VEGF tests measure the amount of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein present in blood or tissue samples—VEGF is a signaling protein that stimulates angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels.

In cancer care, higher VEGF levels can reflect increased tumor angiogenesis and are often associated with tumor growth, aggressiveness, and metastatic potential; VEGF measurements (commonly by blood ELISA or tissue immunohistochemistry) can help with prognosis or monitoring response to anti‑angiogenic therapies but are not specific for cancer and must be interpreted alongside clinical, imaging, and pathology findings.

Your VEGF sample is collected from blood — typically a standard venous blood draw performed by a phlebotomist or clinician. Some at‑home/consumer tests use a finger‑prick (capillary) sample; which method is used depends on the specific test provider.

The sample is taken into the tube type required by the assay (serum or plasma) and sent to a laboratory for measurement. Because platelets can release VEGF during clotting, some laboratories prefer plasma and prompt processing to improve accuracy; follow the instructions provided with your test or by the clinic. Collection is minimally invasive and generally requires only a small volume of blood.

VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) is a protein that promotes blood‑vessel growth; measuring your personal VEGF level can show whether angiogenesis activity is higher or lower than typical for the test and sample type. Higher-than-average VEGF can be seen with some cancers because tumors sometimes stimulate new blood vessels, so an elevated result may raise suspicion or be useful alongside other tests and clinical information. A low or “normal” VEGF does not rule out cancer, and a high VEGF does not prove cancer on its own.

VEGF results are non‑specific and influenced by many non‑cancer factors (inflammation, infection, recent injury or surgery, pregnancy, certain chronic conditions, and differences between serum versus plasma testing and labs). Because of this variability, VEGF testing is mainly informative as part of a broader clinical assessment or for monitoring changes over time—not as a standalone cancer diagnostic. Discuss your individual VEGF result with your healthcare provider, who can interpret it in context of your medical history, other tests, and next steps if needed.

VEGF tests are not sufficiently accurate or specific to be used alone as cancer diagnostic tools: elevated VEGF levels are common in many malignancies but also occur with inflammation, wound healing, cardiovascular disease, pregnancy and other non‑cancer states, so an elevated result does not confirm cancer and a normal result does not rule it out.

Reliability also varies by assay and pre‑analytic factors (serum vs plasma, sample handling, hemolysis) and there are no universally accepted cutoffs; therefore VEGF measurements are mainly used as adjunct information for prognosis or to monitor response to anti‑VEGF therapy, and must be interpreted together with imaging, biopsy and the full clinical picture.

There’s no single answer — how often VEGF should be tested depends on the cancer type, why the test is being used (diagnosis, monitoring response to therapy, or surveillance), and your treatment plan. When clinicians do use VEGF as a biomarker they commonly obtain a baseline value and then repeat it at intervals that align with clinic visits and imaging, often every treatment cycle or roughly every 4–12 weeks during active therapy; for surveillance it may be checked less frequently or not at all.

Testing frequency should be decided by your oncologist or care team, who will consider whether VEGF results would change management, which other markers or scans are being used, and assay variability (same laboratory/assay is important for comparisons). Follow your treating physician’s plan and discuss any concerns about how VEGF monitoring fits into your overall care.

No — VEGF test results are not diagnostic for cancer; they indicate patterns of angiogenic imbalance or tissue resilience rather than a definitive medical diagnosis.

VEGF levels must be interpreted in context alongside symptoms, physical findings, medical history, imaging, and other laboratory or biomarker data by a qualified clinician to guide diagnosis and management.

How you "improve" VEGF depends on whether your result is high or low and why — VEGF is a marker of angiogenesis, not a stand‑alone cancer diagnosis. The most effective and appropriate steps are guided by your treating physician or oncologist: they will interpret the VEGF in the context of imaging, biopsy and other tests, treat any underlying cancer or inflammation, and — when appropriate — recommend targeted anti‑angiogenic therapies or clinical trials that specifically lower VEGF activity. Do not try to alter VEGF with unprescribed drugs or off‑label therapies.

Some general health measures that support cancer care and may influence angiogenic factors include smoking cessation, good glycemic control and weight management, treating chronic infections or inflammatory conditions, and following recommended cancer treatments and surveillance; however, the impact of lifestyle changes on blood VEGF is variable and usually small compared with medical therapy. Always follow your specialist’s plan for treatment and retesting, and ask them about anti‑VEGF options or trials if lowering VEGF is a clinical goal.