Epidermal growth factor receptor status and the response of bladder carcinoma cells to erlotinib.

Purpose: We established the frequency of mutation of the epidermal growth factor receptor in bladder cancer and determined whether the activation status of epidermal growth factor receptor confers sensitivity to erlotinib.

Materials And Methods: The identification of mutations in the kinase domain (exons 18-21) of epidermal growth factor receptor was performed using single strand conformation polymorphism. The action of erlotinib was established within a bladder carcinoma cell panel using clonogenic assays and Western blot analysis.

The green tea compound, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate downregulates N-cadherin and suppresses migration of bladder carcinoma cells.

Green tea has been reported as potential dietary protection against numerous cancers and has been shown to have activity in bladder tumor inhibition in different animal models. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG-the major phytochemical in green tea) on growth inhibition and behavior of human bladder carcinoma cells and to identify the altered signaling pathway(s) underlying the response to EGCG exposure. EGCG inhibited the in vitro growth of invasive bladder carcinoma cells with an IC(50) range of 70-87 microM.