Significance of perivesical lymph nodes in radical cystectomy for bladder cancer

Urothelial Carcinoma: Update on Staging and Reporting, and Pathologic Changes Following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapies

Staging and reporting of cancers of the urinary tract have undergone major changes in the past decade to meet the needs for improved patient management. Substantial progress has been made. There, however, remain issues that require further clarity, including the substaging of pT1 tumors, grading and reporting of tumors with grade heterogeneity, and following NAC. Multi-institutional collaborative studies with prospective data will further inform the accurate diagnosis, staging, and reporting of these tumors, and in conjunction with genomic data will ultimately contribute to precision and personalized patient management.

Updates in Staging and Reporting of Genitourinary Malignancies

CONTEXT.—

The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging manual changed the tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) classification systems of genitourinary malignancies in 2017. However, some of the changes appear not well appreciated or recognized by practicing pathologists.

OBJECTIVE.—

To review the major changes compared with the 7th edition in cancers of the prostate, penis, testis, bladder, urethra, renal pelvis/ureter, and kidney and discuss the challenges that pathologists may encounter.

DATA SOURCES.—

Peer-reviewed publications and the 8th and 7th editions of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual.

CONCLUSIONS.—

This article summarizes the updated staging of genitourinary malignancies, specifically highlighting changes from the 7th edition that are relevant to the pathologic staging system. Pathologists should be aware of the updates made in hopes of providing clarification and the remaining diagnostic challenges associated with these changes.

The impact of perivesical lymph node metastasis on clinical outcomes of bladder cancer patients undergoing radical cystectomy

Background

Perivesical lymph nodes (PVLNs) are occasionally isolated during grossing of cystectomy specimens. However, the prognostic implications of the involvement of PVLNs in bladder cancer patients, especially those with comparisons to pN0 disease, remain poorly understood.

Methods

A retrospective review identified 115 radical cystectomy cases where PVLNs had been histologically assessed. These cases were then divided into 4 groups – Group 1 (n = 76): PVLN-negative/other pelvic lymph node (non-PVLN)-negative; Group 2 (n = 5): PVLN-positive/non-PVLN-negative; Group 3 (n = 17): PVLN-negative/non-PVLN-positive; and Group 4 (n = 17): PVLN-positive/non-PVLN-positive.

Results

pT stage at cystectomy was significantly higher in Group 3 (P = 0.013), Group 4 (P < 0.001), Groups 2 and 4 (P < 0.001), or Groups 2–4 (P < 0.001) than in Group 1. However, the number of positive PVLNs (mean: 1.8 vs. 2.1; P = 0.718) or the rate of extracapsular extension in the PVLNs (40% vs. 65%, P = 0.609) was not significantly different between Group 2 and Group 4. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test revealed significantly (P < 0.05) higher risks of disease progression (Group 3/Group 4), cancer-specific mortality (Group 2/Group 3/Group 4), and overall mortality (Group 4), compared with Group 1. Multivariate analysis further showed metastasis to both PVLN and non-PVLN (Group 4), PVLN (Groups 2 and 4), or PVLN and/or non-PVLN (Groups 2–4) as an independent prognosticator for cancer-specific mortality and overall survival. There were also insignificant (P = 0.096) and significant (P = 0.036) differences in cancer-specific survival and overall survival, respectively, between Group 3 versus Group 4, and the trend of the latter was confirmed by subset multivariate analysis (hazard ratio = 3.769; P = 0.099).

Conclusions

Worse prognosis was observed in bladder cancer patients with isolated PVLN metastasis (vs. pN0 disease especially for cancer-specific survival), PVLN metastasis with or without non-PVLN metastasis (vs. pN0 disease), and concurrent PVLN and non-PVLN metastases (vs. PVLN-negative/non-PVLN-positive disease especially for overall survival). These findings indicate the importance of thorough histopathological assessment of PVLNs in radical cystectomy specimens.

Contemporary Grading and Staging of Urothelial Neoplasms of the Urinary Bladder: New Concepts and Approaches to Challenging Scenarios

Grading and staging of urothelial neoplasm are the most crucial factors in risk stratification and management; both necessitate optimal accuracy and consistency. Several updates and recommendations have been provided though recent publications of the 4th edition of the World Health Organization classification, the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system, and the International Consultation on Urological Diseases-European Association of Urology updates on bladder cancer. Updates and recent studies have provided better insights into and approaches to the challenging scenarios in grading and staging of urothelial neoplasm; however, there remain aspects that need further investigation and refinement.

Prognostic value of the combination of pre- and postoperative C-reactive protein in colorectal cancer patients

PURPOSE

Inflammation is closely related to cancer development and progression. This retrospective study investigated the prognostic value of the combination of pre- and postoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

The subjects of this study were 406 patients who underwent surgery for CRC.

RESULTS

Based on receiver-operating characteristic analysis, patients were divided into the following groups: those with a preoperative CRP of ≥ 0.5 mg/dL (pre-CRP^High), those with a preoperative CRP of < 0.5 mg/dL (pre-CRP^Low), those with a postoperative CRP of ≥ 17.0 mg/dL (post-CRP^High), and those with a postoperative CRP of < 17.0 mg/dL (post-CRP^Low). They were then allocated to one of the following three groups: Group A, comprised of those in the pre-CRP^High and post-CRP^High groups; Group B, comprised of those in either the pre-CRP^High and post-CRP^Low or pre-CRP^Low and post-CRP^High groups; and Group C, comprised of those in the pre-CRP^Low and post-CRP^Low groups. The disease-specific 5-year survival rates were 53.8%, 72.8%, and 87.2% in Groups A, B, and C, respectively, and these differences were significant. Finally, multivariate analysis revealed that the combination of pre- and postoperative CRP levels was an independent prognostic indicator.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of pre- and postoperative CRP was predictive of the prognosis of CRC patients.

Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of pelvic lymph node metastasis in bladder cancer

Background

Accurate evaluation of lymph node metastasis in bladder cancer (BCa) is important for disease staging, treatment selection, and prognosis prediction. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for metastatic lymph nodes in BCa and establish criteria of imaging diagnosis.

Methods

We retrospectively assessed the imaging characteristics of 191 BCa patients who underwent radical cystectomy. The data regarding size, shape, density, and diffusion of the lymph nodes on CT and/or MRI were obtained and analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis test and χ² test. The optimal cutoff value for the size of metastatic node was determined using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results

A total of 184 out of 3317 resected lymph nodes were diagnosed as metastatic lymph nodes. Among 82 imaging-detectable lymph nodes, 51 were confirmed to be positive for metastasis. The detection rate of metastatic nodes increased along with more advanced tumor stage (P < 0.001). Once the ratio of short- to long-axis diameter ≤ 0.4 or fatty hilum was observed in lymph nodes on imaging, it indicated non-metastases. Besides, lymph nodes with spiculate or obscure margin or necrosis indicated metastases. Furthermore, the short diameter of 6.8 mm was the optimal threshold to diagnose metastatic lymph node, with the area under ROC curve of 0.815.

Conclusions

The probability of metastatic nodes significantly increased with more advanced T stages. Once lymph nodes are detected on imaging, the characteristic signs should be paid attention to. The short diameter > 6.8 mm may indicate metastatic lymph nodes in BCa.

The prognostic role of preoperative serum C-reactive protein in predicting the biochemical recurrence in patients treated with radical prostatectomy

BACKGROUND

To assess the prognostic value of preoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) serum levels for prognostication of biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP) in a large multi-institutional cohort.

METHODS

Data from 7205 patients treated with RP at five institutions for clinically localized prostate cancer (PCa) were retrospectively analyzed. Preoperative serum levels of CRP within 24 h before surgery were evaluated. A CRP level ⩾0.5 mg dl(-1) was considered elevated. Associations of elevated CRP with BCR were evaluated using univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models. Harrel's C-index was used to assess prognostic accuracy (PA).

RESULTS

Patients with higher Gleason score on biopsy and RP, extracapsular extension, seminal vesicle invasion, lymph node metastasis, and positive surgical margins status had a significantly elevated preoperative CRP compared to those without these features. Patients with elevated CRP had a lower 5-year BCR survival proportion as compared to those with normal CRP (55% vs 76%, respectively, P<0.0001). In pre- and postoperative multivariable models that adjusted for standard clinical and pathologic features, elevated CRP was independently associated with BCR (P<0.001). However, the addition of preoperative CRP did not improve the accuracy of the standard pre- and postoperative models for prediction of BCR (70.9% vs 71% and 78.9% vs 78.7%, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative CRP is elevated in patients with pathological features of aggressive PCa and BCR after RP. While CRP has independent prognostic value, it does not add prognostically or clinically significant information to standard predictors of outcomes.