Current Use and Promise of Urinary Markers for Urothelial Cancer

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. Summary: 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.