An update on the molecular pathology of urinary bladder tumors

Abstract

Urothelial carcinoma is the fourth most common tumors after prostate cancer, lung, and colorectal carcinoma but the second most common urologic malignancy. Urothelial carcinoma composed more than 90% of bladder tumors while squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinomas composed 5% and 2% respectively. The intense research involving the different molecular aspects of bladder cancer has provided a great insight into identifying more about molecular profiling and pathways of bladder cancer. In this review, we will highlight the general concepts of the molecular features; profiling and classification as well as the molecular pathways for bladder carcinomas, especially urothelial carcinoma. Also, we will discuss the advances of molecular biomarkers for screening, early diagnosis, surveillance and potential prognosis of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Studies showed that accumulation of genetic alterations involving the clonal expansion of altered cells with growth advantages through sequential multi-step pathways results in progression of bladder tumors. The accumulated research data from literature has revealed that the genomic signatures of urothelial carcinoma are required to subclassify bladder cancer into genetically distinct subgroups. These findings could improve the understating of pathogenesis as well as will provide new therapeutic modules e.g. targeted therapy.

Keywords: Molecular biomarkers; Molecular pathways; Urothelial carcinoma.