Current Use and Promise of Urinary Markers for Urothelial Cancer.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE OF REVIEW We summarize the current literature regarding the available urinary biomarkers for the detection and surveillance of bladder cancer. RECENT FINDINGS: Four urinary biomarkers have FDA approval for the detection of bladder cancer; however, they have not supplanted cystoscopy and urine cytology as the gold standard. Recent technological advances in next-generation sequencing have allowed the field of urinary biomarker research to move beyond protein biomarkers and now include genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic panels. The search for a noninvasive, inexpensive urinary biomarker for the detection of bladder cancer that can replace cystoscopy and cytology continues. There are several promising genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic marker panels in development; however, these new tests require further prospective validation before widespread clinical implementation.