Cell-Free DNA as a Prognostic Biomarker for Monitoring Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has recently emerged as a real-time biomarker for diagnosis, monitoring and prediction of therapy response in tumoral disease. Here, we evaluated cfDNA as a prognostic biomarker for monitoring muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients at different follow-up time points. Blood samples from 37 MIBC patients who underwent radical cystectomy (RC) were collected at cystectomy and 1, 4, 12 and 24 months later. Plasma cfDNA amount and fragmentation patterns were determined. Four mutations were analyzed in cfDNA to detect circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) during patient follow-up. During a median follow-up of 36 months, 46% of patients progressed; median time to progression was 10 months. cfDNA levels and ctDNA status four months after RC were identified as independent prognostic biomarkers of tumor progression (HR 5.290; p = 0.033) and cancer-specific survival (HR 4.199; p = 0.038), respectively. Furthermore, ctDNA clearance four months after RC was significantly associated with patients’ clinical outcomes. In conclusion, cfDNA levels and ctDNA status four months after RC have prognostic implications in MIBC patients. In addition, cfDNA monitoring is useful to predict patient outcomes after RC. cfDNA analysis in the clinical setting could greatly improve MIBC patient management.