Urine Methylation Test for Urothelial Cancer Diagnosis and Surveillance
JAMA Network Open 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.36786September 29, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT
Can a noninvasive urine methylation assay accurately detect urothelial carcinoma and facilitate postoperative recurrence surveillance? In this diagnostic study including a training cohort of 643 participants and a multicenter validation cohort of 1620 participants, a noninvasive urine-based assay targeting AL021918.2 and VIM methylation achieved 90.8% sensitivity and 93.2% specificity for urothelial carcinoma detection. In a longitudinal surveillance cohort, the assay identified all 9 observed recurrences and provided a median lead time of 4.5 months before clinical confirmation. This methylation assay may serve as a complementary noninvasive approach for urothelial carcinoma detection and postoperative recurrence surveillance.
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