Therefore, the altered expression of proteoglycans, including syndecan-1, neuropilins, versican, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 6, decorin, biglycan, endocan, hyaluronic acid and its metabolic enzymes, has been linked to several cancers and, specifically, with bladder cancer carcinogenesis, metastasis and prognosis (Figure 4, Supplementary Table 1). This evidence concerns the gene ESM1 and urinary bladder cancer.