VEGFA and neoplasm: Cytokines released by proliferating tumor cells activate platelets, which in turn release VEGF and PDGF to promote angiogenesis in the local lesion and indirectly promote mesenchymal-like transition via the NF- κB and TGF- β/Smad pathways (Stanger & Kahn, 2013; Shikada et al., 2005).