Based on the unique mechanism, photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) are widely used in the detection and treatment of cancers in recent years.PDD can significantly improve the detection rate of bladder tumors, thereby reducing the recurrence rate, which makes it a recommended clinical tool.Due to the lack of clinical evidence, the application of PDT is limited.However, for patients who resist conventional treatments, PDT can be an important alternative.This paper reviews the research history of PDD and PDT, summarizes the current research status of them in the treatment of bladder tumors, and prospects the future development.The improvement of photosensitizer and the combined application of other therapies are the key directions of future research.