title: Role of fibroblast growth factor in squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder: prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We evaluated the association of fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) expression with pathologic features and clinical outcomes of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the urinary bladder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemistry of FGF2 was performed on radical cystectomy specimens with pure SCC from 1997 to 2003. The relationship between FGF2 and pathologic parameters and oncological outcome was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 151 patients with SCC (98 men) with a median age of 52 years (range: 36-74 y). Schistosomal infection was found in 81% of patients. Pathologic category was T2 and T3 in 88% of patients and the grade was low in>50%. Lymph node invasion and lymphovascular invasion were found in 30.5% and 16%. Altered FGF2 was associated with tumor grade (P = 0.014), lymph node invasion, and lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.042). Altered FGF2 was associated with both disease recurrence and cancer-specific mortality (P≤0.001) in Kaplan-Meier analyses and was an independent predictor of cancer recurrence (hazard ratio = 2.561, P = 0. 009) and cancer-specific mortality (hazard ratio = 2.679, P = 0. 033) in multivariate Cox regression analyses. Adding FGF2 to a model including standard clinicopathologic prognostics (pathologic T category, lymph node status, and grade) showed a significant improvement (6%) in accuracy of prediction poor oncological outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FGF2 overexpression is associated with aggressive pathologic features and worse outcomes after radical cystectomy for SCC, suggesting a good prognostic and possible therapeutic role.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of California, Irvine, CA; Department of Urology, Urology and Nephrology Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt. Electronic address: ryaacoub@uci.edu.
authors.forename: Ramy F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Youssef
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX.
authors.forename: Payal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kapur
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Urology and Nephrology Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mosbah
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Urology and Nephrology Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abol-Enein
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Urology and Nephrology Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghoneim
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern medical center, Dallas, TX.
authors.forename: Yair
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lotan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D015653:Cystectomy; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2
keywords: Biomarkers; Bladder cancer; FGF2; Squamous cell carcinoma