title: Is beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin production by transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder a marker of aggressive disease and resistance to radiotherapy?
abstract: The biopsies from 75 patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder (25 Ta-T1; 45 T2-T4, 5M) were studied immunohistochemically for the expression of beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin (beta-HCG). Only 5 Ta-T1 tumours contained a small number of beta-HCG positive cells but 24 invasive tumours and all patients with metastases showed increased numbers of positive cells. A significant correlation was found between beta-HCG immunoreactivity and tumour category. In 30 patients with muscle-invasive disease (T2-T4,N0,M0) who were treated with radical radiotherapy a significant correlation was observed between response to treatment and beta-HCG expression; beta-HCG positive tumours did not respond to treatment. A difference in survival was found between patients with tumours negative for beta-HCG compared with patients with positive tumours, all treated with radical radiotherapy. The results indicate that beta-HCG expression increases with tumour invasiveness and the use of immunohistochemistry may prove a useful means of identifying radioresistant and aggressive forms of bladder cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Policliniki Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moutzouris
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yannopoulos
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barbatis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zaharof
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Theodorou
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000032:analysis*; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis*; D011379:Prognosis; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D010446:Peptide Fragments