The impact of sex on non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) remains uncertain and current evidence is conflicting. To address this uncertainty, we conducted an integrative analysis using Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare and UROMOL data sets to explore sex disparities in NMIBC oncological outcomes. In the SEER-Medicare cohort, females had lower risks of recurrence and progression in comparison to males, but no significant difference in BC-specific mortality was observed. Analysis of the UROMOL cohort revealed no sex-specific differences in tumour biology across genomic, transcriptomic, and spatial proteomic domains. These findings highlight the limitations of relying on just SEER-Medicare data for NMIBC, for which identification of the true incidence of recurrence and progression is challenging, and emphasise the importance of combining population-based data and molecular biology results to gain a comprehensive understanding of NMIBC. PATIENT SUMMARY: The impact of sex on non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) outcomes is unclear. Our analysis of a large population-based data set showed that the risks of recurrence and progression were lower for females. However, analysis of a separate molecular dataset showed no sex-specific differences. The results highlight the importance of combining population-based data and molecular biology results for a better understanding of NMIBC.
European urology oncology. 2024 Oct 23 [Epub ahead of print]
Niyati Lobo, Zhigang Duan, Akshay Sood, Hui Zhao, Sia V Lindskrog, Lars Dyrskjot, Sharon H Giordano, Stephen B Williams, Kelly K Bree, Ashish M Kamat
Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK; University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA., University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA., Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA., Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark., University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA., University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. Electronic address: .