Lymphovascular invasion as a prognostic factor in the upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

No difference in oncological outcomes and perioperative complications between patients with ESRD with unilateral and bilateral UTUC receiving radical nephroureterectomy

Patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) are at high risk of developing upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). Due to high recurrence rate of UTUC in contralateral kidney and ureter, and high risk of complications related to surgery and anesthesia, whether it's necessary to remove both kineys and ureters at one time remains in debate. We utilized Taiwanese UTUC Registry Database to valuate the difference of oncological outcomes and perioperative complications between patients with ESRD with unilateral and bilateral UTUC receiving surgical resection. Patients with ESRD and UTUC were divided into three groups, unilateral UTUC, previous history of unilateral UTUC with metachronous contralateral UTUC, and concurrent bilatetral UTUC. Oncological outcomes, perioperative complications, and length of hospital stays were investiaged. We found that there is no diffence of oncological outcomes including overall survival, cancer specific survival, disease free survival and bladder recurrence free survival between these three groups. Complication rate and length of hospital stay are similar. Adverse oncological features such as advanced tumor stage, lymph node involvement, lymphovascular invasion, and positive surgical margin would negatively affect oncological outcomes.

The Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII) Increases the Prognostic Significance of Lymphovascular Invasion in Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma After Radical Nephroureterectomy

Purpose

Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) both have been proved to correlate with oncologic outcomes in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). We hypothesize that integrating SII with LVI may be an aid for risk-stratification of prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of combined SII and LVI in patients with localized UTUC.

Patients and Methods

A retrospective analysis of clinicopathological data of 554 UTUC patients who underwent radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) was conducted. The SII was calculated using the equation (preoperative serum neutrophil*platelet/lymphocyte). Use of Kaplan–Meier analyses and Cox proportional hazards models were to evaluate associations of combining SII and LVI with overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and progression-free survival (PFS). Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was applied to estimate predictive ability of combining SII and LVI for oncological outcomes.

Results

Positive LVI was significantly associated with advanced stage, high grade, necrosis, lymph node metastasis, and high-level SII. Positive LVI and high-level SII co-existence was significantly associated with unfavorable OS, CSS, and PFS in Kaplan-Meier analyses (all p < 0.001) and was an independent indicator of OS, CSS, and PFS (HR [95% CI]: 3.918 [2.168–7.078], 5.623 [2.679–11.801], 3.377 [2.138–5.334]), respectively) in multivariate analyses. Furthermore, adding LVI and SII to a model that included standard pathologic predictors exhibited a better ability to predict survival in ROC analysis.

Conclusion

The integration of SII and LVI was demonstrated to be a potential factor of poor outcomes in patients with localized UTUC. Notably, the combined use of LVI and SII can be a feasible and complementary factor to TNM staging in the prognostic assessment of UTUC patients in clinical practice. The validity of combination of the two markers would be considered in future prospective studies to evaluate its usefulness in staging and application of post-operative chemo or immunotherapy.

Acidic Urine Is Associated With Poor Prognosis of Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma

Purpose

To assess the prognostic role of acidic urine (low urine pH) in upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC).

Materials and Methods

We reviewed patients enrolled in Seoul National University Prospectively Enrolled Registry for Urothelial Cancer-Upper Tract Urothelial Cancer (SUPER-UC-UTUC) who underwent surgical resection from March 2016 to December 2020 in Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH). Patients with non-urothelial cancer or those who are in condition at end-stage renal disease were excluded. Acidic urine was defined as urine pH ≤ 5.5.

Results

A total of 293 patients with a mean age of 70.7 ± 9.5 years were enrolled in this study. Pre-operative laboratory results showed a mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 64.1 ± 19.2 mL/min/1.73m² and a mean urine pH of 5.86 ± 0.66. Patients were subdivided into low (pH ≤ 5.5) and high (pH > 5.5) urine pH for comparison. As a result, all variables were comparable except for the T stage, which was significantly higher in the low urine pH group (p = 0.017). Cox regression analysis was performed to assess the clinical impact of acidic urine on patient survival. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that tumor multifocality (HR 2.07, p = 0.015), higher T stage (HR 1.54, p = 0.036), lymphovascular invasion (HR 1.69, p = 0.033), eGFR < 60 mL/min per 1.73 m² (HR 1.56, p = 0.017), and acidic urine (HR 1.63, p < 0.01) independently decreased disease-free survival (DFS), while multifocality (HR 9.50, p < 0.01), higher T stage (HR 9.51, p = 0.001) and acidic urine (HR 10.36, p = 0.004) independently reduced the overall survival (OS).

Conclusions

Acidic urine is independently associated with reduced DFS and OS in UTUC. Acidic urine contributing to acidic environment may promote acquisition of agressive behavior of UTUC.

Impact of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: A Population Based Analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

We examined pathologic complete response (pCR) and pathologic downstaging (pDS) rates after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in high-risk upper tract urothelial carcinoma, as well as their predictors. We further sought to determine their effects on overall survival and examine prognosticators of survival after NAC.

METHODS

The National Cancer Database was used to identify all patients from 2004 to 2016 with nonmetastatic high grade upper tract urothelial carcinoma who received NAC followed by nephroureterectomy. pCR and pDS rates were examined, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify clinical predictors. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard methods were used to estimate overall survival.

RESULTS

309 patients met inclusion criteria. 27 patients (8.74%) had pCR, and 92 (29.77%) had pDS. pCR and pDS rates for N+ subgroup were 6.82% and 47.73% respectively, and for N0 subgroup, 9.50% and 22.62%. Female sex (OR 2.94, p = 0.010) was the only predictor of pCR. Node-positive disease (cN1 vs. cN0: OR 6.40, p < 0.001; cN2 vs. cN0: OR 7.46, p < 0.001) was a positive predictor of pDS, and the presence of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (OR 0.14, p < 0.001) was a negative predictor of pDS. The median OS for all patients was 45.5 months. pCR and pDS were both associated with improved OS, (p < 0.001 for both); median was 99.1 months for both. LVI was the strongest negative prognostic factor for OS (HR 2.85, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall pathological complete response and downstaging rates were 8.74% and 29.77% respectively after multi-agent neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Node-negative and node-positive disease had equivalent rates of complete response, but node-positive disease had a significantly higher rate of downstaging. The presence of LVI was associated with worse overall survival.

Influence of American Society of Anesthesiologists Score on Oncologic Outcomes in Patients With Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma After Radical Nephroureterectomy: A Large-Sample Study in Two Institutions

Introduction

As a research team of urologists and an anesthetist, we sought to investigate the prognostic significance of American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score in patients with upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). ASA physical status (ASA-PS) classification not only was found to be associated with increased comorbidities but also independently factors for predicting morbidity and mortality. Accurate risk assessment was being particularly important for patients being considered for surgery.

Methods

Records for 958 patients with UTUC who underwent RNU were reviewed. Clinicopathologic variables, including ASA-PS, were assessed at two institutions. Overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), intravesical recurrence-free survival (IRFS), and metastasis-free survival (MFS) were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression analyses. We measured the independent predictive value of ASA-PS for mortality by multivariate regression. Association of ASA-PS and clinicopathologic variables was assessed.

Results

The group of patients with ASA = 2/3 had a shorter 5-year OS (67.6% and 49.9%), CSS (72.9% and 58.1%), and MFS (75.1% and 58.5%). The median follow-up time was 39 months. Kaplan–Meier curves showed that the group with ASA = 2/3 had significantly poorer OS, CSS, and MFS. Adjusting for multiple potential confounding factors, multivariate analyses suggested that ASA score was an independent predictor of OS, CSS, and MFS (p = 0.004, p = 0.005, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Higher ASA scores were independently associated with lower survival rate. This capability, along with its simplicity, makes it a valuable prognostic metric. It should be seriously referenced in UTUC patients being considered for RNU.

Hypomethylated RRBP1 Potentiates Tumor Malignancy and Chemoresistance in Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma

Ribosome-binding protein 1 (RRBP1) is a potential oncogene in several cancer types. However, the correlation between RRBP1 expression and the prognosis of patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) remains unclear. In this study, we identified that RRBP1 is associated with carcinogenesis and metastasis in UTUC using a methylation profiling microarray. High correlations between RRBP1 and cancer stages, nodal metastasis status, molecular subtypes, and prognosis in bladder urothelial cancer (BLCA) were found. Aberrant DNA methylation in the gene body region of RRBP1 was determined in UTUC tissues by methylation-specific PCR. RRBP1 expression was significantly increased in UTUC tissues and cell lines, as determined by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. RRBP1 depletion significantly reduced BFTC909 cell growth induced by specific shRNA. On the other hand, molecular subtype analysis showed that the expression of RRBP1 was associated with genes related to cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and basal markers. A patient-derived organoid model was established to analyze patients' responses to different drugs. The expression of RRBP1 was related to chemoresistance. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence that RRBP1 gene body hypomethylation predicts RRBP1 high expression in UTUC. The data highlight the importance of RRBP1 in UTUC malignancy and chemotherapeutic tolerance.

Impact of pathological factors on survival in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction:

There is an ongoing need to identify various pathological factors that can predict various survival parameters in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). With this review, we aim to scrutinize the impact of several pathological factors on recurrence free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with UTUC.

Materials and Methods:

Systematic electronic literature search of various databases was conducted for this review. Studies providing multivariate hazard ratios (HR) for various pathological factors such as tumor margin, necrosis, stage, grade, location, architecture, lymph node status, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), carcinoma in situ (CIS), multifocality and variant histology as predictor of survival parameters were included and pooled analysis of HR was performed.

Results:

In this review, 63 studies with 35.714 patients were included. For RFS, all except tumor location (HR 0.94, p=0.60) and necrosis (HR 1.00, p=0.98) were associated with worst survival. All the pathological variables except tumor location (HR 0.95, p=0.66) were associated with worst CSS. For OS, only presence of CIS (HR 1.03, p=0.73) and tumor location (HR 1.05, p=0.74) were not predictor of survival.

Conclusions:

We noted tumor grade, stage, presence of LVI, lymph node metastasis, hydronephrosis, variant histology, sessile architecture, margin positivity and multifocality were associated with poor RFS, CSS and OS. Presence of CIS was associated with poor RFS and CSS but not OS. Tumor necrosis was associated with worst CSS and OS but not RFS. Tumor location was not a predictor of any of the survival parameters.

Prognostic Value of Preoperative Hydronephrosis in Patients Undergoing Radical Nephroureterectomy for Upper Tract Urinary Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Several recent publications have evaluated the prognostic value of preoperative hydronephrosis (HN) in patients with upper tract urinary carcinoma (UTUC). The aim of this meta-analysis was to explore the pooled effect of preoperative HN on the prognosis of UTUC patients treated with radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) based on current evidence.

Methods

We performed a systematic search of Pubmed, Cochrane library, and Web of Science databases from inception to June 2020. The outcomes of interest included overall survival (OS), cancer-special survival (CSS), disease-free survival (DFS), and intravesical recurrence-free survival (IVRFS).

Results

Twenty-two studies with a total of 7,542 patients satisfied the eligibility criteria and were finally included in this meta-analysis. The percent of patients with preoperative HN varied in the eligible studies, ranging from 18 to 81%. The pooled results showed that preoperative HN was significantly associated with worse OS (P = 0.004), CSS (P < 0.001), and DFS (P = 0.005), but not IVRFS (P = 0.12). No obvious publication bias was detected by Begg’s test in all the analyses.

Conclusions

The results drawn in our meta-analysis suggest that the presence of preoperative HN is associated with worse prognosis in patients treated with RNU for UTUC. Therefore, closer surveillance and more aggressive therapy may be needed for UTUC patients present with preoperative HN. Well-designed prospective studies are necessary to substantiate the prognostic value of HN in UTUC.

Preoperative Risk Classification Using Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Albumin for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma Treated with Radical Nephroureterectomy

Purpose

To improve the preoperative prediction of the outcomes of patients diagnosed with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) treated with radical nephroureterectomy (RNU), we explored various preoperative laboratory factors and established a prognostic risk stratification method.

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 232 UTUC patients who underwent RNU from September 2010 to October 2019 and analyzed their comprehensive clinicopathologic data and preoperative blood-based biomarkers. Kaplan–Meier analysis, receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis and Cox regression analysis were performed to assess the relationship between these factors and the prognosis.

Results

The median follow-up and age were 24 months and 68.5 years, respectively. Preoperative elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR > 3.44) and decreased albumin (ALB < 39.8 g/L) were negatively correlated with progression-free survival (PFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Patients were sorted into three groups based on their NLR and ALB: the low-risk group (neither elevated NLR nor decreased ALB), intermediate-risk group (either elevated NLR or decreased ALB) and high-risk group (elevated NLR and decreased ALB). Their 5-year PFS rates were 77.8%, 52.6% and 32.3%; their 5-year CSS rates were 97.7%, 71.4% and 32.9%; and their 5-year OS rates were 92.7%, 70.4% and 29.2%, respectively (all P < 0.0001). ROC curves analysis showed that NLR plus ALB had a more accurate prognostic value (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Preoperative risk classification using NLR and ALB was identified as an independent prognostic factor for patients with UTUC. The combination of NLR and ALB may help to determine the most appropriate treatment options before RNU.

Association between lymphovascular invasion and oncological outcome in node-negative upper tract urothelial carcinoma with different stage

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the prognostic impact of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) on node-negative upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) in patients treated with radical nephroureterectomy (RNU).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective study was performed in single tertiary referral center of middle Taiwan between 2001 and 2015. Seven hundred and twenty-eight patients were diagnosed of UTUC and underwent RNU with ipsilateral bladder cuff excision including 303 and 195 patients with N0 and Nx status respectively. LVI status was assessed as a prognostic factor for cancer-specific (CSS) and overall survival (OS) using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS

LVI was observed in 82 patients (16.5%). LVI presentation associated with smoking status, advanced tumor stage, high tumor grade, positive surgical margin, and consequence lung/liver/bone metastasis. In the multivariate analysis, LVI was failed to predict CSS, OS, and disease-free survival (DFS) (hazard ratio [HR] [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07 [0.55-2.09], 1.05 [0.62-1.79], 1.15 [0.69-1.92], in CSS, OS, DFS, respectively). In the subgroup analysis of pT1-2 disease, the CSS, OS, and DFS were associated with LVI status (HR [95% CI]: 2.29 [0.44-11.84], 3.17 [1.16-8.67], 2.66 [1.04-6.79], in CSS, OS, DFS, respectively). In contrast, there was no difference in pT3 disease.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, LVI status was not associated with survival outcomes of node-negative UTUC in our study. The subgroup analysis showed different prognostic impacts of LVI status in node-negative UTUC with T1-2 and T3 stage. Further evidence to clarify the prognostic effect is needed to make LVI became a practical factor in clinical decision-making.

The Prognostic Value of Lymphovascular Invasion in Patients With Upper Tract Urinary Carcinoma After Surgery: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and Purpose: Although the prognostic value of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) for upper tract urinary carcinoma (UTUC) has been reported, there is a lack of consensus regarding the prognostic factor of LVI in UTUC after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the contemporary role of LVI using systematic review and meta-analysis.

Materials and Methods: Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, we performed a systematic search of Web of Science, PubMed, and EMBASE for all reports published up to July 2019. Cumulative analyses of hazard ratios (HRs)/odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals were conducted to assess the association between LVI and oncological outcomes and clinicopathological features.

Results: Our meta-analysis included 31 eligible studies containing 14,653 patients with UTUC (81–1,363 per study). Our results indicated a significant correlation of LVI with worse cancer-specific survival (HR = 1.59, p < 0.001), overall survival (HR = 1.55, p < 0.001), recurrence-free survival (HR = 1.46, p < 0.001), cancer-specific mortality (HR = 1.25, p = 0.047), and recurrence (HR = 1.23, p = 0.026). LVI was also correlated with advanced tumor stage (III/IV vs. I/II: OR = 7.63, p < 0.001), higher tumor grade (3 vs. 1/2: OR = 5.61, p < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (yes vs. no: OR = 4.95, p < 0.001), carcinoma in situ (yes vs. no: OR = 1.92, p < 0.001), and positive surgical margin (yes vs. no: OR = 4.38, p < 0.001), but not related to gender (male vs. female: OR = 0.98, p = 0.825), and multifocality (multifocal vs. unifocal: OR = 1.09, p = 0.555). The funnel plot test indicated no significant publication bias.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated that LVI was associated with aggressive clinicopathological features. LVI may serve as a poor prognostic factor for patients with UTUC after RNU.

Prognostic Value of Lymphovascular Invasion in Upper Urinary Tract Urothelial Carcinoma after Radical Nephroureterectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This study was performed to identify the prognostic impact of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). A systematic search in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library was performed to identify relevant studies. The outcomes of interest, including progression-free survival (PFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS), were extracted, and the pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used for effect size estimation. Subgroup, metaregression, and sensitivity analyses were performed to explore potential origins of heterogeneity. Publication bias was estimated by Egger's linear regression and funnel plot. Our meta-analysis included a total of 27 studies involving 17,453 patients. The pooled HRs were statistically significant for PFS (HR = 1.73, 95%CI = 1.41–2.11), CSS (HR = 1.87, 95%CI = 1.54–2.27), and OS (HR = 1.56, 95%CI = 1.29–1.87), with high heterogeneity (I² = 77.8%, 70.3%, and 59.2%, respectively). Four studies explored the prognostic value of LVI in patients with advanced tumor stages (T3–T4). The fixed effects model (I² = 33.9%) showed that the pooled HR was 1.64 (95%CI = 1.35–1.99) for CSS. Egger's plots showed no significant publication bias (PFS: P = 0.443, CSS: P = 0.096, and OS: P = 0.894). Our meta-analysis demonstrated that LVI is a poor prognostic factor for UTUC and is strongly associated with disease recurrence, cancer-specific mortality, and overall mortality.

Prognostic Value of Lymphovascular Invasion in Node-Negative Upper Urinary Tract Urothelial Carcinoma Patients Undergoing Radical Nephroureterectomy

PURPOSE

This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in patients treated with radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We collected data from 180 patients who were treated with RNU from 2005 to 2013 at our institution. The Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used for univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

LVI was present in 28 patients (15.6%), which was associated with higher pathological tumor stage (p<0.001), tumor necrosis (p=0.012), lymph node metastasis (p=0.017) and multifocality (p=0.012). On multivariate analysis, LVI was an independent prognostic factor of recurrence-free survival [RFS: hazard ratio (HR)=2.954; 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.539-5.671; p=0.001] and cancer-specific survival (CSS: HR=3.530; 95% CI=1.701-7.325; p=0.001) in all patients. In patients with node-negative UTUC, LVI was also a significant predictor of RFS (HR=3.732; 95% CI 1.866-7.464; p<0.001) and CSS (HR=3.825; 95% CI=1.777-8.234; p=0.001).

CONCLUSION

LVI status was an independent predictor in patients with UTUC who underwent RNU. The estimate of LVI could help physicians identify high-risk patients and make a better medication regimen of adjuvant chemotherapy.

Lymphovascular invasion have a similar prognostic value as lymph node involvement in patients undergoing radical cystectomy with urothelial carcinoma

To determine the prognostic value of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in patients with bladder cancer who underwent radical cystectomy. Total of 747 patients underwent radical cystectomy; of these, only 164 did not undergo lymph node dissection (LND). The patients were divided into 4 groups: N0, N1, LVI without LND, and non-LVI without LND. Patients in the N1 and LVI groups had significantly higher T stages and grades, as well 1.5- to 2-fold higher recurrence and mortality rates. Overall survival (OS) was significantly poorer in the N1 group, compared with the N0 and non-LVI groups (p = 0.001 and 0.012), and in the LVI group relative to the N0 and non-LVI groups (p = < 0.001 and <0.001). Recurrence-free survival (RFS) was also significantly poorer in the N1 group relative to the N0 and non-LVI groups (p = < 0.001 and <0.001), and in the LVI group relative to the N0 and non-LVI groups (p = < 0.001 and <0.001). Among patients undergoing radical cystectomy, the clinical results predicted by LVI were similar to those predicted by lymph node involvement. Therefore, the role of adjuvant chemotherapy or immunotherapy may need to be prospectively evaluated in LVI-positive patients regardless of T stage after radical cystectomy.

Is preoperative serum lactate dehydrogenase useful in predicting the outcomes of patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma?

Background

Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) has been proved to be associated with clinical outcomes in various carcinomas; however, limited evidence was available in upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of LDH in UTUC.

Patients and methods

A cohort of 668 patients WERE retrospectively included between 2003 and 2016. Kaplan‐Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the association of LDH with overall survival (OS), cancer‐specific survival (CSS), disease recurrence‐free survival (RFS), and metastasis‐free survival (MFS). The cutoff level of LDH was set at 220 U/L for the upper limit of normal.

Results

Kaplan‐Meier plots showed the group with elevated LDH had significant poor OS (P = 0.003), CSS (P = 0.005), and RFS (P = 0.005), but not MFS (P = 0.099). However, multivariate Cox analysis suggested that LDH was not an independent predictor for CSS (HR 1.50, 95%CI: 0.87‐2.59), OS (HR 1.56, 95%CI: 0.94‐2.58), RFS (HR 1.33, 95%CI: 0.83‐2.12), or MFS (HR 1.16, 95%CI: 0.79‐1.71). Albumin, globulin, and HBDH were also not related to survival outcomes of UTUC patients in multivariate analysis, while higher alkaline phosphatase was associated with worse CSS and OS, and higher white blood cells contributed to poor CSS and RFS. In subgroup analysis, results found higher LDH was associated with poor OS in patients with localized disease (pT ≤ 2) (HR 4.03, 95%CI: 1.37‐11.88).

Conclusion

The preoperative LDH was not an independent prognostic factor for patients with UTUC, while elevated LDH was proved to be correlated with worse OS in patients with localized disease.

Prognostic impact of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes on patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma receiving platinum based chemotherapy

The impact of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) on survival was confirmed in various cancer types. Our study aims to investigate the prognostic role of TILs on survival in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) receiving platinum based chemotherapy. Patients who were diagnosed to have pathologically proved mUC between 1997 and 2016 and received palliative chemotherapy with platinum based regimen were recruited into our study. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analysis were constructed for overall survival (OS). A total of 259 mUC patients were enrolled into our study with median age 63 years and median follow-up visit 13.5 months. Of these patients, 179 (69%) had intense TILs and 80 (31%) had non-intense TILs. The median OS were 15.7 vs. 6.7 months (P = < 0.001) for patients with intense TILs and non-intense TILs, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that TILs was both prognostically significant no matter for urothelial carcinoma of bladder and upper tract urothelial carcinoma. Multivariate analysis showed that TILs were strongly prognostic factors related to OS. Our study suggested mUC patients with intense TILs were independently associated with survival. Based on our study, TILs is clinically useful for outcomes anticipation and risk stratification, as well as patients counseling.

Prognostic importance of lymphovascular invasion in urothelial carcinoma of the renal pelvis

BACKGROUND

The current study was conducted to assess the impact of lymphovascular invasion on the survival of patients with urothelial carcinoma of the renal pelvis.

METHODS

Patients with urothelial carcinoma of the renal pelvis who underwent radical nephroureterectomy from 2010 through 2015 were identified in the National Cancer Data Base. Patients were characterized according to demographic and clinical factors, including pathologic tumor stage and lymphovascular invasion. Associations with overall survival were assessed through proportional hazards regression analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 4177 patients were identified; 1576 had lymphovascular invasion. Patients with T3 disease and lymphovascular invasion had 5-year survival that was significantly worse than that of patients with T3 disease without lymphovascular invasion (34.7% vs 52.6; P < .001 by the log-rank test), and approached that of patients with T4 disease without lymphovascular invasion (34.7% vs 26.5%; P = .002). On multivariate analysis controlling for age, comorbidities, grade, lymph node status, surgical margin status, race, sex, and chemotherapy administration, patients with T3 disease and lymphovascular invasion also were found to have significantly worse survival compared with patients with T3 disease without lymphovascular invasion (hazard ratio, 1.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-1.91).

CONCLUSIONS

Lymphovascular invasion status is a key prognostic marker that can stratify the risk of patients with pT3 upper tract urothelial carcinoma further. Patients with this pathologic feature should be carefully considered for clinical trials exploring existing and novel therapies. Cancer 2018;124:2507-14. © 2018 American Cancer Society.

Preoperative serum pre-albumin as an independent prognostic indicator in patients with localized upper tract urothelial carcinoma after radical nephroureterectomy

Purpose

To investigate the prognostic value of preoperative pre-albumin and albumin level in patients with localized upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) undergoing radical nephroureterectomy.

Methods and Materials

Between January 2003 and June 2013, we evaluated data on 425 patients with nonmetastatic UTUC (Ta-4N0/+M0) who underwent radical nephroureterectomy at our institution. Low pre-albumin level was defined as <20 mg/dl, while hypoalbuminemia was defined as albumin <35 g/L. The associations of preoperative low pre-albumin level and hypoalbuminemia with clinical and pathologic variables were assessed. Univariable and multivariable analyses using the Cox regression model were performed to determine prognostic factors that were associated with cancer specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). The Harrell concordance index with variables only or combined pre-albumin data were used to evaluate the prognostic accuracy.

Results

Compared with patients with high pre-albumin level, patients with low pre-albumin level were more likely to have older age, higher tumor stage, higher rate of diabetes, regional lymph node metastasis and lymphovascular invasion. Meanwhile, hypoalbuminemia was only associated with diabetes. Multivariate analysis identified decreased preoperative pre-albumin level as an independent prognostic factor for CSS (HR 1.85, 95% CI 1.14-3.00, p=0.013) and OS (HR 1.73, 95% CI 1.12-2.70, p=0.015), but not preoperative hypoalbuminemia. The estimated c-index of the multivariate model for CSS and OS increased from 0.771 and 0.760 without pre-albumin to 0.775 and 0.765 when pre-albumin added.

Conclusions

Low preoperative pre-albumin level but not preoperative hypoalbuminemia is a negative independent prognostic factor for survival outcome in patients with UTUC undergoing radical nephroureterectomy.

The prognostic value of lymphovascular invasion in radical prostatectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

To systematically evaluate the prognostic value of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in radical prostatectomy (RP) by a meta-analysis based on the published literature. To identify relevant studies, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science database were searched from 1966 to May 2014. Finally, 25 studies (9503 patients) were included. LVI was found in 12.2% (1156/9503) of the RP specimens. LVI was found to be correlated with higher pathological tumor stages (greater than pT3 stage) (risk ratio [RR] 1.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.73–2.08, P < 0.00001), higher Gleason scores (greater than GS = 7) (RR 1.30, 95% CI 1.23–1.38, P < 0.00001), positive pathological node (pN) status (RR 5.67, 95% CI 3.14–10.24, P < 0.00001), extracapsular extension (RR 1.72, 95% CI 1.46–2.02, P < 0.00001), and seminal vesicle involvement (RR 3.36, 95% CI 2.41–4.70, P < 0.00001). The pooled hazard ratio (HR) was statistically significant for Biochemical Recurrence-Free (BCR-free) probability (HR 2.05, 95% CI 1.64–2.56; Z = 6.30, P < 0.00001). Sensitivity analysis showed that the pooled HR and 95% CI were not significantly altered by the omission of any single study. Begg's Funnel plots showed no significant publication bias (P = 0.112). In conclusion, LVI exhibited a detrimental effect on the BCR-Free probability and clinicopathological features in RP specimens, and may prove to be an independent prognostic factor of BCR.

Can lymphovascular invasion replace the prognostic value of lymph node involvement in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma after radical nephroureterectomy?

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to evaluate whether lymphovascular invasion (LVI) can replace lymph node (LN) involvement as a prognostic marker in patients who do not undergo lymph node dissection (LND) during surgery in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

METHODS

A total of 505 patients who underwent radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) were recruited from four academic centres and divided into four groups: node negative (N0, Group 1); node positive (N+, Group 2); no LND without LVI (NxLVI-, Group 3); and no LND with LVI (NxLVI+, Group 4).

RESULTS

Patients in Group 2 had larger tumours, a higher incidence of left-sided involvement, more aggressive T stage and grade, and a higher positive surgical margin rate than patients in other groups. Pathological features (T stage and grade) were poorer in Group 4 than in Groups 1 and 3. Compared to other groups, Group 2 had the worst prognostic outcomes regarding locoregional/distant metastasis-free survival (MFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS). LVI and LN status in Group 4 was not associated with MFS in multivariate analysis. Among Nx diseases, LVI was not an independent predictor of MFS or CCS. The small number of cases in Groups 2 and 4 is a major limitation of this study.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical outcomes according to LVI did not correlate with those outcomes predicted by LN involvement in patients with UTUC. Therefore, LVI may not be used as a substitute for nodal status in patients who do not undergo LND at the time of surgery.

Predictive models and prognostic factors for upper tract urothelial carcinoma: a comprehensive review of the literature

In the context of customized patient care for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), decision-making could be facilitated by risk assessment and prediction tools. The aim of this study was to provide a critical overview of existing predictive models and to review emerging promising prognostic factors for UTUC. A literature search of articles published in English from January 2000 to June 2016 was performed using PubMed. Studies on risk group stratification models and predictive tools in UTUC were selected, together with studies on predictive factors and biomarkers associated with advanced-stage UTUC and oncological outcomes after surgery. Various predictive tools have been described for advanced-stage UTUC assessment, disease recurrence and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Most of these models are based on well-established prognostic factors such as tumor stage, grade and lymph node (LN) metastasis, but some also integrate newly described prognostic factors and biomarkers. These new prediction tools seem to reach a high level of accuracy, but they lack external validation and decision-making analysis. The combinations of patient-, pathology- and surgery-related factors together with novel biomarkers have led to promising predictive tools for oncological outcomes in UTUC. However, external validation of these predictive models is a prerequisite before their introduction into daily practice. New models predicting response to therapy are urgently needed to allow accurate and safe individualized management in this heterogeneous disease.

Prognostic model to predict survival in patients with metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy

OBJECTIVES

To create a novel prognostic model to predict survival in metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma patients treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

METHODS

After institutional review board approval, patients who had metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma and were treated with cisplatin based chemotherapy from 2000 to 2012 at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Significantly predictive factors were identified by multivariate Cox regress analyses. Kaplan-Meier curves were plotted to estimate overall survival. Several prognostic models were validated by using our cohort, and Harrell's c-index was calculated to evaluate their predicting performances.

RESULTS

The present study consisted of 136 patients with a median age of 62 years and a median follow-up visit of 13.6 months. Multivariate analyses showed that renal function, performance status, liver metastasis and number of metastatic sites was independently related to survival. Based on these four variables, we constructed a prognostic model "renal function, performance status, liver metastasis, number of metastatic sites" with significantly different survival (P < 0.001). C-index results were renal function, performance status, liver metastasis, number of metastatic sites model 0.80 (0.69-0.90), Bajorin model 0.72 (0.61-0.83), Taguchi model 0.77 (0.67-0.87) and Tanaka model 0.78 (0.69-0.88). Our renal function, performance status, liver metastasis, number of metastatic sites prognostic model achieved the highest c-index in this study.

CONCLUSIONS

Our renal function, performance status, liver metastasis, number of metastatic sites prognostic model could be useful for providing prognostic information on survival in patients with metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

Tumor necrosis predicts poor clinical outcomes in patients with node-negative upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Tumor necrosis has been indicated as a factor for the poor clinical outcome in human cancers. We aim to disclose the association between tumor necrosis and overall survival and recurrence-free survival in node-negative upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma patients treated with radical nephroureterectomy.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort of 100 patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma from January 1990 to June 2011 was enrolled in this study. Univariate analysis with Log-rank test and multivariate analysis with Cox proportional hazards regression models were conducted to determine the correlations of tumor necrosis with overall survival and recurrence-free survival.

RESULTS

Tumor necrosis was presented in 48 patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma and was significantly associated with the advanced pathological stage (P < 0.001), high tumor grade (P < 0.001), subsequent bladder tumor (P = 0.018), vascular invasion (P < 0.001) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.026). Multivariate analysis revealed tumor necrosis as an independent unfavorable predictor of overall survival in node-negative upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma patients by multivariate analysis (hazard ratio = 9.23, 95% confidence interval = 1.05-80.89, P = 0.045).

CONCLUSIONS

Tumor necrosis was an independent factor of adverse clinical outcomes in node-negative upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma patients who received radical nephroureterectomy. Evaluation of tumor necrosis might be of clinical significance to determine whether patients with node-negative upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma should be given further therapy after radical nephroureterectomy.

Extraurothelial recurrence after radical nephroureterectomy: preoperative predictors and survival

OBJECTIVE

To identify the preoperative predictors of extraurothelial recurrence (EUR) after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

METHODS

A single-center series of 238 consecutive patients who were treated with RNU for UTUC was evaluated. Recurrence-free probabilities and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the association between various clinicopathological factors and EUR.

RESULTS

The median time to EUR was 17.6 months (range 3-73 months). EUR-free survival rates at 1, 3, 5, and 7 years were 87.8, 75.2, 73.5, and 72.6%, respectively. In multivariate Cox regression analyses, tumor stage (HR 27.4; 95% CI 7.83-95.8; p = 0.0001) and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (HR 1.53; 95% CI 1.22-3.12; p = 0.01) were independently associated with EUR. In patients with EUR, 5-year CSS estimate was 29.2%. Tumor stage (HR 14.3; 95% CI 4.55-45.2; p < 0.001) and EUR (HR 2.7; 95% CI 1.54-4.73; p = 0.001) were the only independent predictors associated with worse CSS.

CONCLUSIONS

EUR significantly affected the prognosis in patients with UTUC managed by RNU. Patient with EUR had a greater probability of having higher tumor stages, higher tumor grades, and positive LVI. Tumor stage and LVI were independently associated with a worse EUR-free survival.

Clinical significance of prognosis using the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in patients undergoing radical nephroureterectomy for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the clinical significance of preoperative erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as prognostic factors in patients undergoing radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 410 patients were retrospectively reviewed. An elevated NLR was defined as ≥2.5 and a normal ESR was considered to be in the range of 0-22 mm/h in men and 0-27 mm/h in women. Patients were divided into three groups: those with ESR and NLR in the normal range (group 0, n = 168), those with either elevated ESR or elevated NLR (group I, n = 169), and those with both elevated ESR and elevated NLR (group II, n = 73).

RESULTS

The median patient age was 64 years and the median follow-up duration was 40.2 months. In all, 35.6 and 41.2% of patients had elevated NLRs and ESRs, respectively. Group II was associated with advanced tumour status in terms of size, grade, stage, lymph node and margin status (P < 0.05). Preoperative ESR (hazard ratio [HR] 1.784, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.173-2.712), NLR (HR 1.704, 95% CI 1.136-2.556), and prognostic grouping (HR 2.285, 95% CI 1.397-3.737 for group I; HR 2.962, 95% CI 1.719-5.102 for group II) were independent predictors of progression-free survival (PFS) in the multivariate model (P < 0.05). Prognostic grouping was also an independent prognostic factor for cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). Time-dependent area under the receiver-operating characteristic curves showed that NLR plus ESR had a greater diagnostic value than NLR alone regarding oncological outcomes (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Prognostic grouping using ESR and NLR was identified as an independent prognostic marker in patients with UTUC. The addition of ESR improved the prognostic value of NLR alone in predicting oncological outcomes. The combination of preoperative ESR and NLR might be a new prediction tool in patients with UTUC after radical nephroureterectomy.

Smoking-induced changes in cancer-related factors in patients with upper tract urothelial cancer

Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for urothelial cancer (UC) development. However, the associations between smoking and changes in the pathological characteristics and molecular expression of cancer-related molecules in upper tract (UT) UC have not been fully elucidated. We investigated the associations between smoking status and cancer-related factors, including cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-A and -C, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and urokinase-type plasminogen activator, in patients with UTUC. A total of 134 patients who underwent nephroureterectomy were retrospectively investigated. Proliferation index (PI), microvessel density and lymphatic vessel density (LVD) were measured using anti-Ki-67, anti-CD105 and anti-D2-40 antibodies in formalin-fixed specimens. The apoptotic index was evaluated using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling method. Other cancer-related molecules were investigated by immunohistochemistry in similar specimens. The patients were divided into three groups; non-smoker (n=54, 40.3%), former smoker (n=46, 34.3%) and current smoker (n=34, 25.4%). The PI and the apoptotic index were not found to be correlated with smoking status; however, the mean/standard deviation level of LVD in current smokers (40.9/12.9) was significantly higher (P=0.034) compared to that in patients who had never smoked (34.4/10.6). In addition, smoking status was positively correlated with the presence of intratumoral lymphatic vessels (iLV) (P=0.010) and the expression of COX-2 and MMP-9 (P=0.032). The multivariate analysis demonstrated that current smoking was independently associated with all the abovementioned smoking-related factors. However, former smoking was correlated with LVD and the presence of iLV. In the survival analysis, LVD, the presence of iLV and the expression of COX-2 and MMP-9 were identified as predictive factors for metastasis following surgery. In conclusion, lymphangiogenesis and the expression levels of COX-2 and MMP-9 were found to be associated with the smoking status of UTUC patients. Our results may provide important insights into the pathological changes precipitated by smoking in these patients.

Prognostic significance of lymphovascular invasion in upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma is influenced by tumor location

BACKGROUND

To examine the prognostic value of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in different tumor locations (i.e., renal pelvis and ureter) of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

METHODS

Data from a total of 250 patients with nonmetastatic UTUC who received radical nephroureterectomy between 2004 and 2010 at our institution were analyzed retrospectively. The significance of LVI and other relevant factors on cancer-specific survival (CSS), metastasis-free survival (MFS), and intraluminal recurrence-free survival (IRFS) were evaluated.

RESULTS

Lymphovascular invasion was present in 60 patients (24 %) and was related to advanced pathological T stage (P < 0.001), higher tumor grade (P < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.005), and pyelocaliceal tumor location (P = 0.002). By Kaplan-Meier analysis, LVI was found to be significantly correlated with worse CSS and MFS but not with IRFS. Multivariate analysis showed that high pathological T stage and regional lymph node involvement were significant prognostic factors for CSS and MFS, and LVI was an independent predictor for MFS (hazard ratio 1.71, 95 % confidence interval 1.00-2.93, P = 0.049). In patients with ureteral tumors, LVI represented the only significant prognosticator for both CSS and MFS in multivariate analysis. The prognostic value of LVI was not observed in pyelocaliceal tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

The implication of LVI on prognosis, particularly in ureteral tumors but not in pyelocaliceal tumors, may imply diverse disease characteristics between different tumor locations among UTUC. LVI is essential to identify patients at high risk for metastasis/mortality and can facilitate treatment planning and surveillance strategies, especially in patients with ureteral tumors.

Prognostic significance of lymphovascular invasion in radical cystectomy on patients with bladder cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose

The objective of the present study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of published literature to appraise the prognostic value of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in radical cystectomy specimens.

Materials and Methods

Following the PRISMA statement, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and SCOPUS database were searched from the respective dates of inception until June 2013.

Results

A total of 21 articles met the eligibility criteria for this systematic review, which included a total of 12,527 patients ranging from 57 to 4,257 per study. LVI was detected in 34.6% in radical cystectomy specimens. LVI was associated with higher pathological T stage and tumor grade, as well as lymph node metastasis. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) was statistically significant for recurrence-free survival (pooled HR, 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26–2.06), cancer-specific survival (pooled HR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.38–2.01), and overall survival (pooled HR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.38–2.01), despite the heterogeneity among included studies. On sensitivity analysis, the pooled HRs and 95% CIs were not significantly altered when any one study was omitted. The funnel plot for overall survival demonstrated a certain degree of asymmetry, which showed slight publication bias.

Conclusions

This meta-analysis indicates that LVI is significantly associated with poor outcome in patients with bladder cancer who underwent radical cystectomy. Adequately designed prospective studies are required to provide the precise prognostic significance of LVI in bladder cancer.