Grossman and colleague Monica Liebert, Ph.D., associate professor in the Departments of Urology and Cell Biology, began collaborating on bladder cancer research about 10 years ago at the University of Michigan. They were both interested in the role of monoclonal antibodies in defining new bladder tumor antigens. They moved their laboratory to M. D. Anderson about a year ago. Much of their research is funded by the National Cancer Institute, which has created a cooperative group called the Bladder Cancer Network specifically to study bladder cancer markers. M. D. Anderson is one of six institutions currently involved.
Most patients have the superficial form of bladder cancer, which poses little threat of metastasis.
With careful management and close follow-up, most of these patients do well for long periods of time. Although they may have recurrences of disease in the bladder, only a small proportion of patients will develop invasive disease. Patients with the invasive form of bladder cancer have a much greater chance of developing metastases and eventually dying of their cancer. Thus, these patients are treated more aggressively, frequently with resection of the bladder and urinary diversion. If we had markers that would give us that information, we would know when we could safely lessen the intensity of treatment.