Allelic changes at multiple regions of chromosome 5 are associated with progression of urinary bladder cancer

This study has analysed 65 urothelial carcinomas for allelic imbalance at 22 loci of chromosome 5 and has determined three regions of interest. A commonly duplicated region was mapped to chromosome 5p between loci D5S1473 and D5S819, one region of deletion to chromosome 5q22-23 between loci D5S2055 and D5S659, and another to chromosome 5q33-34 between loci D5S1456 and D5S1465. An allelic imbalance was detected in 54% of the cases. Only 10% of grade 1 tumours showed allelic changes at chromosome 5, whereas 60% and 63% of grade 2 and grade 3 cancers, respectively, had alterations of chromosome 5. The frequency of chromosome 5 changes increased from 24% in pTa tumours up to 72% in pT3-4 tumours. Of particular interest, ten out of 12 urothelial carcinomas showing metastatic growth in regional lymph nodes at the time of cystectomy had alterations at chromosome 5. No specific region, but genetic changes in general were associated with the grading and staging of bladder cancers.