University of Washington study maps genetic evolution of metastatic bladder cancer via rapid autopsies

Researchers at the University of Washington collected tissue from 20 bladder cancer patients through a rapid autopsy program, gathering normal tissue, primary tumor samples and up to seven metastases per patient—108 specimens total obtained within hours of death. Samples with high tumor purity were sequenced to trace how bladder cancer spreads and diversifies genetically across different organs in the same patient.