sections prepared from Iraqi patients, in addition to their respective resection margins were retrospectively collected from (liver and gastrointestinal hospital ) /Baghdad. Based on in –situ hybridization staining, mRNA expression of VEGF demonstrated a significant increase when its level at the tumor sites versus resection margins were analyzed (p<0.001). moreover, when these 35 paraffin embedded sections were broken down according to their various histopathplogical variables, the current study reveals a significant up regulation of VEGF m RNA in situ expression with respect to tumor stage (rs = 0.585, p<0.01), as well as VEGF mRNA in situ expression showed a significant positive correlation with respect to lymph node involvements (rs = 0.474, p<0.01). In conclusion, over expression of VEGF was seem to be associated with increased invasive and metastatic potential of colorectal adenocarcinoma because it was seem to increase angiogenic potential of colon carcinoma . Thus it could be used as target for therapeutic management of patients with primary colorectal adenocarcinoma.
