BJU international
-
Review
Current status of molecular markers for prognostication and outcome in invasive bladder cancer.
What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Currently, prognostication of patients with invasive BC is hampered owing to the inadequacy of standard clinicopathological risk factors to predict accurately individual treatment outcomes. This review provides a comprehensive albeit brief overview on current studies elucidating the potential role of different molecular markers to close this gap of evidence. It focuses on biostatistical considerations in the interpretation of study results which are essential to provide meaningful clinical conclusions for an individual patient. ⋯ • Different molecular markers have the potential to improve prognostication of patients with invasive BC and provide improved evidence for targeted therapy in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant and metastatic setting. • However, in order to advocate their routine clinical use on a sound scientific basis prospective data are still necessary.