In patients with cancer, high serum concentrations of VEGF are associated with several unfavourable clinical parameters such as short tumour volume doubling time, progressive disease, extensive disease and poor survival (Dirix et al, 1996, 1997; Salven et al, 1997a,b, Kitamura et al, 1998; Tempfer et al, 1998; Ugurel et al, 2001). This evidence concerns the gene VEGFA and cancer.