A novel repeat biopsy nomogram based on three-dimensional extended biopsy

Is 123I-MIBG Scintigraphy Beneficial or Excessive for the Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease in the Early Phase?

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVE

In most cases, abnormal cardiac 123I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy increases the probability of a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) in patients with parkinsonian features. In our study, we validated the additional value of 123I-MIBG scintigraphy beyond providing information on neurological findings and response to dopaminergic therapy for the diagnosis of PDin the early phase.

METHODS

We investigated 77 cases of PD (Hoehn and Yahr Stages I-III) and 73 cases of atypical parkinsonian disorder (APD), including 35 patients with multiple system atrophy, 19 with corticobasal syndrome, and 19 with progressive supranuclear palsy. Two multiple logistic regression models were developed to predict the probability of PD based on APD. Common covariates were resting tremor, vertical supranuclear palsy, apraxia, cerebellar symptoms, and response to dopaminergic therapy with MIBG scintigraphy (reference model) or without it (MIBG-added model). The net reclassification index (NRI) was examined and net benefit using decision curve analysis was performed to examine the additional clinical value of MIBG scintigraphy. Finally, we estimated the cost-effectiveness of MIBG scintigraphy.

RESULTS

The MIBG-added model significantly improved the ability to classify PD or APD compared with the reference model (NRI index 1.390, p < 0.001). However, the decision curve of the reference model ranked equally with the MIBG-added model up to a risk threshold of 0.8. In addition, MIBG scintigraphy was not cost-effective.

CONCLUSIONS

Although MIBG scintigraphy has statistical usefulness for PD diagnosis, there may be little additional benefit in the early phase of PD beyond the neurological findings and response to dopaminergic therapy regarding clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. It may be of greatest value when neurological findings that do not match PD are observed during the clinical course.

Development of a nomogram for predicting a positive repeat prostate biopsy

AIM: To find risk factors of cancer in patients who had a repeat biopsy and to develop the nomogram using our cohort.

METHODS: Among 3500 patients who had a prostate biopsy over 11 years between 2000 and 2010 at our hospital, we studied a total of 807 repeat biopsy sessions in 459 patients who had at least 1 initial negative biopsy. At each biopsy session, we recorded patient age, number of previous biopsy sessions, number of biopsy cores, number of previously negative biopsy cores, months from the initial biopsy, months from the previous biopsy, serum PSA, PSA slope, digital rectal examination findings, hypoechoic lesions suspicious for a cancer on transrectal ultrasonography, total prostate volume, transitional zone (TZ) volume, PSA density, PSA TZ density and history of high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) or atypical small acinar proliferation (ASAP). Clinical and pathological variables were correlated with the outcome of repeat biopsies. A nomogram was developed based on logistic regression analyses and calibration was performed.

RESULTS: Overall, 17% of repeat biopsies had a cancer. With receiver operating characteristics analyses, the highest area under the curve (AUC) was obtained based on all available 13 variables, which were age, PSA, digital rectal examination, PSA density, prostate volume, TZ volume, PSA TZ density, cumulative number of biopsy cores, HGPIN, ASAP, months from previous negative biopsy, initial negative biopsy and number of biopsy cores. Based on multivariable logistic regression analysis, a nomogram was constructed with an AUC of 0.74, which was greater than that of any single risk factor. The calibration plot seemed to be good.

CONCLUSION: Our nomogram for predicting a positive repeat biopsy can provide probabilities for cancer and may help clinical judgment on whether to do a repeat prostate biopsy.

Development of a nomogram incorporating serum C-reactive protein level to predict overall survival of patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma and its evaluation by decision curve analysis

Background:

The purpose of this study is to investigate the prognostic impact of C-reactive protein (CRP) on patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma and to develop a novel nomogram predicting survival.

Methods:

A total of 223 consecutive patients were treated at Tokyo Medical and Dental Hospital. A nomogram incorporating V was developed based on the result of a Cox proportional hazards model. Its efficacy and clinical usefulness was evaluated by concordance index (c-index) and decision curve analysis.

Results:

Of the 223 patients, 184 (83%) died of cancer. Median follow-up periods of patients who died and those who remained alive were 5 and 11 months, respectively. We developed a novel nomogram incorporating Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status, presence of visceral metastasis, haemoglobin and age. The c-index of the nomogram predicting survival probability 6 and 12 months after diagnosis was 0.788 and 0.765, respectively. Decision curve analyses revealed that the novel nomogram incorporating CRP had a superior net benefit than that without CRP for most of the examined probabilities.

Conclusion:

We demonstrated the prognostic impact of CRP that improved the predictive accuracy of a nomogram for survival probability in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma.