Circulating Angiostatin, bFGF, and Tie2/TEK Levels and Their Prognostic Impact in Bladder Cancer

The characteristic differences in the circulating levels of angiostatin, TEK, and bFGF between patients and controls, suggest the presence of a tumor-induced proangiogenic milieu in bladder cancer. Serum TEK levels may contribute to a more reliable preoperative risk stratification in muscle-invasive bladder cancer and therefore may help to optimize therapeutic decisions.