BACKGROUND: Urine markers have been studied extensively but there is a lack of blood prognostic markers in bladder cancer. MMP-7 is produced by stromal cells and by tumor cells and is overexpressed in a variety of epithelial and mesenchymal tumors. In this study, we assessed with an immunoassay we developed, the prognostic value of serum MMP-7 in a series of patients with advanced bladder cancer. METHODS: Serum samples were collected from 56 patients with advanced bladder cancer who were treated at the Montpellier Cancer Institute between March 2003 and December 2004. MMP-7 was quantified in serum samples by using a homogeneous sandwich fluoroimmunoassay we developed based on the time resolved amplified cryptate emission (TRACE) technology. RESULTS: The median overall survival of the study population was 2.2 years (95% CI, 1.4 to 3.0) with 1- and 5-year survival rates of 73% (95% CI, 59% to 82%) and 25% (95% CI, 14% to 37%), respectively. High MMP-7 serum levels were associated with poor survival. Using a cut-off value of 11.5 ng/mL, the median overall survival was 3.0 years (95% CI, 1.5 to 5.1) for patients with MMP-7 serum level \textless11.5 ng/mL and 1.3 years (95% CI, 0.8 to 2.5) for patients with serum level ?11.5 ng/mL. Multivariate analysis identified high MMP-7 serum concentration as an independent prognostic factor for survival in patients with advanced bladder cancer (R?=?2.1, 95% CI, 1.1 to 4.4). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that the MMP-7 serum concentration is an independent prognostic factor in patients with locally advanced and or metastatic bladder cancer.