Estrogen Receptors and Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators in Bladder Cancer

摘要

Bladder cancer is the fifth most common type of cancer in the United States, with nearly 70,000 new cases diagnosed per year. Cancers of both urothelial (i.e., transitional cell) and nonurothelial cell types can occur, with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) representing approximately 90% of cases. The incidence of bladder cancer is roughly three times higher in men than women. Risk factors include smoking and chemical exposure, although controlling for these factors does not account for the disparity in incidence between men and women. Accordingly, it has been suggested that sex steroids contribute to the development of this disease. Studies using chemical carcinogen-induced rodent models reveal that androgens can promote bladder carci-nogenesis in an androgen receptor (AR)-dependent manner, while antiandrogens can inhibit the growth of AR-positive TCC cell lines.