Urine cell-free RNA for bladder cancer detection and treatment response prediction.

Urine cfRNA profiling using uRARE-seq detects localized bladder cancer with 95% sensitivity and 90% specificity, outperforming urine tumor DNA analysis.

• Why it matters: Noninvasive detection and molecular characterization of genitourinary cancers are limited by current methods, necessitating improved biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment response.
• What they did: The study applied uRARE-seq to 683 urine samples from patients with cancer and controls, identifying tumor-derived transcripts and immune signatures, and developing a predictive biomarker for BCG response with an AUC of 0.93.
• The result: Urine cfRNA analysis enables sensitive detection of residual disease, distinguishes treatment responses, and predicts recurrence risk, supporting its potential as a noninvasive biomarker for bladder and other urologic cancers.