PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF AMPLIFICATION OF C-ERB-B2 IN BLADDER-CARCINOMA

Amplification of c-erb-B2 is examined in patients with transitional ce ll bladder carcinoma, In a pilot study we found that the amplification correlated,vith high tumor grade, Tumor grade is a known prognostic f actor, Therefore, we next examined the prognostic value of c-erb-B2 am plification in patients with >16 years of clinical followup. The gene copy number was determined, using semiquantitative PCR, in archival fo rmalin-fixed tissues, Twenty-three percent (37/163 patients) showed th e amplification, The amplification correlated with grade and stage, Mo reover, me found that tumor grade (P < 0.001) and c-erb-B2 amplificati on (P < 0.001) showed prognostic information for survival. Patients wi th grade 3 tumors and concomitant c-erb-B2 amplification showed the wo rst prognosis. Multivariate analysis indicates that grade and c-erb-B2 amplification are independent prognostic factors.