# Prognostic value of vascular endothelial growth factor subtypes and risk models constructed based on the common pathway of ulcerative colitis and colon cancer

## TL;DR

This study explores how vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathways link ulcerative colitis and colon cancer, leading to a new risk model for predicting patient outcomes.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel risk model based on the shared VEGF pathway between ulcerative colitis and colon cancer for improved prognosis.

## Key findings

- High VEGF expression in colon cancer patients correlates with advanced clinical stages and higher immune activity.
- A risk model based on VEGF pathway genes effectively predicts survival and immunotherapy response in colon cancer and UC patients.
- The model identifies high-risk patients with lower survival rates and low-risk patients with better immunotherapy outcomes.

## Abstract

Patients with long-term ulcerative colitis (UC) have a significantly increased risk of colon cancer compared to normal individuals. By analyzing the pathways of ulcerative colitis and colon cancer, we identified a common risk pathway – Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF).

Based on the Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) scores of the VEGF pathway in colon cancer patients, we divided them into three groups: high, medium, and low. We performed clinical characteristic and immune-related analyses on these three groups, conducted differential gene analysis, performed univariate and multivariate Cox analyses on the differential genes to screen out gene signatures. A risk model was constructed and validated in the UC cohort. Colon cancer patients were classified into high-and low-risk groups based on risk scores, clinical characteristics, immune microenvironment, immunotherapy, and drug sensitivity were analyzed for both groups.

The high expression group had higher clinical staging and pathologic staging, higher immune microenvironment scores, and greater immune cell content. The risk model we constructed demonstrated good prognostic predictive ability not only for colon cancer but also for UC. The high-risk group had a lower survival rate, while the low-risk group had a better response to immunotherapy.

These findings provide new insights into the treatment of colon cancer.