P37 Anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy and hypermethylation of a tumour-suppressor gene in locally advanced breast cancer

during follow-up, from 20 patients with benign urological disease, and from 20 healthy volunteers. RNA was isolated from exfoliated cells in urine by use of an RNA purification kit, and real-time PCR was performed with specific primers for the amplification of CK20, a marker for TCC urothelium. Findings: A strong correlation was found between tumour grade and expression of CK20 in urine. All patients with grade III and IV tumours showed positive CK20 expression in the exfoliated cells, with 100% sensitivity. The sensitivity for lower grades was up to 83%. Out of 13 TCC patients, CK20 expression was found in nine patients who were previously diagnosed by biopsy and had a negative biopsy following treatment. These nine patients were followed up for 6 months, and TCC recurred in four patients. Interpretation: Quantitative detection of CK20 in exfoliated cells of urine is a simple and non-invasive method for monitoring and follow-up of TCC in patients with bladder cancer. However, more information is needed regarding CK20 expression in non-malignant urological diseases to use it as a marker for routine screening. Funding: PKS is a recipient of Independent Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) award from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, India. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.