Molecular Characterization of Bladder Cancer Subtypes

Bladder cancer is one of the most common malignancies world-wide, and in Sweden approximately 3000 cases are diagnosed annually. Even though bladder cancer is so common there is low public awareness of the disease, and it has historically been less studied compared to other common types of cancer. This is reflected in the fact that both the treatment methods and outcome for patients have remained relatively unchanged during the last 30 years. During the last 5 years our knowledge of the disease has increased greatly through extensive molecular profiling. We have also witnessed the rise of immunotherapy treatments which holds great promise for bladder cancer treatment. Bladder cancer has now been studied on the transcriptomic, genomic, epigenomic, and proteomic level and the results are on the verge of clinical translation. Detection, risk stratification, and treatment prediction are just a few of the key areas where the molecular research can help us improve the management of bladder cancer. This thesis provides a broad overview of both clinical and molecular aspects of bladder cancer. The overarching aim of the included research papers has been to further improve our understanding of the molecular biology of the disease