Understanding How Treatment-Resistant Bladder Cancer Develops

This research, led by Matthew Byrne and his team at the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, aims to uncover how treatment-resistant bladder cancer develops, with the goal of improving early diagnosis and treatment outcomes.

Bladder cancer can arise when normal bladder cells undergo genetic changes, but only some of these changes lead to aggressive, life-threatening disease. At present, it is difficult to predict which patients will respond well to treatment and which may experience poor outcomes.

In earlier research, the team discovered that many cells appearing ‘normal' under the microscope already carry genetic features typically seen in cancer. To build on these findings, they will compare healthy bladder tissue from 8-10 individuals without bladder cancer to tissue from patients with confirmed disease. By identifying the specific changes that mark the transition to high-risk, treatment-resistant cancer, the team hopes to better understand how the disease progresses.

This could lead to the development of new diagnostic tools that detect cancer earlier and more accurately, as well as guide the selection of more effective, personalised treatments for those with aggressive forms of bladder cancer.

The project is supported by Action Bladder Cancer UK and is expected to generate findings suitable for publication in leading scientific journals and presentation at major international conferences.