Bladder cancer poses a significant global health challenge, ranking as the tenth most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide with an estimated 573,000 new cases and 213,000 deaths reported in 2020. In the United Kingdom alone, over 10,000 new cases are diagnosed annually. Despite advances in surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, bladder cancer remains characterized by high rates of morbidity, mortality, and recurrence. A major hurdle in clinical management is the need for more effective diagnostic tools and prognostic models to guide treatment and improve patient outcomes. Early diagnosis is crucial for improving survival and quality of life in bladder cancer patients. Current standard diagnostic methods such as cystoscopy and urine cytology have notable limitations: cystoscopy, while sensitive, is invasive and costly, and urine cytology lacks sensitivity, especially for detecting low-grade tumors. These challenges have led to increasing interest in molecular biomarkers—biological molecules that reflect disease presence or progression—which offer the potential for non-invasive, sensitive, and specific diagnostic and prognostic information. This review explores the landscape of molecular biomarkers in bladder cancer, focusing on their roles in detection, prognosis, and therapeutic guidance. The integration of molecular profiling into clinical practice promises to enhance early detection, improve risk stratification, and facilitate personalized treatment approaches, thereby addressing critical gaps in current bladder cancer management. Continued research and validation of these biomarkers are essential for their successful translation into routine care, ultimately aiming to reduce the burden of bladder cancer worldwide.
Bello et al. (Tue,) studied this question.