Resumen de Role of androgen receptor expression in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Francesca Sanguedolce, Luigi Cormio, Giuseppe Carrieri, Beppe Calò, Davide Russo, Antonio Luigi Pastore, Francesco Greco, Giorgio Bozzini, Antonio Galfano, Giovannalberto Pini, Angelo Porreca, Filippo Mugavero, Mario Falsaperla, Carlo Ceruti, Luca Cindolo, Alessandro Antonelli, Andrea Minervini
In order to evaluate the potential prognostic/predictive role of androgen receptor (AR) expression in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), and whether it may represent a therapeutic target, we conducted a systematic search of the literature using ‘androgen receptor or AR’, ‘testosterone’, ‘bladder cancer’ and ‘non-muscle invasive bladder cancer or NMIBC’ as keywords. Eleven studies met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. No significant association was found between AR status and patients’ gender (p=0.232), tumor size (p=0.975), tumor stage (p=0.237), tumor grade (p=0.444), tumor multicentricity (p=0.397), concomitant CIS (p=0.316) and progression of disease (p=0.397). On the other hand, relative lack of AR expression was significantly correlated to recurrent disease (p=0.001). Evidence for a direct correlation between AR expression and recurrence-free survival of patients with NMIBC indicate ARs as potential markers of BC behavior; moreover, the finding of a role of androgen blockade therapy in improving survival highlights the potential clinical application of this pathway, which deserves to be further explored.
