Blood-, Tissue- and Urine-Based Prognostic Biomarkers of Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma
Jan Łaszkiewicz,
Wojciech Krajewski,
Aleksandra Sójka,
Łukasz Nowak,
Joanna Chorbińska,
José Daniel Subiela,
Wojciech Tomczak,
Francesco Del Giudice,
Bartosz Małkiewicz,
Tomasz Szydełko
Affiliations
Jan Łaszkiewicz
University Center of Excellence in Urology, Wrocław Medical University, 50-556 Wrocław, Poland
Wojciech Krajewski
Department of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Urology, University Center of Excellence in Urology, Wrocław Medical University, Borowska 213, 50-556 Wrocław, Poland
Aleksandra Sójka
University Center of Excellence in Urology, Wrocław Medical University, 50-556 Wrocław, Poland
Łukasz Nowak
Department of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Urology, University Center of Excellence in Urology, Wrocław Medical University, Borowska 213, 50-556 Wrocław, Poland
Joanna Chorbińska
Department of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Urology, University Center of Excellence in Urology, Wrocław Medical University, Borowska 213, 50-556 Wrocław, Poland
José Daniel Subiela
Department of Urology, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, IRYCIS, Universidad de Alcala, 28034 Madrid, Spain
Wojciech Tomczak
University Center of Excellence in Urology, Wrocław Medical University, 50-556 Wrocław, Poland
Francesco Del Giudice
Department of Maternal Infant and Urologic Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, 00161 Rome, Italy
Bartosz Małkiewicz
Department of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Urology, University Center of Excellence in Urology, Wrocław Medical University, Borowska 213, 50-556 Wrocław, Poland
Tomasz Szydełko
University Center of Excellence in Urology, Wrocław Medical University, 50-556 Wrocław, Poland
Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is a rare but aggressive neoplasm. Currently, there are few reliable and widely used prognostic biomarkers of this disease. The purpose of this study was to assess the prognostic value of blood-, tissue- and urine-based biomarkers in patients with UTUC. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the PubMed, Cochrane and Embase databases. Case reports, editorials and non-peer-reviewed literature were excluded from the analysis. As a result, 94 articles were included in this review. We evaluated the impact of 22 blood-based, 13 tissue-based and 4 urine-based biomarkers and their influence on survival outcomes. The neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio, albumin, C-reactive protein, De Ritis ratio, renal function and fibrinogen, which are currently mentioned in the European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines, are well researched and most probably allow for a reliable prognosis estimate. However, our review highlights a number of other promising biomarkers that could potentially predict oncological outcomes in patients with UTUC. Nonetheless, the clinical value of some prognostic factors remains uncertain due to the lack of comprehensive studies.
