VEGFD and breast carcinoma: A second group of molecules we expected to be highly expressed in our primary breast carcinomas were the vascular endothelial growth factor genes VEGF-C and VEGF-D, as their overexpression was associated with lymph vessel neogenesis and increased lymphatic metastasis in mice (Karpanen et al, 2001; Mandriota et al, 2001; Skobe et al, 2001; Stacker et al, 2001).