Sex-based differences in genetic alterations and immune checkpoint inhibitor response in urothelial bladder cancer

Bladder cancer exhibits significant sex-based disparities, with men showing higher incidence rates and women experiencing more aggressive disease and poorer survival outcomes. This study investigates sex-specific somatic genetic alterations (GAs) in urothelial bladder cancer and their effects on survival, immune cell infiltration, and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) responses.

We analyzed 3,157 patients with urothelial bladder cancer using next-generation sequencing data from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Project GENIE. Kaplan-Meier analysis assessed overall survival, while TIMER2.0 and ROC Plotter evaluated immune cell infiltration and ICI responses. Synthetic lethal interactions were identified through the SLOAD database, and co-occurrence patterns were examined (significance at P < 0.05).

Among the 3,157 patients (median age: 70), 76% were male. Somatic gene alterations were identified in 35% of cases, more frequently in men (38% vs. 29%, P < 0.001). Men had more alterations in RB1, CDKN1A, and ERCC2 (all P < 0.001), while AR gene alterations were more common in women. Patients with CDKN1A, RB1, or ERCC2 alterations had significantly worse 5-year survival (18-27 vs. 35.4 months; P = 0.0219), with RB1 alterations linked to the lowest 10-year survival rates (21.3% vs. 28.3%, P = 0.0219). Immune profiling revealed increased CD8⁺ T cell and NK cell infiltration in RB1-altered tumors, while AR alterations correlated with decreased monocyte infiltration.

Somatic GAs contribute to sex-based survival disparities in bladder cancer. RB1 and AR alterations emerge as critical drivers of poor outcomes and potential therapeutic targets, underscoring the need for sex-tailored treatment strategies.