Survivin expression is associated with bladder cancer presence, stage, progression, and mortality

The purpose was to compare the differential expression of Survivin in normal bladder tissue, bladder transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of different stages, and to determine whether expression of Survivin is associated with TCC clinical outcomes.

Immunohistochemical staining for Survivin was carried out on archival bladder specimens from 9 normal controls and 222 consecutive patients who underwent radical cystectomy and bilateral lymphadenectomy. Lymph node tissue involved with TCC from 50 of the 222 cystectomy patients was also evaluated.

Survivin was expressed in none of the normal bladder specimens, 64% of the cystectomy specimens, and 94% of the malignant lymph nodes. Multivariable analyses performed in the cystectomy patients revealed that Survivin expression was associated with disease recurrence (P = .040), disease-specific mortality (P = .037), and all-cause mortality (P = .044).

The findings of the study provide a rationale for further evaluation of Survivin and its downstream signaling pathways in bladder cancer and raise the potential for Survivin-targeted therapy for bladder cancer.