Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 21, 2026
Evaluation of the Efficacy of the H. pylori Protein HP-NAP as a Therapeutic Tool for Treatment of Bladder Cancer in an Orthotopic Murine Model
Published on: May 29, 2015
c-kit Expression in small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder: prognostic and therapeutic implications
Chong-Xian Pan1, Ximing J Yang, Antonio Lopez-Beltran
1Department of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
Abstract:
The prognosis for small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder is poor, and strategies for improved therapy are needed. Targeted therapy against the c-kit proto-oncogene has been successful in the management of gastrointestinal stromal tumor. We investigated the expression of c-kit in 52 cases of small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder. Specimens with more than 10% of cells demonstrating strong membrane staining were considered to have positive immunostaining for c-kit. c-kit expression was detected in 21 of 52 specimens from these patients. Among the 21 specimens, seven had less than 10% staining, and were considered to be negative. Nine had 11-50% staining, and five had more than 50% staining. Overall, 14 of 52 (27%) small cell carcinomas of the urinary bladder were positive for c-kit expression. During a median follow-up of 11 months, 60% of the patients died of bladder cancer. No association was found between c-kit expression and survival or other clinicopathologic parameters. Five-year cancer-specific survivals for c-kit-positive and c-kit-negative tumors were 9 and 15%, respectively (P=0.36). A significant proportion (27%) of small cell carcinomas of the urinary bladder expressed c-kit, suggesting that it may prove useful as a therapeutic target in small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.
Insights
A study found that 27% of small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder cases express c-kit. This suggests c-kit may be a potential therapeutic target for bladder cancer, despite no direct survival association found.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Uropathology
Background:
- Small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder (SCCUB) has a poor prognosis, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
- Targeted therapy, specifically against the c-kit proto-oncogene, has shown efficacy in treating gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression of c-kit in small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.
- To determine if c-kit expression correlates with clinical outcomes in SCCUB patients.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemical analysis of c-kit expression in 52 SCCUB specimens.
- Specimens with >10% strong membrane staining were classified as positive for c-kit.
- Correlation analysis between c-kit expression and clinicopathologic parameters, including survival.
Main Results:
- C-kit expression was detected in 14 out of 52 (27%) SCCUB cases.
- Nine cases showed 11-50% staining, and five cases showed >50% staining.
- No significant association was found between c-kit expression and survival or other clinicopathologic parameters (5-year survival: 9% for c-kit-positive vs. 15% for c-kit-negative).
Conclusions:
- A notable proportion of SCCUB cases express c-kit.
- C-kit represents a potential therapeutic target for SCCUB, warranting further investigation.
- Current findings do not establish c-kit expression as a prognostic biomarker in SCCUB.
