Long Noncoding RNAs Identify a Subgroup of Patients with Low-grade Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer with Less Favorable Outcomes.

Low-grade (LG) stage Ta non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is typically nonaggressive with low progression rates and favorable cancer-specific survival. However, frequent monitoring is required because of the risk of recurrence. In this study, we analyzed RNA sequencing data for 286 LG Ta tumors from the UROMOL consortium. Unsupervised consensus clustering of long noncoding RNA profiles identified a subgroup of patients with significantly worse recurrence-free and progression-free survival. These patients may benefit from intensified intravesical therapy or closer surveillance. Further validation of these molecular subgroups could enhance risk stratification and guide personalized treatment approaches.