Laparoscopic versus open simple prostatectomy: an evaluation of morbidity

PURPOSE

To evaluate the morbidity between laparoscopic simple prostatectomy (LSP) and open simple prostatectomy (OSP) in the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From January 2003 through January 2008, 280 consecutive patients underwent adenomectomy either by an extraperitoneal laparoscopic transcapsular "Millin" approach (96 patients, 34.3%) or open transvesical approach (184 patients, 65.7%). Medical therapy had failed in all patients. Perioperative and outcome data were recorded and compared.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in patient age, prostate size, uroflow rate, mean International Prostate Symptom Score, operative blood loss, or total time of continuous bladder irrigation between the two groups. Mean operative time was significantly longer in the laparoscopy group, 95.1 +/- 32.9 minutes, v the open group at 54.7 +/- 19.7 minutes (P < 0.0001). Total catheter time was significantly shorter in the laparoscopy group (5.2 +/- 2.6 v 6.4 +/- 2.9 days; P < 0.001) as was length of hospital stay (6.3 +/- 1.9 v 7.7 +/- 2.4 days; P < 0.0001). The most common complication between the two groups was hemorrhage, occurring in 27 (28.1%) patients in the laparoscopy group and 54 patients (29.3%) in the open group. Of the 19 urinary tract infections observed between the two groups, 18 occurred in the open group as well as all 9 cases of urinary sepsis.

CONCLUSIONS

LSP offers advantages over OSP in terms of shorter catheter time, shorter hospital length of stay, and fewer urinary tract infections.

High detection rate of circulating tumor cells in blood of patients with prostate cancer using telomerase activity

BACKGROUND

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) cannot be readily detected with currently available methods in the majority of patients with prostate cancer. Telomerase activation, one of the major immortalization events, is found in most cases of prostate cancer. We attempted to develop a method using telomerase activity to isolate CTCs in patients with prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from whole blood using Ficoll-Hypaque. Immunomagnetic beads coated with an epithelial cell-specific antigen antibody (BerEP4) were used to harvest epithelial cells from PBMCs. Telomerase activity was detected in harvested epithelial cells using the telomerase-PCR-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method.

RESULTS

Blood samples from 107 patients with prostate cancer were studied. CTCs were detected in 19 of 24 (79%) patients with advanced prostate cancer. In contrast, CTCs were not detected in blood samples from 22 healthy male volunteers. CTCs were even identified in patients with an undetectable (<0.1 ng/ml) serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA). CTCs were detected in 55 of 70 (79%) patients with localized prostate cancer before radical prostatectomy (n = 30) or brachytherapy (n = 40). CTCs were also detected in 3 of 13 patients (23%) with an undetectable serum PSA measured at least 1 year after radical prostatectomy, which is consistent with the expected relapse rate in this setting.

CONCLUSION

CTCs can be detected using telomerase activity in a large majority and a wide variety of patients with prostate cancer, including those with localized disease.

Bilan de la mise en place de revues de mortalité morbidité au sein d’un établissement hospitalier

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to describe the steps involved in establishing a morbidity/mortality review committee (MMRC) to analyze the causes of avoidable deaths or life-threatening complications and the development of plans and protocols to avoid their recurrence.

METHODS

The MMRC included physicians from each hospital department. Each member was responsible for organizing departmental meetings to analyze its avoidable deaths and life-threatening complications.

RESULTS

During its meetings three times a year, the MMRC developed a method for analysis of these serious events. Each department organized 3 (range: 1-12) meetings a year and analyzed 1-3 cases at each. Over 30 months, 35,817 patients were admitted to the hospital and 341 (1%) died. The unexpected mortality rate varied by department and specialty (median: 27%, range: 6-65%). In all, 92 cases were referred to MMRC meetings (27%; range: 6-70% of hospital deaths), and 30% of them involvement nosocomial diseases. Heart disease was the primary cause of unexpected deaths.

DISCUSSION

The principal improvements involved medical and surgical strategies, surgical techniques, drug prescriptions, and patient monitoring.

A phase II trial of docetaxel and samarium in patients with bone metastases from castration-refractory prostate cancer (CRPC) and a response or stabilization after induction docetaxel-estramustine

4608

Background: Most patients (pts) with disseminated CRPC have bone metastases. Samarium is a radio-isotope with a high affinity to bone. Docetaxel is currently the standard of care in CRPC. We assess the efficacy of combining docetaxel and samarium as consolidation treatment after docetaxel-estramustine in pts with CRPC. Methods: This is a prospective, bi-center phase II trial. Pts with bone metastases from CRPC received docetaxel 70 mg/m2 day 2 + estramustine 10 mg/Kg/day, day 1–5 (1 cycle every 3 weeks). Pts with a response or stabilization after 4 cycles were given consolidation therapy: docetaxel 20 mg/m2/week x 6 weeks + samarium 1 injection during week 1 (37 MBq/Kg). Zoledronic acid was routinely used and was stopped 1 month before samarium infusion. This study used a Simon two-step design with a final target of 39 pts receiving the consolidation treatment. Biological responses were defined according to the working group criteria (Bubley, J Clin Oncol 1999). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Results: From 01/2004 to 12/2005, 43 pts were included in the trial and the accrual is over. Of the 39 pts currently fully evaluable after induction treatment, 28 (72%), 10 (26%) and 1 (3%) achieved a PSA response, stabilization, and progression, respectively. Of 30 pts currently evaluable after consolidation treatment, 20 (65%), 5 (16%) and 5 (16%) achieved a PSA response, stabilization, and progression, respectively. A pain response (defined as a decrease in pain intensity by at least 2/10 on a pain analog visual scale in pts with a baseline pain level ≥ 2/10) was achieved in 89% (16/18) after consolidation treatment. The consolidation docetaxel-samarium regimen was feasible with most pts experiencing a mild (grade 1–2) and rapidly reversible thrombocytopenia at week 5. Data on PFS and overall survival are pending. Conclusions: Combining docetaxel and samarium is feasible and well-tolerated. It yields a high PSA response rate and a major pain improvement in pts with bone metastases from CRPC.

[Table: see text]

Transrectal high-intensity focused ultrasound in the treatment of localized prostate cancer

The literature concerning the efficacy and safety of transrectal high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for the treatment of localized prostate cancer still comprises a relatively small number of articles. The main studies have been published by four teams using an apparatus available in Europe for several years. The recently presented results of the European Multicentre Study and the study by Gelet and associates based on 242 patients with a follow-up of more than 1 year show that HIFU is a valid alternative for the management of welldifferentiated and moderately differentiated localized prostate cancer with an initial PSA </=15 ng/mL in men with a life expectancy >10 years. In two studies, the combination of transurethral resection of the prostate and HIFU limited the risk of postoperative urinary retention without inducing a higher complication rate. In a series of patients presenting recurrence after external-beam radiotherapy, HIFU was found to be a useful therapy, with >80% negative biopsies. The best indications for HIFU are men over the age of 65, those who are not candidates for radical prostatectomy, obese patients, or patients with comorbidities likely to make surgery more difficult. The learning curve for this technique is relatively short, between 10 and 15 patients, for urologists experienced in transrectal ultrasonography. One of the advantages of HIFU is that it can be repeated in the case of recurrence or to re-treat a prostatic site, it involves no radiation, and patients do not suffer from long-term irritative urinary symptoms.

Impact of margin size on the incidence of local residual tumor after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy

PURPOSE

Since October 2001 we have performed intraoperative frozen section (IFS) on the posterolateral areas of the radical prostatectomy specimen with bilateral nerve sparing. In cases of positive surgical margin (SMs) the corresponding neurovascular bundle (NVB) was resected. We evaluated the impact of several biological and pathological parameters on the incidence of local residual tumor in the NVB.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 487 laparoscopic radical prostatectomies with bilateral nerve sparing and IFS were performed between October 2001 and December 2003. When IFS was positive, the whole NVB was removed and analyzed after fixation in serial sections. The size of the positive SM was measured in its largest dimension. The association of NVB residual tumor with positive SM size, preoperative prostate specific antigen, pathological stage and Gleason score was analyzed using the t and chi-square tests, and logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of the 487 patients 84 had a positive SM on IFS. In 25 of the 84 additionally resected NVBs we found residual tumor. On univariate and multivariate analysis the only predictor of residual tumor was positive SM size (p<0.001). In all cases of a positive SM of 0.1 cm or less we found no residual tumor cells in the NVB.

CONCLUSIONS

In case of a positive SM in the posterolateral area of the prostatectomy specimen margin size is predictive of the incidence of residual tumor in the corresponding NVB. This finding could help management and the decision about local adjuvant treatment.

Extraperitoneal Standard Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy

PURPOSE

To describe our preliminary experience with the extraperitoneal approach for laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between February and December 2002, we performed 100 laparoscopic radical prostatectomies by an extraperitoneal approach.

RESULTS

Of the procedures, 98 were completed as planned, while conversion to a transperitoneal approach was necessary in 2 patients with previous mesh hernia repair. The mean operative time was 163 minutes. The mean operative blood loss was 375 mL. The transfusion rate was 3%. No rectal, bowel, ureteral, or nervous injury was observed. There were no major complications. There were nine minor complications (four anastomotic leakages, one rectus muscle hematoma, four cases of acute urinary retention). The mean hospital stay was 6.1 days. Mean catheterization lasted 6 days. The pathologic stage was T2a, T2b, T2c, T3a, and T3b in 17%, 22%, 39%, 12%, and 10%, respectively. The mean Gleason score was 7. The margins were positive in 15% of the pT2 and in 35% of the pT3 tumors; 48% of the positive margins occurred in the first 25 cases. The median follow-up was 12 months; 93% of the patients had a serum prostate specific antigen concentration <0.2 ng/mL. No patient has presented with clinical port-site metastasis. All the patients were evaluated by questionnaire sent by mail before and after the surgery. With a median follow-up of 12 months, 86% of the patients were continent (no pads), 7% of the patients used 1 precaution pad, and 7% had need for 1 pad routinely. With a median follow-up of 6 months, among the preoperatively potent patients (IIEF5 >20), the postoperative erection and intercourse rate was 64% and 43% in patients with bilateral and unilateral nerve-bundle preservation, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The extraperitoneal technique is a reliable approach for laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. The choice between a transperitoneal or an extraperitoneal approach depends on the surgeon's experience.

TRANSRECTAL FOCUSED ULTRASOUND COMBINED WITH TRANSURETHRAL RESECTION OF THE PROSTATE FOR THE TREATMENT OF LOCALIZED PROSTATE CANCER: FEASIBILITY STUDY

PURPOSE

We studied the feasibility of combined treatment with high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and transurethral resection or incision of the prostate for localized prostate cancer to decrease the risk of posttreatment prolonged urinary retention.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Included in this feasibility study were 30 patients fulfilling certain criteria, namely localized prostate cancer indicated for HIFU, age 60 years or older, prostate volume 45 cc or less, no more than 4 positive samples at sextant biopsy, baseline prostate specific antigen (PSA) 10 ng/ml or less and no evidence of cancer extension. They received the combined treatment under general anesthesia using an Ablatherm HIFU device (EDAP SA, Lyon, France).

RESULTS

The enrolled patients were a mean of 72 years old and presented with a median prostate volume of 30 cc. Median Gleason score was 6, median PSA was 7 ng/ml and pretreatment sextant biopsies provided a median of 2 positive samples. Mean operative time was 2 hours 48 minutes, including resection and HIFU. An average of 616 HIFU shots were delivered. The urinary catheter was removed at day 2 after treatment. Median hospital stay was 3 days. Only a few complications were observed. In regard to the oncological aspects at a mean of 20 months of followup 86% of the patients had negative biopsies after HIFU. Median PSA was 0.9 ng/ml. At 1 year of followup the mean International Prostate Symptom Score was 8. Regarding sexual function, 73% of previously potent patients reported preserved sexual activity.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of endoscopic resection or incision of the prostate with HIFU treatment decreases urinary catheterization time and improves posttreatment urinary status without additional morbidity.

Detection of HER-2/neu-positive circulating epithelial cells in prostate cancer patients

HER-2/neu may play a role in prostate carcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to use the expression of HER-2/neu as a molecular marker for the detection of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in the blood of patients with prostate cancer (PC). Blood samples were collected from 42 patients with PC and nine healthy volunteers. Immunomagnetic beads were used to harvest epithelial cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Total RNA was extracted and reverse transcribed before analysis by real-time PCR with HER-2/neu-specific primers. CTCs were HER-2/neu positive in six out of 11 (54%) patients with metastatic disease and in three out of 31 (9.6%) patients with localised PC (P=0.004). In blood samples from nine healthy volunteers, we detected no expression of HER-2/neu. The present method appears to be minimally invasive, highly sensitive and a specific approach for detecting CTCs in PC. Furthermore, it may help better target HER-2/neu in advanced PC.

Patient Followup After Radical Prostatectomy by Internet Medical File

PURPOSE

The development of the Internet and the need for regular followup of patients often living a long way from the hospital led us to develop a followup dossier for those with localized prostate cancer treated with laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This feasibility study was based on 140 patients who agreed to test this system. The website was opened on a server specifically devoted to this project with all required computer security. The website is composed of pages comprising the hospital discharge summary, and operative and histology reports. A quality of life questionnaire based on the assessment of urinary continence and sex life, and a prostate specific antigen (PSA) assay form are also included.

RESULTS

The patient is able to enter his PSA data and complete the questionnaire at home. Results are then sent to the treating physician. A contact page allows the patient and physician to exchange information by text. Of these 100 patients 92 connected regularly to the site with a mean connection rate of 8 per patient (range 1 to 22). Of the patients 98% were satisfied with the various sections of the site, 95% were satisfied with the medical file, 11% noticed connection problems and 14% reported technical problems essentially attributable to incorrect PSA data entry or incorrect functioning of videos due to the absence of appropriate software.

CONCLUSIONS

This type of Internet medical service for patients who have undergone surgery requiring regular followup appears to be a useful approach for the future by allowing the maintenance of close contact between the patient and physicians, while avoiding problems related to hospital visits regardless of the patient place of residence. It also provides general practitioners with access to the patient file with patient permission.

[Follow-up, with Internet medical file, of patients who have undergone radical prostatectomy]

The development of Internet and the need for regular follow-up of patients often living a long way from hospital have led us to develop a follow-up dossier for patients with localized prostate cancer treated by laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. This feasibility study is based on 100 patients who agreed to test this system. After approval by the Commission Nationale d'Informatique et de Liberté (CNIL) (French Computers and Privacy Commission) ensuring medical secrecy and confidentiality of data, the website was opened on a server specifically devoted to this project and presenting all of the required computer securities. The website is composed of pages comprising the hospital discharge summary, and the operative and histology reports. A quality of life questionnaire based on assessment of urinary continence and sex life and a PSA assay form are also included. The patient is therefore able to enter his PSA level and complete the questionnaire at home and the results are then sent to the doctor who treated him. A contact page allows the patient and the doctor to exchange information by text. 92 of these 100 patients connected regularly to the site with a mean connection rate of 8 per patient (range: 1 to 22). 98% of patients were satisfied with the various sections of the site and 95% were satisfied with their medical file. 11% of patients encountered connection problems and 14% reported technical problems essentially attributed to incorrect PSA data entry or incorrect functioning of videos due to the absence of appropriate software. This type of Internet medical service for patients who have undergone a surgical operation requiring regular follow-up appears to be a useful approach for the future by allowing: maintenance of close contact between the patient and his doctors while avoiding the problems related to hospital visits, regardless of the patient's place of residence. It also provides general practitioners with access to the patient's file, with the patient's permission.

A 10-year clinical experience with intermittent hormonal therapy for prostate cancer

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate, over a 10-year period, the feasibility, efficacy, duration of action and adverse effects of intermittent hormonal therapy (IHT) in patients with advanced prostate cancer or biochemical recurrence after radical treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two hundred and thirty-three patients with prostate cancer have been included in an IHT protocol since 1992. Fifty-five patients had already been treated by radical prostatectomy (group A), 35 patients had received radiotherapy or a treatment with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) (group B) and 143 patients had not received any previous treatment (group C). Three-monthly injection of LHRH analogue combined with a non-steroidal antiandrogen was administered during the treatment phase ("on" phase). Treatment was stopped ("off" phase) when the PSA level fell below 4 ng/ml, regardless of the duration of the "on" phase. Criteria for resumption of hormonal therapy were PSA >20 ng/ml, PSA progression slope over the previous three months >5 ng/ml per month or recurrence of pain or urinary symptoms.

RESULTS

The median follow-up was 34.9 months (range: 13-151) and the median initial PSA was 28 ng/ml (range: 1-433). Five cycles were performed in the patients with the longest follow-up. The mean duration of cycles was gradually decreased from 19.6 months to 11.8 months. The "on/off" ratio was close to 30% regardless of the cycle or patient group. Ten patients (4%) died from their cancer during the study, with a median survival of 42.2 months. Six patients (2.5%) developed painful symptoms during IHT.

CONCLUSIONS

IHT ensures medium-term (three years) control of the disease, using a treatment resumption criteria of PSA >20 ng/ml and was not associated with major complications.

[Competitive morbidity ant its impact on life expectancy: evaluation and inclusion in the therapeutic decision regarding localized prostatic cancer]

OBJECTIVES

The treatment decision taken by a multidisciplinary meeting for patients with localized prostate cancer must take into account the clinical stage of the cancer and its histological characteristics, but also the patient's age, general state and any concomitant diseases, as treatment is only beneficial when it induces a reduction of morbidity and specific mortality. The specific survival with or without recurrence after treatment for localized prostate cancer is long, at least more than 10 years. Curative treatment is generally not proposed to men with localized prostate cancer when his probability of survival related to a competitive morbidity (intercurrent medical disease) is estimated to be less than 10 years. The objective of this study was to measure the increase or reduction of the survival probability of a patient with localized prostate cancer according to his competitive morbidity, based on the mean life expectancy of the general population.

METHODS

Review of the literature.

RESULTS

Studies describing the natural history of prostate cancer show that the impact of treatment on morbidity of the cancer (local and/or metastatic) requires a life expectancy of about 8 to 10 years. The impact of a treatment on specific survival requires a life expectancy of about 13 to 15 years. The exact prevalence of diseases coexisting with prostate cancer is unknown. In the USA, The Index of Coexisting Disease (ICD), which takes into account 14 diseases, appears to be the most reliable tool to measure the competitive morbidity in patients with localized prostate cancer. Each disease is classified into 4 levels of severity (score 0 to 3). A table indicates estimated life expectancies by age-group and by ICD score. All men with a high score (2 to 3) die within 10 years after diagnosis, men with a score of 0 have a better estimated life expectancy according to age than that of the general population.

CONCLUSION

The upper age limit, theoretically set at 70 years, in order to propose curative treatment for localized prostate cancer needs to be reviewed (the mean life expectancy for a 70-year-old man is 12.9 years in France). According to the ICD, the life expectancy at 70 years is 14.8 years in the case of a score of 0 and 8.4 years in the case of a score of 2. In the case of a score of 2, the impact of curative treatment on localized prostate cancer would be real on morbidity, but not on specific mortality.

[BCG therapy of superficial tumors of the bladder]

Superficial bladder tumor defined as pTa, pT1 and pTis stage is one of the most common cancer disease in the world. Intravesical BCGtherapy represents the best treatment when combined with transurethral resection to prevent tumor recurrence or progression and to lengthen the interval between recurrence. The toxicity is quite important but can be reduced by using the good procedure. Local or general immunostimulation is likely to be the exact mechanism of action but more data are needed.

MHC-dependent cytolysis of autologous tumor cells by lymphocytes infiltrating urothelial carcinomas

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) were grown from 23 urothelial carcinomas. Phenotyping analysis showed that the TIL cultures were mainly CD3+. Although CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell sub-sets were grown in culture, CD4+ T-cell sub-sets predominated over CD8+ T cells. Immunohistochemical studies performed on 5 tumor specimens confirmed this observation, and indicated that CD4+ T cells surrounded the tumor islets, whereas CD8+ T lymphocytes were localized among the tumor cells. Five short-term carcinoma cell lines established from these urothelial tumors were used as target cells in cytolysis assays in order to investigate the functional anti-tumor activity of autologous TIL. TIL from 4/5 tumors were lytic and 3 TIL lines displayed MHC-class-I-dependent cytotoxicity directed against autologous tumor cells. CD4+ T-cell-depletion experiments performed on TIL line 07 confirmed that CD8+ MHC-class-I-dependent CTL were the predominant effectors. Finally, experiments performed on 6 allogeneic urothelial-cancer cell lines matched for HLA-class-I molecules showed that TIL07 exhibited selective lytic activity toward tumor 07. These data indicate that CD8+ MHC-class-I-dependent CTL present in urothelial carcinomas are functional and may participate in the anti-tumor immune response.

Reaction of peripheral-blood lymphocytes to the human chorionic gonadotropin beta sub-unit in patients with productive tumors

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and its beta sub-unit (hCG beta) are secreted by trophoblast cells during pregnancy, and by tumoral cells of trophoblastic and non-trophoblastic origin. In contrast to hCG, the free hCG beta sub-unit is consistently undetectable in healthy non-pregnant subjects. With this in mind, we sought to determine whether an immune response to hCG beta can be detected in patients with bladder or germ-cell testis cancers. Peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 31% of patients with hCG beta-productive bladder cancers and 33% of testis-tumor-bearing patients displayed an hCG beta-specific proliferative response, whereas no patients with non-hCG beta-productive cancers had a proliferative response. PBMC from pregnant women and healthy controls did not elicit significant reactivity. By the use of overlapping synthetic peptides, the immunogenic regions of hCG beta were delineated within the central 20-65 portion. Moreover, in 2 bladder-cancer patients with the HLA DR7, DQ2 haplotype, the T-cell response to hCG beta was focused on the hCG beta (20-47) peptide. Taken together, these results indicate that hCG beta is a tumor-associated antigen capable of inducing a cell-mediated immune response in patients with productive tumors.