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Bhalla S, Passarelli R, Biswas A, De S, Ghodoussipour S. Plasma-Derived Cell-Free DNA as a Biomarker for Early Detection, Prognostication, and Personalized Treatment of Urothelial Carcinoma. J Clin Med 2024; 13:2057. [PMID: 38610824 PMCID: PMC11012937 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13072057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignancies in the United States, with over 80,000 new cases and 16,000 deaths each year. Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is the most common histology and accounts for 90% of cases. BC management is complicated by recurrence rates of over 50% in both muscle-invasive and non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. As such, the American Urological Association (AUA) recommends that patients undergo close surveillance during and after treatment. This surveillance is in the form of cystoscopy or imaging tests, which can be invasive and costly tests. Considering this, there have been recent pushes to find complements to bladder cancer surveillance. Cell-free DNA (CfDNA), or DNA released from dying cells, and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), or mutated DNA released from tumor cells, can be analyzed to detect and characterize the molecular characteristics of tumors. Research has shown promising results for ctDNA use in the BC care realm. A PubMed literature review was performed finding studies discussing cfDNA and ctDNA in BC detection, prognostication, and monitoring for recurrence. Keywords used included bladder cancer, cell-free DNA, circulating tumor DNA, urothelial carcinoma, and liquid biopsy. Studies show that ctDNA can serve as prognostic indicators of both early- and late-stage BC, aid in risk stratification prior to major surgery, assist in detection of disease progression and metastatic relapse, and can assess patients who may respond to immunotherapy. The benefit of ctDNA is not confined to BC, as studies have also suggested its promise as a biomarker for neoadjuvant chemotherapy in upper-tract UC. However, there are some limitations to ctDNA that require improvements in ctDNA-specific detection methods and BC-specific mutations before widespread utilization can be achieved. Further prospective, randomized trials are needed to elucidate the true potential ctDNA has in advancements in BC care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Bhalla
- Division of Urology, Section of Urologic Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, 195 Albany St., New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA; (S.B.); (R.P.)
| | - Rachel Passarelli
- Division of Urology, Section of Urologic Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, 195 Albany St., New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA; (S.B.); (R.P.)
| | - Antara Biswas
- Center for Systems and Computational Biology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, 195 Albany St., New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA; (A.B.); (S.D.)
| | - Subhajyoti De
- Center for Systems and Computational Biology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, 195 Albany St., New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA; (A.B.); (S.D.)
| | - Saum Ghodoussipour
- Division of Urology, Section of Urologic Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, 195 Albany St., New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA; (S.B.); (R.P.)
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Ramamurthy C, Wheeler KM, Trecarten S, Hassouneh Z, Ji N, Lee Y, Svatek RS, Mukherjee N. Perioperative Immune Checkpoint Blockade for Muscle-Invasive and Metastatic Bladder Cancer. JOURNAL OF CANCER IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 6:29-39. [PMID: 38784962 PMCID: PMC11113005 DOI: 10.33696/cancerimmunol.6.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Checkpoint inhibitors offer promise in treating muscle-invasive and metastatic bladder cancer, but the optimal timing of their administration-neoadjuvant or adjuvant-remains unclear. To determine the efficacy of combining checkpoint inhibition with standard cisplatin-based chemotherapy, we conducted a phase II trial of neoadjuvant anti-PD-1 (αPD-1) and anti-CTLA-4 (αCTLA-4), in combination with cisplatin-gemcitabine, for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer prior to radical cystectomy. In addition, a novel murine model of spontaneous metastatic bladder cancer was used to compare the efficacy of neoadjuvant versus adjuvant anti-PD-L1 (αPD-L1) treatment. The clinical trial was closed prematurely due to the industry's withdrawal of drug provision. Adverse events were observed in all patients; however, serious adverse events were not observed in any patient. A complete pathologic response was observed in 50% of the 4 patients enrolled. Response to treatment was significantly associated with elevated urinary T cells including CD8+ and IFNγ+ CD4+ T cells, suggesting potential reinforcement of immune responses by neoadjuvant αPD-1 and αCTLA-4 against bladder tumor cells. These findings suggest that combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting could be safe. However, the complete response rate of this four-drug regimen was modest and emphasizes the need for randomized controlled trials to properly assess immunotherapy efficacy in the neoadjuvant setting. In corresponding murine studies, the MB49-met model consistently displayed widespread metastasis, including tumor growth in the lungs, liver, and bowel mesentery, within 20 days of subcutaneous transplantation. Mice receiving surgery plus neoadjuvant αPD-L1 or adjuvant αPD-L1 exhibited improved survival compared to those receiving only αPD-L1. However, no significant difference in survival was observed between the neoadjuvant and adjuvant αPD-L1 cohorts. Furthermore, the timing of neoadjuvant therapy administration (early vs. late) did not significantly impact survival. This study highlights the potential of perioperative immunotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic bladder cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chethan Ramamurthy
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Health San Antonio (UTHSA), San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Karen M. Wheeler
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Health San Antonio (UTHSA), San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Shaun Trecarten
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Health San Antonio (UTHSA), San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Zaineb Hassouneh
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Health San Antonio (UTHSA), San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Niannian Ji
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Health San Antonio (UTHSA), San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Yifen Lee
- Department of Urology and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Robert S. Svatek
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Health San Antonio (UTHSA), San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Neelam Mukherjee
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Health San Antonio (UTHSA), San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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Esteban-Villarrubia J, Torres-Jiménez J, Bueno-Bravo C, García-Mondaray R, Subiela JD, Gajate P. Current and Future Landscape of Perioperative Treatment for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15030566. [PMID: 36765525 PMCID: PMC9913718 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15030566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical cystectomy is the current standard of care for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). However, less than half of patients are candidates for this treatment, and 50% will develop metastatic disease. Adjuvant chemotherapy could be offered if neoadjuvant treatment has not been administered for suitable patients. It is important to reduce the risk of systemic recurrence and improve the prognosis of localized MIBC. Systemic therapy for metastatic urothelial carcinoma has evolved in recent years. Immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted agents, such as antibody-drug conjugates or FGFR inhibitors, are new therapeutic alternatives and have shown their benefit in advanced disease. Currently, several clinical trials are investigating the role of these drugs, as monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapy, in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings with promising outcomes. In addition, the development of predictive biomarkers could predict responses to neoadjuvant therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Pablo Gajate
- Medical Oncology Department, Ramon y Cajal University Hospital, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence:
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Sun X, Dai T, Xu L. Transurethral resection of bladder tumor-based bladder preservation therapy for refractory high risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: Current landscape and future directions. Front Surg 2023; 10:1143219. [PMID: 37123545 PMCID: PMC10130525 DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2023.1143219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer is the most common malignant tumor of urinary system worldwide. Approximately 75% of patients with bladder cancer present with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), which is effectively managed with transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). For refractory high risk NMIBC, patients are typically treated by radical cystectomy (RC). TURBT deserves further evaluation. Growing evidence suggests that repeated TURBT-based bladder-sparing approaches may improve oncological outcomes and quality of life in highly selected patients. Novel imaging techniques and biomarkers may aid in patients selection and postoperative surveillance. With growing interest in adding immunotherapy to refractory bladder cancer, TURBT based approaches enable the bladder preservation therapy for high risk NMIBC. Here we summarize the current landscape, biomarkers for surveillance, and future directions for applying TURBT-based bladder preservation therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinghui Sun
- Department of Urology, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Correspondence: Xinghui Sun
| | - Tianzeng Dai
- Department of Urology, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Lihui Xu
- Department of Urology, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital, Fuzhou, China
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Liu Z, Jin K, Zeng H, Shao F, Chang Y, Wang Y, Xu L, Wang Z, Cui X, Zhu Y, Xu J. B7-H4 correlates with clinical outcome and immunotherapeutic benefit in muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Eur J Cancer 2022; 171:133-142. [PMID: 35717821 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2022.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AIM B7-H4, a sibling to PD-L1 in B7 family, has been reported to be a novel immune checkpoint that is prevalent among non-inflamed tumors. Herein, we attempt to explore the potential of B7-H4 in survival prediction and therapeutic guidance in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients. METHODS This study included 391 patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and 122 patients from Zhongshan (ZS) Hospital. The evaluation of response to PD-L1 inhibitors was based on 270 patients in IMvigor210 cohort. Kaplan-Meier survival and multivariate analyses were performed to assess clinical outcomes in three cohorts. The correlation of B7-H4 expression with immune contexture and genomic alterations was analyzed based on immunohistochemistry, Microenvironment Cell Populations-counter (MCP-counter) tool, and whole-exome sequencing. RESULTS MIBC patients with the high level of B7-H4 expression (B7-H4high) were found to possess an inferior overall and recurrence-free survival. Nonetheless, substantial clinical benefits of cisplatin-based chemotherapy and anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy were observed in these patients. After identifying a positive correlation between B7-H4 and tumor mutation burden (TMB), clinical benefits in B7-H4high TMBhigh subgroup were found to be the most upon PD-L1 blockade. Further studies revealed that B7-H4high subgroup was featured by non-inflamed immune contexture and cell cycle-related gene alterations. CONCLUSIONS Despite adverse clinical outcomes, B7-H4high patients possessed superior responsiveness to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. B7-H4 stratification could also synergize with TMB to pinpoint the patients who benefited most from immunotherapy. The clinical exploration of B7-H4 as a companion predictor could allow clinicians to direct proper therapeutic agents to patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaopei Liu
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Kaifeng Jin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Han Zeng
- Department of Urology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Shao
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Chang
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiwei Wang
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Le Xu
- Department of Urology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zewei Wang
- Department of Urology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xingang Cui
- Department of Urology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yu Zhu
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jiejie Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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Perioperative Systemic Treatment for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: Current Evidence and Future Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22137201. [PMID: 34281253 PMCID: PMC8268978 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22137201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Radical cystectomy is the primary treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer; however, approximately 50% of patients develop metastatic disease within 2 years of diagnosis, which results in dismal prognosis. Therefore, systemic treatment is important to improve the prognosis of muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Currently, several guidelines recommend cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy before radical cystectomy, and adjuvant chemotherapy is recommended in patients who have not received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have recently become the standard treatment option for metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Owing to their clinical benefits, several immune checkpoint inhibitors, with or without other agents (including other immunotherapy, cytotoxic chemotherapy, and emerging agents such as antibody drug conjugates), are being extensively investigated in perioperative settings. Several studies for perioperative immunotherapy have shown that immune checkpoint inhibitors have promising efficacy with relatively low toxicity, and have explored the predictive molecular biomarkers. Herein, we review the current evidence and discuss the future perspectives of perioperative systemic treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
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