Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a major angiogenic factor involved in a number of pathological processes, including neovascularization, a crucial step in the development of solid malignancies. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of polymorphisms in the VEGF gene with susceptibility to epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

Methods: This case-control study included 303 EOC patients and 303 healthy controls. Genotyping of the VEGF gene polymorphisms at −460C/T, −1154G/A, −2578C/A, and +936C/T were performed by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.

Results: No significant difference was found in allele and genotype distributions of the −460C/T, +936C/T, and −2578C/A polymorphisms between patients and controls. However, the frequencies of −1154G/A genotype and allele were significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.037, P = 0.013). Compared with the G/A + A/A genotype, the G/G genotype could significantly increase the risk of developing EOC (odds ratio, 1.64; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-2.39). The haplotype analysis suggested that the −460T/−1154A/−2578C haplotype exhibited a decrease in the risk of developing EOC compared with the −460T/−1154G/−2578C haplotype (odds ratio, 0.644; 95% confidence interval, 0.415-0.999).

Conclusions: The study suggested a possible association between the VEGF −1154G/A polymorphism with susceptibility to EOC, but there is no support for an association of the VEGF −460C/T, +936C/T, and −2578C/A polymorphisms with the risk for EOC.