DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

   - Group 1 (healthy volunteers):

      - No prior or concurrent urologic disease or devices

      - No genitourinary (GU) complaints, including urgency or frequency of urination

      - Normal urinalysis and urine cytology

      - Never smoked cigarettes regularly (i.e., ≥ 1 cigarette/day for ≥ 1 year)

      - No suspected exposure to environmental bladder carcinogens for > 1 year,
      including, but not limited to, the following occupations or exposures:

         - Aluminum industry

         - Aromatic amines

         - Coal gasification

         - Coal tars and pitches

         - Coke plant

         - Dye industry

         - Leather industry

         - Machinist

         - Painter

         - Rubber industry

         - Truck, bus, or taxi drivers

   - Group 2 (participants with condition(s) that lead to false-positive urinary bladder
   cancer screening studies):

      - GU complaints requiring cystoscopy

      - No current GU malignancy

      - At least 1 of the following conditions:

         - Benign prostatic hypertrophy (International Prostate Symptom Score > 12)

         - Foreign bodies (stones, stents, or catheters)

         - Hematuria (gross or microscopic)

         - GU infection (e.g., prostatitis, urinary tract infection, pyelonephritis,
         urethritis) within the past 3 months and completed treatment

            - No sign of infection at the time of study participation

   - Group 3 (superficial bladder cancer patients):

      - Histologically confirmed superficial bladder urothelial malignancy

         - Primary or recurrent disease

      - No nontransitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, upper tract tumors,
      muscle-invasive tumors, or superficial disease for which local therapy is not
      appropriate

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

   - Over 40

Performance status

   - Not specified

Life expectancy

   - Not specified

Hematopoietic

   - Not specified

Hepatic

   - Not specified

Renal

   - See Disease Characteristics

Other

   - No prior cancer except nonmelanoma dermatologic malignancy

      - Prior bladder cancer allowed for group 3 patients

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

   - Not specified

Chemotherapy

   - No prior chemotherapy

      - Prior intravesical therapy for bladder cancer allowed for group 3 patients

Endocrine therapy

   - Not specified

Radiotherapy

   - No prior radiotherapy

Surgery

   - Not specified