Prognostic Value of Expression of c-erbB-2 in Urinary Bladder Cancer

Lee, Joo Yeon; Shin, Ki Yong; Woo, Yeung Nam

Abstract

C-erbB-2, one of epidermal growth factor receptor gene family, may have an important role in progression of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC of the urinary bladder. We herein immunohistochemically examined 52 bladder TCC specimens for expression of c-erbB-2 gene product to investigate its prognostic value. Interrelationship between expression of c-erbB-2 and stage, grade, expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and clinical outcomes were analyzed. Overexpression of c-erbB-2 was significantly higher in invasive tumors as compared with superficial tumors and in high grade tumors as compared with low grade tumors (p<0.005). However, there were no significant correlations between the degree of expression of c-erbB-2 and progression-free survival in patients with superficial bladder TCC as well as actual-survival in patients with invasive bladder TCC. There also was no significant correlation between the expression of c-erbB-2 and PCNA. These results suggest that c-trbB-2 may be an important marker of malignant potentials and invasiveness of bladder TCC, but immunohistochemical study for its expression in bladder TCC may not provide additional prognostic information to stage and grade of the tumors.