Molecular characterization of plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma and the impact on treatment implications.

Bladder cancer researchers and clinicians have increasingly viewed tumor biology through the lens of genomic and molecular alterations, drastically improving our knowledge of the underlying disease biology.

This understanding has led to significant advances in treatment options that allow implementation of a personalized approach to cancer treatment. Large-scale genomic studies initially focused on the most common forms of bladder cancer. However, as genomic and molecular technologies become more widespread and are applied to less common variant histologies, we are gaining additional insight into the unique molecular and genomic characteristics driving the biology of variant histologies of bladder cancer. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge of molecular alterations underlying the distinct tumor biology of plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma and how these alterations may impact treatment options.

Cancer treatment and research communications. 2023 Nov 17 [Epub ahead of print]

Kristin Weiss, Kathryn H Gessner, Alysen Demzik, Elizabeth Moreton, William Y Kim, Sara E Wobker, Tracy L Rose, Matthew I Milowsky, Marc A Bjurlin

University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA., University of North Carolina Department of Urology, Chapel Hill, NC, USA., University of North Carolina Libraries System, Chapel Hill, NC, USA., Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA., University of North Carolina Department of Urology, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA., Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA., University of North Carolina Department of Urology, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: .

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