Liquid biopsy testing in urological cancers: Focus on urine
Pasquale Pisapia, Francesco Pepe, Gianluca Russo, R Capoluongo, Mariano Coppola, Francesco Del Giudice, Matteo Ferro, Antonio Madonna, Michele Musone, Giancarlo Troncone, Umberto Malapelle, Felice Crocetto
Abstract
• Liquid biopsy has significant modified the management of urological cancer patients. • In particular, urine may represent a valid alternative sample to blood that should be considered within an expanded concept of liquid biopsy. • Urine represents a natural ultracentrifugation of the blood. Liquid biopsy has significantly transformed the management of patients with urological cancers. In particular, alternative sources of tumor nucleic acids and analytes beyond blood have taken on a crucial role in these malignancies. In this context, urine represents a valuable alternative to blood and should be considered within an expanded concept of liquid biopsy. Urine acts as a natural ultracentrifuge of blood, making it a complementary molecular resource alongside plasma. This review aims to summarize the potential applications of urine biomarker analysis in the management of urological malignancies, highlighting current challenges and future perspectives for integrating liquid biopsy into clinical practice.