Ultrasound and Biomarker Tests in Predicting Cancer Aggressiveness in Tissue Samples of Patients With Bladder Cancer

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To establish an association between bladder cancer disease stage and the level of invasiveness as measured by a novel ultrasound assay. II. To establish an association between bladder cancer disease stage and expression of novel invasiveness biomarkers related to the RE1-silencing transcription factor (REST) gene. OUTLINE: Previously collected tumor tissue samples, bladder washings, and urine cells are stained with calcium dye, washed and immersed in external buffer solution, and then transferred to the ultrasound imaging system. Tissue, bladder wash cells and urine cells samples are also analyzed for biomarkers of invasiveness derived from or related to REST gene via quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blot, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).