Do histological variants in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder portend poor prognosis? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Histology of variants of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder: a Moroccan series of 39 cases

Background

The variant of urothelial carcinoma (UCV) is a rare and aggressive histological entity; its therapeutic management remains debated.

Methods

Between January 2017 and October 2019, 39 patients were diagnosed retrospectively with urothelial carcinoma with a histological variant. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinico-pathological and therapeutic aspects of these variants to better understand this invasive disease.

Results

In 39 cases, 36 (92%) were men and 3 (8%) were women; the average age was 62 years; 54% of patients had a ≥ cT3 stage with clinical lymph node involvement in 28% and 23% had distant metastases, 36% of patients were treated with RC and 54% by other therapeutic and 10% refused RC. No patient received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Lymph node involvement was 28.5%. The two predominant histological types were squamous and micropapillary differentiation between the operating piece and bladder biopsy 28.5%, 30% and 21.5% and 13%, respectively. The overall survival at 20 months was 70 and 40% for RC and the other therapeutic (TURB alone or a TURB with an adjuvant), respectively. There was no significant difference in survival between the two groups (p = 0.27).

Conclusion

UCVs are heterogeneous groups of tumors which are increasingly identified due to their distinct morphological characteristics with variable clinical prognosis. Therapeutic management is not in favor of cystectomy in our study. However, a prospective study using a larger cohort is still necessary to validate our results.

Proteomics as a Complementary Technique to Characterize Bladder Cancer

Simple Summary

Although immunohistochemistry is a routine technique in clinics, and genomics has been rapidly incorporated, proteomics is a step behind. This general situation is also the norm in bladder cancer research. This review shows the contributions of proteomics to the molecular classification of bladder cancer, and to the study of histopathology due to tissue insults caused by tumors. Furthermore, the importance of proteomics for understanding the cellular and molecular changes as a consequence of the therapy of bladder cancer cannot be neglected.

Abstract

Bladder cancer (BC) is the most common tumor of the urinary tract and is conventionally classified as either non-muscle invasive or muscle invasive. In addition, histological variants exist, as organized by the WHO-2016 classification. However, innovations in next-generation sequencing have led to molecular classifications of BC. These innovations have also allowed for the tracing of major tumorigenic pathways and, therefore, are positioned as strong supporters of precision medicine. In parallel, immunohistochemistry is still the clinical reference to discriminate histological layers and to stage BC. Key contributions have been made to enlarge the panel of protein immunomarkers. Moreover, the analysis of proteins in liquid biopsy has also provided potential markers. Notwithstanding, their clinical adoption is still low, with very few approved tests. In this context, mass spectrometry-based proteomics has remained a step behind; hence, we aimed to develop them in the community. Herein, the authors introduce the epidemiology and the conventional classifications to review the molecular classification of BC, highlighting the contributions of proteomics. Then, the advances in mass spectrometry techniques focusing on maintaining the integrity of the biological structures are presented, a milestone for the emergence of histoproteomics. Within this field, the review then discusses selected proteins for the comprehension of the pathophysiological mechanisms of BC. Finally, because there is still insufficient knowledge, this review considers proteomics as an important source for the development of BC therapies.

Recent Advances in the Management of Patients with Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Using a Multidisciplinary Approach: Practical Recommendations from the Spanish Oncology Genitourinary (SOGUG) Working Group

Simple Summary

This report presents clinically relevant advances in the management of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, which have been the focus of discussion of expert members of the Spanish Oncology Genitourinary (SOGUG) Multidisciplinary Working Group in the framework of the Genitourinary Alliance project (12GU), designed as a space for the integration of novel information in the care of bladder cancer patients. The present study is focused on different aspects regarding the evaluation of hematuria, assessment of second (or repeated) transurethral resection of bladder cancer, histopathological diagnosis and problems with tumor grading, importance of histological variants, shortage of drug supply, and the current role and influence of immunotherapy and biological markers on the oncological outcome of patients. All proposals and recommendations have a multidisciplinary practical approach and are intended to help clinicians in shared decision making for patients with non-muscle-invasive urothelial cancer.

Abstract

On the basis of the discussion of the current state of research on relevant topics of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) among a group of experts of the Spanish Oncology Genitourinary (SOGUG) Working Group, recommendations were proposed to overcome the challenges posed by the management of NMIBC in clinical practice. A unified definition of the term ‘microhematuria’ and the profile of the patient at risk are needed. Establishing a ‘hematuria clinic’ would contribute to a centralized and more efficient evaluation of patients with this clinical sign. Second or repeated transurethral resection (re-TUR) needs to be defined, including the time window after the first procedure within which re-TUR should be performed. Complete tumor resection is mandatory when feasible, with specification of the presence or absence of muscle. Budding should be used as a classification system, and stratification of T1 tumors especially in extensive and deep tumors, is advisable. The percentage of the high-grade component should always be reported, and, in multiple tumors, grades should be reported separately. Luminal and basal subtypes can be identified because of possibly different clinical outcomes. Molecular subtypes and immunotherapy are incorporated in the management of muscle-invasive bladder cancer but data on NMIBC are still preliminary.

Evaluation of the Extent of Variant Histology in Urothelial Carcinoma as a Predictive Marker of Clinical Outcomes After Radical Cystectomy

BACKGROUND/AIM

This study investigated the impact of the extent of variant histology (VH) on the prognosis of patients with bladder cancer (BC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated consecutive patients with muscle-invasive BC who were treated with radical cystectomy (RC) at our institution between 2005 and 2018. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression.

RESULTS

We identified 103 and 47 patients with pure urothelial carcinoma (UC) and a VH in UC, respectively. At the cutoff of 80%, univariate analysis identified significant differences in RFS (p=0.046) and OS (p=0.038) between patients with ≥80% VH (n=21) and those with <80% VH (n=26). Multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of ≥80% VH was significantly associated with RFS and OS.

CONCLUSION

The presence of ≥80% VH in UC could be an independent predictor of recurrence and mortality after RC.

Effect of bladder cancer variant histology on survival outcome in patients treated with radical cystectomy: A single-centre experience

Context

Bladder cancer (BC) is the sixth most common malignant neoplasm in men. Recently, great effort has been devoted to the study of BC variant histology (VH). Yet, the results from these studies have shown conflicting data and remain unclear whether their presence alters recurrence and survival rates after radical cystectomy (RC).

Aims

We undertook this study aiming to test the effect on VH on recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in single-center RC patients.

Settings and Design

We have retrospectively analyzed medical records and pathology reports from 331 patients who underwent RC with or without pelvic lymphadenectomy at University Urology Clinic-Skopje, North Macedonia, in the period between 2010 and 2018.

Subjects and Methods

Microscopic analysis of the specimens involved the evaluation of histological tumor type, tumor grade, pathological tumor node metastasis stage, presence of lymphovascular invasion, and resection margin status.

Statistical Analysis Used

Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models were applied to test the effect of VH on RFS and OS.

Results

We found 185 patients who matched our inclusion criteria. At multivariable analyses, lymphovascular invasion and positive resection margins were associated with shorter RFS. Similarly, patients diagnosed with lymphovascular invasion, positive resection margins, and a pelvic lymph node metastasis had poorer OS. VH was not found to be an independent predictor of both RFS and OS (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

The present study did not reveal prognostic effect of VH on RFS and OS. In our series, histomorphologic parameters including lymphovascular invasion, resection margins, and pelvic lymph node metastasis were the most relevant predictors on survival outcome after RC.

Cancer-specific survival by stage of bladder cancer and factors collected by Mallorca Cancer Registry associated to survival

Background

Information about survival by stage in bladder cancer is scarce, as well as about survival of non-invasive bladder cancer. The aims of this study are: 1) to find out the distribution of bladder cancer by stage; 2) to determine cancer-specific survival by stage of bladder cancer; 3) to identify factors that explain and predict the likelihood of survival and the risk of dying from these cancers.

Methods

Incident bladder cancer cases diagnosed between 2006 and 2011 were identified through the Mallorca Cancer Registry. Inclusion criteria: cases with code C67 according to the ICD-O 3rd edition with any behaviour and any histology, except lymphomas and small cell carcinomas. Cases identified exclusively through the death certificate were excluded. We collected the following data: sex; age; date and method of diagnosis; histology according to the ICD-O 3rd edition; T, N, M and stage at the time of diagnosis; and date of follow-up or death. End point of follow-up was 31 December 2015. Multiple imputation (MI) was performed to estimate cases with unknown stage. Cases with benign or indeterminate behaviour were excluded for the survival analysis. Actuarial and Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox regression models were used for survival analysis.

Results

One thousand nine hundred fourteen cases were identified. 14% were women and 65.4% were 65 years or older. 3.9% had no stage (benign or undetermined behaviour) and 11.5% had unknown stage. After MI, 37.5% were in stage Ta (non-invasive papillary carcinoma), 3.2% in stage Tis (carcinoma in situ), 34.3% in stage I, 11.7% in Stage II, 4.3% in stage III, and 9.0% in stage IV. Survival was 76% at 5 years. Survival by stage: 98% at stage Ta, 90% at stage Tis, 85% at stage I, 45% at stage II, 35% at stage III, and 7% at stage IV. The Cox model showed that age, histology, and stage, but not sex, were associated with survival.

Conclusion

Bladder cancer survival vary greatly with stage, among both non-invasive and invasive cases. The percentage of non-invasive cancers is high. Stage, age, and histology are associated to survival.

[Lipid cell variant urothelial carcinoma of the renal pelvis. A case report and literature review]

There are many variants of urothelial carcinoma. One of the most infrequent is formed by cells with a lipid content and an adipose tissue appearance. Only 43 cases have been reported in the bladder, 2 in the renal pelvis and 1 case in the ureter. We present a third case in the renal pelvis; the patient is alive and free of disease 103 months post diagnosis.

Differentiation of Urothelial Carcinoma into Two Distinct Subtypes, Glandular and Squamous, in Three Different Organs

Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is a unique entity with different histological variants: squamous, glandular, small cell, micropapillary, sarcomatoid, and plasmacytoid. Each of those subtypes behaves differently. As such, and in many scenarios, an accurate histological diagnosis is of paramount importance to dictate the therapeutic approach. We hereby present a unique case of urothelial carcinoma that differentiated into two distinct histological subtypes, squamous and glandular, in three different organs within the genitourinary tract. We also describe the pathological and clinical differences entailed between the two histological variants in bladder and upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma.

Prostatectomy Versus Observation for Localized Prostate Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Controversy exists regarding whether prostatectomy benefits localized prostate cancer patients; the aim of our study was to evaluate the role of prostatectomy in localized prostate cancer patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic search was conducted using PubMed and Web of Science through March 22, 2019, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines to identify randomized studies reporting on prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer patients.

RESULTS

Of a total of 1827 studies, six were considered for evidence synthesis. A total of 2524 patients in 3 studies were included for survival analysis, where 1256 patients received prostatectomy and 1268 patients received no treatment but were regularly followed up. Three other studies were included for adverse effects analysis. Prostatectomy displayed a significantly decreased risk of death of 9% compared with that of observation for patients with localized prostate cancer (risk ratio = 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.85-0.97; p = 0.007). Pooled data indicated that prostatectomy reduced the risk of disease progression by 43% (risk ratio = 0.57; 95% confidence interval, 0.47-0.70; p < 0.00001). Anxiety, depressed mood, well-being, and sense of meaningfulness for patients were not different between the prostatectomy and observation groups. However, prostatectomy increased the risk of erectile dysfunction by 2.10-fold (risk ratio = 2.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.36-3.26; p = 0.0009) and the risk of urinary function problems by 2.02-fold (risk ratio = 2.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-3.54; p = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Prostatectomy prolonged survival and deferred disease progression compared to observation for patients with localized prostate cancer. Symptoms between the two groups were not significantly different except for erectile and urinary function. Patients should decide on prostatectomy after balancing the survival benefit and risk of erectile dysfunction.

Ureteral involvement by metastatic malignant disease

Ureteral metastases from other primary cancers are very rare. Treatment of these metastases is difficult and outcomes are poor. A thorough literature review was done with the aim of finding characteristics that may influence survival rates of patients with ureteral metastases. Systematic literature searches of PubMed and Web of Science were performed in Jan 2019. A total of 79 papers that included 265 patients with cancer metastases to their ureters were finally considered for evidence synthesis. Prostate, bladder, breast, gut cancer and lymphoma were the predominant primary tumors. The median interval time from primary tumor diagnosis to ureter metastasis was 28.5 months. The median survival time after diagnosis of ureter metastasis was 18 months. Risk factors of survival were analyzed. Age, sex, hydronephrosis, ureter side, and segment were not associated with survival. Interval time and treatment were associated with overall survival. Further analysis indicated that patients who underwent surgery had better outcomes.

The clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic value of squamous differentiation in patients with bladder urothelial carcinoma: a meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Urothelial carcinoma with squamous differentiation (UCSD) is the most common histologic variant in bladder cancer (BCa). Previously, some studies have linked the presence of UCSD with the risk of worse survival outcomes in BCa patients. However, such association is still controversial. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis to clarify the clinicopathological characteristics and to further investigate the prognostic value of UCSD in BCa.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was performed in electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang Data until October 2018. Subgroup analyses were performed according to different treatments and study outcomes.

RESULTS

Total of 13,284 patients were enrolled in 19 studies which were included in this meta-analysis. The percentage of female patients with UCSD was significantly higher than those with pure urothelial carcinoma. UCSD was correlated with tumor stage T3/T4, tumor grade 3, positive surgical margin, and lymph node involvement. Moreover, the recurrence rate was higher in patients with UCSD after surgery. UCSD was associated with poorer disease-free survival (DFS). No significant difference of cancer-specific survival (CSS) or overall survival (OS) was found on multivariable analysis between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated that UCSD in BCa was associated not only with unfavorable clinicopathological features, but also with high risk of recurrence and poorer prognosis for DFS. However, UCSD is not independently significant for CSS and OS. Well-designed randomized study with larger sample size is warranted to verify the findings and to further explore the role of UCSD in BCa.

Clinical Significance of Squamous Differentiation in Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder

The prognostic value of squamous differentiation (SD) in urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the bladder is unclear. The aim of this study was to identify the clinical significance of SD in UC in terms of oncological outcomes in patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC). We evaluated consecutive patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC; clinical T2-4aN0M0) treated with RC at our institution from March 2003 to March 2017. We enrolled 20 and 81 patients with UC with SD (UCSD) and pure UC, respectively. Postoperative survival outcomes were compared between the patients with UCSD and pure UC using the Kaplan-Meier method. Pre- and postcystectomy factors that influenced the overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were investigated in these patients. Multivariate Cox regression models were used to identify the predictors of OS and RFS. With a median follow-up time of 31 months, the 5-year OS rate of the UCSD and pure UC groups was 41.1% and 69.7% (P = .002) and the 5-year RFS rate was 51.8% and 59.5% (P = .027), respectively. The shape of the Kaplan-Meier curves for UCSD suggested a more rapid course of the disease within the first 2 years than observed in pure UC. Multivariate analyses suggested that SD in UC was significantly associated with OS (hazard ratio [HR]: 4.22; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20-14.8; P = .024) and close to significance for a lower RFS (HR: 2.13, 95% CI: 0.74-6.15, P = .064). Our results indicate that SD may be an independent predictor of OS and RFS in UC of MIBC in patients undergoing RC.

Histologic variants associated with biological aggressiveness and poor prognosis in patients treated with radical cystectomy

BACKGROUND

The prognostic value of histologic variants (HV) after radical cystectomy (RC) remains controversial. We evaluated the clinicopathological features and prognosis in patients with pure urothelial carcinoma (UC) and HV following RC.

METHODS

From 1990 to 2015, 286 patients with bladder cancer were treated with RC at six Kitasato University-affiliated hospitals. All patients were divided into two groups: pure UC and HV, which contained pure variants and mixed-type UC with variant pattern. A comparison of patient characteristics between the two groups was made to assess the clinicopathological features, and statistical analyses were performed to investigate prognosis in the two groups.

RESULTS

Of the 286 patients, 226 (79%) had pure UC, while 60 (21%) had HV. Of all HV, pure variants accounted for 45% (n = 27). The prevalence of lymph node involvement, locally advanced stage (≥ pT3), positive soft tissue surgical margin and lymphovascular invasion were significantly higher in patients with HV than in those with pure UC. Patients with HV showed worse disease-free survival and cancer-specific survival than those with pure UC (P = 0.009 and 0.003, respectively). In multivariate analysis, HV and lymph node involvement were independent predictors of worse disease-free survival (P = 0.017 and 0.001, respectively). HV, locally advanced stage, lymph node involvement, and positive soft tissue surgical margin were also confirmed as independent predictors of worse cancer-specific survival (P = 0.011, 0.012, 0.003 and 0.010, respectively.).

CONCLUSIONS

HV was associated with greater biological aggressiveness and worse prognosis than pure UC.