Long Non-Coding RNA Cancer Susceptibility Candidate 2a (CASC2a) Is a Marker of Early Recurrence After Radical Cystectomy in Patients with Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder

Abstract

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) cancer susceptibility candidate 2a (CASC2a) in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) and its predictive value in the recurrence of UCB after radical cystectomy (RC).Material/MethodsTumor and paired adjacent normal tissues were obtained from 112 patients with UCB who underwent RC in our hospital from March 2010 to March 2012. The expression of CASC2a was evaluated by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).ResultsCASC2a was down-regulated in UCB tissues, and was highly negatively correlated with the pT, pN, tumor size, and lymphovascular invasion (LVI). The sensitivities of CASC2a for diagnosing UCB and its recurrence after RC were 89.30% and 81.55%, respectively, and the specificities were 71.43% and 58.21%, respectively. Patients with a high expression of CASC2a had a higher 5-year recurrence-free survival rate than those with low expression of CASC2a. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that the pT, pN, tumor grade, tumor size, concomitant carcinoma in situ (CIS), LVI, soft tissue surgical margin (STSM), and CASC2a expression were related to the recurrence in patients undergoing RC for UCB. Cox proportional hazard model analysis showed that CASC2 expression, pT4, lymph node metastasis, and CIS were independent risk factors.ConclusionsCASC2a was down-regulated in patients with UCB, and was associated with the risk of recurrence among patients undergoing RC, indicating that lncRNAs could act as predictive biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets in bladder cancer, including CASC2a.

LncRNA CASC2 Plays an Indicative Role in Diagnosing Bladder Cancer

“…The down-regulation of CASC2 might contribute to malignant progression of bladder cancer. The study performed by Li et al indicated that the bladder cancer patients with low expression of CASC2 were more likely to undergo malignant disease progression and postoperative recurrence [28]. Pei er al.…”

Biological functions and clinical significance of long noncoding RNAs in bladder cancer

“…However, many lncRNAs are important for tumor size suppression. CASC2a is highly negatively correlated with pathological T and N stages, and tumor size [ 190 ]. HCG22 expression correlates with pathological stage, metastasis, and a large tumor range [ 26 ].…”

“…The results of prognosis analysis revealed that high expression of CASC9 [ 102 , 148 ], SNHG3 [ 137 ], and SOX2OT [ 185 ], and low expression of LBCS [ 186 ] predict poor DFS. Elsewhere, high expression of CASC2a [ 190 ] increased the 5-year RFS rate, and high expression of 8 lncRNAs predicted a low RFS rate [ 21 , 23 , 37 , 38 , 115 , 146 , 156 , 164 , 188 , 193 ]. In addition, lower expression of 7 lncRNAs predicted shorter OS [ 24 , 26 , 57 , 126 , 150 , 152 , 186 ].…”

CTRR-ncRNA: A Translation-oriented Knowledgebase for Cancer Resistance and Recurrence Associated Non-coding RNAs

“…For example, miRNA-125b could be a prognostic marker in recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma as its levels are significantly lower in the early stages than in the late stages of recurrence [19]. LncRNA CASC2a is identified as not only a prognosis biomarker but also a potential therapeutic target in the early recurrence of bladder cancer [20].…”