Interferon gamma expression and mortality in unselected cohorts of urothelial bladder cancer patients

Background The role of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) expression in long-term survival has not been studied in patients with urinary bladder cancer (UBC). IFN-gamma expression was characterized among various UBC patient cohorts to assess if IFN-gamma status is associated with overall survival (OS). Methods A tumor-based IFN-gamma gene signature was evaluated among adult UBC patients newly diagnosed between 2004 and 2017 from two hospital systems in New York. Patient cohorts included metastatic (stage IV or progressing to stage IV [MBC]), muscle-invasive (stages T2a to T4a [MIBC]), and non-muscle-invasive (carcinoma in situ or stages 0a, 0is, and I [NMIBC]) disease. Descriptive analyses were conducted comparing IFN-gamma signature in the highest tertile to those in the lowest two tertiles. Results 234 patients with bladder cancer were evaluated (56 MBC, 38 MIBC, and 140 NMIBC). Median OS was only reached in the MIBC cohort for those with an IFN-gamma signature in the lowest two tertiles (15.03 months [95% CI, 8.50-50.60]). Those with an IFN-gamma signature in the highest tertile had a decreased risk of mortality in all cohorts indicating better survival, but this was statistically significant in only the MIBC cohort (adjusted HR = 0.09 [95% CI, 0.01-0.73]). Conclusion IFN-gamma signature status was associated with a decreased mortality risk in all cohorts, particularly MIBC, indicating that it may be a prognostic marker of survival in patients with UBC.

Automated summary

The study suggests that the IFN-gamma signature status is associated with a decreased risk of mortality in patients with urinary bladder cancer, particularly in those with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. This may serve as a prognostic marker for survival assessment.