Urine sediment (uSed) in molecular diagnosis of genitourinary cancer: From materials to methods
Year: 2026
Type: review
Abstract: Urine sediment (uSed) has often been treated as a residual pellet of urinalysis. Here, we reframe it as a biosource for molecular diagnosis in genitourinary (GU) cancer, yet its promise lies less in the molecules it contains than in the methods that make them interpretable. uSed carries tumor-derived DNA, RNA, proteins, and metabolites that capture genetic, epigenetic, transcriptional, proteomic, and metabolic alterations, enabling early detection, risk stratification, therapeutic monitoring, and minimal residual disease surveillance. Its molecular cargo determines biological reach, whereas analytical methods determine the reliability of clinical readouts. This Materials-to-Methods distinction is essential because the field remains rich in discovery but poor in validation: high diagnostic accuracy is frequently reported, yet few uSed assays are prospective, externally validated, or shown to change clinical management. We therefore synthesize uSed as a distinct urine fraction, separate from whole urine, cell-free supernatant, and extracellular vesicles, and evaluate how pre-analytical variability, analytical rigor, and post-analytical evidence grading determine whether molecular signals become clinically actionable. We propose that uSed research must shift from marker discovery to method-defined clinical utility, integrating standardization, external validation, and multi-omic/artificial intelligence approaches within a single translational framework. In this view, uSed is a complementary biosource for molecular diagnosis, not a substitute for tissue biopsy or established clinical pathways.
Source: The Journal of Liquid Biopsy
Authors: Jinming Zhao, Xingguo Song
Institutions: Shandong Tumor Hospital, Shandong First Medical University
Language: English
Subfield: Cancer Research
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,080
OpenAlex ID: W7223113284