Open Access

Unleashing the power of urine‑based biomarkers in diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of bladder cancer (Review)

  • Authors:
    • Xuebin Wan
    • Dan Wang
    • Xiaoni Zhang
    • Mingyan Xu
    • Yuying Huang
    • Wenjian Qin
    • Shifu Chen
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: February 6, 2025     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2025.5724
  • Article Number: 18
  • Copyright: © Wan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

Metrics: Total Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
Total PDF Downloads: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )


Abstract

Bladder cancer (BCa) is a prevalent malignant neoplasm of the urinary tract with high incidence rate, frequent recurrence and rapid disease progression. Conventional approaches for diagnosing, prognosticating and monitoring BCa often rely on invasive procedures such as cystoscopy and tissue biopsy, which are associated with high costs and low patient compliance for follow‑up. Liquid biopsies have advantages, such as being non‑invasive, real‑time, and reproducible, in obtaining diverse biomarkers derived from cellular, molecular, proteomic and genetic signatures in urine or plasma samples. Although plasma‑based biomarkers have been clinically validated, urine provides greater specificity for directly assessing biological materials from urological sources. The present review summarizes advancements and current limitations in urinary protein, genetic and epigenetic biomarkers for disease progression and treatment response of BC, compares performance and application scenarios of urine and blood biomarkers and explores how urinary biomarkers may serve as an alternative or complementary tool to traditional diagnostic methods. The integration of urine‑based or plasma‑based biomarkers into existing diagnostic workflows offers promising avenues for improving accuracy and efficiency of diagnosis in the management of BCa. Notably, the emergence of synthetic biomarkers and urine metabolites, combined with artificial intelligence or bioinformatic technologies, has promise in the screening of potential targets. Continued research and validation efforts are needed to translate these findings into routine clinical practice, ultimately improving patient outcomes and decreasing the burden of BCa.
View Figures
View References

Related Articles

Journal Cover

March-2025
Volume 66 Issue 3

Print ISSN: 1019-6439
Online ISSN:1791-2423

Sign up for eToc alerts

Recommend to Library

Copy and paste a formatted citation
x
Spandidos Publications style
Wan X, Wang D, Zhang X, Xu M, Huang Y, Qin W and Chen S: Unleashing the power of urine‑based biomarkers in diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of bladder cancer (Review). Int J Oncol 66: 18, 2025.
APA
Wan, X., Wang, D., Zhang, X., Xu, M., Huang, Y., Qin, W., & Chen, S. (2025). Unleashing the power of urine‑based biomarkers in diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of bladder cancer (Review). International Journal of Oncology, 66, 18. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2025.5724
MLA
Wan, X., Wang, D., Zhang, X., Xu, M., Huang, Y., Qin, W., Chen, S."Unleashing the power of urine‑based biomarkers in diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of bladder cancer (Review)". International Journal of Oncology 66.3 (2025): 18.
Chicago
Wan, X., Wang, D., Zhang, X., Xu, M., Huang, Y., Qin, W., Chen, S."Unleashing the power of urine‑based biomarkers in diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of bladder cancer (Review)". International Journal of Oncology 66, no. 3 (2025): 18. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2025.5724