XAF1 mRNA expression improves progression-free and overall survival for patients with advanced bladder cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate whether mRNA expression of the apoptosis-associated genes, XAF1 and XIAP, in bladder cancer patients correlates with response to neoadjuvant treatment.

Methods: Gene expression was analyzed by a real-time quantitative PCR method in paired samples from 14 bladder cancer patients treated with a combination of neoadjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin. The prognostic significance of XAF1 and XIAP mRNA expression as well as the correlation with several clinical and pathological findings were evaluated.