Expression of E-cadherin, β-catenin, and epithelial membrane antigen does not predict survival in patients with high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer

The aim of this study was to validate the value of E-cadherin and -catenin expression and to test an alternative prognostic marker, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA). Forty-nine consecutive patients with primary stage T1 non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) were enrolled in this study. Tissue specimens were stained with the following mouse anti-human antibodies: anti-E-cadherin, anti--catenin, and anti-EMA. Reaction intensity within cancer cells was assessed according to the immunoreactive score (IRS). Finally, the association between the expression of selected proteins and patient survival was assessed. The mean follow-up was 34.8 months. Recurrence-free survival, progression-free survival, and overall survival (OS) were 47.5%, 72.5%, and 72.5%, respectively. Differences in the IRS for -catenin and EMA were found clinically, but were not statistically significant in prediction of the risk of disease progression (p > 0.05). No difference in protein expression was observed regarding the risk of recurrence, OS, or cancer-specific mortality (p > 0.05). Stratification of patients based on the IRS into three groups (poor, moderate, and intensive reaction) failed to identify a prognostic marker among the tested proteins (p > 0.05). Expression of E-cadherin, -catenin, and EMA cannot reliably predict survival in patients with high-risk NMIBC. Further searches are needed to identify tissue markers of progression and recurrence in NMIBC.