TP53 and urinary bladder cancer: There is evidence that tumor adjacent uroepithelium, although it might pathologically be reviewed to consist of healthy uroepithelial cells, is already in a premalignant state which is characterized by genetic, e.g. TP53 mutant cells4, and widespread epigenetic alterations, e.g. hypermethylated genes which are also present in bladder cancer cells19.