Do Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor (FGFR) ۲ and ۳ Proteins Play a Role in the Prognosis of Invasive Urothelial Bladder Carcinoma?

Background & Objective: Bladder carcinoma ranks second in prevalence among males in Egypt. As a family of tyrosine kinases, fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) dysregulation has been linked to some malignancies in humans. The aim of this study is to analyze the clinicopathological data of patients while investigating FGFR۲ and FGFR۳ immunohistochemical expression in invasive urothelial bladder carcinoma.Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included ۶۰ invasive urothelial carcinoma (UC) cases in the Pathology department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, from ۲۰۰۹ to ۲۰۲۰. All biopsies were stained for FGFR۲ and FGFR۳ antibodies. Complete clinical data were available for ۴۴ patients treated and followed in clinical oncology and nuclear medicine departments.Results: Advanced stage and high grade are significantly correlated with FGFR۲ positivity (P=۰.۰۴۸ and ۰.۰۴۴, respectively). Cases presented with Perineural invasion showed a higher percentage of FGFR۲ (P=۰.۰۲۳). There is a significant indirect linear correlation between FGFR۳ expression and lymph node positivity (r= -۰.۲۶۵, P=۰.۰۴۱).Conclusion: High FGFR۲ expression was associated with poor prognostic parameters, while high FGFR۳ expression was associated with good prognostic parameters, and this might highlight the importance of FGFR-targeted therapy as FGFR۲ antagonist and FGFR۳ agonist for the treatment of urothelial carcinoma patients.

Keywords:

FGFR۲ , FGFR۳ , Immunostaining , Prognosis , Urothelial carcinoma