Tumor SETDB1 expression predicts worse overall survival for bladder cancer patients

High SETDB1 protein expression predicts worse overall survival in 350 bladder cancer patients, with median survival of 30.09 months versus 87.85 months for low expression.

• Why it matters: SETDB1 is frequently amplified and linked to chemotherapy resistance, but its prognostic value in bladder cancer patients needed direct clinical validation.
• What they did: The study quantified SETDB1 protein by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays using digital image analysis to generate a SETDB1 H-score, then compared SETDB1-high (n=143) versus SETDB1-low (n=125).
• The result: SETDB1 expression remained independently associated with overall survival in multivariate Cox regression (HR=1.93, 95% CI=1.08–3.45, p=0.026) and was linked to squamous (35% vs 20%) and sarcomatoid (11% vs 3.6%) differentiation.