Changes in histopathological phenotypes of Schistosomaassociated urinary bladder cancer in Sohag, Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Departments of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt

2 Departments of Pathology , Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt

Abstract

Background: Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common type in Egyptian bilharzial bladder. However,
there is a proven changing pattern of Schistosoma-associated bladder cancer (SA-BC) that needs to be
investigated.
Objective: To assess the patterns (age, incidence, and histopathological types) of SA-BC in Sohag, Egypt.
Material and Methods: This descriptive retrospective study included 152 patients histologically
confirmed urinary BC diagnosed at the Pathology Department of Sohag University Hospital during 4 years,
from January 2019 to December 2022. Data including age, sex, residence, and histopathological type were
retrieved from the records of Pathology Department.
Results: Patients’ age ranged from 35-79 years with a mean of 61.2±9.1 years, and male to female ratio
was 4.6:1. Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) was the most common histological type (80.9%), followed by
squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (12.5%), and TCC with squamous differentiation (6.6%). Schistosoma eggs
were histologically confirmed in 39.5% of cancer cases; 76.7% were TCC, 21.7% were SCC and only 1.6%
was TCC with squamous differentiation. All SA-BC were male with mean age of 59.8±7.5. At the time of
diagnosis, 96.7% of SA-BC cases were bladder muscle invasive and 91.7% were of high-grade nature not
significantly different from cases with non-Schistosome associated BC (NSA-BC).
Conclusion: The histopathological patterns of SA-BC have changed in Egypt over the past decade and
most cases were associated with TCC.

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