VEGFA and neoplasm: Macrophages have the ability to both positively and negatively regulate tumour growth (Mantovani et al, 1992); tumour cell cytostasis may be induced, but in contrast tumour cell survival may be promoted by macrophage activation and release of angiogenic and mitogenic cytokines in the tumour microenvironment, such as VEGF (Barbera-Guillem et al, 2002), pro-inflammatory cytokines and enzymes (Kataki et al, 2002; Blot et al, 2003).