PhD Thesis at the University of Kerbala Investigates PD-L1 Expression in Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma

A Board thesis at the College of Medicine, University of Kerbala, presented to the Iraqi Board for Medical Specializations in Pathology, was defended by researcher Mariam Dawood Isa. The thesis was titled “Immunohistochemical Expression of PD-L1 in Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma in a Group of Iraqi Patients.”

The study aimed to investigate the expression of PD-L1 in Iraqi patients with invasive urothelial carcinoma and its association with pathological tissue characteristics. Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder is a significant cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality, accounting for about 90% of all primary bladder cancers. Recently, new therapeutic options for urothelial carcinoma patients have been approved, particularly immune therapies targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1).

The thesis concluded that PD-L1 is a potential new biomarker linked to poor pathological features such as high grade, stage, and invasion (with increased expression found in invasive urothelial carcinoma). Therefore, PD-L1 positivity is a negative diagnostic indicator, and high PD-L1 expression may assist in patient selection and treatment protocols, regardless of the patient’s age or gender.