A first-of-its kind rapid autopsy program is helping reveal the molecular characteristics of advanced bladder cancers — and point the way toward better treatment strategies for these deadly, understudied tumors.
In a new study, researchers described molecular differences in two different types of bladder cancer that had spread, or metastasized, through the body. The team’s analysis revealed potential therapeutic vulnerabilities in these metastatic tumors. They discovered that for 70% of potentially druggable targets, a biopsy of a single metastasis may be enough to help oncologists tailor a treatment regimen that targets all of a patient’s tumors. Their work also illuminated how bladder cancer can metastasize, showing that small areas of the original tumor can seed new tumors.
The study was published in final form on June 11 in JCI Insight by researchers from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington.
“The ultimate goal is to know the disease better so we can precisely treat it,” said Dr. Andrew Hsieh, a Fred Hutch physician-scientist who studies cancers of the genitourinary system and led the study.
