VEGFA and rectal cancer: Compared to the control group (50.2 ± 44.4 pg/ml), rectal cancer patients had significantly higher (about 2-fold) VEGF levels before palliative chemotherapy (112.5 ± 88.6 pg/ml, p < 0.05) and after palliative chemotherapy (278.8 ± 209 pg/ml, p < 0.05) (Fig. 3).