Prognostic Markers in Bladder Cancer

About the Project

Bladder cancer is the ninth most common malignant disease in the world (Ferlay et al., 2015). Following removal of diseased tissue, cancer reoccurs in approximately 40% of patients and in 8% it metastasises into other tissues. Since lymph node metastases decrease the chances of long-term survival (Collà Ruvolo et al., 2021), surgeons often elect to remove lymph nodes at the same time as the tumour. However, this procedure adds risk and recovery time for patients and there are no clear guidelines for surgeons regarding the circumstances in which this should be performed (Peyrottes et al., 2022).

This research will involve the study of resected tissues from historic patient samples to identify possible molecular biomarkers to indicate which patients will or will not benefit from lymph node removal. The technique of RT-qPCR has been used successfully to identify genes associated with lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer patients (Kubota et al., 2003). In the case of bladder cancer, cytokeratin 20 (CK20) and uroplakin 2 (UPK2) are highly diagnostic markers. (Kokkat et al., 2013; Tian et al., 2015).

This project is being run in collaboration with Mr Adel Makar, a senior urological oncology surgeon at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. Histological samples removed from patients with bladder cancer over the past 20 years and complete patient histories are available for the study.

This project will involve RNA extraction and RT-qPCR. Applications from candidates with knowledge or previous experience in these techniques and a good understanding of statistics are encouraged to apply.

Supervisory Team

• Director of Studies: Dr Amy Cherry
• Supervisors:Dr Steven Coles, Dr Emma Edwards
• Research Group: Worcester Biomedical Research Group (WBRG)

Additional costs

Given that this is a laboratory-based project, bench fees will apply to cover the procurement of reagents essential to delivering the research objectives. This will include reagents for RNA extraction and RT-qPCR.

Application Process

To begin the application process please go to: https://www.worc.ac.uk/research/research-degrees/applying-for-a-phd/.

The Interview

All successful applicants will be offered an interview with the proposed Supervisory Team. You will be contacted by a member of the Doctoral School Team to find a suitable date. Interviews can be conducted in person or over Microsoft Teams.

For further information or an informal discussion on this project, please contact Dr Amy Cherry at a.cherry@worc.ac.uk