Preface to the focused issue: up-to-date knowledge of basic and translational research on bladder cancer

Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers of the urinary tract, and it is a highly fatal disease with frequent recurrence and progression. Therefore, there is an urgent need for gaining an understanding of the exact pathophysiology of bladder cancer, as well as for developing new and effective treatment modalities. While many challenging scientific questions are still unanswered, major advances in molecular biology and cancer genetics have greatly increased the knowledge of molecular mechanisms involved in cancer development and progression, leading to significant advances in the treatment of bladder cancer over the last decade.