The evaluation of circulating endothelial progenitor cells and related angiogenic markers as prognostic factors in soft-tissue tumors

The pre-treatment values of the angiogenic markers did not correlate with the clinical course of the disease. However, cEPCs levels were significantly higher in sarcoma patients with progressive disease compared to those with stable disease and should be further evaluated as early markers of disease progression in sarcoma patients. VEGF-A and angiopoetin-2 clearly play a role as mediators of the vasculogenesis contributing to tumor progression.