Update on the management of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

ERAS for Ambulatory TURBT: Enhancing Bladder Cancer Care (EMBRACE) randomised controlled trial protocol

INTRODUCTION

Transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT) is one of the more common procedures performed by urologists. It is often described as an 'incision-free' and 'well-tolerated' operation. However, many patients experience distress and discomfort with the procedure. Substantial opportunity exists to improve the TURBT experience. An enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol designed by patients with bladder cancer and their providers has been developed.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This is a single-centre, randomised controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness of an ERAS protocol compared with usual care in patients with bladder cancer undergoing ambulatory TURBT. The ERAS protocol is composed of preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative components designed to optimise each phase of perioperative care. 100 patients with suspected or known bladder cancer aged ≥18 years undergoing initial or repeat ambulatory TURBT will be enrolled. The change in Quality of Recovery 15 score, a measure of the quality of recovery, between the day of surgery and postoperative day 1 will be compared between the ERAS and control groups.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The trial has been approved by the Johns Hopkins Institutional Review Board #00392063. Participants will provide informed consent to participate before taking part in the study. Results will be reported in a separate publication.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05905276.

Pembrolizumab monotherapy for high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer without carcinoma in situ and unresponsive to BCG (KEYNOTE-057): a single-arm, multicentre, phase 2 trial

BACKGROUND

The KEYNOTE-057 trial evaluated activity and safety of pembrolizumab in patients with BCG-unresponsive high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer who were ineligible for or declined radical cystectomy. In cohort A (patients with carcinoma in situ, with or without papillary tumours) of the KEYNOTE-057 study, pembrolizumab monotherapy led to a complete response rate of 41% at 3 months, and 46% of responders maintained a response lasting at least 12 months. Here, we evaluate pembrolizumab monotherapy in cohort B of patients with papillary tumours without carcinoma in situ.

METHODS

KEYNOTE-057 is a single-arm, phase 2 study in 54 sites (hospitals and cancer centres) in 14 countries. Cohort B eligible patients were aged 18 years and older, had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2, and had BCG-unresponsive high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer with papillary tumours (high-grade Ta or any-grade T1) without carcinoma in situ. Transurethral resection of bladder tumour within 12 weeks of first pembrolizumab dose was required. Patients received pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenously every 3 weeks for a maximum of 35 cycles. Primary endpoint was 12-month disease-free survival of high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer or progressive disease as assessed by cystoscopy, cytology, and central pathology and radiology review. Activity was assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of the study drug and had a baseline evaluation. Safety was assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of the study drug. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02625961, and is ongoing.

FINDINGS

Between April 12, 2016, and June 17, 2021, 132 patients (104 [79%] men and 28 [21%] women) who had received a median of ten (IQR 9-15) previous BCG instillations were enrolled into cohort B of the study. Patients received a median of 10 cycles (IQR 6-27) of pembrolizumab. At data cutoff date, Oct 20, 2022, median follow-up was 45·4 months (IQR 36·4-59·3) and five (4%) of 132 patients remained on treatment. The 12-month disease-free survival was 43·5% (95% CI 34·9-51·9). Treatment-related adverse events occurred in 97 (73%) of 132 patients; 19 (14%) had a grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse event; the most common grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events were colitis (in three [2%] patients) and diarrhoea (in two [2%]). 17 (13%) of 132 patients experienced serious treatment-related adverse events, of which colitis (three patients [2%]) was most common. No treatment-related deaths occurred.

INTERPRETATION

Pembrolizumab monotherapy showed antitumour activity and manageable toxicity in patients with BCG-unresponsive high-risk Ta or T1 bladder cancer without carcinoma in situ and could potentially be a suitable treatment option for patients who decline or are ineligible for radical cystectomy. Findings will need to be confirmed in a randomised controlled trial.

FUNDING

Merck Sharp & Dohme.

BCG induced lower urinary tract symptoms during treatment for NMIBC-Mechanisms and management strategies

Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) accounts for ~70-75% of total bladder cancer tumors and requires effective early intervention to avert progression. The cornerstone of high-risk NMIBC treatment involves trans-urethral resection of the tumor followed by intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) immunotherapy. However, BCG therapy is commonly accompanied by significant lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) including urinary urgency, urinary frequency, dysuria, and pelvic pain which can undermine treatment adherence and clinical outcomes. Despite this burden, the mechanisms underlying the development of BCG-induced LUTS have yet to be characterized. This review provides a unique perspective on the mechanisms thought to be responsible for the development of BCG-induced LUTS by focussing on the sensory nerves responsible for bladder sensory transduction. This review focuses on how the physiological response to BCG, including inflammation, urothelial permeability, and direct interactions between BCG and sensory nerves could drive bladder afferent sensitization leading to the development of LUTS. Additionally, this review provides an up-to-date summary of the latest clinical data exploring interventions to relieve BCG-induced LUTS, including therapeutic targeting of bladder contractions, inflammation, increased bladder permeability, and direct inhibition of bladder sensory signaling. Addressing the clinical burden of BCG-induced LUTS holds significant potential to enhance patient quality of life, treatment compliance, and overall outcomes in NMIBC management. However, the lack of knowledge on the pathophysiological mechanisms that drive BCG-induced LUTS has limited the development of novel and efficacious therapeutic options. Further research is urgently required to unravel the mechanisms that drive BCG-induced LUTS.

MRI/RNA-Seq-Based Radiogenomics and Artificial Intelligence for More Accurate Staging of Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

Accurate staging of bladder cancer assists in identifying optimal treatment (e.g., transurethral resection vs. radical cystectomy vs. bladder preservation). However, currently, about one-third of patients are over-staged and one-third are under-staged. There is a pressing need for a more accurate staging modality to evaluate patients with bladder cancer to assist clinical decision-making. We hypothesize that MRI/RNA-seq-based radiogenomics and artificial intelligence can more accurately stage bladder cancer. A total of 40 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and matched formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues were available for analysis. Twenty-eight (28) MRI and their matched FFPE tissues were available for training analysis, and 12 matched MRI and FFPE tissues were used for validation. FFPE samples were subjected to bulk RNA-seq, followed by bioinformatics analysis. In the radiomics, several hundred image-based features from bladder tumors in MRI were extracted and analyzed. Overall, the model obtained mean sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 94%, 88%, and 92%, respectively, in differentiating intra- vs. extra-bladder cancer. The proposed model demonstrated improvement in the three matrices by 17%, 33%, and 25% and 17%, 16%, and 17% as compared to the genetic- and radiomic-based models alone, respectively. The radiogenomics of bladder cancer provides insight into discriminative features capable of more accurately staging bladder cancer. Additional studies are underway.

Depression and anxiety among patients treated for bladder cancer: examining clinical, demographic, and psychosocial predictors

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE

The significant impact of bladder cancer and treatment on patient health related quality of life (HRQoL) and emotional wellbeing has been documented. Increasing evidence from cancer research emphasizes the importance of examining patients supportive care needs and received social support as factors that could influence their emotional adjustment. The purpose of the study was to assess the demographic and clinical predictors of depression and anxiety among bladder cancer patients and its associations with patient reported supportive care needs and perceived availability of social support.

METHODS

A cross-sectional design was used to investigate the study questions. Bladder cancer patients were recruited from the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) to complete a questionnaire that included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), bladder cancer patient need survey (BCNAS-32), and the social provisions scale (SPS). The inclusion criteria restricted our sample to include bladder cancer patients who were English speakers, aged 18-85 years, and were able and willing to provide informed consent. Patients who had metastatic disease, cancer recurrence, or other primary cancers at the time of assessment were excluded from the study.

RESULTS

Participants included 159 bladder cancer patients. The mean age was 62±9.4 years and 51% were male. Almost two-thirds (62%) of patients reported a diagnosis of muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), 25% patient reported clinically significant levels of anxiety, 17% reported clinically significant levels of depression, and 13% and 17% reported abnormal borderline abnormal levels for anxiety and depression, respectively. Univariate regression analyses revealed significant associations between HADS total score, HADS depression and anxiety subscales, patient age, physical functioning/daily living needs, sexuality needs, and perceived social support with higher total scores, anxiety, and depression scores associated with younger age, higher unmet needs, and lower levels of social support. Multivariate regression analyses, showed similar findings confirming the associations depicted by the univariate regression analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

Bladder cancer patients experience significant levels of depression and anxiety and these levels are associated with patient age, supportive care unmet needs and lack of social support. Patient focused interventions could be tailored to address these issues with the goal to improve patient HRQoL and emotional adjustment.

Blue light transurethral resection and biopsy of bladder cancer with hexaminolevulinate: Histopathological characteristics and recurrence rates in a single UK centre study

Introduction

Blue light cystoscopy with hexaminolevulinate (HAL) during transurethral resection of bladder cancer (TURBT) has been shown to improve detection, thereby reducing bladder cancer recurrence compared with white light cystoscopy.

Methods

Single-centred UK (United Kingdom) study on 101 patients who underwent blue light cystoscopy between July 2017 and November 2020, performed by a single surgeon. Our study was divided into two arms; the primary arm had no prior diagnosis of bladder malignancy (N = 41), whereas secondary re-resection arm had (N = 57). Three patients with non-urothelial bladder cancer were excluded. Patients were followed up for 24 months. Data were collected on biopsy quality, histopathological characteristics and recurrence. The end points of the study were recurrence rate at 24 months in both arms and detection of CIS in patients who undergo TURBT or biopsy after initial white light study in the secondary, re-resection arm. This was analysed with Fisher's exact test.

Results

Of 98 patients, 39 had malignancy in their first blue light TURBT/biopsy: primary arm (10/41, 24.4%) and secondary arm (29/57, 50.9%), with detrusor present in 80.5% and 80.7%, respectively. In the secondary arm, blue light re-resection TURBT detected significantly more CIS (20.7% vs 51.7%, p = 0.0277) compared with white light with 3.4% upstaged to muscle invasive bladder cancer (G3pT2). Median time to re-resection was 3.06 months. Recurrence rate was 33.3% in the primary arm and 37.5% in the secondary arm after 24 months of follow-up.

Conclusion

Our data confirm that blue light TURBT with HAL provides superior detection and diagnosis of CIS in patients with previous white light cystoscopy.

m6A-mediated upregulation of lncRNA RMRP boosts the progression of bladder cancer via epigenetically suppressing SCARA5

Aim: This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between SCARA5 and RMRP in bladder cancer and their underlying mechanism. Methods: Biological functions were evaluated using cell-counting kit 8 assay, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation, wound healing and Transwell assays. RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA pull-down and chromatin immunoprecipitation were employed. A xenograft tumor model in nude mice was also conducted. Results & conclusion: RMRP and SCARA5 exhibited an inverse correlation. Downregulation of RMRP significantly suppressed bladder cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion, which was reversed by SCARA5 overexpression. RMRP recruited DNA methyltransferases to the promoter region of SCARA5, thereby triggering the methylation of the SCARA5 promoter to epigenetically suppress its expression. Our findings elucidate the machinery by which RMRP, stabilized by METTL3, exerts a promoter role in bladder cancer tumorigenesis by triggering SCARA5 methylation.

Development of a predictive model for recurrence-free survival in pTa low-grade bladder cancer

BACKGROUND

Data on Ta low-grade (LG) non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) have shown that follow-up cystoscopies are normal in 82% and 67% of patients with single and multiple tumors, respectively.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a predictive model associated with recurrence-free survival (RFS) at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months in TaLG cases that consider the patients' risk aversion.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data from a prospectively maintained database of 202 newly diagnosed TaLG NMIBC patients treated at Scandinavian institutions were used for the analysis. To identify risk groups associated with recurrence, we performed a classification tree analysis. Association between risk groups and RFS was evaluated by Kaplan Meier analysis. A Cox proportional hazard model selected significant risk factors associated with RFS using the variables defining the risk groups. The reported C index for the Cox model was 0.7. The model was internally validated and calibrated using 1000 bootstrapped samples. A nomogram to estimate RFS at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months was generated. The performance of our model was compared to EUA/AUA stratification using a decision curve analysis (DCA).

RESULTS

The tree classification found that tumor number, tumor size and age were the most relevant variables associated with recurrence. The patients with the worst RFS were those with multifocal or single, ≥ 4cm tumors. All the relevant variables identified by the classification tree were significantly associated with RFS in the Cox proportional hazard model. DCA analysis showed that our model outperformed EUA/AUA stratification and the treat all/none approaches.

CONCLUSION

We developed a predictive model to identify TaLG patients that benefit from less frequent follow-up cystoscopy schedule based on the estimated RFS and personal recurrence risk aversion.

Photodynamic Therapy for Bladder Cancers, A Focused Review†

Bladder cancer is the first cancer for which PDT was clinically approved in 1993. Unfortunately, it was unsuccessful due to side effects like bladder contraction. Here, we summarized the recent progress of PDT for bladder cancers, focusing on photosensitizers and formulations. General strategies to minimize side effects are intravesical administration of photosensitizers, use of targeting strategies for photosensitizers and better control of light. Non-muscle invasive bladder cancers are more suitable for PDT than muscle invasive and metastatic bladder cancers. In 2010, the FDA approved blue light cystoscopy, using PpIX fluorescence, for photodynamic diagnosis of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. PpIX produced from HAL was also used in PDT but was not successful due to low therapeutic efficacy. To enhance the efficacy of PpIX-PDT, we have been working on combining it with singlet oxygen-activatable prodrugs. The use of these prodrugs increases the therapeutic efficacy of the PpIX-PDT. It also improves tumor selectivity of the prodrugs due to the preferential formation of PpIX in cancer cells resulting in decreased off-target toxicity. Future challenges include improving prodrugs and light delivery across the bladder barrier to deeper tumor tissue and generating an effective therapeutic response in an In vivo setting without causing collateral damage to bladder function.

Global changes in bladder cancer mortality in the elderly

BACKGROUND

Bladder cancer is the 14th most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide and has a mean age of diagnosis of 73 years. Elderly people have fewer curative treatment options for muscle invasive bladder cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate how bladder cancer mortality has changed over the past forty years in different world regions to assess discrepancies between elderly and younger patients with bladder cancer.

METHODS

Bladder cancer mortality data were extracted from the World Health Organisation's GLOBOCAN database. Age-standardised mortality rates (ASMR) for bladder cancer were computed by year, sex, region and Human Development Index (HDI) using the world standard population.

RESULTS

Overall ASMR in all available countries with data between 1986 and 2014 for men aged ≥ 75 has decreased from 101.2 to 89.9 per 100,000 (-11.2%). The decrease in ASMR for men < 75 has been 0.3-2.0 per 100,000 (-39.4%). In women aged ≥ 75 ASMR has decreased from 26.9 to 22.5 per 100,000 (-16.4%) and in women < 75 the ASMR has decreased from 0.76 to 0.56 per 100,000 (-26.4%). Correlation analysis showed a positive linear relationship between Human Development Index (HDI) and improvement in age-standardised mortality rate in all ages. Pearson's coefficient showed that correlation was strongest in the 60-74 age group (r = -0.61, p < 0.001) and weakest in those aged ≥ 75 (r = -0.39, p = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Bladder cancer mortality is not improving in the elderly at the same rate as the rest of the population. Particular focus should be applied in future research to enhance and expand treatment options for bladder cancer that are appropriate for elderly patients.

Clinical and economic impact of blue light cystoscopy in the management of NMIBC at US ambulatory surgical centers: what is the site-of-service disparity?

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE

Management of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) significantly impacts healthcare resource utilization due to requirements for ongoing surveillance. White light cystoscopy (WLC) represents the traditional approach to NMIBC disease surveillance, though physicians utilizing WLC alone may fail to detect all cancerous lesions. The approval of blue light cystoscopy (BLC) as an adjunct to WLC enhances the urologist's ability to more readily detect cancerous tissue. A more complete resection will reduce recurrences and could result in reduced costs for the US healthcare system. This analysis quantifies the clinical and economic impact of the incorporation of BLC in the management of NMIBC in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) considering current Center for Medicare Services (CMS) patient-physician coverage and reimbursement.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

A budget impact model was developed to assess projected ASC costs for a cohort of 50 newly diagnosed bladder cancer patients over a 2-year follow-up comparing WLC alone vs. WLC + BLC. Treatment and surveillance intervals were based on AUA/SUO clinical guidelines. Clinical and cost metrics for staging and biopsy rates were assessed, with cost inputs based on Medicare reimbursement rates.

RESULTS

Use of WLC + BLC for NMIBC surveillance resulted in the identification of 5 additional NMIBC recurrences compared to WLC alone. There was an associated increased cost of performing BLC in an ASC setting, with a net increase in the total cost of care for NMIBC of $110 per cystoscopy over a 2-year period. If recurrences missed using WLC alone were to progress prior to detection, the model projects an increase in treatment costs borne by Medicare of $9,097 to $34,538 due to more intensive treatments required for the increased risk of recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Modeled results suggests that the Medicare program will incur increased costs, due to the gap between added costs per cystoscopy due to BLC. The current discrepancy in reimbursement disincentivizes community-based ASCs from adopting BLC, resulting in suboptimal patient care while increasing downstream treatment costs to Medicare, necessitated when missed disease progresses to higher stage/grade disease. The findings have important clinical implications for the optimal management of NMIBC and should inform healthcare policies that promote cost-effectiveness and enhanced patient outcomes.

Clinical determinants of recurrence in pTa bladder cancer following transurethral resection of bladder tumor

BACKGROUND

Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer can be controlled by transurethral resection of bladder (TURB), but suffers from frequent recurrences in 60-70% of cases. Although, recurrence interval after TURB influences treatment course and prognosis, its implication and risk factors have not been fully elucidated. We evaluated the risk factors of early (within 1 yr) and late (after 1 yr) recurrence of pTa bladder cancer and clinical significance of recurrence interval on disease progression and overall survival.

METHODS

In this study, pTa bladder cancer patients enrolled in prospective patient registry system of Seoul National University, SUPER-UC, were retrospectively examined to determine the clinical risk factors for recurrence and its significance regarding to recurrence interval. A total of 1067 bladder cancer patients who underwent TURB between March 20 and June 2021 were included and classified into three groups of no recurrence, early, or late recurrence to be comparatively analyzed.

RESULTS

Early recurrence was associated with poorer cystectomy-free survival and overall survival than late recurrence. Risk factors for early recurrence included a high number of previous TURB, tumor multiplicity, tumor location, tumor shape, incompleteness of TURB, and high tumor grade. Otherwise, late recurrence was associated with low-grade tumors with insufficient TURB depth.

CONCLUSION

Patients with risk factors for early recurrence should be closely followed up with special cautions.

Narrow band imaging versus white light cystoscopy alone for transurethral resection of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

BACKGROUND

Disease recurrence and progression remain major challenges for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Narrow band imaging (NBI) is an optical enhancement technique that may improve resection of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and thereby lead to better outcomes for people undergoing the procedure.  OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of NBI- and white light cystoscopy (WLC)-guided transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) compared to WLC-guided TURBT in the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

SEARCH METHODS

We performed a comprehensive literature search of 10 databases, including the Cochrane Library, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, MEDLINE, Embase, several clinical trial registries, and grey literature for published and unpublished studies, irrespective of language. The search was performed per an a priori protocol on 3 December 2021.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomized controlled trials of participants with suspected or confirmed non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Participants in the control group must have received WLC-guided TURBT alone (hereinafter simply referred to as 'WLC TURBT'). Participants in the intervention group had to have received NBI- and WLC-guided TURBT (hereinafter simply referred to as 'NBI + WLC TURBT').

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently selected studies for inclusion/exclusion, performed data extraction, and assessed risk of bias. We conducted meta-analysis on time-to-event and dichotomous data using a random-effects model in RevMan, according to Cochrane methods. We rated the certainty of evidence for each outcome according to the GRADE approach. Primary outcomes were time to recurrence, time to progression, and the occurrence of a major adverse event, defined as a Clavien-Dindo III, IV, or V complication. Secondary outcomes included time to death from bladder cancer and the occurrence of a minor adverse event, defined as a Clavien-Dindo I or II complication.  MAIN RESULTS: We included eight studies with a total of 2152 participants randomized to the standard WLC TURBT or to NBI + WLC TURBT. A total of 1847 participants were included for analysis.  Based on limited confidence in the time-to-event data, we found that participants who underwent NBI + WLC TURBT had a lower risk of disease recurrence over time compared to participants who underwent WLC TURBT (hazard ratio 0.63, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.89; I2 = 53%; 6 studies, 1244 participants; low certainty of evidence). No studies examined disease progression as a time-to-event outcome or a dichotomous outcome. There was likely no difference in the risk of a major adverse event between participants who underwent NBI + WLC TURBT and those who underwent WLC TURBT (risk ratio 1.77, 95% CI 0.79 to 3.96; 4 studies, 1385 participants; low certainty of evidence). No studies examined death from bladder cancer as a time-to-event outcome or a dichotomous outcome. There was likely no difference in the risk of a minor adverse event between participants who underwent NBI + WLC TURBT and those who underwent WLC TURBT (risk ratio 0.88, 95% CI 0.49 to 1.56; I2 = 61%; 4 studies, 1385 participants; low certainty of evidence).  AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Compared to WLC TURBT alone, NBI + WLC TURBT may lower the risk of disease recurrence over time while having little or no effect on the risks of major or minor adverse events.

Quality of life patterns and its association with predictors among non-muscle invasive bladder cancer survivors: A latent profile analysis

Objective

This study identified group patterns in the quality of life (QOL), as well as examining factors associated with group membership, among non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) survivors.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study involving 278 participating NMIBC survivors. Mplus version 7.2 was used to perform the latent profile analysis of QOL using the EORTC QLQ-NMIBC-24. The participants’ social support, self-efficacy, knowledge level, depression, perceived severity of and susceptibility of cancer recurrence, and their demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between the subgroups, with a logistic regression analysis being adopted to examine the factors associated with the QOL subgroups.

Results

The NMIBC survivors based on the QOL were classified into two subgroups: “QOL-high” (81.3%) and “QOL-low” (18.7%). Having ≥ 3 disease recurrences, perceived susceptibility toward and severity of cancer recurrence, and having depressive symptoms were significantly associated with the “QOL-low” group.

Conclusions

Participants with frequent recurrences of NMIBC, higher perceived susceptibility and severity levels, and depressive symptoms had lower QOL. Therefore, it is necessary to develop intervention programs targeting participants with these characteristics to improve their QOL.

High-Grade Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: When to Move to Early Radical Cystectomy?

Objectives

To compare the outcomes of bladder preservation therapy with early or deferred radical cystectomy (RC) in high-grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Methods

Prospectively collected data were obtained for patients undergoing transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) at a tertiary care center between 2007 and 2018. Patients with a high-grade tumor (HGT1) were divided into three groups, depending on the treatment plan: conservative (GI), early RC (GII), or deferred RC (GIII). Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to assess the cancer-specific survival (CSS).

Results

Seventy-one patients were included, and the patients had a median (range) age of 49 (32-72) years. The GI, GII, and GIII groups included 34 (47.9%), 14 (19.7%), and 23 (32.4%) patients, respectively. A significantly lower number of GII patients underwent >2 TURBTs (14.3% vs. 100%, p<0.001). Compared to GIII patients, GII patients had a shorter time to RC from the initial diagnosis (5.7 vs. 36.2 months, p=0.03). Ileal conduit and orthotropic bladder diversions were comparable between both groups, with significantly higher postoperative complications in GIII patients. The median (IQR) follow-up times for the groups were 84 (49-102), 82 (52-112), and 73 (36-89) months, respectively. The five-year and 10-year CSS for GII and GIII patients was 79% vs. 75% and 78% vs. 64%, respectively (log rank=0.19).

Conclusion

Early RC should be considered an alternative treatment option in selected patients with HGT1 BC with expected longer life expectancy, which may significantly decrease postoperative complications and improve the CSS. However, selection bias in the current retrospective study may influence these outcomes.

Identification of Key Genes Associated with Progression and Prognosis of Bladder Cancer through Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis

Simple Summary

Bladder cancer is a heterogeneous disease with high recurrence rates. The current prognostication depends on tumor stage and grade and there is a need for predictive biomarkers that can distinguish between progressive versus non-progressive disease. We have identified a 3-gene signature panel having prognostic value in bladder cancer, which could aid in clinical decision making.

Abstract

Bladder cancer prognosis remains dismal due to lack of appropriate biomarkers that can predict its progression. The study aims to identify novel prognostic biomarkers associated with the progression of bladder cancer by utilizing three Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs). A total of 1516 DEGs were identified between non-muscle invasive and muscle invasive bladder cancer specimens. To identify genes of prognostic value, we performed gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. A total of seven genes, including CDKN2A, CDC20, CTSV, FOXM1, MAGEA6, KRT23, and S100A9 were confirmed with strong prognostic values in bladder cancer and validated by qRT-PCR conducted in various human bladder cancer cells representing stage-specific disease progression. ULCAN, human protein atlas and The Cancer Genome Atlas datasets were used to confirm the predictive value of these genes in bladder cancer progression. Moreover, Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox hazard ratio analysis were performed to determine the prognostic role of these genes. Univariate analysis performed on a validation set identified a 3-panel gene set viz. CDKN2A, CTSV and FOXM1 with 95.5% sensitivity and 100% specificity in predicting bladder cancer progression. In summary, our study screened and confirmed a 3-panel biomarker that could accurately predict the progression and prognosis of bladder cancer.

Raman Imaging and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy for Diagnosis of Cancer State and Metabolic Monitoring

Hurdles for effective tumor therapy are delayed detection and limited effectiveness of systemic drug therapies by patient-specific multidrug resistance. Non-invasive bioimaging tools such as fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) and Raman-microspectroscopy have evolved over the last decade, providing the potential to be translated into clinics for early-stage disease detection, in vitro drug screening, and drug efficacy studies in personalized medicine. Accessing tissue- and cell-specific spectral signatures, Raman microspectroscopy has emerged as a diagnostic tool to identify precancerous lesions, cancer stages, or cell malignancy. In vivo Raman measurements have been enabled by recent technological advances in Raman endoscopy and signal-enhancing setups such as coherent anti-stokes Raman spectroscopy or surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. FLIM enables in situ investigations of metabolic processes such as glycolysis, oxidative stress, or mitochondrial activity by using the autofluorescence of co-enzymes NADH and FAD, which are associated with intrinsic proteins as a direct measure of tumor metabolism, cell death stages and drug efficacy. The combination of non-invasive and molecular-sensitive in situ techniques and advanced 3D tumor models such as patient-derived organoids or microtumors allows the recapitulation of tumor physiology and metabolism in vitro and facilitates the screening for patient-individualized drug treatment options.

Keratin 17 Is a Novel Cytologic Biomarker for Urothelial Carcinoma Diagnosis

OBJECTIVES

The microscopic features of urine cytology specimens are subjective and may not reliably distinguish between benign urothelial cells and low-grade urothelial carcinoma (UC). Prior studies demonstrated that keratin 17 (K17) detection in biopsies is highly sensitive for UC. The current study aimed to define K17 diagnostic test performance for initial screening and detect recurrent UC in urine specimens.

METHODS

K17 was detected by immunocytochemistry (ICC) in consecutively collected urine specimens (2018-2019). A qualitative score for the K17 test was determined in 81 samples (discovery cohort) and validated in 98 samples (validation cohort). K17 sensitivity and specificity were analyzed in both cohorts across all grades of UC.

RESULTS

Based on the discovery cohort, the presence of 5 or more K17 immunoreactive urothelial cells (area under the curve = 0.90; P < .001) was the optimal threshold to define a K17-positive test. The sensitivity of the K17 ICC test for biopsy-confirmed UC was 35 of 36 (97%) and 18 of 21 (86%) in the discovery and validation cohorts, respectively. K17 was positive in 16 of 19 (84%) specimens with biopsy-confirmed low-grade UC and in 34 of 34 (100%) of specimens with high-grade UC.

CONCLUSIONS

K17 ICC is a highly sensitive diagnostic test for initial screening and detection of recurrence across all grades of UC.

Detection of Circulating Serum Protein Biomarkers of Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer after Protein Corona-Silver Nanoparticles Analysis by SWATH-MS

Because cystoscopy is expensive and invasive, a new method of detecting non-invasive muscular bladder cancer (NMIBC) is needed. This study aims to identify potential serum protein markers for NMIBC to improve diagnosis and to find treatment approaches that avoid disease progression to a life-threatening phenotype (muscle-invasive bladder cancer, MIBC). Here, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs, 9.73 ± 1.70 nm) as a scavenging device together with sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra (SWATH-MS) were used to quantitatively analyze the blood serum protein alterations in two NMIBC subtypes, T1 and Ta, and they were compared to normal samples (HC). NMIBC’s analysis of serum samples identified three major groups of proteins, the relative content of which is different from the HC content: proteins implicated in the complement and coagulation cascade pathways and apolipoproteins. In conclusion, many biomarker proteins were identified that merit further examination to validate their useful significance and utility within the clinical management of NMIBC patients.

Clinicopathological patterns of bladder carcinoma over 1 year: experience from University Hospital of Nepal

PURPOSE

To define the clinical and pathological patterns of urinary bladder carcinoma from the University Hospital of Nepal.

METHODS

This is a retrospective analytical study. Patients with bladder mass who underwent surgery over 1 year and who had data record were included in the study. Demographic profile, type of surgery, findings on clinical examination, cystoscopy findings, histopathological report, tumor stage, and post-surgery adjuvant therapy were analyzed.

RESULTS

Out of 86 patients who underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumor, 77 patients had biopsy-proven malignant bladder tumor. Urothelial cancer was present in 96.1%. Male were 78.6%. The mean age of diagnosis was 65.5 ± 11.8 years. Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) was 3.7 times more common than muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). High-grade tumors (58.6%) were more common than low grade (41.4%). The detrusor muscle was present inthe biopsy specimen of 48 patients (64%). Re-TURBT within 2-6 weeks was considered based on histopathology reports for about half of the patients (45.3%). Upstaging and upgrading of the tumor was present in 5.8 and 5.8% of the patients, respectively. Residual tumor without upstaging and upgrading was present in 23.5%. One patient (1.3%) had Clavien-Dindo grade 1, three (4%) patients had grade 2 and two patients (2.7%) had grade 3b.

CONCLUSION

In the present study, patients with bladder cancer are younger than reported in other studies. Smokers are strongly predisposed. The histological pattern is similar to the Western and Asian populations. NMIBC and MIBC occur in proportion to that described as in other studies. We had a lower rate of recurrence, upstaging and upgrading. We had a lesser rate of acceptance for radical cystectomy in our patients.

Macro and microeconomics of blue light cystoscopy with CYSVIEW® in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

OBJECTIVE

To determine the estimated budget impact to practices that incorporate blue light cystoscopy (BLC) with hexaminolevulinate HCl (HAL) for the surveillance of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) in the clinic setting. With the introduction of advanced technologies in the clinic setting such as HAL, further cost comparative research is needed to justify HAL as a high value option.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A budget impact model was developed from the facility perspective assessing projected costs at 2 years for a simulated facility with 50 newly diagnosed bladder cancer patients. Treatment and surveillance cystoscopy intervals were based on clinical guidelines. Clinical inputs, including tumor stage and grade at diagnosis, rates of recurrence and relative risk reduction when using BLC with HAL, were derived from published studies. Cost inputs were based on Medicare reimbursement rates and facility costs.

RESULTS

Use of BLC identified 9 additional recurrences over two years compared to white light cystoscopy alone. Use of flexible BLC for surveillance marginally increased costs to the practice, with a net difference of $0.76 per cystoscopy over 2 years.

CONCLUSIONS

From the office/clinic perspective, the model suggests that the use of flexible BLC for the surveillance of NMIBC may not impact cost per cystoscopy and identifies 9 recurrences over 2 years that would be missed using white light cystoscopy alone. These findings could have important implications in the management of NIMBC and help guide clinical practice guidelines that promote cost-effective care and improved patient outcomes.

Quality of life in patients undergoing surveillance for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer-a systematic review

Background

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the various instruments available to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) in patients diagnosed with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) undergoing surveillance.

Methods

A PubMed literature review was carried out with query terms (“Urinary Bladder Neoplasms” [Mesh] OR “Bladder malignancy”) AND (“quality of life”) including all studies up to June 2020. This resulted in 576 peer-reviewed articles. A further 12 articles from additional sources were included. A total of 473 articles were eliminated due to lack of relevance to the topic of concern. A further 93 articles evaluating NMIBC and articles evaluating Radiotherapy were excluded and a total of 22 studies were studied.

Results

In total, 22 studies were identified. The vast majority of studies were prospective descriptive studies (n=9), while there were 7 cross-sectional surveys and 6 randomised controlled trials. Most studies evaluated the impact of intravesical treatment on QoL. NMIBC survivors had significantly lower QoL compared to the general population, Surveillance strategies involving repeated intravesical therapies and cystoscopies have a negative impact on QoL with impaired physical function and mental health.

Conclusions

This article emphasizes the importance of assessing the QoL in patients with NMIBC undergoing long term surveillance, as they represent the majority of bladder cancer patients. Development and validation of specific instruments to measure QoL in patients with NMIBC are desperately needed to assess, better understand, and manage the burden of disease and healthcare in this group of patients.

Fosciclopirox suppresses growth of high-grade urothelial cancer by targeting the γ-secretase complex

Ciclopirox (CPX) is an FDA-approved topical antifungal agent that has demonstrated preclinical anticancer activity in a number of solid and hematologic malignancies. Its clinical utility as an oral anticancer agent, however, is limited by poor oral bioavailability and gastrointestinal toxicity. Fosciclopirox, the phosphoryloxymethyl ester of CPX (Ciclopirox Prodrug, CPX-POM), selectively delivers the active metabolite, CPX, to the entire urinary tract following parenteral administration. We characterized the activity of CPX-POM and its major metabolites in in vitro and in vivo preclinical models of high-grade urothelial cancer. CPX inhibited cell proliferation, clonogenicity and spheroid formation, and increased cell cycle arrest at S and G0/G1 phases. Mechanistically, CPX suppressed activation of Notch signaling. Molecular modeling and cellular thermal shift assays demonstrated CPX binding to γ-secretase complex proteins Presenilin 1 and Nicastrin, which are essential for Notch activation. To establish in vivo preclinical proof of principle, we tested fosciclopirox in the validated N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (BBN) mouse bladder cancer model. Once-daily intraperitoneal administration of CPX-POM for four weeks at doses of 235 mg/kg and 470 mg/kg significantly decreased bladder weight, a surrogate for tumor volume, and resulted in a migration to lower stage tumors in CPX-POM treated animals. This was coupled with a reduction in the proliferation index. Additionally, there was a reduction in Presenilin 1 and Hes-1 expression in the bladder tissues of CPX-POM treated animals. Following the completion of the first-in-human Phase 1 trial (NCT03348514), the pharmacologic activity of fosciclopirox is currently being characterized in a Phase 1 expansion cohort study of muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients scheduled for cystectomy (NCT04608045) as well as a Phase 2 trial of newly diagnosed and recurrent urothelial cancer patients scheduled for transurethral resection of bladder tumors (NCT04525131).

The Role of Interleukin-1-Receptor-Antagonist in Bladder Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion

Background: The interleukin-1-receptor antagonist IL1RA (encoded by the IL1RN gene) is a potent competitive antagonist to interleukin-1 (IL1) and thereby is mainly involved in the regulation of inflammation. Previous data indicated a role of IL1RA in muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) as well as an IL1-dependent decrease in tissue barrier function, potentially contributing to cancer cell invasion. Objective: Based on these observations, here we investigated the potential roles of IL1RA, IL1A, and IL1B in bladder cancer cell invasion in vitro. Methods: Cell culture, real-time impedance sensing, invasion assays (Boyden chamber, pig bladder model), qPCR, Western blot, ELISA, gene overexpression. Results: We observed a loss of IL1RA expression in invasive, high-grade bladder cancer cell lines T24, UMUC-3, and HT1197 while IL1RA expression was readily detectable in the immortalized UROtsa cells, the non-invasive bladder cancer cell line RT4, and in benign patient urothelium. Thus, we modified the invasive human bladder cancer cell line T24 to ectopically express IL1RA, and measured changes in cell migration/invasion using the xCELLigence Real-Time-Cell-Analysis (RTCA) system and the Boyden chamber assay. The real-time observation data showed a significant decrease of cell migration and invasion in T24 cells overexpressing IL1RA (T24-IL1RA), compared to cells harboring an empty vector (T24-EV). Concurrently, tumor cytokines, e.g., IL1B, attenuated the vascular endothelial barrier, which resulted in a reduction of the Cell Index (CI), an impedance-based dimensionless unit. This reduction could be reverted by the simultaneous incubation with IL1RA. Moreover, we used an ex vivo porcine organ culture system to evaluate cell invasion capacity and showed that T24-IL1RA cells showed significantly less invasive capacity compared to parental T24 cells or T24-EV. Conclusions: Taken together, our results indicate an inverse correlation between IL1RA expression and tumor cell invasive capacity and migration, suggesting that IL1RA plays a role in bladder carcinogenesis, while the exact mechanisms by which IL1RA influences tumor cells migration/invasion remain to be clarified in future studies. Furthermore, we confirmed that real-time impedance sensing and the porcine ex vivo organ culture methods are powerful tools to discover differences in cancer cell migration and invasion.

VNTR polymorphism in the breakpoint region of ABL1 and susceptibility to bladder cancer

BACKGROUND

ABL1 is primarily known as a leukemia-related oncogene due to translocation, but about 2.2% of ABL1 mutations have been identified in bladder cancer, and high expression in solid cancer has also been detected.

METHODS

Here, we used the NCBI database, UCSC genome browser gateway and Tandem repeat finder program to investigate the structural characterization of the ABL1 breakpoint region and to identify the variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR). To investigate the relationship between ABL1-MS1 and bladder cancer, a case-controlled study was conducted in 207 controls and 197 bladder cancer patients. We also examined the level of transcription of the reporter gene driven by the ABL1 promoter to determine if the VNTR region affects gene expression.

RESULTS

In our study, one VNTR was identified in the breakpoint region, the intron 1 region of ABL1, and was named ABL1-MS1. In the control group, only two common alleles (TR13, TR15) were detected, but an additional two rare alleles (TR14, TR16) were detected in bladder cancer. A statistically significant association was identified between the rare ABL1-MS1 allele and bladder cancer risk: P = 0.013. Investigating the level of transcription of the reporter gene driven by the ABL1 promoter, VNTR showed inhibition of ABL1 expression in non-cancer cells 293 T, but not in bladder cancer cells. In addition, ABL1-MS1 was accurately passed on to offspring according to Mendelian inheritance through meiosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Therefore, the ABL1-MS1 region can affect ABL1 expression of bladder cancer. This study provides that ABL1-MS1 can be used as a DNA fingerprinting marker. In addition, rare allele detection can predict susceptibility to bladder cancer.

First time intravesically administered trifunctional antibody catumaxomab in patients with recurrent non-muscle invasive bladder cancer indicates high tolerability and local immunological activity

Transurethral resection of the tumor (TUR-B) followed by adjuvant intravesical treatment with cytostatic drugs or Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) as standard therapy of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is associated with a high recurrence rate of about 60–70%, considerable side effects and requires close monitoring. Alternative treatment options are warranted. Two patients with epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)-positive recurrent non-muscle invasive bladder cancer were treated the first time by an intravesical administration of the trifunctional bispecific EpCAM targeting antibody catumaxomab (total dosage of 470 and 1120 µg, respectively). The binding and killing activity of catumaxomab in urine milieu was evaluated in vitro. In contrast to its previous systemic application catumaxomab was well tolerated without any obvious signs of toxicity. Relevant cytokine plasma levels were not detected and no significant systemic drug release was observed. The induction of a human anti-mouse-antibody (HAMA) reaction was either absent or untypically weak contrary to the high immunogenicity of intraperitoneal applied catumaxomab. Tumor cells that were detectable in urine patient samples disappeared after catumaxomab therapy. Endoscopically confirmed recurrence-free intervals were 32 and 25 months. Our data suggest that intravesical administration of catumaxomab in NMIBC is feasible, safe and efficacious, thus arguing for further clinical development of catumaxomab in this indication.

Imaging and Management of Bladder Cancer

Simple Summary

Bladder cancer is a complex disease, the sixth most common cancer, and one of the most expensive cancers to treat. In the last few decades, there has been a significant decrease in the bladder cancer-related mortality rate, potentially related to decreased smoking prevalence, improvements in diagnosing bladder cancer, and advances in treatment. Those advances in diagnostic tools and therapies and greater understanding of the disease are helping to evolve how bladder cancer is managed. The purpose of this article is to provide a review of bladder cancer pathology, diagnosis, staging, radiologic imaging, and management, and highlight recent developments and research.

Abstract

Methods: Keyword searches of Medline, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library for manuscripts published in English, and searches of references cited in selected articles to identify additional relevant papers. Abstracts sponsored by various societies including the American Urological Association (AUA), European Association of Urology (EAU), and European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) were also searched. Background: Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the United States, and one of the most expensive in terms of cancer care. The overwhelming majority are urothelial carcinomas, more often non-muscle invasive rather than muscle-invasive. Bladder cancer is usually diagnosed after work up for hematuria. While the workup for gross hematuria remains CT urography and cystoscopy, the workup for microscopic hematuria was recently updated in 2020 by the American Urologic Association with a more risk-based approach. Bladder cancer is confirmed and staged by transurethral resection of bladder tumor. One of the main goals in staging is determining the presence or absence of muscle invasion by tumor which has wide implications in regards to management and prognosis. CT urography is the main imaging technique in the workup of bladder cancer. There is growing interest in advanced imaging techniques such as multiparametric MRI for local staging, as well as standardized imaging and reporting system with the recently created Vesicle Imaging Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS). Therapies for bladder cancer are rapidly evolving with immune checkpoint inhibitors, particularly programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors, as well as another class of immunotherapy called an antibody-drug conjugate which consists of a cytotoxic drug conjugated to monoclonal antibodies against a specific target. Conclusion: Bladder cancer is a complex disease, and its management is evolving. Advances in therapy, understanding of the disease, and advanced imaging have ushered in a period of rapid change in the care of bladder cancer patients.

Extracellular Vesicles as Biomarkers Carriers in Bladder Cancer: Diagnosis, Surveillance, and Treatment

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles, enriched in biomolecular cargo consisting of nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids, which take part in intercellular communication and play a crucial role in both physiologic functions and oncogenesis. Bladder cancer is the most common urinary malignancy and its incidence is steadily rising in developed countries. Despite the high five-year survival in patients diagnosed at early disease stage, survival substantially drops in patients with muscle-invasive or metastatic disease. Therefore, early detection of primary disease as well as recurrence is of paramount importance. The role that exosomal biomarkers could play in bladder cancer patient diagnosis and surveillance, as well as their potential therapeutic applications, has not been extensively studied in this malignancy. In the present review, we summarize all relevant data obtained so far from cell lines, animal models, and patient biofluids and tissues. Current literature suggests that urine is a rich source of extracellular vesicle-derived biomarkers, compared with blood and bladder tissue samples, with potential applications in bladder cancer management. Further studies improving sample collection procedures and optimizing purification and analytical methods should augment bladder cancer diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic input of extracellular vesicles biomarkers in the future.

Synthetic TILs: Engineered Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes With Improved Therapeutic Potential

Immunotherapy has emerged as an effective and life-changing approach for several types of cancers, both liquid and solid tumors. In combination with traditional treatments such as radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, immune checkpoints inhibitors have improved prognosis and overall survival of patients with advanced melanoma and many other cancers. Among adoptive cell therapies (ACT), while chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapies have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in some hematologic malignancies, such as B cell leukemias, their success in solid tumors remains scarce due to the characteristics of the tumor microenvironment. On the other hand, ACT using tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is arguably the most effective treatment for metastatic melanoma patients, but even if their isolation has been achieved in epithelial tumors, their success beyond melanoma remains limited. Here, we review several aspects impacting TIL- and gene-modified “synthetic” TIL-based therapies and discuss future challenges that must be addressed with these approaches.

Diabetes Mellitus and Obesity as Risk Factors for Bladder Cancer Prognosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Urinary bladder carcinoma is common in developed settings, and prognosis may be impacted by lifestyle factors such as excess body weight and diabetes mellitus. The present meta-analysis aimed to systematically collate and analyze evidence on the impact of diabetes and excess BMI on bladder cancer outcomes.

METHODS

PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases were screened for relevant studies that examined the association between bladder cancer outcomes and diabetes and/or excess body weight. The primary outcomes for this study were mortality (both all-cause and cancer-specific), risk of cancer progression, and recurrence. Strength of association was presented in the form of pooled adjusted hazard ratios (HR). Statistical analysis was performed using STATA version 16.0.

RESULTS

Twenty-five articles met inclusion criteria. Nine of these examined diabetes mellitus while 16 studied body mass index. All studies were retrospective. Diabetic patients had significantly higher risk for all-cause mortality (HR 1.24, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.44, n=3), cancer specific mortality (HR 1.67, 95% CI: 1.29, 2.16, n=7), disease progression (HR 1.54, 95% CI: 1.15, 2.06, n=8), and recurrence (HR 1.40, 95% CI: 1.32, 1.48, n=8) compared to non-diabetics. No statistically significant risk change for all-cause mortality, cancer specific mortality, disease progression, and recurrence was found for overweight patients. However, obese individuals were at higher risk for disease progression (HR 1.88, 95% CI: 1.41, 2.50, n=3) and recurrence (HR 1.60, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.40, n=7) compared to normal BMI patients.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that diabetes and excess body weight negatively influences bladder cancer prognosis and outcome. The increased risk of mortality due to diabetes was similar to that in the general population. Since retrospective studies are potentially susceptible to bias, future prospective studies on this subject are required.

E2F1 Promotes Progression of Bladder Cancer by Modulating RAD54L Involved in Homologous Recombination Repair

DNA repair defects are important factors in cancer development. High DNA repair activity can affect cancer progression and chemoresistance. DNA double-strand breaks in cancer cells caused by anticancer agents can be restored by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination repair (HRR). Our previous study has identified E2F1 as a key gene in bladder cancer progression. In this study, DNA repair genes related to E2F1 were analyzed, and RAD54L involved in HRR was identified. In gene expression analysis of bladder cancer patients, the survival of patients with high RAD54L expression was shorter with cancer progression than in patients with low RAD54L expression. This study also revealed that E2F1 directly binds to the promoter region of RAD54L and regulates the transcription of RAD54L related to the HRR pathway. This study also confirmed that DNA breaks are repaired by RAD54L induced by E2F1 in bladder cancer cells treated with MMC. In summary, RAD54L was identified as a new target directly regulated by E2F1. Our results suggest that, E2F1 and RAD54L could be used as diagnostic markers for bladder cancer progression and represent potential therapeutic targets.

Testicular tuberculosis: An uncommon complication after treatment of urothelial carcinoma

Tuberculous epididymo-orchitis is an uncommon complication after intravesical bacilli Calmette-Guerin therapy for nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer. Spread of granulomatous disease through the genitourinary tract specifically to the testes occurs in 0.4% of treated patients. The following case presents a 77-year-old man who underwent intravesical therapy after transurethral resection of bladder tumor and developed testicular discomfort and a palpable mass 2 years after initiation of therapy. After wide range of serum and urine analyses, repeated testicular ultrasonography, and an unsuccessful course of antibiotics, the patient elected to undergo orchiectomy and was confirmed to have tuberculous epididymo-orchitis. Diagnosis based on imaging and laboratory serum and urine analysis may be elusive and therefore review of this entity and associated sonographic findings is discussed.

VI-RADS for Bladder Cancer: Current Applications and Future Developments

Bladder cancer (BCa) is among the ten most frequent cancers globally. It is the tumor with the highest lifetime treatment-associated costs, and among the tumors with the heaviest impacts on postoperative quality of life. The purpose of this article is to review the current applications and future perspectives of the Vesical Imaging Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS). VI-RADS is a newly developed scoring system aimed at standardization of MRI acquisition, interpretation, and reporting for BCa. An insight will be given on the BCa natural history, current MRI applications for local BCa staging with assessment of muscle invasiveness, and clinical implications of the score for disease management. Future applications include risk stratification of nonmuscle invasive BCa, surveillance, and prediction and monitoring of therapy response. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2.

Practicability of clinical application of bladder cancer molecular classification and additional value of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition: prognostic value of vimentin expression

BACKGROUND

Bladder cancer (BlCa) taxonomy has proved its impact in patient outcome and selection for targeted therapies, but such transcriptomic-based classification has not yet translated to routine practice. Moreover, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has shown relevance in acquisition of more aggressive BlCa phenotype. We aimed to test the usefulness of the molecular classification, as defined by immunohistochemistry (a routinely performed and easy-to-implement technique), in a well-defined BlCa cohort of both non-muscle invasive (NMIBC) and muscle invasive (MIBC) disease. Also, we aimed to assess the additional prognostic value of the mesenchymal marker vimentin to the stratification strategy.

METHODS

A total of 186 samples were available. Immunohistochemistry/RT-qPCR for luminal markers GATA3/FOXA1, basal markers KRT5/KRT6A and vimentin were performed.

RESULTS

mRNA expression levels of the markers positively correlated with immunoexpression scores. We found substantial overlapping in immunoexpression of luminal and basal markers, evidencing tumor heterogeneity. In MIBC, basal tumors developed recurrence more frequently. NMIBC patients with higher vimentin immunoexpression endured poorer disease-free survival, and increased expression was observed from normal bladder-NMIBC-MIBC-metastases.

CONCLUSIONS

The classification has the potential to be implemented in routine, but further adjustments in practical scoring should be defined; focusing on additional markers, including those related to EMT, may further refine BlCa molecular taxonomy.

Identification of cell division cycle 20 as a candidate biomarker and potential therapeutic target in bladder cancer using bioinformatics analysis

PURPOSE

As bladder cancer (BC) is very heterogeneous and complicated in the genetic level, exploring genes to serve as biomarkers and therapeutic targets is practical.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We searched Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and downloaded the eligible microarray datasets. After intersection analysis for identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of included datasets, overlapped DEGs were identified and subsequently analyzed with Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) and hub genes identification. Hub genes were further analyzed with mRNA expression comparation in Oncomine and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database, proteomics-based validation in The Human Protein Atlas (THPA) and survival analysis in GEO and Oncolnc database.

RESULTS

We analyzed five eligible GEO datasets and identified 76 overlapped DEGs mapped into PPI network with 459 edges which were mainly enriched in cell cycle pathway and related terms in GO and KEGG analysis. Among five identified hub genes, which are Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 1 (CDK1), Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzyme E2 C (UBE2C), Cell Division Cycle 20 (CDC20), Microtubule Nucleation Factor (TPX2) and Cell Division Cycle Associated 8 (CDCA8); CDC20 and CDCA8 were confirmed as significant in mRNA expression comparation and proteomics-based validation. However, only CDC20 was considered prognostically significant in both GEO and Oncolnc database.

CONCLUSIONS

CDC20 and CDCA8 were identified as candidate diagnostic biomarkers for BC in the present study; however, only CDC20 was validated as prognostically valuable and may possibly serve as a candidate prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target. Still, further validation studies are essential and indispensable.

Thrombomodulin Expression in Bladder Cancer Tissue and Its Association with Prognosis and Patient Survival

Background

Decreased expression of thrombomodulin (TM) in bladder cancer tissue has been shown to be associated with cell proliferation, increased malignancy and a poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the immunoexpression of TM in bladder tissue cores by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and the relationship between TM score and patient survival for the following pathologies: transitional cell papillary carcinoma (TCPC), transitional cell carcinoma (non-papillary) (TCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), adenocarcinoma, and sarcoma. TM immunoexpression was also evaluated in normal adjacent bladder tissue cores.

Methods

TM immunoexpression was assessed in n=185 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) bladder tissue cores from n=98 patients by IHC. Tissue cores included TCPC (n=29), TCC (n=85), SCC (n=21), adenocarcinoma (n=12), sarcoma (n=4), and normal tissue cores (n=34).

Results

TM immunoexpression scores are stronger in TCPC, TCC and SCC bladder cancer tissue cores with respect to adenocarcinoma and sarcoma (mean TM immunoexpression scores: 3.04, 2.57, 2.55, 1.55 and 1.19, respectively) (Kruskal–Wallis p<0.001). TM immunoexpression scores significantly decreased in bladder cancer tissue cores across both stage (p<0.001) and grade (p<0.001) (Kruskal–Wallis). Survival data were available for n=45 bladder cancer patients (mean follow-up of 34 months). Applying a TM immunoexpression cut-off score of 3.0 demonstrated that patients with bladder cancer who had a TM immunoexpression score <3.0 had lower survival rates (median survival 23.5 months). In contrast, patients with TM immunoexpression scores ≥3.0 had longer survival rates (median survival 40 months) (log-rank; p=0.045).

Conclusion

TM immunoexpression in bladder cancer tissue may be a clinically relevant predictor of tumor progression and survival. Low expression of TM in bladder cancer biopsies or in recurrent bladder cancer may be indicative of a poor prognosis. TM immunoexpression could be used to guide clinical decision making.

Oncolytic Immunotherapy for Bladder Cancer Using Coxsackie A21 Virus: Using a Bladder Tumor Precision-Cut Slice Model System to Assess Viral Efficacy

Oncolytic viruses are anticancer agents that selectively target and kill cancer cells by direct lysis, while at the same time stimulating a tumor antigen-specific adaptive immune response. These promising therapeutic agents target multiple cancers and have already proven to be an effective treatment option for solid malignancies. One such agent, T-Vec (Talimogene laherparepvec) has been licensed and is in routine clinical use for treatment of malignant melanoma.Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is an ideal potential target for oncolytic immunotherapy as locally instilled live biological therapy using Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is already well established in the clinical setting. Coxsackievirus A21 (CVA21) is a novel intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1)-targeted immunotherapeutic virus. We have investigated CVA21-induced cytotoxicity in a panel of human bladder cancer cell lines, revealing a range of sensitivities largely correlating with expression of the viral receptor ICAM-1. CVA21 in combination with low doses of mitomycin-C enhanced CVA21 viral replication and oncolysis by increasing surface expression levels of ICAM-1. In addition to cell lines and an animal model a key component of our studies into oncolytic immunotherapy for bladder cancer was the use of a bladder tumor precision slice preclinical model system which represents tumor architecture, heterogeneity, and the complexity of a tumor in vitro. Results seen in cell lines were reflected in the tumor slice model whereby levels of virus protein expression and induction of apoptosis were enhanced with prior exposure to mitomycin-C. In this chapter we demonstrate the utility of the precision cut tumor slice model as a unique organotypic model to test oncolytic viruses. We will describe how to prepare and slice the tumor using a vibrating microtome together with the optimum culture and conditions for treatment.

Glycemic impact of a diet and lifestyle intervention on diabetics and prediabetics during treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

Introduction: Patients with Type II Diabetes Mellitus (DM2) have increased risk of recurrence and progression of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Glucose control through lifestyle intervention is an uninvestigated, attractive strategy to decrease risk of cancer recurrence. We test the feasibility of a diet and exercise program and its glycemic impact in patients with DM2 and NMIBC.Materials/methods: Five participants with NMIBC and pre-diabetes or DM2 were recruited for a pilot, prospective clinical trial. Each participant received dietary counseling for 16 sessions during clinical visits. The intervention included a carbohydrate-restricted (CR) diet (<130 grams per day), 30 min, walking 5×/wk, and 5000 steps daily. Diet compliance was measured with 24-hour diet recall. Exercise was monitored with accelerometer and self-report.Results: Five participants enrolled and two participants completed the 12-month intervention. Adherence was 60% to CR diet and 84% to exercise goals. Participants reduced carbohydrate consumption by 44%. Participants showed reductions in fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, glucosuria, fasting blood insulin, and body weight, and increased euglycemia on continuous glucose monitoring.Conclusions: Adherence to a CR diet and exercise goals is feasible in patients with NMIBC and DM2 and also leads improved glucose control. A phase-II trial on bladder cancer-specific outcomes is warranted.

Urine protein biomarkers for the detection, surveillance, and treatment response prediction of bladder cancer

The "gold standard" diagnostic procedure for bladder cancer is cystoscopy, a technique that can be invasive, expensive, and a possible cause of urinary tract infection. Unlike techniques such as histology, PCR, and staining, assays for protein biomarkers lend themselves well to the creation of efficient point-of-care tests, which are easy to use and yield fast results. A couple of urine-based tests have been approved by the U.S. FDA, but these tests suffer from low sensitivity. Hence, there is clearly a need for more reliable non-invasive biomarkers of bladder cancer. Urinary biomarkers are particularly attractive due to the direct contact of the urine with the urothelial tumor and the ease of sample collection. With these considerations, this review aims to provide a comprehensive listing of the most promising protein biomarkers of bladder cancer in urine. Biomarkers are organized by their potential role in detection, surveillance, or monitoring of treatment response. The purpose of this review is to assess progress towards the goal of identifying ideal urinary proteins for use in each of the above three biomarker applications in bladder cancer.

Usefulness of the inchworm sign on DWI for predicting pT1 bladder cancer progression

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the significance of the presence or absence of an "inchworm sign" on DWI for the recurrence and progression of T1 bladder cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 91 patients with pT1 urothelial carcinoma who underwent DWI prior to transurethral resection between 2007 and 2016. DWI of the dominant tumors was scrutinized for inchworm signs at b = 1000 s/mm². The association of the presence of the inchworm sign with progression and recurrence was analyzed; progression was defined as recurrence to stage T2 or higher and/or N+, and/or M1.

RESULTS

An inchworm sign was seen in 65 cases (71%), while it was absent in 26 cases. Among the 65, 25 (38%) had confirmed tumor recurrence, while in the remaining 26, 14 (54%) had confirmed recurrence (median time post TURB = 7.9 and 10.1 months for each). At the time of recurrence, the tumor had progressed in one (2%) inchworm-sign-positive and seven (27%) inchworm-sign-negative cases. The progression rate of inchworm-sign-negative cases was significantly higher than that of inchworm-sign-positive cases (hazard ratio = 17.2, p = 0.0017), whereas there was no significant difference in the recurrence rate between two groups. The absence of an inchworm sign and histological grade 3 were independent risk factors for progression (p < 0.001 and 0.010, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The absence of an inchworm sign on DWI was a significant prognostic factor for progression of T1 bladder cancer. Morphological evaluation of DWI signals may therefore be a useful adjunct to preoperative assessment of biological aggressiveness.

KEY POINTS

• An inchworm sign is a simple diagnostic criterion that characterizes only the shape of the tumor signal on DWI, and potentially serves as an imaging biomarker to predict clinical aggressiveness. • The absence of an inchworm sign on DWI is a significant indicator of progression of T1 bladder cancer.

The use of intravesical BCG in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder

The high recurrence and progression rates of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) have led investigators to study the use of intravesical therapy in order to prevent them. Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) has been successfully used for this indication to treat NMIBC for more than four decades.

BCG is the only intravesical agent shown to reduce the risk of progression of NMIBC to muscle-invasive disease. Despite over 40 years of clinical use, the precise mechanism of action for what has often been considered the most successful cancer immunotherapy in humans remains largely unknown.

Unfortunately, BCG therapy is not a universal panacea and it still fails in up to 40% of patients. Many of these patients, especially in the high-risk category (T1 high-grade disease, carcinoma in situ) will require aggressive therapy like cystectomy or in selected cases, bladder-sparing options like chemo-radiation. Indeed, there is no gold standard intravesical treatment after BCG failure.

Neoplastic Pathogenesis Associated with Cigarette Carcinogens

Cigarette smoke is widely regarded as a carcinogenic agent; thus, the incidence of relative neoplasms correlates to cigarette smoking (CS) on a global level. While CS is most commonly associated with carcinomas of the upper and lower respiratory tracts, studies have also associated CS with the pathogenesis of a variety of non-respiratory related neoplasms. The tobacco smoke emitted from cigarettes contains carcinogenic substances that can be harmful to the normal physiology of the human body. This study will elaborate on the incidence and etiology of carcinomas, as well as discuss, in detail, the role of tobacco in the pathogenesis of oral, esophageal, lung, gastric, pancreatic, renal, and bladder carcinomas.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Nanoparticles for Multiplexed Imaging of Bladder Cancer Tissue Permeability and Molecular Phenotype

Bladder cancer has the highest recurrence rate of all cancers due in part to inadequate transurethral resection. Inadequate resection is caused by the inability of cystoscopes to detect invisible lesions during the resection procedure. To improve detection and resection of nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer, we quantified the ability of a surface-enhanced Raman nanoparticle and endoscope system to classify bladder tissue as normal or cancerous. Both antibody-based (active) and tissue permeability-based (passive) targeting mechanisms were evaluated by topically applying nanoparticles to ex vivo human bladder tissue samples. Multiplexed molecular imaging of CD47 and Carbonic Anhydrase 9 tumor proteins gave a receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (ROC AUC of 0.93 (0.75, 1.00). Furthermore, passively targeted nanoparticles enabled tissue classification with an ROC AUC of 0.93 (0.73, 1.00). Passively targeted nanoparticles penetrated 5-fold deeper and bound to tumor tissue at 3.3-fold higher concentrations in cancer compared to normal bladder urothelium, suggesting the existence of an enhanced surface permeability and retention effect in human bladder cancer.

CD24 regulates cancer stem cell (CSC)-like traits and a panel of CSC-related molecules serves as a non-invasive urinary biomarker for the detection of bladder cancer

Background

CD24 is a cornerstone of tumour progression in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB). However, its contribution to cancer stem cell (CSC)-like traits and the clinical utility of CD24 as a urinary biomarker for cancer detection have not been determined.

Methods

The functional relevance of CD24 was evaluated using in vitro and in vivo approaches. The clinical utility of CSC-related molecules was assessed in urine samples by quantitative RT-PCR.

Results

The knockdown of CD24 attenuated cancer stemness properties. The high-CD24-expressing cells, isolated from patient-derived UCB xenograft tumours, exhibited their enhanced stemness properties. CD24 was overexpressed not only in primary tumours but also in urine from UCB subjects. By assessment of 15 candidate CSC-related molecules in urine samples of a training cohort, a panel of three molecules (CD24, CD49f, and NANOG) was selected. The combination of these three molecules yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 81.7% and 74.3%, respectively, in an independent cohort. A combined set of 84 cases and 207 controls provided a sensitivity and specificity of 82% and 76%, respectively.

Conclusion

CD24 has a crucial role in maintaining the urothelial cancer stem-like traits and a panel of CSC-related molecules has potential as a urinary biomarker for non-invasive UCB detection.

Bladder preservation approach versus radical cystectomy for high-grade non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: a meta-analysis of cohort studies

BACKGROUND

High-grade non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer is superficial; nonetheless, it is an aggressive cancer. Proper management strategy selection following transurethral resection between bladder preservation (BP) and radical cystectomy (RC) could result in delayed or excessive treatment. Hence, selecting the optimal treatment modality remains controversial to date.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang database through 12 April 2018. Quality and publication bias were assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Begg's/Egger's test. We collected 2-year, 5-year, 10-year, and 15-year survival rate and hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and progression-free survival (PFS). Using the Review Manager 5.2 software, we used the odds ratio (OR) of specific years and HR for meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis was performed by the original tumor state, radical cystectomy timing, bladder preservation modality, and age.

RESULTS

In total, 11 cohorts with 1735 patients were selected for the meta-analysis. All OR of OS supported BP as a better treatment option; however, all OR of PFS had no significant differences. As for CSS, only the 15-year OR reflected a statistical significance preferring RC. Subgroup analysis showed that BP is more appropriate for patients older than 65 and G3 tumor. Limited data demonstrated that late RC (> 3 months) is more effective compared to early RC (< 3 months) and intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin was not statistically different from that of RC. The mixed BP modalities were significantly better compared to RC in OS and worse in CSS, with both having a very low evidence strength.

CONCLUSIONS

BP is a superior treatment modality compare to RC, especially for older patients and T1G3 or lower grade tumors. However, the superior BP modality was unclear. Conversely, RC could be a better option for younger patients. More specifically, late RC may be more beneficial but had a very-low-level of evidence. Quality of life should be considered equal to survival outcome; hence, post-treatment follow-up needs to be performed. Prospective randomized studies should be performed to overcome the limitations of this meta-analysis study.

REGISTRATION

Registration ID is CRD42018093491 .