The relationship between ABO blood group type and tumor grade, stage, recurrence and progression in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder: A preliminary report

Abstract

Objectives: ABO blood grouping is a well-proven prognostic factor in many malignancies. This study aims to study the association and impact of ABO blood group on disease recurrence and progression in bladder carcinoma. Material and methods: Patients with bladder carcinoma undergoing transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) were studied prospectively for at least 1-year follow-up for recurrence and progression of the disease. Demographic profile along with blood group was noted. Results: Two hundred patients were included in the study and 194 patients were included in the final analysis. Muscle-invasive bladder cancer was present in 39 (20.1%) patients and the high-grade tumor was present in 88 (45.3%) patients. There was no statistical significance between the association of blood grouping and grade ( p=0.29) and stage of the disease ( p=0.20). During the follow-up period, there were 100 (64.5%) recurrences and 15 (9.7%) patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma had progression. The association of blood group with recurrence ( p=0.66) and progression ( p=0.11) of disease was not statistically significant. Conclusion: There is no association between bladder cancer and ABO blood group in terms of grade and stage of the disease. The recurrence and progression of the disease did not differ significantly in different blood groups. Level of Evidence: 2b