EVALUATION OF SURVIVIN AS A POTENTIAL BIOMARKER IN IRAQI PATIENTS WITH SUPERFICIAL TRANSITIONAL CELL CARCINOMA OF THE BLADDER

Background: Survivin non-invasive tumor marker is an inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) is abundantly expressed in the embryonic tissues and highly expressed in cancer cells, including bladder cancer. Bladder cancer is a prevalent
malignancy worldwide, especially in men. Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) constitutes the majority of
newly diagnosed cases and poses challenges due to its high recurrence rate. There is an urgent need for reliable
biomarkers that can aid in early detection and monitoring.
Objectives: This study aims to evaluate serum Survivin as a diagnostic biomarker for superficial bladder cancer (SBC).
Materials and Methods: A case-control study was conducted involving 120 participants (60 SBC patients and 60 ageand sex-matched healthy controls). Serum levels of Survivin were measured using ELISA. Statistical analysis included t-tests, Pearson correlation, and ROC curve analysis.
Results: Serum levels of Survivin were significantly elevated in SBC patients compared to controls (p < 0.001 for most
parameters). Survivin showed a strong diagnostic performance at a cut-off value of 588.4 ng/ml with an AUC of 0.901, 85% sensitivity, and 70% specificity. No significant associations were found with age or gender, while higher Survivin levels were observed in non-smokers (p = 0.03).
Conclusion: Survivin is a promising non-invasive biomarker for superficial bladder cancer, with strong diagnostic
utility. Further multicenter studies are recommended to validate these findings and explore mechanistic links.