Significant Role of Lifetime Cigarette Smoking in Worsening Bladder Cancer and Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma Prognosis: A Meta-Analysis

The role of histological subtype and chemotherapy on prognosis of ureteral cancer

OBJECTIVE

To date, there have been few studies examining the prognostic implications of histological subtypes in ureteral cancer. And chemotherapy plays a crucial role in the treatment of ureteral cancer, while many factors influence the efficacy of chemotherapy. This study aimed to utilize the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database to assess the impact of histological type on ureteral cancer prognostic outcomes and discovered how histological type and T-stage influence the efficacy of chemotherapy.

METHODS

Based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, we reviewed 8915 records of patients with primary ureteral cancer from 18 centers between 2000 and 2018. We focused on the overall survival and cancer-specific survival of the records and used Kaplan‒Meier method to calculate survival curves.

RESULTS

In the comparison of prognostic outcomes, atypical subtypes exhibited a less favorable prognosis compared to typical ureteral carcinoma. Notably, patients diagnosed with papillary urothelial carcinoma demonstrated the most favorable overall survival (p = 0.005). Statistically significant benefits were observed in the prognosis of patients with non-papillary urothelial carcinoma who received chemotherapy (HR = 0.860, 95% CI 0.764-0.966, p = 0.011), while chemotherapy did not yield a statistically significant effect on the prognosis of patients with papillary urothelial carcinoma (HR = 1.055, 95% CI 0.906-1.228, p = 0.493). Chemotherapy had an adverse impact on the prognosis of patients with T1 ureteral cancer (HR = 1.235, 95% CI 1.016-1.502, p = 0.034), whereas it exhibited a positive prognostic effect for T3/T4 cases (HR = 0.739, 95% CI 0.654-0.835, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Histological type affects the prognosis of ureteral cancer. And evaluation of cancer histological type and T stage in ureteral cancer patients prior to chemotherapy is mandatory.

A prospective study of smoking-related white blood cell DNA methylation markers and risk of bladder cancer

Bladder cancer, a common neoplasm, is primarily caused by tobacco smoking. Epigenetic alterations including DNA methylation have the potential to be used as prospective markers of increased risk, particularly in at-risk populations such as smokers. We aimed to investigate the potential of smoking-related white blood cell (WBC) methylation markers to contribute to an increase in bladder cancer risk prediction over classical questionnaire-based smoking metrics (i.e., duration, intensity, packyears) in a nested case-control study within the prospective prostate, lung, colorectal, and ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial and the alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene cancer (ATBC) Prevention Study (789 cases; 849 controls). We identified 200 differentially methylated sites associated with smoking status and 28 significantly associated (after correction for multiple testing) with bladder cancer risk among 2670 previously reported smoking-related cytosine-phosphate-guanines sites (CpGs). Similar patterns were observed across cohorts. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses indicated that cg05575921 (AHHR), the strongest smoking-related association we identified for bladder cancer risk, alone yielded similar predictive performance (AUC: 0.60) than classical smoking metrics (AUC: 0.59-0.62). Best prediction was achieved by including the first principal component (PC1) from the 200 smoking-related CpGs alongside smoking metrics (AUC: 0.63-0.65). Further, PC1 remained significantly associated with elevated bladder cancer risk after adjusting for smoking metrics. These findings suggest DNA methylation profiles reflect aspects of tobacco smoke exposure in addition to those captured by smoking duration, intensity and packyears, and/or individual susceptibility relevant to bladder cancer etiology, warranting further investigation.

Increased Apolipoprotein A1 Expression Correlates with Tumor-Associated Neutrophils and T Lymphocytes in Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma

An increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a poor prognostic biomarker in various types of cancer, because it reflects the inhibition of lymphocytes in the circulation and tumors. In urologic cancers, upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is known for its aggressive features and lack of T cell infiltration; however, the association between neutrophils and suppressed T lymphocytes in UTUC is largely unknown. In this study, we examined the relationship between UTUC-derived factors and tumor-associated neutrophils or T lymphocytes. The culture supernatant from UTUC tumor tissue modulated neutrophils to inhibit T cell proliferation. Among the dominant factors secreted by UTUC tumor tissue, apolipoprotein A1 (Apo-A1) exhibited a positive correlation with NLR. Moreover, tumor-infiltrating neutrophils were inversely correlated with tumor-infiltrating T cells. Elevated Apo-A1 levels in UTUC were also inversely associated with the population of tumor-infiltrating T cells. Our findings indicate that elevated Apo-A1 expression in UTUC correlates with tumor-associated neutrophils and T cells. This suggests a potential immunomodulatory effect on neutrophils and T cells within the tumor microenvironment, which may represent therapeutic targets for UTUC treatment.

Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma (UTUC) Diagnosis and Risk Stratification: A Comprehensive Review

Diagnosis and risk stratification are cornerstones of therapeutic decisions in the management of patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). Diagnostic modalities provide data that can be integrated, to provide nomograms and stratification tools to predict survival and adverse outcomes. This study reviews cytology, ureterorenoscopy and the novel tools and techniques used with it (including photodynamic diagnosis, narrow-band imaging, optical coherence tomography, and confocal laser endomicroscopy), and biopsy. Imaging modalities and novel biomarkers are discussed in another article. Patient- and tumor-related prognostic factors, their association with survival indices, and their roles in different scores and predictive tools are discussed. Patient-related factors include age, sex, ethnicity, tobacco consumption, surgical delay, sarcopenia, nutritional status, and several blood-based markers. Tumor-related prognosticators comprise stage, grade, presentation, location, multifocality, size, lymphovascular invasion, surgical margins, lymph node status, mutational landscape, architecture, histologic variants, and tumor-stroma ratio. The accuracy and validation of pre-operative predictive tools, which incorporate various prognosticators to predict the risk of muscle-invasive or non-organ confined disease, and help to decide on the surgery type (radical nephroureterectomy, or kidney-sparing procedures) are also investigated. Post-operative nomograms, which help decide on adjuvant chemotherapy and plan follow-up are explored. Finally, a revision of the current stratification of UTUC patients is endorsed.

The impact of smoking on recurrence and progression of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

Although smoking is a well-recognized causative factor of urothelial bladder cancer and accounts for 50% of cases, less is known about the prognostic significance of smoking on non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) prognosis. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effect of smoking on the risk of NMIBC recurrence and progression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We systematically searched Medline, Web of Science and Scopus databases for original articles published before October 2021 regarding the effect of smoking on NMIBC recurrence and progression. Information about smoking status and the number of events or odds ratio or hazard ratio for event-free survival must have been reported to include the study in the analysis. Quality In Prognosis Studies tool was utilized for the risk of bias assessment.

RESULTS

We selected 64 eligible studies, including 28 617 patients with NMIBC with available data on smoking status. In a meta-analysis of 28 studies with 7885 patients, we found that smokers (current/former) were at higher risk for recurrence (OR = 1.68; 95% CI 1.34-2.09; P < 0.0001) compared to never smokers. Subgroup analysis of 2967 patients revealed that current smokers were at a 1.24 higher risk of recurrence (OR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.02-1.50; P = 0.03) compared to former smokers. A meta-analysis of the hazard ratio revealed that smokers are at higher risk of recurrence (HR = 1.31; 95%CI 1.15-1.48; P < 0.0001) and progression (HR = 1.18; 95%CI 1.08-1.29; P < 0.001) compared to never smokers. Detrimental prognostic effect of smoking on progression, but not for recurrence risk was also noted in the subgroup analysis of high-risk patients (HR = 1.30; 95%CI 1.09-1.55; P = 0.004) and BCG-treated ones (HR = 1.15; 95%CI 1.06-1.25; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and a history of smoking have a worse prognosis regarding recurrence-free and progression-free survival compared to non-smokers.

Survival in Kidney and Bladder Cancers in Four Nordic Countries through a Half Century

Kidney and bladder cancers share etiology and relatively good recent survival, but long-term studies are rare. We analyzed survival for these cancers in Denmark, Finland, Norway (NO), and Sweden (SE) over a 50-year period (1971-2020). Relative 1- and 5-year survival data were obtained from the NORDCAN database, and we additionally calculated conditional 5/1-year survival. In 2016-2020, 5-year survivals for male kidney (79.0%) and bladder (81.6%) cancers were best in SE. For female kidney cancer, NO survival reached 80.0%, and for bladder cancer, SE survival reached 76.1%. The magnitude of 5-year survival improvements during the 50-year period in kidney cancer was over 40% units; for bladder cancer, the improvement was over 20% units. Survival in bladder cancer was worse for women than for men, particularly in year 1. In both cancers, deaths in the first year were approximately as many as in the subsequent 4 years. We could document an impressive development for kidney cancer with tripled male and doubled female 5-year survival in 50 years. Additionally, for bladder cancer, a steady improvement was recorded. The current challenges are to curb early mortality and target treatment to reduce long-term mortality.

Development and validation of a tobacco smoking-related index for predicting overall survival and immunotherapy response in bladder cancer

Bladder cancer is one of the top five most prevalent cancers in the United States and a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Meanwhile, tobacco smoking is a well-established modifiable risk factor for bladder cancer, with a population-attributable risk of approximately 50%. But the relationship between the prognosis of bladder cancer and tobacco smoking remains unclear. To further explore the potential relationship between tobacco smoking and bladder cancer prognosis, the bladder cancer dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program was used to build a tobacco smoking-related signature known as the "smoker index" for prognosis prediction. Additionally, we validated the efficacy of the signature with some external datasets. Finally, we preliminarily verified the role of CGB5, the hub gene in the smoker index, through pan-cancer analysis and in vitro assays. The study digs into the underlying connection between tobacco smoking and the prognosis of bladder cancer from a multi-omics perspective.

Global trends in the epidemiology of bladder cancer: challenges for public health and clinical practice

Bladder cancer is among the ten most common cancers globally, causes considerable morbidity and mortality and is, therefore, a substantial burden for health-care systems. The incidence of bladder cancer is affected by demographic trends, most notably population growth and ageing, as well as exposure to risk factors, especially tobacco smoking. Consequently, the incidence has not been stable throughout the world over time, nor will it be in the near future. Further primary prevention efforts are of the utmost importance to reduce the medical and financial burden of bladder cancer on populations and health-care systems. Simultaneously, less-invasive and lower-cost approaches for the diagnosis of both primary and recurrent bladder cancers are required to address challenges posed by the increasing shortage of health-care professionals and limited financial resources worldwide. In this regard, urinary biomarkers have demonstrated promising diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. Awareness of the risk factors and symptoms of bladder cancer should also be increased in society, particularly among health-care professionals and high-risk groups. Studies investigating the associations between lifestyle factors and bladder cancer outcomes are scarce and should be a research priority. In this Review, we outline global trends in bladder cancer incidence and mortality, and discuss the main risk factors influencing bladder cancer occurrence and outcomes. We then discuss the implications, challenges and opportunities of these epidemiological trends for public health and clinical practice.

De novo upper tract urothelial carcinoma after renal transplantation: a single-center experience in China

BACKGROUND

Long-term prognosis and risk factors of de novo upper tract urothelial carcinoma after renal transplantation were rarely studied. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features, risk factors, and long-term prognosis of de novo upper tract urothelial carcinoma after renal transplantation, especially the impact of aristolochic acid on tumor, using a large sample.

METHODS

106 patients were enrolled in retrospective study. The endpoints included overall survival, cancer-specific survival, bladder or contralateral upper tract recurrence-free survival. Patients were grouped according to aristolochic acid exposure. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier curve. Log-rank test was used to compare the difference. Multivariable cox regression was conducted to evaluate the prognostic significance.

RESULTS

Median time from transplantation to development of upper tract urothelial carcinoma was 91.5 months. Cancer-specific survival rate at 1, 5, 10 years was 89.2%, 73.2%, 61.6%. Tumor staging (≥ T2), lymph node status (N +) were independent risk factors for cancer-specific death. Contralateral upper tract recurrence-free survival rate at 1, 3, 5 years was 80.4%, 68.5%, 50.9%. Aristolochic acid exposure was independent risk factor for contralateral upper tract recurrence. The patients exposed to aristolochic acid had more multifocal tumors and higher incidence of contralateral upper tract recurrence.

CONCLUSION

Both higher tumor staging and positive lymph node status were associated with a worse cancer-specific survival in patients with post-transplant de novo upper tract urothelial carcinoma, which highlighted the importance of early diagnosis. Aristolochic acid was associated with multifocality of tumors and higher incidence of contralateral upper tract recurrence. Thus, prophylactic contralateral resection was suggested for post-transplant upper tract urothelial carcinoma, especially for patients with aristolochic acid exposure.

Adherence to lifestyle recommendations after non-muscle invasive bladder cancer diagnosis and risk of recurrence

BACKGROUND

Patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) are at a high risk of tumor recurrence. It has not been previously investigated if adherence to cancer prevention recommendations lowers the risk of recurrence.

OBJECTIVES

We examined whether the standardized lifestyle score measuring adherence to the 2018 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) cancer prevention recommendations was associated with the risk of recurrence and progression among patients with NMIBC.

METHODS

The study population included patients diagnosed with primary NMIBC between 2014 and 2017 from the prospective cohort UroLife. Lifestyle was assessed at baseline (n = 979; reflecting the prediagnosis period) and 3-mo postdiagnosis (n = 885). The standardized 2018 WCRF/AICR score was constructed based on recommendations for body weight, physical activity, diet, and alcohol intake. We computed multivariable-adjusted HRs and 95% CIs using Cox proportional hazard regression models.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up time of 3.7 y, 320 patients developed ≥1 recurrence(s) and 49 experienced progression. Patients in the highest compared with the lowest tertile of postdiagnosis WCRF/AICR scores had a lower risk of first bladder cancer recurrence (HR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.56, 0.98). No associations were observed for multiple recurrences (HR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.70, 1.15) or for the baseline score with either first (HR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.82, 1.40) or multiple recurrences (HR: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.82, 1.31). Improving lifestyle after diagnosis (per 1-point increase) was not significantly associated with the risk of first or multiple recurrence(s) (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.74, 1.02; HR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.80, 1.08, respectively). No associations were observed for bladder cancer progression, but the power was limited.

CONCLUSIONS

Better adherence to the WCRF/AICR cancer prevention recommendations 3 mo after NMIBC diagnosis, but not before diagnosis, is associated with a decreased risk of first bladder cancer recurrence. More studies evaluating postdiagnosis lifestyles are needed to provide solid support for lifestyle recommendations for cancer survivors.

Cancer mortality in Common Mental Disorders: A 10-year retrospective cohort study

PURPOSE

Individuals with Common Mental Disorders (CMDs) may have a higher cancer mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine cancer-related mortality among patients with CMDs and verify which cancer types are predominantly involved.

METHODS

We used the Regional Mental Health Registry of the Emilia-Romagna region, in Northern Italy to identify patients aged ≥ 18 years who received an ICD 9-CM diagnosis of CMDs (i.e., depressive and neurotic disorders) over a 10 year period (2008-2017). Information on cause of death was retrieved from the Regional Cause of Death Registry. Comparisons were made with data from the regional population without CMDs.

RESULTS

Among 101,487 patients suffering from CMDs (55.7% depression; 44.3% neurotic disorders), 3,087 (37.8%) died from neoplasms. The total standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was 1.82 (95% CI 1.78-1.86) while the SMR for all neoplasms was 2.08 (95% CI 2.01-2.16). Individuals of both genders, with both depressive and neurotic disorders had a higher risk of death from almost all cancers compared with the regional population.

CONCLUSION

Patients with CMDs have considerably higher cancer mortality risk than the general population. Higher mortality was observed for a broad range of cancers associated with different aetiologies. It is imperative to promote cancer awareness, prevention and treatment for people with CMDs.

Development of nomograms related to inflammatory biomarkers to estimate the prognosis of bladder cancer after radical cystectomy

Background

Bladder cancer is one of the most common carcinomas and it brings about huge social economic burden. There is not a reliable way to predict the prognosis of bladder patients. We develop the nomogram to predict the prognosis of bladder cancer patients.

Methods

A total of 127 bladder cancer patients after radical cystectomy were studied retrospectively. Their clinicopathological data were collected for statistical analysis.

Results

The level of albumin/globulin ratio (AGR), C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) associated with pathological and hematological parameters like T stage and hemoglobin. Furthermore, the AGR was associated with overall survival (OS) and CAR, NLR, and PLR were associated with both OS and progression-free survival (PFS) (P<0.05). The multivariate analysis revealed that tobacco smoking, tumor T stage, M stage, NLR, CAR, and AGR were all independent predictors for OS of patients and tobacco smoking, tumor T stage, NLR, CAR, and AGR were independent predictors for PFS of patients. In addition, AGR, CAR, and NLR, as well as, the clinicopathological parameters in the development of nomograms with a C index of 0.901 (95% CI: 0.505-1.269) for OS, and 0.807 (95% CI: 0.755-0.858) for PFS. The nomograms were able to provide a prognosis of the OS with the area under the curve (AUC) =0.86. Further, tests assessed the PFS with the AUC =0.84.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that the nomograms of the inflammatory biomarkers were able to predict prognosis of bladder cancer patients after radical cystectomy.

The Impact of Diabetes on the Prognosis of Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma After Radical Nephroureterectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Studies have reported that diabetes is related to the prognosis of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU), but this conclusion is still controversial. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to comprehensively explore the association between diabetes and UTUC prognosis.

Methods

In November 2020, we searched PubMed, Web of science and the Cochrane Library to find relevant studies that evaluated the effect of diabetes on the prognosis of UTUC. The Newcastle Ottawa Scale was used to assess the quality of the literature. Review Manager 5.3 was used to pool cancer-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS) and intravesical recurrence (IVR).

Results

A total of 10 studies with 11,303 patients were included in this meta-analysis. Our pooled results showed that diabetes did not affect the survival outcome of UTUC, including CSS (HR: 1.33, 95% CI: 0.89-1.98; P = 0.16), OS (HR: 1.18, 95% CI: 0.77-1.80; P = 0.45) and RFS (HR: 1.37, 95% CI: 0.91-2.05; P = 0.13). However, diabetes increased the risk of IVR of UTUC patients (HR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.11-1.43; P = 0.0004).

Conclusion

Although diabetes has no significant impact on the survival outcomes of UTUC after RNU, it increases the risk of IVR. Therefore, special attention should be paid to monitoring the IVR for UTUC patients with diabetes and the necessity of appropriate intravesical adjuvant treatment when needed.

Can Smoking Cause Differences in Urine Microbiome in Male Patients With Bladder Cancer? A Retrospective Study

Background

Tobacco smoking is a carcinogen for many cancers including bladder cancer. The microbiota is involved in the occurrence, development, and treatment of tumors. We explored the composition of male urinary microbiome and the correlation between tobacco smoking and microbiome in this study.

Methods

Alpha diversity, principal component analysis (PCA) and Adonis analysis, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) coupled with effect size measurement, and PICRUSt function predictive analysis were used to compare different microbiome between smokers and non-smokers in men.

Results

There were 26 qualified samples included in the study. Eleven of them are healthy controls, and the others are from men with bladder cancer. Simpson index and the result of PCA analysis between smokers and non-smokers were not different (P > 0.05) in healthy men. However, the abundance of Bacteroidaceae, Erysipelotrichales, Lachnospiraceae, Bacteroides, and so on in the urinary tract of smokers is much higher than that of non-smokers. Compared to non-smokers, the alpha diversity in smokers was elevated in patients with bladder cancer (P < 0.05). PCA analysis showed a significant difference between smokers and non-smokers (P < 0.001), indicating that tobacco smoking plays a vital role in urinary tract microbial composition.

Conclusion

The composition of microbiome in the urinary tract is closely related to tobacco smoking. This phenomenon is more significant in patients with bladder cancer. This indicates tobacco smoking may promote the occurrence and development of bladder cancer by changing urinary tract microbiome.

Assessment of Diagnostic Yield of Cystoscopy and Computed Tomographic Urography for Urinary Tract Cancers in Patients Evaluated for Microhematuria: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

IMPORTANCE

Microhematuria (MH) is a common finding that often leads to further evaluation for urinary tract cancers. There is ongoing debate about the extent to which patients with MH should be evaluated for cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the diagnostic yield for detection of urinary tract cancers, specifically bladder cancer, upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), and kidney cell carcinoma, among patients evaluated for MH using cystoscopy and computed tomographic (CT) urography.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase were systematically searched for eligible studies published between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2019.

STUDY SELECTION

Original prospective and retrospective studies reporting the prevalence of cancer among patients evaluated for MH were eligible. Two authors independently screened the titles and abstracts to select studies that met the eligibility criteria and reached consensus about which studies to include. Among 5802 records identified, 5802 articles were screened using titles and abstracts. After exclusions, 55 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, with 39 studies selected for systematic review.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline. Studies were quantitatively synthesized using a random-intercept logistic regression model.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was diagnostic yield, defined as the proportion of patients with a diagnosis of urinary tract cancer (bladder cancer, UTUC, or kidney cell carcinoma) after presentation with MH. Studies were stratified by the percentage of cystoscopy and CT urography use and by high-risk cohorts. The diagnostic yields of CT urography and cystoscopy were calculated for each cancer type.

RESULTS

A total of 30 studies comprising 24 366 patients evaluated for MH were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled diagnostic yield among all patients was 2.00% (95% CI, 1.30%-3.09%) for bladder cancer, 0.02% (95% CI, 0.0%-0.15%) for UTUC, and 0.18% (95% CI, 0.09%-0.36%) for kidney cell carcinoma. Stratification of studies that used cystoscopy and/or CT urography for 95% or more of the cohort produced diagnostic yields of 2.74% (95% CI, 1.81%-4.12%) for bladder cancer, 0.09% (95% CI, 0.01%-0.75%) for UTUC, and 0.10% (95% CI, 0.04%-0.23%) for kidney cell carcinoma. In high-risk cohorts, the diagnostic yields increased to 4.61% (95% CI, 2.34%-8.90%) for bladder cancer and 0.45% (95% CI, 0.22%-0.95%) for UTUC.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This study's findings suggest that, given the low diagnostic yield of CT urography and the associated risks and costs, limiting its use to high-risk patients older than 50 years is warranted. Risk stratification, as recommended by the recent American Urology Association guidelines on MH, may be a better approach to tailor further evaluation.

CYP24A1 rs1570669 Variant Has a Protective Effect against Tumors of the Urinary System

BACKGROUND

Common malignant tumors of the urinary system include renal cell carcinoma, bladder carcinoma, and prostate cancer. The research on the CYP24A1 gene for prostate cancer is mainly concentrated in European and American populations, and there are few studies in the Chinese population. Therefore, we selected bladder cancer, prostate cancer, and renal cancer as the research objects to explore the influence of CYP24A1 on the genetic susceptibility of urinary system tumors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

rs6068816, rs2296241, rs2762934, and rs1570669 in 529 patients and 523 controls were genotyped via the Agena MassARRAY. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of two SNPs with susceptibility of urinary system cancer. Database predicts the expression of the CYP24A1 gene in urinary system cancer.

RESULTS

Individuals with the AG genotype of CYP24A1 rs1570669 has a 28% lower risk of developing urinary system tumors (OR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.56-1.13, p = 0.016) and has a 31% lower risk of developing renal cancer (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.51-0.92, p = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONS

CYP24A1 rs1570669 may play an important role in the susceptibility of tumors of the urinary system and renal cancer.

Strategies for Referring Cancer Patients in a Smoking Cessation Program

Most people who smoke and develop cancer are unable to quit smoking. To address this, many cancer centers have now opened smoking cessation programs specifically designed to help cancer patients to quit. An important question has now emerged—what is the most effective approach for engaging smokers within a cancer center in these smoking cessation programs? We report outcomes from a retrospective observational study comparing three referral methods—traditional referral, best practice advisory (BPA), and direct outreach—on utilization of the Duke Cancer Center Smoking Cessation Program. We found that program utilization rate was higher for direct outreach (5.4%) than traditional referral (0.8%), p < 0.001, and BPA (0.2%); p < 0.001. Program utilization was 6.4% for all methods combined. Inferring a causal relationship between referral method and program utilization was not possible because the study did not use a randomized design. Innovation is needed to generate higher utilization rates for cancer center smoking cessation programs.

Smoke load prognostic impact on bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) treated non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

PURPOSE

Smoking habit is the major risk factor for bladder cancer (BC), related to about 50% of these tumors; however, the tobacco dose-effect impact on BC immune treatment is underexplored. This study evaluates the impact of smoke load on non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) prognosis after intravesical BCG.

METHODS

Smoke load, recurrence, progression and disease-specific survival were evaluated in a retrospective study including NMIBC patients treated with intravesical BCG between 2006 and 2015. Multivariate Cox regression, ROC and Kaplan-Meier curves were utilized.

RESULTS

132 pT1 NMIBC patients were included: 95 (72%) males, mean age 69.6 ± 10.5 years and mean smoking pack-years 22.0 ± 20.8. Recurrence, progression and disease-specific death occurred in 69 (52.3%, mean 20.55 ± 20.44 months), 22 (16.7%, mean 31.39 ± 20.19 months) and 11 (8.3%, mean 37.23 ± 18.34 months), respectively. Smoke load significantly impacted recurrence, HR = 1.019 (95% CI 1.008-1.030, p = 0.0004), and progression, HR = 1.034 (95% CI 1.016-1.052, p = 0.0002), but not survival. For every 1-year increment in pack-years, the risk of relapse and progression increases by 1.9% and 3.4%, respectively. Over 20 pack-year showed the best predictive prognostic power.

CONCLUSION

The smoke load has a potential prognostic role in terms of recurrence and progression in the BCG treated NMIBC. Future studies should explore the smoking impact on the immune system, mainly beyond 20 pack-year.

Does Smoking Cessation at Primary Diagnosis Reduce the Recurrence Risk of Nonmuscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer? Results of a Prospective Study

INTRODUCTION

Evidence that smoking cessation at first diagnosis of nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) reduces the risk of recurrence is lacking. The aim of our prospective study was to analyze the association between patients' changes in smoking habits after diagnosis and recurrence-free survival (RFS).

PATIENTS

After transurethral resection of primary NMIBC, patients were classified as "ex-smokers," i.e., those definitively stopping, and as "active smokers," i.e., those continuing or restarting to smoke. Smoking status was reassessed every 3 months during the first year and every 6 months thereafter. Data on patients' demographics, smoking status, tumor characteristics, treatments, and follow-up were collected. Statistical analysis was performed adopting SPSS 15.0.1 and R3.4.2 software.

RESULTS

Out of 194 patients, 67 (34.5%) quit smoking after the diagnosis, while 127 (65.5%) did not. The clinical and pathological characteristics were homogeneously distributed. At a median follow-up of 38 months, 106 patients (54.6%) recurred, 33 (49.2%) ex- and 73 (60.3%) active smokers with a 3-year RFS of 42.3 and 50.7%, respectively (p = 0.55). No statistically significant association between recurrence, pathological features of the primary tumor, and patient smoking habits after diagnosis was detected. Results were not statistically influenced by the intensity (cigarette/day) and duration (years) of smoking. In multivariate analysis, cigarette smoking cessation at diagnosis did not significantly reduce tumor recurrence.

CONCLUSION

In our prospective study, more than half of our patients recurred at 3 years. In multivariate analysis, smoking cessation did not significantly reduce tumor recurrence. However, the 8.4% reduction in favor of the ex-smokers suggests the need of larger studies with longer follow-ups. Surprisingly, only 35% of smokers definitively quit after diagnosis. The urologists should play a more active role to persuade the patients to stop smoking at first cancer diagnosis.

Lifestyle and Non-muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Recurrence, Progression, and Mortality: Available Research and Future Directions

BACKGROUND:

A broad, comprehensive review of studies exploring associations between lifestyle factors and non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) outcomes is warranted to consolidate recommendations and identify gaps in research.

OBJECTIVE:

To summarize the literature on associations between lifestyle factors and clinical outcomes among patients with NMIBC.

METHODS:

PubMed was systematically queried for articles published through March 2019 regarding lifestyle factors and recurrence, progression, cancer-specific mortality, and all-cause mortality among patients with NMIBC.

RESULTS:

Notwithstanding many ambiguities, there is good-quality evidence suggesting a benefit of smoking avoidance/cessation, healthy body mass index (BMI), and type II diabetes mellitus prevention and treatment. Lactobacillus casei probiotic supplementation may reduce recurrence. There have been individual studies suggesting a benefit for uncooked broccoli and supplemental vitamin E as well as avoidance of supplemental vitamin B9, areca nut chewing, and a “Western diet” pattern high in fried foods and red meat. Additional studies do not suggest associations between NMIBC outcomes and use of fibrin clot inhibitors; insulin and other oral hypoglycemics; statins; supplemental selenium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B6; fluid intake and intake of specific beverages (e.g., alcohol, coffee, green tea, cola); various dietary patterns (e.g., Tex-Mex, high fruit and vegetable, low-fat); and occupational and chemical exposures.

CONCLUSIONS:

Despite a myriad of publications on lifestyle factors and NMIBC, a need remains for research on unexplored associations (e.g., physical activity) and further studies that can elucidate causal effects. This would inform future implementation strategies for healthy lifestyle change in NMIBC patients.

Resveratrol Reverses Cigarette Smoke-Induced Urocystic Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition via Suppression of STAT3 Phosphorylation in SV-HUC-1-Immortalized Human Urothelial Cells

Purpose

Bladder cancer is a malignant tumor of the urinary tract, and cigarette smoke (CS) is closely related to tumorigenesis. Resveratrol, a plant-derived bioactive nutrient, possesses multiple anticancer effects. However, the mechanism of CS-induced tumorigenesis is still not clear. The role of resveratrol in CS-meditated bladder cancer development has not been reported.

Methods

MTT assay showed the toxicity of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on the cell viability of SV-HUC-1 cells. Western blotting detected the expression levels of related proteins. Transwell migration or invasion assay evaluated the capacity of cell migration or invasion after treatment. Wound-healing assay revealed the effect of cell migratory capacity. The cell cycle was detected by flow cytometry.

Results

Our study demonstrated that CSE-triggered epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in SV-HUC-1-immortalized human urothelial cells via the STAT3/TWIST1 pathway. Furthermore, the results showed resveratrol effectively inhibited STAT3 phosphorylation, thus reversed EMT triggered by CSE. Meanwhile, the cell proliferation was also suppressed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, inhibition of the STAT3 in CSE-induced EMT on bladder cancer may be a promising cancer treatment target for suppression by resveratrol.

Aristolochic Acid and Immunotherapy for Urothelial Carcinoma: Directions for unmet Needs

Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) and upper tracts (UTUC) used to share management with similar principles. However, their genetic and epigenetic differences along with different responses to immunotherapy were recently identified, which are reminiscent of their distinct etiologies. Different from the variety of environmental factors relating to UCB, UTUC is best known for its close relationship with exposure to aristolochic acid (AA). AA is believed to cause its carcinogenicity through forming DNA adducts of deoxyadenosine-aristolactam, as well as A:T → T:A transversions in the TP53 tumor suppressor gene. Since recent findings suggested that cancers with higher somatic mutations are associated with better treatment responses upon immune checkpoint blockade, UTUC and AA-related biomarkers reasonably serve as good candidates, as well as a potential prognostic predictor for the flourishing immunotherapy. This review covers the current state of the literature on the clinical response of UTUC and UCB receiving immunotherapy and points out directions for refinement regarding patient selection.

8-armed octopus: Evaluation of clinicopathologic prognostic factors of urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary system

Background/aim

This study was designed to determine the characteristic features of upper urinary system urothelial carcinomas (UUSUCs) and to evaluate the clinicopathological parameters associated with prognosis.

Materials and methods

A total of 74 cases of UUSUC were included, from three different centers. Demographic data and histopathological features such as tumor localization, concomitant tumor in the urinary system, distant metastasis with overall survival and disease-free survival obtained from the hospital records were evaluated retrospectively. Histopathologic prognostic features such as grade, perineural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, tumor necrosis, and surgical margin status were also evaluated.

Results

Seventy cases (94.6%) underwent open nephroureterectomy whereas 4 cases (5.4%) had laparoscopic nefroureterectomy. Thirty-eight (51.4%) cases were located in the pelvis, 7 (9.5%) in the ureter, 29 (39.2%) both in the pelvis and ureter. Fifty-six (75.7%) cases were alive; however, 18 (24.3%) patients were found to be dead. pTa, pT1, pT2, pT3, and pT4 tumors were reported in 16 (21.6%), 13 (17.6%), 4 (5.4%), 28 (37.8%), and 13 (17.6%) patients, respectively. Histopathologically, 17 cases (23%) were low-grade, 57 cases (77%) were high-grade. Statistically significant correlation was observed between overall survival and lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, tumor necrosis, and differentiation by univariate analysis. Only distant metastasis was statistically associated with overall survival by multivariate analysis. We found no significant relationship between disease-free survival and all parameters.Conclusions: Differentiation and necrosis of tumor, lymph node involvement, and presence of distant metastasis is associated with the overall survival of urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary system.

Cigarette smoking is associated with adverse pathological response and increased disease recurrence amongst patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer treated with cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radical cystectomy: a single-centre experience

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between smoking status and pathological response to cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and survival outcomes in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) treated with radical cystectomy (RC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We reviewed 201 patients treated with NAC and RC for cT2-cT4N0M0 BC between 01/1999 and 01/2015. Smoking status was categorised as: 'never', 'former', and 'current' smoker. Pathological response to NAC was defined as: complete (ypT0N0), partial (ypTis/Ta/T1, N0), and no response (ypT2-4 or ypN+). Clinicopathological characteristics were analysed according to smoking status. Logistic regression analyses tested the association between smoking status and pathological response to NAC. Cox regression analyses tested risk factors associated with recurrence, overall (OM) and cancer-specific mortality (CSM).

RESULTS

Overall, there were 58 (28.9%) never smokers, 87 (43.3%) former smokers, and 56 (27.9%) current smokers. No response to NAC was more frequently noted in current smokers (73.2%; P = 0.007). Former smoker (odds ratio [OR] 2.28; P = 0.024) and current smoker statuses (OR 4.52; P < 0.001) were significantly associated with no response to NAC, after adjusting for age, gender, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and clinical stage. Similarly, current smoking status (hazard ratio [HR] 2.14; P = 0.03) and extravesical pathological tumour stage (HR 3.31; P < 0.001) were independently associated with an increased risk of recurrence after RC.

CONCLUSION

Cigarette smoking was significantly associated with adverse pathological response to cisplatin-based NAC in patients with MIBC treated with RC. Current smokers were at significantly higher risk of disease recurrence as compared to former and never smokers.

Prevention of bladder cancer incidence and recurrence: tobacco use

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To summarize the current knowledge about smoking carcinogenesis in bladder cancer (BCa), individual susceptibility and impact of smoking on incidence and outcomes of nonmuscle invasive BCa (NMIBC) and muscle-invasive BCa (MIBC). To assess the impact of smoking cessation on oncological outcomes.

RECENT FINDINGS

Smoking pattern, intensity, and duration are responsible for an increased risk of developing BCa and for worse tumor features at presentation. Tobacco consumption is associated with a higher risk of recurrence in NMIBC and with an impaired intravesical therapy efficacy. To date, the impact of smoking on oncological outcomes after radical surgery remains unclear.

SUMMARY

Smoking cessation decreases the risk of BCa and may also allow benefits on treatment outcomes. Nonetheless, the magnitude of the effect remains unclear and prospective series with the specific aim of weighing smoking cessation on outcomes are needed. Because even a 5-min counseling in the urology setting may be sufficient to significantly enhance smoking cessation rates, adequate knowledge of links between tobacco and BCa, from its molecular pathophysiology and its harms to benefits of cessation is paramount for urologists and for everyday clinical practice.

The association between smoking cessation before and after diagnosis and non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer recurrence: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Smoking is a major risk factor for bladder cancer, but the relationship between smoking cessation after initial treatment and bladder cancer recurrence has been investigated less frequently and not prospectively yet.

METHODS

722 non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients (pTa, pT1, and CIS) from the prospective Bladder Cancer Prognosis Programme (BCPP) cohort, selected in the UK between 2005 and 2011, provided complete data on smoking behavior before and up to 5 years after diagnosis. The impact of smoking behavior on NMIBC recurrence was explored by multivariable Cox regression models investigating time-to-first NMIBC recurrence.

RESULTS

Over a median follow-up period of 4.21 years, 403 pathologically confirmed NMIBC recurrences occurred in 210 patients. Only 25 current smokers at diagnosis quit smoking (14%) during follow-up and smoking cessation after diagnosis did not decrease risk of recurrence compared to continuing smokers (p = 0.352).

CONCLUSIONS

Although quitting smoking after diagnosis might reduce the risk of recurrence based on retrospective evidence, this is not confirmed in this prospective study because the number of NMIBC patients quitting smoking before their first recurrence was too low. Nevertheless, this indicates an important role for urologists and other health care professionals in promoting smoking cessation in NMIBC.

Epigenome-wide association study of smoking and DNA methylation in non-small cell lung neoplasms

Tobacco smoke is a well-established lung cancer carcinogen. We hypothesize that epigenetic processes underlie carcinogenesis. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of smoke exposure on DNA methylation to search for novel susceptibility loci. We obtained epigenome-wide DNA methylation data from lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell (LUSC) tissues in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We performed a two-stage discovery (n = 326) and validation (n = 185) analysis to investigate the association of epigenetic DNA methylation level with cigarette smoking pack-years. We also externally validated our findings in an independent dataset. Linear model with least square estimator and spline regression were performed to examine the association between DNA methylation and smoking. We identified five CpG sites highly associated with pack-years of cigarette smoking. Smoking was negatively associated with methylation levels in cg25771041 (WWTR1, p = 3.6 × 10⁻⁹), cg16200496 (NFIX, p = 3.4 × 10⁻¹²), cg22515201 (PLA2G6, p = 1.0 × 10⁻⁹) and cg24823993 (NHP2L1, p = 5.1 × 10⁻⁸) and positively associated with the methylation level in cg11875268 (SMUG1, p = 4.3 × 10⁻⁸). The CpG-smoking association was stronger in LUSC than LUAD. Of the five loci, smoking explained the most variation in cg16200496 (R² = 0.098 [both types] and 0.144 [LUSC]). We identified 5 novel CpG candidates that demonstrate differential methylation patterns associated with smoke exposure in lung neoplasms.

The awareness of patients with non - muscle invasive bladder cancer regarding the importance of smoking cessation and their access to smoking cessation programs

Objectives

Smoking is the most important risk factor for bladder cancer and smoking cessation is associated with reduced risk of tumor recurrence and progression. The aim of this study is to assess the awareness of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients regarding the importance of smoking cessation, determine their access to smoking cessation programs and the effects of smoking cessation on recurrence rates of NMIBC.

Materials and Methods

NMIBC patients who were followed with cystoscopy were included in the study. Their demographic properties were recorded, along with their smoking habits, awareness regarding the effects of smoking on bladder cancer and previous attempts for smoking cessation. Moreover, the patients were asked whether they applied for a smoking cessation program. Recurrence of bladder cancer during the follow-up period was also noted.

Results

A total of 187 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 64.68±12.05 (range: 15-90) and the male to female ratio was 167/20. At the time of diagnosis, 114 patients (61.0%) were active smokers, 35 patients (18.7%) were ex-smokers and 38 patients (20.3%) had never smoked before. After the diagnosis, 83.3% of the actively smoking patients were advised to quit smoking and 57.9% of them quit smoking. At the time of the study, 46.52% of the NMIBC patients were aware of the link between smoking and bladder cancer, whereas only 4.1% of the smoking patients were referred to smoking cessation programs. After a mean follow-up of 32.28±11.42 months, 84 patients (44.91%) had recurrence; however, current smoking status or awareness of the causative role of smoking on NMIBC did not affect the recurrence.

Conclusion

In our study group, the majority of the NMIBC patients were not aware of the association between smoking and bladder cancer. Although most of the physicians advised patients to quit smoking, a significant amount of the patients were still active smokers during follow-up. Only a small proportion of patients were referred to smoking cessation programs. Urologists should take a more active role in the battle against smoking and refer those patients to smoking cessation programs. Larger study populations with longer follow-up periods are needed to better demonstrate the beneficial effects of smoking cessation on recurrence rates.

Smoking cessation and survival in lung, upper aero-digestive tract and bladder cancer: cohort study

Background:

The aim was to examine the association between smoking cessation and prognosis in smoking-related cancer as it is unclear that cessation reduces mortality.

Methods:

In this retrospective cohort study from 1999 to 2013, we assessed the association between cessation during the first year after diagnosis and all-cause and cancer-specific mortality.

Results:

Of 2882 lung, 757 upper aero-digestive tract (UAT) and 1733 bladder cancer patients 27%, 29% and 21% of lung, UAT and bladder cancer patients quit smoking. In lung cancer patients that quit, all-cause mortality was significantly lower (HR: 0.82 (0.74–0.92), while cancer-specific mortality (HR: 0.89 (0.76–1.04) and death due to index cancer (HR: 0.90 (0.77–1.05) were non-significantly lower. In UAT cancer, all-cause mortality (HR: 0.81 (0.58–1.14), cancer-specific mortality (HR: 0.84 (0.48–1.45), and death due to index cancer (HR: 0.75 (0.42–1.34) were non-significantly lower. There was no evidence of an association between quitting and mortality in bladder cancer. The HRs were 1.02 (0.81–1.30) for all-cause, 1.23 (0.81–1.86) for cancer specific, and 1.25 (0.71–2.20) for death due to index cancer. These showed a non-significantly lower risk in sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions:

People with lung and possibly UAT cancer who quit smoking have a lower risk of mortality than people who continue smoking.

Sex-related differences in clinicopathological features and survival of patients with primary urethral carcinoma: a population-based study

Purpose

To analyze the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to determine the effects of sex and prognostic factors on the survival of patients with primary urethral carcinoma (PUC).

Materials and methods

We selected 453 patients diagnosed with PUC from 2004 to 2013 from the SEER database. Statistical analysis was used to identify sex-specific differences associated with tumor characteristics and cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS).

Results

Compared with men, there was a higher proportion of black women, more negative lymph-node status, higher American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, more advanced T3 stage, more with adenocarcinoma (Ac), and fewer with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) or transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). Among women, black race and M1 stage were associated with shorter CSS and OS, respectively. In addition, surgery was associated with longer OS in women. Among men, AJCC III and IV and M1 stages were associated with shorter CSS and OS. In addition, age >75 years associated with shorter OS in men.

Conclusion

Black race was associated with shorter OS and CSS of women, and surgery was associated with longer OS of women. Among men, AJCC stage III and IV were associated with shorter OS and CSS. Age >75 years was associated with shorter OS in men only. Women with Ac experienced poor CSS compared with men. Men with TCC experienced worse CSS compared with those with Ac or SCC.

Spatial Analysis of Ambient PM2.5 Exposure and Bladder Cancer Mortality in Taiwan

Fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is an air pollutant that is receiving intense regulatory attention in Taiwan. In previous studies, the effect of air pollution on bladder cancer has been explored. This study was conducted to elucidate the effect of atmospheric PM_2.5 and other local risk factors on bladder cancer mortality based on available 13-year mortality data. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) was applied to estimate and interpret the spatial variability of the relationships between bladder cancer mortality and ambient PM_2.5 concentrations, and other variables were covariates used to adjust for the effect of PM_2.5. After applying a GWR model, the concentration of ambient PM_2.5 showed a positive correlation with bladder cancer mortality in males in northern Taiwan and females in most of the townships in Taiwan. This is the first time PM_2.5 has been identified as a risk factor for bladder cancer based on the statistical evidence provided by GWR analysis.

Why are upper tract urothelial carcinoma two different diseases?

In the last few years growing evidence highlighted the differences between upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) and urothelial bladder carcinoma (UBC) which cannot be explained solely by their different anatomical location. The aim of this review was to summarize current progress in UTUC research and to underline the differences and similarities between UTUC and UBC by focusing on epidemiology, etiology, staging and risk factors as well as on surgical and medical management. UBC and UTUC sharing common risk factors such as smoking and aromatic amines, while aristolochic acid exposure or familiar Lynch syndrome are rather specific for UTUC. The grading of UBC and UTUC are identical, but inherent from their different anatomical locations, there are some differences between their stage classifications. As an example, in contrast to UBC where a clear recommendation for pT3 subclassification exists, in UTUC current research aims to define an adequate subclassification for pelvic pT3 cases aiming to provide a better risk stratification. The primary treatment for both UBC and UTUC is surgery. Similarly to UBC, UTUC patients at high risk of disease progression are treated by radical surgery. However, because of the inaccurate preoperative or transurethral staging of UTUC, many radical nephroureterectomies are performed unnecessarily. Preoperative prediction of pathological stage or patients' prognosis may reduce this overtreatment by selecting patients for nephron-sparing surgery. To this end, predictive models combining histological and molecular features together with imaging data may be used. The antegrade or retrograde instillation of BCG or mitomycin C, as topical agents is feasible after conservative treatment of UTUC or for the treatment of CIS. However, the prognostic significance of lymph node positivity in UTUC seems to be similar to that of UBC, the therapeutic benefit of lymph node dissection (LND) in UTUC has not been firmly established yet. In addition, the number of lymph nodes to be removed and the sequence of lymphadenectomy also remain to be defined. Systemic neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapies appear to have beneficial effect on UTUC survival, however, this has to be confirmed by large prospective studies. Due to the intensive research of the last few years, our knowledge on UTUC has been largely improved, but many questions remained to be answered. Further research on the molecular background of UTUC holds the potential to identify prognostic or predictive markers which, together with imaging and histologic data, may help to overcome the inaccuracy of ureteroscopic endoscopy and may therefore help to improve therapeutic decision-making. Further, prospective studies should confirm the benefit of LND and adjuvant chemotherapy. Considering the low incidence of UTUC, conduction of such studies is difficult and may only be performed in a multicenter setting.

Relationship of smoking status to genomic profile, chemotherapy response and clinical outcome in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma

Smoking has been linked to urothelial carcinoma (UC), but the implications on genomic profile and therapeutic response are poorly understood. To determine how smoking history impacts genomic profile and chemotherapy response, clinicopathologic data was collected for patients with metastatic UC (mUC) across 3 academic medical centers and comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) was performed through a CLIA-certified lab. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering based on smoking status was used to categorize the frequency of genomic alterations (GAs) amongst current smokers (CS), ex-smokers (ES) and non-smokers (NS), and survival was compared in these subsets. Fisher's exact test identified significant associations between GAs and smoking status. Amongst 83 patients, 23%, 55% and 22% were CS, ES, and NS, respectively, and 95% of patients had stage IV disease. With a median follow up of 14.4 months, the median overall survival (OS) was significantly higher in NS and ES (combined) as compared to CS (51.6 vs 15.6 months; P = 0.04). Of 315 cancer-related genes and 31 genes often related to rearrangement tested, heatmaps show some variations amongst the subsets. GAs in NSD1 were more frequent in CS as compared to other groups (P < 0.001). CS status negatively impacts OS in patients with mUC and is associated with genomic alterations that could have therapeutic implications.