ABH isoantigens in stage O papillary transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder: correlation with biological behavior.

Forty patients with stage O papillary transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder were tested for the presence or absence of ABH blood group substances. Of 25 tumors with antigens 21 (84 per cent) remained stage O, with a mean followup of 13.3 years. Of 15 tumors devoid of blood group substances 11 (73.3 per cent) progressed to stage B or greater in a mean of 4.3 years. Patients without antigens whose tumor remained stage O were followed for a mean of 10 years. Two patients with initially positive tumors subsequently showed loss of antigens and invasion. In 7 of 8 patients the benign epithelium showed a greater concentration of blood group substances than did the corresponding tumor. The presence or absence of blood group substances can be used to predict the biological behavior of stage O transitional cell carcinoma.