Predictors of cancer-specific mortality after disease recurrence following radical cystectomy

The Impact of the Localization of Metastasis in Bladder Cancer Patients with Recurrence After Cystectomy

Background/Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the prognostic implications of metastatic anatomical location in patients with recurrent bladder cancer (BC) after cystectomy. Methods: The study is a retrospective cohort study. All data were collected from a clinical database from Aarhus University Hospital. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to analyse survival probabilities. Crude and adjusted Cox regression was used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) for overall mortality between different locations of metastases and the number of metastases. Results: In total, 180/664 (27.1%) patients who underwent radical cystectomy as a treatment of BC in the time period from 2015 to 2021 ultimately developed recurrent disease. The median follow-up period was 433 days (Q1: 256, Q3; 847). In a crude analysis for overall mortality, patients with both lymph node and distant organ metastasis had a worse prognosis than patients with lymph node metastasis only (HR = 2.25 (95% CI: 1.36-3.75, p = 0.002)). In the adjusted analysis, patients with ≥2 metastatic sites had higher hazard than patients with only a single site of recurrence (HR = 1.63 (95% CI: 1.15-2.33, p = 0.01)). Patients with organ metastasis had higher hazard ratios than patients with lymph node metastases and local recurrence only (HR = 1.74 (95% CI: 1.07-2.84, p = 0.026)). When analysing patients with single metastasis, there was a statistically significant difference in overall survival probability in the following groups: lymph node metastasis, other organ metastases, bone metastasis (p = 0.04). Conclusions: This study shows potentially clinically relevant associations between the anatomical location of metastases and patients' prognosis. Furthermore, we were able to demonstrate an association between a higher number of metastatic sites and a worse prognosis.

Surgical Treatment of Solitary Metachronous Adrenal Metastasis from Urothelial Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder

Urothelial cancer is a common neoplasm and metastatic disease correlates with a poor prognosis. Isolated adrenal gland metastases of urothelial carcinoma are quite rare, and management options can decide a patient's prognosis. Herein we report the case of a 76-year-old man with a metachronous solitary adrenal metastasis from a bladder carcinoma, who underwent adrenalectomy as part of his treatment. Furthermore, we discuss the cases of solitary adrenal metastases of urothelial carcinoma available in the literature, to identify key features to direct appropriate treatment of this rare metastatic site of urothelial cancer and improve prognosis and survival. Still, further prospective studies are needed to design effective therapeutic strategies.

En bloc radical cystectomy: An overview of the technique and oncological results

Objectives

To reduce recurrence after radical cystectomy (RC), we developed a technique based on the principles of the circumferential resection margin used during total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer, namely, en bloc radical cystectomy (EbRC).

Patients and methods

The study included all patients in Mid-Norway (population of 739 k) with high-grade superficial or muscle invasive bladder cancer considered for radical treatment according to European guidelines, from January 2012 to August 2021, except for three patients receiving trimodal therapy. One hundred forty-five patients were treated with EbRC and 188 patients with standard RC (stdRC). There were no exclusion criteria. Both groups included open and robot-assisted techniques. EbRC entails cystectomy with extended pelvic lymph node dissection. The technique focuses on systematic uninterrupted mobilisation of all lymphatic tissue from the circumferential resection margin towards the bladder pedicles, and resecting the tissue en bloc with the bladder.

Results

The 3-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) was 86% for EbRC versus 67% for stdRC. The hazard ratio for overall survival in multivariable cox regression analyses after EbRC versus stdRC was 0.30 (95% CI 0.16-0.57, p ≤ 0.001). The improved outcomes persisted in propensity score-matched analyses. There were no differences in Clavien-Dindo 3 and 4 complications (12.4% vs. 11.7%), nor 90-day mortality (2.1% vs. 1.6%).

Conclusion

Improved oncological results with EbRC versus stdRC mirror the historical data after total mesorectal excision was initiated over 35 years ago in rectal cancer surgery. EbRC is safe and the preliminary oncological results are promising.

Circulating tumor cells correlating with Ki-67 predicts the prognosis of bladder cancer patients

PURPOSE

To investigate the value of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and Ki-67 in predicting the prognosis of bladder cancer. Here, we tested CTC counts and Ki-67 levels to assess patient prognosis.

METHODS

84 patients with bladder cancer who underwent surgery were included in this study. Peripheral blood CTCs were detected by SE-iFISH technology before and after surgery, and Ki-67 levels were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The association between CTCs and Ki-67 and the combination of the two was analyzed to predict the prognosis of patients.

RESULTS

76 out of 84 patients (90.5%) were positive. ROC curve analysis showed that preoperative and postoperative CTC counts = 4 and 2 were the best thresholds for predicting patient recurrence or death. In multivariate analysis, high postoperative CTC count (≥ 2) (P < 0.001) and Ki-67 high expression (≥ 15%) (P < 0.001) were independent poor prognostic factors for PFS in bladder cancer patients. In addition, the study found that Ki-67 levels were positively correlated with high postoperative CTC counts, Bladder cancer patients with Ki-67 high expression and high postoperative CTC counts were associated with extremely poor progression-free survival.

CONCLUSION

Ki-67 high expression is associated with high postoperative CTC counts, both of which predict poor prognosis in bladder cancer patients.

Selecting the Best Candidates for Cisplatin-based Adjuvant Chemotherapy After Radical Cystectomy Among Patients with pN+ Bladder Cancer

A trend towards greater benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) in pN+ bladder cancer (BCa) has been observed in multiple randomized controlled trials. However, it is still unclear which patients might benefit the most from this approach. We retrospectively analyzed a multicenter cohort of 1381 patients with pTany pN1-3 cM0 R0 urothelial BCa treated with radical cystectomy (RC) with or without cisplatin-based ACT. The main endpoint was overall survival (OS) after RC. We performed 1:1 propensity score matching to adjust for baseline characteristics and conducted a classification and regression tree (CART) analysis to assess postoperative risk groups and Cox regression analyses to predict OS. Overall, 391 patients (28%) received cisplatin-based ACT. After matching, two cohorts of 281 patients with pN+ BCa were obtained. CART analysis stratified patients into three risk groups: favorable prognosis (≤pT2 and positive lymph node [PLN] count ≤2; odds ratio [OR] 0.43), intermediate prognosis (≥pT3 and PLN count ≤2; OR 0.92), and poor prognosis (pTany and PLN count ≥3; OR 1.36). Only patients with poor prognosis benefitted from ACT in terms of OS (HR 0.51; p < 0.001). We created the first algorithm that stratifies patients with pN+ BCa into prognostic classes and identified patients with pTany BCa with PLN ≥3 as the most suitable candidates for cisplatin-based ACT. PATIENT SUMMARY: We found that overall survival among patients with bladder cancer and evidence of lymph node involvement depends on cancer stage and the number of positive lymph nodes. Patients with more than three nodes affected by metastases seem to experience the greatest overall survival benefit from cisplatin-based chemotherapy after bladder removal. Our study suggests that patients with the highest risk should be prioritized for cisplatin-based chemotherapy after bladder removal.

Baseline Health-related Quality of Life Predicts Bladder Cancer-specific Survival Following Radical Cystectomy

BACKGROUND

It has been shown that baseline health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is a valuable prognostic indicator of survival outcomes for various metastatic cancers, but there is no evidence on the prognostic value of baseline HRQOL for patients with bladder cancer undergoing radical cystectomy (RC) and ileal conduit (IC) or orthotopic ileal neobladder (ONB) with curative intent.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the association between baseline HRQOL and survival outcomes following RC.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

The study included 407 patients with prospectively assessed baseline HRQOL before RC. Patients were stratified according to the Global Health Status (GHS) domain of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 questionnaire, with good general HRQOL defined as GHS ≥70 on the basis of validated cutoff levels. A propensity score-matched analysis of 357 patients (1:2 ratio; 125 patients with GHS ≥70 vs 232 with GHS <70) was performed.

INTERVENTION

RC with IC or ONB.

OUTCOME MEASURES AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

The primary endpoint was cancer-specific survival (CSS). The secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression models were constructed to assess the prognostic value of baseline GHS for prediction of survival outcomes.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

Median follow-up was 40.5 mo. The rates of 5-yr CSS (82% vs 65%; p = 0.001), 5-yr OS (76% vs 53%; p = 0.001), and 5-yr RFS (50% vs 39%; p = 0.04) were significantly higher in the GHS ≥70 cohort. GHS ≥70 was confirmed as an independent predictor for CSS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.18-0.73; p = 0.004), OS (HR 0.45, 95% CI 0.26-0.79; p = 0.005), and RFS (HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.30-0.83; p = 0.008) in multivariate analyses. Study limitations include the retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data and use of a HRQOL questionnaire not specifically for bladder cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that preoperative baseline HRQOL has significant predictive value for outcomes of RC with curative intent for bladder cancer. We found that good general HRQOL at baseline accurately predicts greater CSS, OS, and RFS.

PATIENT SUMMARY

We assessed the association between health-related quality of life at baseline and survival outcomes after radical cystectomy for bladder cancer. We found that good general health-related quality of life at baseline predicts better survival outcomes and that higher baseline scores were associated with greater cancer-specific survival.

A systematic review of prognosis of ABO blood group and rhesus factor on outcomes in patients with bladder cancer

BACKGROUND

Bladder cancer (BC) is the 10th most common malignancy worldwide, and some studies reported that ABO blood type or/and rhesus factor has been identified as a prognostic oncologic marker for patients with BC. We carried out a systematic review to assess the prognosis of ABO blood group and rhesus factor on outcomes in patients with bladder cancer.

METHODS

We searched databases through February 2022 for studies assessing blood group on outcomes in patients with bladder cancer.

RESULTS

We included ten studies with 15,204 participants. We found that blood type A is relevant to non-muscle-invasive BC patients treated with transurethral resection of bladder tumor and blood type B patients have a lower incidence of disease recurrence and progression. Blood type O and non-O blood type have not been found to be related to disease recurrence. However, in multivariable analyses, blood type O and non-O blood type are associated with cancer-specific mortality (CSM). Other than that, blood type B doesn't have statistical significance for BC patients accepted radical cystectomy (RC). The same results showed in blood type AB non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients treated with RC.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study confirmed that a particular association of blood type for prognosis of patients with BC, and ABO blood group antigen expression can be suitable biomarkers for BC. We also found that rhesus factor has no impact on prognosis of BC patients.

The prognostic role of pre-cystectomy thrombocytosis in invasive bladder cancer

PURPOSE

We aim to evaluate the impact of preoperative thrombocytosis on oncological outcomes in patients with bladder cancer (BC) who undergo radical cystectomy (RC).

METHODS

Retrospective data collection of 1092 patients managed by RC for BC from 2 tertiary-care centers was performed. Elevated platelet count (PLT) was defined as > 450 × 10⁹/L. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the impact of thrombocytosis on oncological outcomes. These outcomes were also compared using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.

RESULTS

The median follow-up was 50 months (32-64 months). Thrombocytosis was detected in 18.6% of the patients. The 3-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) for patients with normal PLT count was 92% which was higher than those with elevated PLT count (55%, P < 0.001). Similar results were found for the 6-year CSS with 82% for the no thrombocytosis group and 27% for the thrombocytosis group. Thrombocytosis was still significantly associated with poor prognosis for overall survival and recurrence-free survival (P < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, CSS was significantly lower in patients with thrombocytosis (HR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.22-2.39, P = 0.002). Patients with elevated PLT counts were also significantly more likely to receive adjuvant chemotherapy, to have a T stage > pT2b (P = 0.024), to have a positive lymph node, to have variant histology and positive resection margins, and to have concomitant carcinoma in situ (CIS) on final pathology (all P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative thrombocytosis was valuable for predicting the oncological outcomes of patients undergoing RC for BC.

Are We Ready to Implement Molecular Subtyping of Bladder Cancer in Clinical Practice? Part 1: General Issues and Marker Expression

Bladder cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous disease with highly variable clinical and pathological features, and resulting in different outcomes. Such heterogeneity ensues from distinct pathogenetic mechanisms and may consistently affect treatment responses in single patients. Thus, over the last few years, several groups have developed molecular classification schemes for BC, mainly based on their mRNA expression profiles. A “consensus” classification has recently been proposed to combine the published systems, agreeing on a six-cluster scheme with distinct prognostic and predictive features. In order to implement molecular subtyping as a risk-stratification tool in routine practice, immunohistochemistry (IHC) has been explored as a readily accessible, relatively inexpensive, standardized surrogate method, achieving promising results in different clinical settings. The first part of this review deals with the steps resulting in the development of a molecular subtyping of BC, its prognostic and predictive implications, and the main features of immunohistochemical markers used as surrogates to stratify BC into pre-defined molecular clusters.

p53 gene delivery via a recombinant Salmonella enterica Typhimurium leads to human bladder carcinoma cell death in vitro

Numerous studies have attempted to restore the function of the tumour suppressor p53 as an anticancer strategy through gene delivery. However, most studies employed non-bacterial vectors to deliver p53. Various facultative and obligate anaerobic bacteria have been proposed as vectors because of their intrinsic tumour targeting ability and antitumour activity. Salmonella enterica Typhimurium is the most studied bacterial vector in anticancer therapy. We used the previously designed χ11218 strain of S. enterica Typhimurium, displaying regulated delayed lysis, as a vector for delivering p53 to human bladder carcinoma cells, restoring wild-type p53 protein function. We cloned p53 into pYA4545 (containing a eukaryotic expression system) to generate the χ11218 pYA4545p53 strain. Cloning of p53 did not affect the growth or interfere with the invasive and replicative capacity of χ11218 bacteria in tumour cells. Human bladder carcinoma cells (expressing mutated p53) transfected with pYA4545p53 showed a significant increase in the expression of p53 protein. We demonstrated that p53 supplied by χ11218 significantly decreased the viability of human bladder cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. This study demonstrates the applicability of the attenuated χ11218 strain as a vector for DNA plasmids expressing tumour suppressor genes.

Prognostic impact of insulin‐like growth factor‐I and its binding proteins, insulin‐like growth factor‐I binding protein‐2 and ‐3, on adverse histopathological features and survival outcomes after radical cystectomy

Objectives

Insulin‐like growth factor‐I and its binding proteins are involved in cancer development, progression, and metastasis. In urothelial carcinoma, the impact of this pathway is still poorly investigated. The present large cohort study aimed to evaluate the association of preoperative circulating levels of insulin‐like growth factor‐I, insulin‐like growth factor‐I binding protein‐2 and ‐3 on outcomes after radical cystectomy.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of the plasma specimens from 1036 consecutive urothelial carcinoma patients who were treated with radical cystectomy. The primary and secondary outcomes were adverse histopathological features and survival outcomes. Binominal logistic regression and multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed to assess the association of plasma levels of insulin‐like growth factor‐I, insulin‐like growth factor‐I binding protein‐2 and ‐3 with outcomes.

Results

On multivariable analysis adjusting for the effects of preoperative variables, lower insulin‐like growth factor‐I binding protein‐2 levels were associated with an increased risk of lymph node metastasis and (any non‐organ confined disease) any non‐organ confined disease. Insulin‐like growth factor‐I binding protein‐3 levels were also inversely independently associated with lymph node metastasis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the addition of insulin‐like growth factor‐I binding proteins biomarkers to a reference model significantly improved the discriminating ability for the prediction of lymph node metastasis (+10.0%, P < 0.001). On multivariable Cox regression models, lower levels of both insulin‐like growth factor‐I binding protein‐2 and ‐3 plasma levels were associated with recurrence‐free survival, cancer‐specific survival, and overall survival. insulin‐like growth factor‐I binding protein‐2 and ‐3 levels and improved the discrimination of a standard reference model for the prediction of recurrence‐free survival, cancer‐specific survival, and overall survival (+4.9%, 4.9%, 2.3%, respectively).

Conclusions

Preoperative insulin‐like growth factor‐I binding protein‐2 and ‐3 are significantly associated with features of biologically and clinically aggressive urothelial carcinoma. These biomarkers improved prognostic urothelial carcinoma models.

Comparison of Clinicopathologic and Oncological Outcomes Between Transurethral En Bloc Resection and Conventional Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis and Network Meta-Analysis with Focus on Different Energy Sources

Introduction: It has been hypothesized that transurethral en bloc (TUEB) of bladder tumor offers benefits over conventional transurethral resection of bladder tumor (cTURBT). This study aimed to compare disease outcomes of TUEB and cTURBT with focus on the different energy sources. Methods: A systematic search was performed using PubMed and Web of Science databases in June 2021. Studies that compared the pathological (detrusor muscle presence), oncological (recurrence rates) efficacy, and safety (serious adverse events [SAEs]) of TUEB and cTURBT were included. Random- and fixed-effects meta-analytic models and Bayesian approach in the network meta-analysis was used. Results: Seven randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and seven non-RCTs (NRCT), with a total of 2092 patients. The pooled 3- and 12-month recurrence risk ratios (RR) of five and four NRCTs were 0.46 (95% CI 0.29-0.73) and 0.56 (95% CI 0.33-0.96), respectively. The pooled 3- and 12-month recurrence RRs of four and seven RCTs were 0.57 (95% CI 0.25-1.27) and 0.89 (95% CI 0.69-1.15), respectively. The pooled RR for SAEs such as prolonged hematuria and bladder perforation of seven RCTs was 0.16 (95% CI 0.06-0.41) in benefit of TUEB. Seven RCTs (n = 1077) met our eligibility criteria for network meta-analysis. There was no difference in 12-month recurrence rates between hybridknife, laser, and bipolar TUEB compared with cTURBT. Contrary, laser TUEB was significantly associated with lower SAEs compared with cTURBT. Surface under the cumulative ranking curve ranking analyses showed with high certainty that laser TUEB was the best treatment option to access all endpoints. Conclusion: While NRCTs suggested a recurrence-free benefit to TUEB compared with cTURBT, RCTs failed to confirm this. Conversely, SAEs were consistently and clinically significantly better for TUEB. Network meta-analyses suggested laser TUEB has the best performance compared with other energy sources. These early findings need to be confirmed and expanded upon.

Preoperative plasma level of endoglin as a predictor for disease outcomes after radical cystectomy for nonmetastatic urothelial carcinoma of the bladder

Elevated preoperative plasma level of endoglin has been associated with worse oncologic outcomes in various malignancies. The present large-scale study aimed to determine the predictive and prognostic values of preoperative endoglin with regard to clinicopathologic and survival outcomes in patients treated with radical cystectomy (RC) for nonmetastatic urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB). We prospectively collected preoperative blood samples from 1036 consecutive patients treated with RC for UCB. Logistic and Cox regression analyses were undertaken to assess the correlation of endoglin levels with pathologic and survival outcomes, respectively. The AUC and C-index were used to assess the discrimination. Patients with adverse pathologic features had significantly higher median preoperative endoglin plasma levels than their counterparts. Higher preoperative endoglin level was independently associated with an increased risk for lymph node metastasis, ≥pT3 disease, and nonorgan confined disease (NOCD; all p < 0.001). Plasma endoglin level was also independently associated with cancer-specific and overall survival in both pre- and postoperative models (all p < 0.05), as well as with recurrence-free survival (RFS) in the preoperative model (p < 0.001). The addition of endoglin to the preoperative standard model improved its discrimination for prediction of lymph node metastasis, ≥pT3 disease, NOCD, and RFS (differential increases in C-indices: 10%, 5%, 5.8%, and 4%, respectively). Preoperative plasma endoglin is associated with features of biologically and clinically aggressive UCB as well as survival outcomes. Therefore, it seems to hold the potential of identifying UCB patients who may benefit from intensified therapy in addition to RC such as extended lymphadenectomy or/and preoperative systemic therapy.

Three-antibody classifier for muscle invasive urothelial carcinoma and its correlation with p53 expression

AIMS

To assess the utility of a three-antibody immunohistochemistry panel to classify muscle invasive bladder cancers (MIBCs) in correlation with morphological features and p53 status.

METHODS

A retrospective review of 243 chemotherapy naïve MIBC cystectomy specimens was performed to assess morphological features. A tissue microarray was sequentially stained with CK5/6, GATA-3 and p16. Subgroups were assigned as basal-like (CK5/6+, GATA3-) and luminal (CK5/6-, GATA3+), with the latter subdivided into genomically unstable (GU, p16+) and urothelial like (Uro, p16-) subgroups. p53 staining was assessed as abnormal/wild type. Cases from the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) portal were assessed as external validation.

RESULTS

We identified 78.8% luminal, 21.2% basal cases within our cohort and 63.4% luminal, 36.6% basal in the TCGA dataset. Divergent differentiation (p<0.001) was significantly associated with basal-subtype cases in both cohorts. Within the luminal subgroup (n=186), 81 cases were classified as GU and 105 as Uro. Abnormal p53 staining was noted in 48.0% of basal, 80.2% GU and 38.1% Uro cases. Further, basal-subtype tumours significantly correlated with disease-specific death compared with Uro cases in multivariate survival analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

This retrospective study demonstrates the potential utility of a three-antibody immunohistochemistry panel to differentiate luminal and basal MIBC.

Adjuvant Nivolumab versus Placebo in Muscle-Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The role of adjuvant treatment in high-risk muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma after radical surgery is not clear.

METHODS

In a phase 3, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial, we assigned patients with muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma who had undergone radical surgery to receive, in a 1:1 ratio, either nivolumab (240 mg intravenously) or placebo every 2 weeks for up to 1 year. Neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy before trial entry was allowed. The primary end points were disease-free survival among all the patients (intention-to-treat population) and among patients with a tumor programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression level of 1% or more. Survival free from recurrence outside the urothelial tract was a secondary end point.

RESULTS

A total of 353 patients were assigned to receive nivolumab and 356 to receive placebo. The median disease-free survival in the intention-to-treat population was 20.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 16.5 to 27.6) with nivolumab and 10.8 months (95% CI, 8.3 to 13.9) with placebo. The percentage of patients who were alive and disease-free at 6 months was 74.9% with nivolumab and 60.3% with placebo (hazard ratio for disease recurrence or death, 0.70; 98.22% CI, 0.55 to 0.90; P<0.001). Among patients with a PD-L1 expression level of 1% or more, the percentage of patients was 74.5% and 55.7%, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.55; 98.72% CI, 0.35 to 0.85; P<0.001). The median survival free from recurrence outside the urothelial tract in the intention-to-treat population was 22.9 months (95% CI, 19.2 to 33.4) with nivolumab and 13.7 months (95% CI, 8.4 to 20.3) with placebo. The percentage of patients who were alive and free from recurrence outside the urothelial tract at 6 months was 77.0% with nivolumab and 62.7% with placebo (hazard ratio for recurrence outside the urothelial tract or death, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.89). Among patients with a PD-L1 expression level of 1% or more, the percentage of patients was 75.3% and 56.7%, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.79). Treatment-related adverse events of grade 3 or higher occurred in 17.9% of the nivolumab group and 7.2% of the placebo group. Two treatment-related deaths due to pneumonitis were noted in the nivolumab group.

CONCLUSIONS

In this trial involving patients with high-risk muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma who had undergone radical surgery, disease-free survival was longer with adjuvant nivolumab than with placebo in the intention-to-treat population and among patients with a PD-L1 expression level of 1% or more. (Funded by Bristol Myers Squibb and Ono Pharmaceutical; CheckMate 274 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02632409.).

Benefit of Adjuvant Chemotherapy After Radical Cystectomy for Treatment of Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder in the Elderly -An International Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND

Radical cystectomy (RC) is the standard treatment for muscle invasive bladder cancer, but approximately half of all patients will ultimately succumb to disease progression despite apparent cure with extirpative surgery. Elderly patients are at especially high risk of advanced disease and may benefit from perioperative systemic therapy.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the real-world benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) in patients ≥75 years old.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent RC for non-metastatic urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) from 12 participating international medical institutions. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox regression models were used to assess the association between age groups, administration of AC and oncological outcome parameters such as recurrence-free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

4,335 patients were included in the analyses, of which 820 (18.9%) were ≥75 years old. These elderly patients had a higher rate of adverse pathologic features. In an univariable subgroup analysis in patients ≥75 years with lymph node metastasis, 5-year OS was significantly higher in patients who had received AC (41% vs. 30.9%, p = 0.02). In a multivariable Cox model that was adjusted for several established outcome predictors, there was a significant favorable association between the administration of AC in elderly patients and OS, but no RFS or CSS.

CONCLUSIONS

In this large observational study, the administration of AC was associated with improved OS, but not RFS or CSS, in elderly patients treated with RC for UCB. This is of clinical importance, as elderly patients are more likely to have adverse pathologic features and experience worse survival outcomes. Treatment of UCB should include both a multidisciplinary approach and a geriatric evaluation to identify patients who are most likely to tolerate and benefit from AC.

Impact of preoperative plasma levels of interleukin 6 and interleukin 6 soluble receptor on disease outcomes after radical cystectomy for bladder cancer

Background

Preoperative plasma levels of Interleukin 6 (IL6) and its soluble receptor (IL6sR) have previously been associated with oncologic outcomes in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB); however, external validation in patients treated with radical cystectomy (RC) for UCB is missing.

Patients/methods

We prospectively collected preoperative plasma from 1,036 consecutive patients at two institutes. These plasma specimens were assessed for levels of IL6 and IL6sR. Logistic and Cox regression analyses were used to assess the correlation of plasma levels with pathologic and survival outcomes. The additional clinical net benefits of preoperative IL6 and IL6sR were evaluated using decision curve analysis (DCA).

Results

Median IL6 and IL6sR plasma levels were significantly higher in patients with adverse pathologic features. Elevated biomarker levels were independently associated with an increased risk for lymph node metastasis and ≥ pT3 disease. Both biomarkers were independently associated with recurrence-free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). The addition to, respectively, fitted pre- and postoperative prognostic models improved the predictive accuracy for lymph node metastasis, ≥ pT3 disease, RFS and CSS on DCA.

Interpretation

We confirmed that elevated preoperative plasma levels of IL6 and IL6sR levels are associated with worse oncological disease survival in patients treated with RC for UCB in a large multicenter study. Both biomarkers hold potential in identifying patients with adverse pathological features that may benefit from intensified/multimodal therapy and warrant inclusion into predictive/prognostic models. They demonstrated the ability to improve the discriminatory power of such models and thus guide clinical decision making.

Association Between the Pretreatment Albumin-to-Alkaline Phosphatase Ratio and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Bladder Cancer Treated With Radical Cystectomy: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective

Serum albumin-to-alkaline phosphatase ratio (AAPR) has been proven to be a prognostic indicator of many malignant tumors. However, whether it can predict the prognosis of bladder cancer (BC) patients who underwent radical cystectomy (RC) remains unclear. This study was designed to assess the relationship between AAPR and clinical outcomes in patients with BC treated with RC.

Methods

The clinicopathological data of 199 BC patients receiving RC in our institution from January 2012 to December 2017 were retrospectively collected and analyzed. They were divided into three groups based on the optimal cut-off values and the association between AAPR groups and their clinical outcomes were evaluated.

Results

The average age of the patients was (64.0 ± 8.7) years and 79.9% were male. Based on the cut-off values of AAPR, patients were divided into three groups: low-AAPR group (AAPR < 0.37, n = 35), medium-AAPR group (AAPR = 0.37-0.59, n = 61) and high-AAPR group (AAPR > 0.59, n = 103). The median overall survival (OS) of each AAPR group was 12.5, 24, and 29 months, respectively (P value <0.0001). After adjusting the Cox proportional hazards model, medium- and high- AAPR groups showed a reduced risk trend of death, with a risk ratio of 0.44 (95% CI = 0.21-0.91) and 0.25 (95% CI = 0.12-0.49), respectively (P for trend <0.001). No nonlinear relationship was identified by smooth fitting curve between AAPR and OS. By subgroup analysis, we observed that compared to the low-AAPR group, the trends of the HRs in the medium- and high-AAPR group were decreased across nearly all subgroups after stratification. Moreover, the AAPR-based nomograms for OS, CSS and RFS were also constructed. The C-index showed a good predictive accuracy (OS, C-index 0.728, 95% CI 0.663-0.793; CSS, C-index 0.792, 95% CI 0.748-0.838; RFS, C-index 0.784, 95% CI 0.739-0.829).

Conclusion

Pretreatment AAPR is significantly associated with the prognosis of BC patients receiving RC, which can be conducive to the clinical decision-making and risk stratification in those patients. The nomogram based on AAPR is a reliable model for predicting survival of BC patients after RC.

Copy number variations in primary tumor, serum and lymph node metastasis of bladder cancer patients treated with radical cystectomy

The aim of the present study was to analyze copy number variations (CNV) of multiple oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in genomic DNA from primary tumor tissue, lymph node metastasis and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from serum of 72 urothelial carcinoma of bladder (UCB) patients treated with radical cystectomy (RC), using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). We hypothesized that primary tumor and lymph node metastasis show similar CNV profiles, and CNV are more present in lymph node metastasis compared to primary tumor tissue. Samples from 43 (59.7%) patients could be analyzed. In total, 35 (83%), 26 (68%) and 8 (42%) patients had CNV in primary tumor, serum and lymph node metastasis, respectively. MYC, CCND1, ERBB2 and CCNE1 displayed the most frequent amplifications. In particular, CNV in ERBB2 was associated with aggressive tumor characteristics. CNV in both ERBB2 and TOP2A were risk factors for disease recurrence. The current findings show that CNV are present in various oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in genomic DNA from primary tumor, lymph node metastasis and cfDNA from serum. CNV were more present in genomic DNA from primary tumor tissue compared to cfDNA from serum and genomic DNA from lymph node metastasis. Patients with CNV in ERBB2 and TOP2A are at increased risk for disease recurrence following RC. Further studies are necessary to validate, whether these genes may represent promising candidates for targeted-therapy.

Can immune markers help identify fast relapse in patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer?

The aim of this pilot study was to assess the role of immune markers in fast relapse (<2 years) of high-grade muscle invasive urothelial carcinomas of the bladder (HGUC) treated by cystectomy. A series of 40 such cases was investigated for immune protein (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD20, CD68, CD163, FOXP3 and PD-1) status by immunohistochemistry. Decreased expression of all immune cell markers was observed in tumors of patients who relapsed quickly. In Kaplan-Meier (log-rank test) analysis, low CD3, CD4 and CD8 expression was associated with fast relapse (P = 0.005, 0.028, 0.036 respectively). Additional evaluation of the immune transcriptome by NanoString Human PanCancer Immune Panel v.1.1 has identified 5 differentially expressed genes significantly associated with fast relapse. Among these, KLRB1 and HLA-DQA1 were also significant on Kaplan-Meier analysis (log-rank test P = 0.007 and 0.006, respectively). These findings strengthen the potential clinical utility and, hence, the need for further evaluation of immune markers in HGUC prognostication.

Reassessment of p53 immunohistochemistry thresholds in invasive high grade bladder cancer shows a better correlation with TP53 and FGFR3 mutations

FGFR3 mutations are frequently mutually exclusive of TP53 mutations in invasive high grade urothelial carcinoma (HGUC) and p53 immunohistochemistry is often used as a surrogate for TP53 mutations. A 10 % staining cut off has been used in HGUC for designation as p53 positive or negative however, a novel contemporary method we have previously proposed (0% or >50 % - abnormal vs. 1-49 % - wild type) has shown significant correlation with oncologic outcome as well. We aimed to compare how a ≥10 % vs. 0 % and ≥ 50 % cut off p53 assessment method correlates with TP53 and FGFR3 mutation status. Tissue microarrays created from three retrospective cohorts (two cystectomy cohorts (cohort A, n = 206 and cohort B, n = 91; one T1 transurethral resection cohort (cohort C, n = 47)) were stained with p53 and scored by two blinded reviewers using both p53 scoring schemes. 50 cases from cohort A were assessed for TP53 and FGFR3 mutation status using next generation sequencing and FGFR3 mutation status was separately assessed in cohorts B and C using SNaPshot methodology. 202 (58.7 %) and 142 (41.3 %) cases showed abnormal and wild type p53 staining, respectively. Using the 10 % cut off, 254 cases were positive (73.8 %) and 90 cases were negative (26.2 %). 27 (14.4 %) and 15 (30 %) assessed cases demonstrated FGFR3 and TP53 mutations, respectively; 19/27 FGFR3 mutated showed a wild type pattern of p53 expression while 15/15 TP53 mutated tumours showed an abnormal pattern of p53 expression. There was a significant correlation between the contemporary p53 scoring scheme and TP53 and FGFR3 mutations (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.002, respectively). Improved sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for TP53 mutation was also seen compared to the 10 % cut off; specifically, the sensitivity and negative predictive value were 100 %. These findings might be of clinical relevance in the era of precision medicine.

The Cancer of the Bladder Risk Assessment (COBRA) score for estimating cancer-specific survival after radical cystectomy: external validation in a large bi-institutional cohort

OBJECTIVE

To perform an external validation of the Cancer of the Bladder Risk Assessment (COBRA) score for estimating cancer-specific survival (CSS) after radical cystectomy (RC) in a large bi-institutional cohort of patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients treated with RC and lymph node dissection (LND) between May 1996 and July 2017 were retrieved from the RC databases of Leuven and Turin. Collected variables were age at RC, tumour stage, lymph node (LN) density, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the extent of LND, and nodal stage. The primary outcome was CSS visualised using Kaplan-Meier plots. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the impact of variables on CSS. We performed a pairwise comparison between the COBRA score levels using a log-rank test corrected by Bonferroni, and developed a simplified COBRA score with three risk categories. To compare models, we assessed concordance indices (C-indices), receiver operating characteristic curves with area under the curve (AUC), calibration plots, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Finally, we compared both COBRA and simplified COBRA models with the established American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) model.

RESULTS

A total of 812 patients were included. All COBRA score variables had a significant impact on CSS in a Cox proportional hazard model. However, pairwise comparison of the COBRA subscores could not differentiate significantly between all COBRA score levels. Based on these findings, we developed a simplified COBRA score by introducing three categories within the following COBRA score ranges: low- (0-1) vs intermediate- (2-4) vs high-risk (5-7). A pairwise comparison could discriminate significantly between all COBRA risk categories. When finally comparing COBRA and simplified COBRA models with the AJCC model, AJCC performed better than both. C-indices, AUCs, calibration plots and DCA for AJCC were all better compared with the original and simplified COBRA models.

CONCLUSION

We performed an external validation of the COBRA score in a large bi-institutional cohort. We observed that several risk groups had overlapping CSS, demonstrating suboptimal performance of the COBRA score. Therefore, we constructed a simplified model with three COBRA score risk categories. This model resulted in demarcated risk groups with non-overlapping CSS and good predictive accuracy. However, both COBRA score models were outperformed by the AJCC staging system. Therefore, we conclude that the AJCC staging system should remain the current standard for stratifying patients after RC for CSS.

Metastasectomy of oligometastatic urothelial cancer: a single-center experience

Background

Survival in patients with urothelial cancer (UC) recurrence after initial treatment with curative intent is limited and treatment options are sparse. Metastasectomy could be considered a treatment option in selected cases. Identifying prognostic factors for survival can be used to counsel patients and aid multidisciplinary teams in making treatment decisions.

Methods

We collected a retrospective case series of patients undergoing metastasectomy for oligometastatic UC between 1999 and 2018 at University Hospitals Leuven. Oligometastatic UC was defined as recurrence of UC in a single organ with ≤3 metastases. Survival outcomes of interest were: overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and secondary recurrence-free survival (RFS2). Complications were reported using the Clavien-Dindo classification (CDC). Survival analysis are descriptive and were performed using Kaplan-Meier plots to visualize survival data and log-rank was used to compare survival between groups.

Results

From 1999 to 2018, a total of 22 patients underwent metastasectomy of oligometastatic UC. Metastasectomy sites were: pulmonary (59.1%), loco-regional (13.6%), hepatic (9.1%), adrenal (4.5%), testicular (4.5%), nodal above aortic bifurcation (4.5%), and renal transplant (4.5%). The 5-year OS, CSS and RFS2 after metastasectomy were 51.4%, 57.0%, and 49.9%, respectively. Patients with primary upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) involvement and patients treated with hepatic metastasectomy had a significantly worse OS, CSS, and RFS2. Patients with a lesion size >8 mm and patients with >1 pulmonary lesion had a significantly worse CSS. Two CDC grade 3B occurred during follow-up and were both non-procedure related.

Conclusions

Metastasectomy of oligometastatic UC is feasible and can achieve durable cancer control in a highly selected subgroup of patients. Our results suggest that patients with hepatic metastases or primary UTUC involvement could be considered poor candidates for metastasectomy, while patients with a small (<8 mm) or solitary pulmonary lesion might benefit most. These findings should be validated in multi-institutional collaborations or prospective clinical studies.

Immune gene expression profiles in high-grade urothelial carcinoma of the bladder: a NanoString study

AIMS

The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy has proven beneficial in a subset of high-grade urothelial carcinomas (HGUC) of the bladder. Although treatment selection is currently largely determined by programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) status, multiple factors in the immune system may modulate the host immune response to HGUC and immunotherapy. In this pilot study, we used a transcriptomic approach to identify the immune milieu associated with PD-L1 expression to enhance our understanding of the HGUC immune evasion network.

METHODS

The immune transcriptome of 40 HGUC cystectomy cases was profiled using the NanoString nCounter Human V.1.1 PanCancer Panel. All cases were assessed for associated PD-L1 status (SP263) using whole tissue sections. PD-L1 status was determined as high or low using 25% tumour and/or immune cell staining.

RESULTS

The most significantly differentially expressed gene was PD-L1 messenger RNA (CD274), which strongly correlated with protein expression (r=0.720, p<0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of CD274 for PD-L1 expression were 85%, 96%, 92% and 93%, respectively. The PD-L1 associated gene signature also included complement components C1QA and CD46 and NOD2 (innate immune system), proinflammatory cytokines CXCL14, CXCL16, CCL3, CCL3L1 and OSM along with the immune response mediator SMAD3, among others. Pathway analysis determined enrichment of these genes in interleukin-10 production, lymphocyte chemotaxis and aberrant IFNγ, NF-κB and ERK signalling networks.

CONCLUSIONS

We report key genes and pathways in the immune transcriptome and their association with PD-L1 status, which may be involved in immune evasion of HGUC and warrants further investigation.

Oncologic outcomes after robot-assisted versus open radical cystectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

The efficacy of RARC in oncologic outcomes compared ORC is controversial. We assess potential differences in oncologic outcomes between robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) and open radical cystectomy (ORC).

METHODS

We performed the literature search systematically according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis statement. A pooled meta-analysis was performed to assess the difference in oncologic outcomes between RARC and ORC, separately in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized studies (NRCTs).

RESULTS

Five RCTs and 28 NRCTs were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. There was no difference in the rate of overall positive surgical margin (PSM) in RCTs, while NRCTs showed a lower rate for RARC. There was no difference in the soft tissue PSM rate between RARC and ORC in both RCTs and NRCTs. There was no difference in the lymph node yield by standard and extended lymph node dissection between RARC and ORC in both RCTs and NRCTs. There was no significant difference in survival outcomes between RARC and ORC in both RCTs and NRCTs.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the current evidence, there is no difference in the rate of PSMs, lymph node yield, recurrence rate and location as well as short-term survival outcomes between RARC and ORC in RCTs. In NRCTs, only PSM rates were better for RARC compared to ORC, but this was likely due to selection and reporting bias which are inherent to retrospective study designs.

BMP9 Promotes the Proliferation and Migration of Bladder Cancer Cells through Up-Regulating lncRNA UCA1

As the most common malignant tumor of the urinary system worldwide, the bladder tumor has a high mortality rate, which is mainly due to its onset of concealment. Therefore, research into novel diagnostic markers and treatment of bladder cancer is urgently needed. BMP9 (Bone morphogenetic protein 9) is a member of BMP, which belongs to the TGF-β (transforming growth factor-β) superfamily. It has been associated with multiple tumors. We found that BMP9 is highly expressed in bladder cancer cells and it could significantly promote the proliferation and migration of bladder cancer cells. In the study of the mechanism of this effect, we found that BMP9 can increase the expression of lncRNA UCA1 (Urothelial cancer associated 1) through phosphorylated AKT. The promoting effect of BMP9 on bladder cancer cells was rescued after interfering with UCA1 in BMP9 overexpressed bladder cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Our research confirms that BMP9 promotes the proliferation and migration of bladder cancer cells through up-regulated lncRNA UCA1. It also shows that BMP9 is a novel diagnostic marker and a potential therapeutic target in bladder cancer.

Therapeutic strategies for organ-confined and non-organ-confined bladder cancer after radical cystectomy

INTRODUCTION

In patients with muscle invasive or Bacillus Calmette-Guérin refractory urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder (UCUB) radical cystectomy represents the standard of care. However, a proportion of patients experience disease progression, local recurrence and/or metastatic disease. Areas covered: This review provides an overview of available therapeutic strategies after radical cystectomy and examines ongoing clinical trials including cytotoxic chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Expert commentary: Cytotoxic chemotherapy offers limited benefit in UCUB patients. However, the recent introduction of immunotherapy provides new hope for durable responses or possibly complete cures.

The current status and clinical value of circulating tumor cells and circulating cell-free tumor DNA in bladder cancer

Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) is a complex disease, which is associated with highly aggressive tumor biologic behavior, especially in patients with muscle-invasive and advanced tumors. Despite multimodal therapy options including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, UCB patients frequently suffer from poor clinical outcome. Indeed, the potential of diverse opportunities for modern targeted therapies is not sufficiently elucidated in UCB yet. To improve the suboptimal treatment situation in UCB, biomarkers are urgently needed that help detecting minimal residual disease (MRD), predicting therapy response and subsequently prognosis as well as enabling patient stratification for further therapies and therapy monitoring, respectively. To date, decision making regarding treatment planning is mainly based on histopathologic evaluation of biopsies predominantly derived from the primary tumors and on clinical staging. However, both methods are imperfect for sufficient outcome prediction. During disease progression, individual disseminated tumor cells and consecutively metastases can acquire characteristics that do not match those of the corresponding primary tumors, and often are only hardly assessable for further evaluation. Therefore, during recent years, strong efforts were directed to establish non-invasive biomarkers from liquid biopsies. Urine cytology and serum tumor markers have been established for diagnostic purposes, but are still insufficient as universal biomarkers for decision-making and treatment of UCB patients. To date, the clinical relevance of various newly established blood-based biomarkers comprising circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating cell-free nucleic acids or tumor-educated platelets is being tested in cancer patients. In this review we summarize the current state and clinical application of CTCs and circulating cell-free tumor DNA originating from blood as biomarkers in patients with different UCB stages.

Genetic determinants for chemo- and radiotherapy resistance in bladder cancer

Bladder cancer (BCa) is burdened by high rates of chemo- and radio-resistance. We reviewed and summarized the current evidence regarding the genetic determinants of resistance in patients treated with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy (RT) for BCa. Genetic heterogeneity may preexist to treatment arising with tumorigenesis or increasing progressively during the treatment. Several biological pathways seem to be involved in the cellular response to treatment. These pathways comprehend mechanisms leading to modify the intracellular concentration of the drug, mechanisms leading to increase the repair of DNA damage caused by the treatment, mechanisms leading to increase cell survival, despite DNA damage, acting on the signaling pathways affecting apoptosis, mechanisms promoting autophagy. In the present review, we focused on the genetic determinants of resistance affecting the aforementioned mechanisms.

The Role of Surgery in Metastatic Bladder Cancer: A Systematic Review

CONTEXT

The role of surgery in metastatic bladder cancer (BCa) is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

In this collaborative review article, we reviewed the contemporary literature on the surgical management of metastatic BCa and factors associated with outcomes to support the development of clinical guidelines as well as informed clinical decision-making.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

A systematic search of English language literature using PubMed-Medline and Scopus from 1999 to 2016 was performed.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

The beneficial role of consolidation surgery in metastatic BCa is still unproven. In patients with clinically evident lymph node metastasis, data suggest a survival advantage for patients undergoing postchemotherapy radical cystectomy with lymphadenectomy, especially in those with measurable response to chemotherapy (CHT). Intraoperatively identified enlarged pelvic lymph nodes should be removed. Anecdotal reports of resection of pulmonary metastasis as part of multimodal approach suggest possible improved survival in well-selected patients. Cytoreductive radical cystectomy as local treatment has also been explored in patients with metastatic disease, although its benefits remain to be assessed.

CONCLUSIONS

Consolidative extirpative surgery may be considered in patients with clinically evident pelvic or retroperitoneal lymph nodal metastases but only if they have had a response to CHT. Surgery for limited pulmonary metastases may also be considered in very selected cases. Best candidates are those with resectable disease who demonstrate measurable response to CHT with good performance status. In the absence of data from prospective randomized studies, each patient should be evaluated on an individual basis and decisions made together with the patient and multidisciplinary teams.

PATIENT SUMMARY

Surgical resection of metastases is technically feasible and can be safely performed. It may help improve cancer control and eventually survival in very selected patients with limited metastatic burden. In a patient who is motivated to receive chemotherapy and to undergo extirpative surgical intervention, surgery should be discussed with the patient among other consolidation therapies in the setting of multidisciplinary teams.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the prognostic value of preoperative platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with urothelial carcinoma

A large number of studies have investigated the prognostic value of the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in patients diagnosed with urothelial carcinoma, but the evidence from these papers is conflicting. This systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out to assess the role of PLR in urothelial carcinoma patients. After a systematic search of the PubMed, Embase, Web of science databases, the associations between PLR and overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS)/disease-specific survival (DSS), and relapse-free survival (RFS)/disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed in urothelial carcinoma patients. The relationship between PLR and pathological results was also evaluated. A total of seven studies (eight cohorts) comprising 3171 patients were included. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) indicated the increased preoperative PLR predicted poor OS (HR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.01- 1.27, p < 0.001), CSS/DSS (HR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.08-1.40, p < 0.001), RFS/DFS (HR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.09-1.38, p < 0.001). However, no significant correlation was found between elevated preoperative PLR and pathological results such as tumor grade, tumor necrosis and T stages. These findings suggest a high PLR is associated with reduced OS, CSS/DSS and RFS/DFS in urothelial carcinoma. Preoperative PLR may therefore be a predictive factor in this patient group.

Gender-related Outcome in Bladder Cancer Patients undergoing Radical Cystectomy

Background: The impact of gender on oncological outcome after radical cystectomy (RC) is not fully understood yet. The aim of the study was to evaluate gender-related differences in histopathological parameters and prognosis of patients with bladder cancer undergoing RC.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of a 10-year single-center cystectomy database was performed. Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox-regression analyses with sex-specific interactions were performed to determine the impact of gender on recurrence-free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS), in addition to established clinicopathological factors.

Results: 259 patients (212 [81.8%] men and 47 [18.2%] women) were enrolled. Although women had a greater propensity for extravesical (≥pT3) disease (53.2% vs. 33.9%, p=0.03) and heterotopic urinary diversion (72.3% vs. 49.5%, p=0.006), gender did not independently predict RFS, CSS or OS on multivariate analysis. Extravesical tumor disease was the sole independent predictor concerning RFS (hazard ratio [HR]=4.70; p<0.001), CCS (HR=2.77; p=0.013), and OS (HR=1.93; p=0.041). Orthotopic urinary diversion (HR=0.36; p=0.002) had an independent effect only on RFS. Rates of 5-year RFS (73.7% vs. 48.3%; p=0.001), CSS (72.5% vs. 44.9%; p<0.001) and OS (62.6% vs. 37.8%; p<0.001) were higher in orthotopic versus heterotopic diversions.

Conclusion: In our series, women presented with more advanced tumors and higher rates of heterotopic urinary diversions, but their survival outcome was not significantly inferior to that of men. Extravesical disease was independently related to poorer survival after RC.

Tumour front inflammation and necrosis are independent prognostic predictors in high-grade urothelial carcinoma of the bladder

Aims

Inflammation and necrosis have been associated with prognosis in multiple epithelial malignancies. Our objective was to evaluate inflammation and necrosis in a cohort of patients with high-grade urothelial carcinomas of the bladder to determine their association with pathological parameters and their prognostic effect on relapse-free and disease-specific survival.

Methods

A retrospective cohort that underwent radical cystectomy for urothelial carcinomas (n=235) was evaluated for invasive front and central inflammation using the Klintrup-Makinen assessment method. Necrosis was scored using a four-point scale. The relationship of inflammation and necrosis with stage, nodal status, carcinoma in situ, tumour size, margin status and vascular space invasion and the impact on relapse-free and disease-specific survival were calculated using appropriate statistical tests.

Results

On multivariate analysis, invasive front inflammation (p=0.003) and necrosis (p=0.000) were independent predictors of relapse-free survival. Both invasive front inflammation (p=0.009) and necrosis (p=0.002) again were independent predictors of disease-specific survival. For pathological features, low invasive front inflammation was associated with lymphovascular space invasion (p=0.008), a positive soft tissue margin (p=0.028) and carcinoma in situ (p=0.042). Necrosis was statistically associated with tumours >3 cm in size (p=0.013) and carcinoma in situ (p<0.001).

Conclusions

Necrosis and invasive front inflammation are additional histological variables with independent prognostic relevance in high-grade urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

Oncologic Outcome of Metastasectomy for Urothelial Carcinoma: Who Is the Best Candidate?

BACKGROUND

Resection of metastatic lesions (metastasectomy) is performed for highly selected patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC). This study aimed to identify the clinicopathologic factors associated with oncologic outcome for patients who underwent metastasectomy for mUC.

METHODS

This analysis included 37 UC patients who underwent metastasectomy with curative intent at nine Japanese hospitals. The primary end point was cancer-specific survival. The Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test and the multivariable Cox proportional hazards model addressed the relationship between clinical characteristics and survival.

RESULTS

Metastasectomy was performed for pulmonary (n = 23), nodal (n = 7), and other (n = 7) metastases. The median survival time was 35.4 months (interquartile range [IQR] 15.5, not reached) from the detection of metastasis and 34.3 months (IQR 13.1, not reached) from metastasectomy. The 5-year cancer-specific survival rate after detection of metastasis was 39.7%. In the multivariate analysis, the time from primary surgery to detection of metastasis (time-to-recurrence [TTR]) of 15 months or longer (hazard ratio [HR] 0.23; p = 0.0063), no symptoms of recurrence (HR 0.23; p = 0.0126), and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels lower than than 0.5 mg/dl (HR 0.24; p = 0.0052) were significantly associated with better survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term survival could be achieved for some patients with mUC who underwent metastasectomy. Lung and lymph nodes were predominant sites for metastasectomy. Symptoms, TTR, and CRP value were identified as associated with survival and should be taken into account when metastasectomy is considered.

Copy number variations of circulating, cell-free DNA in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder patients treated with radical cystectomy: a prospective study

The aim of the present study was to establish a rapid profiling method using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and characterize copy number variations (CNV) in circulating, cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in 85 urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) patients treated with radical cystectomy (RC). MLPA was tested for the use of cfDNA extracted from serum and plasma by various commercial extraction kits. Eighteen probes served as reference to control denaturation, ligation and amplification efficiency. MLPA was exclusively suitable for cfDNA extracted from serum. Serum from 72 patients (84.7%) could be analyzed. Thirty-five patients (48.6%) had presence of CNV in cfDNA. The median CNV count in patients with presence of CNV was 2. Predominantly, CNV were located in the genes CDH1, ZFHX3, RIPK2 and PTEN in 15 patients (20.8%), 12 patients (16.7%), 9 patients (12.5%) and 7 patients (9.7%), respectively. CNV in TSG1, RAD21, KIAA0196, ANXA7 and TMPRSS2 were associated with presence of variant UCB histology (p = 0.029, 0.029, 0.029, 0.029, 0.043, respectively). Furthermore, CNV in miR-15a, CDH1 and ZFHX3 were associated with presence of incidental prostate cancer (p = 0.023, 0.003, 0.025, respectively). Patients with CNV in KLF5, ZFHX3 and CDH1 had reduced cancer-specific survival, compared to patients without CNV in these genes (pairwise p = 0.028, 0.026, 0.044, respectively). MLPA represents an efficient method for the detection of CNV among numerous genes on various chromosomal regions. CNV in specific genes seem to be associated with aggressive UCB biologic features and presence of incidental prostate cancer, and may have a negative impact on cancer-specific survival.

Nomogram for predicting survival of postcystectomy recurrent urothelial carcinoma of the bladder

PURPOSE

We aimed to identify prognostic clinicopathological factors and to create a nomogram able to predict overall survival (OS) in recurrent urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) after radical cystectomy (RC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Among 1,087 patients with UCB who had undergone RC at our 11 institutions between 1990 and 2010, 306 patients who subsequently developed distant metastasis or local recurrence or both were identified. Clinical data were collected with medical record review. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models addressed OS after recurrence. A nomogram predicting postrecurrence OS was constructed based on Cox proportional hazards model, without using postrecurrence factors (systemic chemotherapy and resection of metastasis). The performance of the nomogram was internally validated by assessing concordance index and calibration plots.

RESULTS

Of the 306 patients, 268 died during follow-up with a median survival of 7 months (95% CI: 5.8-8.5). Postrecurrence chemotherapy was administered in 119 patients (38.9%). Multivariable analysis identified 9 independent predictors for OS; period of time from RC to recurrence (time-to-recurrence), symptomatic recurrence, liver metastasis, hemoglobin level, serum alkaline phosphatase level, serum lactate dehydrogenase level, serum C-reactive protein level, postrecurrence chemotherapy, and resection of metastasis. A nomogram was formed with the following 5 variables to predict OS: time-to-recurrence, symptomatic recurrence, liver metastasis, albumin level, and alkaline phosphatase level. Concordance index rate was 0.75 (95% CI: 0.72-0.78) by internal validation using Bootstraps with 1,000 resamples. Calibration plots showed that the nomogram fitted well.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified 9 clinicopathological factors as independent OS predictors in postcystectomy recurrence of UCB. We also created a validated nomogram with 5 variables that efficiently stratified those patients regardless of eligibility for chemotherapy. The nomogram would be useful for acquiring relevant prognostic information and for stratifying patients for clinical trials.

Oncological Outcomes in Patients Treated with Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer: Comparison Between Open, Laparoscopic, and Robot-Assisted Approaches

PURPOSE

To investigate oncological outcomes in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer who underwent open radical cystectomy (ORC), laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC), or robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed on 230 patients who underwent ORC (n = 150), LRC (n = 22), or RARC (n = 58) between September 2009 and June 2012. Perioperative outcomes were compared between the three surgical approaches. The influence of the type of surgical approach on recurrence-free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences were assessed with the log-rank test. Predictors of RFS, CSS, and OS were also analyzed with a Cox regression model.

RESULTS

The median patient age for ORC, LRC, and RARC groups was 68.0 (interquartile range [IQR]: 60.0-73.0), 65.0 (IQR: 62.8-74.0), and 61.5 (IQR: 54.8-72.0) years, respectively (p = 0.017), and the median follow-up duration was 27.9 (IQR: 14.7-47.9), 28.8 (IQR: 15.7-41.8), and 32.0 (IQR: 15.5-45.4) months, respectively (p = 0.955). There was no significant difference in RFS, CSS, and OS according to the surgical approach (p = 0.253, p = 0.431, and p = 0.527, respectively). Subgroup analysis revealed that RFS, CSS, and OS were not significantly different in both subgroups with stage ≤pT2 or ≥pT3. Multivariable Cox regression analyses showed that the surgical approach was not a significant predictor of RFS, CSS, and OS.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that the type of surgical approach is not associated with RFS, CSS, and OS in patients with bladder cancer.

Do circulating tumor cells have a role in deciding on adjuvant chemotherapy after radical cystectomy?

Radical cystectomy (RC) with bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy with or without perioperative chemotherapy is the golden standard treatment in muscle invasive and recurrent high-grade non-muscle invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB). Despite treatment with curative intent, up to 50% of patients develop metastasis and die from UCB due to micro-metastatic disease undetectable for current staging techniques prior to definitive therapy. Tumor cell dissemination is a crucial step in the natural history of the metastatic cascade. Circulating tumor cells (CTC) are malignant epithelial cells detectable in the peripheral blood of patients with various malignancies. In UCB, CTC are detectable in a significant number of patients prior to RC and associated with inferior outcomes. In this review, we summarize the current literature regarding CTC in UCB, discussing their potential on clinical decision-making regarding multimodal treatment and implications on the application of novel targeted therapies in the future. There is reliable evidence that presence of CTC in clinically non-metastatic UCB patients treated with RC are a powerful predictor for unfavorable outcomes and may be useful for adjuvant chemotherapy decision-making and monitoring. However, currently, the evidence is limited, and thus, integration of CTC in future UCB clinical trials is strongly recommended to shed more light on the potential of this promising biomarker.