Pathoxphere at ECDP 2025: Presenting the Urine24 Model for Bladder Cancer Diagnostics
On June 26, 2025, Pathoxphere had the honor of participating in the European Congress on Digital Pathology (ECDP 2025) in Barcelona. Our president, Matteo Botteghi, PhD, took the stage to present one of the consortium’s most promising initiatives in the field of cytology and digital pathology: the Urine24 Model.
Tackling the Rising Incidence of Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer is seeing an alarming increase in incidence worldwide. In this context, urinary cytology is regaining relevance, particularly thanks to the implementation of the Paris System II (TPS II), which provides a standardized framework for cytological reporting.
What makes urinary cytology unique is that it is based on the only oncological sample that patients can collect themselves. This opens the door to more accessible and patient-centered diagnostic models.
The Urine24 Model: A New Paradigm
The Urine24 Model introduces a disruptive yet highly practical approach to urinary cytology:
• A collection kit designed to fully comply with TPS II standards.
• A monolayer liquid-based cytology (LBC) preparation with custom density for optimal diagnostic yield.
• Integrated second-level investigations, including:
o FISH analysis (chromosomes 3, 11, and 17).
o Immunocytochemistry (ICC) and Immunohistochemistry (IHC).
o Molecular analysis, such as TERT promoter mutations.
• A dedicated laboratory infrastructure focused on validating the entire diagnostic pipeline.
The ultimate goal is the development of a robust, multiparametric dataset that will power pathomics-based AI algorithms to support diagnostic decision-making.
What Makes It Different
In addition to the technological innovations, Urine24 introduces a pervasive logistics model based on self-sampling combined with door-to-door service, making early detection more accessible, efficient, and scalable.
Current Status and Next Steps
The project is currently in an advanced case collection phase, supported by active R&D fundraising. At the same time, Pathoxphere is investing in the development of pathomics algorithms that will further enhance the diagnostic capabilities of urinary cytology.
A Glimpse Into the Future
Given the increasing need for cost-effective, scalable, and sensitive diagnostic tools, the Urine24 model raises an important question for the global medical community:
Could urinary cytology become the next frontier for cancer screening?
Pathoxphere strongly believes that the combination of self-sampling, advanced molecular techniques, and AI-powered pathology represents a turning point in how we approach early detection for bladder cancer.
We are grateful to ECDP 2025 for providing a platform to share this vision with the international digital pathology community.
