HISTOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY

From Cell Biology to Tissue Engineering

 

Review

Role of androgen receptor expression in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Francesca Sanguedolce1,15, Luigi Cormio2, Giuseppe Carrieri2, Beppe Calò2, Davide Russo1, Andrea Menin3, Antonio Luigi Pastore4,15, Francesco Greco5,15, Giorgio Bozzini6,15, Antonio Galfano7,15, Giovannalberto Pini8,15, Angelo Porreca9,15, Filippo Mugavero10,15, Mario Falsaperla10,15, Carlo Ceruti11,15, Luca Cindolo12,15, Alessandro Antonelli13,15 and Andrea Minervini14,15

1Department of Pathology, University Hospital, 2Department of Urology and Organ Transplantation, University of Foggia, Foggia, 3Department of Pathology, San Bortolo Hospital, Vicenza, 4Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Urology Unit, Sapienza University of Rome, Latina, 5Department of Urology, Humanitas Gavazzeni, Bergamo, 6Department of Urology, ASST Valle Olona, Busto A. (VA), 7Department of Urology, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, 8Department of Urology, San Raffaele Turro Hospital, San Raffaele University, Milan, 9Urology Unit, Policlinico of Abano, Abano Terme, 10Urology Unit, Ospedale Vittorio Emanuele, Catania, 11Urology Clinic, Città della Salute e della Scienza, University of Turin, Turin, 12Department of Urology, ASLO2 Abruzzo, Chieti, 13Urology Unit, ASST-Spedali Civili, Brescia, 14Department of Oncologic, Minimally-Invasive Urology and Andrology, Careggi Hospital, University of Florence, Florence and 15AGILE Group (Italian Group for Advanced Laparoscopic and Robotic Urologic Surgery), Italy

Offprint requests to: Dr. Francesca Sanguedolce, Department of Pathology, University Hospital, Viale Pinto 1, 71121 Foggia, Italy. e-mail: fradolce@hotmail.com


Summary. 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. Histol Histopathol 35, 423-432 (2020)

Key words: Androgen receptor, Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, Immunohistochemistry, Prognosis, Biomarkers

DOI: 10.14670/HH-18-189