Simple Summary
Bladder cancer (BCa) is a common disease that typically requires invasive methods, such as cystoscopy, for diagnosis and follow-up. However, these methods are painful, costly, and burdensome for patients. This review considers the newest noninvasive methods of BCa detection using urine-based biomarkers that can diagnose the disease with high sensitivity. These biomarkers include specific proteins, DNA changes, and RNA molecules that are correlated with BCa development. Urinary tests can offer an affordable and effective alternative to standard diagnostic methods and can guide new therapeutic strategies. Further proof is needed to confirm these biomarkers and advance their value in daily clinical routine, with the potential to improve early detection and treatment outcomes for patients with BCa.
Abstract
Bladder cancer (BCa) is a highly recurrent malignancy that requires sensitive and noninvasive diagnostic and predictive markers. Conventional diagnostic tools, such as cystoscopy and urine cytology, are far from ideal in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and patient compliance. In this narrative review, the development of novel urinary markers for the diagnosis of BCa is highlighted, with a focus on their application in the clinical arena, detection accuracy, and future potential. An extensive analysis of new urinary biomarkers, including proteinuria-based tests, DNA methylation biomarkers, and RNA-based molecular panels, has been conducted. Various molecular tests, such as Cxbladder®, Bladder EpiCheck®, and UroSEEK, are highly sensitive and clinically valid. Urinary biomarkers provide a promising noninvasive alternative for traditional BCa diagnostics with enhanced specificity and the possibility of early diagnosis. Future research should focus on large-scale clinical validation and standardization of biomarkers to facilitate their use in routine clinical practice.