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Published in: World Journal of Urology 11/2021

Open Access 01-11-2021 | Cystectomy | Topic Paper

Prognostic impact of molecular muscle-invasive bladder cancer subtyping approaches and correlations with variant histology in a population-based mono-institutional cystectomy cohort

Authors: Veronika Weyerer, Robert Stoehr, Simone Bertz, Fabienne Lange, Carol I. Geppert, Sven Wach, Helge Taubert, Danijel Sikic, Bernd Wullich, Arndt Hartmann, Markus Eckstein

Published in: World Journal of Urology | Issue 11/2021

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Abstract

Purpose

Recently discovered molecular classifications for urothelial bladder cancer appeared to be promising prognostic and predictive biomarkers. The present study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic impact of molecular subtypes assessed by two different methodologies (gene and protein expression), to compare these two approaches and to correlate molecular with histological subtypes in a consecutively collected, mono-institutional muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) cohort.

Methods

193 MIBC were pathologically re-evaluated and molecular subtypes were assessed on mRNA (NanoString technology, modified 21-gene-containing MDACC approach) and protein levels (immuno-histochemical [IHC] analysis of CK5, CK14, CD44, CK20, GATA3 and FOXA1). Descriptive statistical methods and uni-/multi-variable survival models were employed to analyze derived data.

Results

Neither gene expression nor protein-based subtyping showed significant associations with disease-specific (DSS) or recurrence-free survival (RFS). Agreement between mRNA (reference) and protein-based subtyping amounted 68.6% for basal, 76.1% for luminal and 50.0% for double-negative tumors. Histological subtypes associated with RFS in uni-variable (P = 0.03), but not in multivariable survival analyses. Tumors with variant histology predominantly showed luminal subtypes (gene expression subtyping: 36/55 cases, 65.5%; protein subtyping: 44/55 cases, 80.0%). Squamous differentiation significantly associated with basal subtypes (gene expression subtyping: 44/45 squamous cases, 97.8%; protein subtyping: 36/45 cases, 80.0%).

Conclusion

In our consecutive cystectomy cohort, neither gene, protein expression-based subtyping, nor histological subtypes associated with DSS or RFS in multi-variably adjusted survival analyses. Application of a limited IHC subtyping marker panel showed high concordance of 83.9% with gene expression-based subtyping, thus underlining the utility for subtyping in pathological routine diagnostics. In addition, histological MIBC subtypes are strong indicators for intrinsic subtypes.
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Metadata
Title
Prognostic impact of molecular muscle-invasive bladder cancer subtyping approaches and correlations with variant histology in a population-based mono-institutional cystectomy cohort
Authors
Veronika Weyerer
Robert Stoehr
Simone Bertz
Fabienne Lange
Carol I. Geppert
Sven Wach
Helge Taubert
Danijel Sikic
Bernd Wullich
Arndt Hartmann
Markus Eckstein
Publication date
01-11-2021
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Keyword
Cystectomy
Published in
World Journal of Urology / Issue 11/2021
Print ISSN: 0724-4983
Electronic ISSN: 1433-8726
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-021-03788-1

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