Predicting prostate specific antigen outcome preoperatively in the prostate specific antigen era

Neighborhood greenness and long-term physical and psychosocial quality of life among prostate cancer survivors in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study

INTRODUCTION

Neighborhood greenness may benefit long-term prostate cancer survivorship by promoting physical activity and social integration, and reducing stress and exposure to air pollution, noise, and extreme temperatures. We examined associations of neighborhood greenness and long-term physical and psychosocial quality of life in prostate cancer survivors in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

METHODS

We included 1437 individuals diagnosed with non-metastatic prostate cancer between 2008 and 2016 across the United States. Neighborhood greenness within a 1230m buffer of each individual's mailing address was measured using the Landsat satellite image-based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). We fit generalized linear mixed effect models to assess associations of greenness (in quintiles) with longitudinal patient reported outcome measures on prostate cancer-specific physical and psychosocial quality of life, adjusting for time-varying individual- and neighborhood-level demographic factors and clinical factors.

RESULTS

The greatest symptom burden was in the sexual domain. More than half of survivors reported good memory function and the lack of depressive signs at diagnosis. In fully adjusted models, cumulative average greenness since diagnosis was associated with fewer vitality/hormonal symptoms (highest quintile, Q5, vs lowest quintile, Q1: mean difference: 0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.81, -0.12). Other domains of physical quality of life (bowel symptoms, urinary incontinence, urinary irritation, and sexual symptoms) did not differ by greenness overall. Psychosocial quality of life did not differ by greenness overall (Q5 vs Q1, odds ratio [95% CI]: memory function: 1.01 [0.61, 1.73]; lack of depressive signs: 1.10 [0.63, 1.95]; and wellbeing: 1.17 [0.71, 1.91]).

CONCLUSION

During long-term prostate cancer survivorship, cumulative average 1230m greenness since diagnosis was associated with fewer vitality/hormonal symptoms. Other domains of physical quality of life and psychosocial quality of life did not differ by greenness overall. Limitations included potential non-differential exposure measurement error and NDVI's lack of time-activity pattern.

Social integration and long-term physical and psychosocial quality of life among prostate cancer survivors in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study

PURPOSE

Prostate cancer survivors may benefit from a supportive social environment. We investigated associations of social integration and long-term physical and psychosocial quality of life among prostate cancer survivors who were participants in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

METHODS

We included 1,428 individuals diagnosed with non-metastatic prostate cancer between 2008 and 2016. Social integration was measured by the Berkman-Syme Social Network Index (SNI) and marital status. We fit generalized linear mixed effect models for associations of SNI and marital status with patient reported outcome measures on physical and psychosocial quality of life captured between 2008 and 2020, adjusting for age, race, employment status, body mass index, comorbidities, smoking history, and clinical factors.

RESULTS

Among those with baseline SNI (N = 1,362), 46.4% were socially integrated, 20.3% were moderately integrated, 27.4% were moderately isolated, and 5.9% were socially isolated. Among those reporting baseline marital status (N = 1,428), 89.5% were married. Socially integrated survivors (vs. socially isolated) reported fewer depressive signs and better psychosocial wellbeing. Physical quality of life did not differ by social integration. Married survivors (vs. not married) reported fewer urinary symptoms, but there were no differences in bowel, sexual, or vitality/hormonal symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Among prostate cancer survivors, being socially integrated was associated with fewer depressive signs and better psychosocial wellbeing, and married prostate cancer survivors had fewer urinary symptoms.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

This study highlighted aspects of long-term physical and psychosocial quality of life that are more favorable among prostate cancer survivors with a supportive social environment.

Excess weight, weight gain, and prostate cancer risk and prognosis: the PROCA-life study

BACKGROUND

Studies of excess weight and weight changes throughout adult life for prostate cancer (PCa) risk and prognosis have shown inconsistent results.

METHODS

In a population-based cohort, the Prostate Cancer Study throughout life (PROCA-life), 16,960 healthy men from the prospective cohort Tromsø Study (1994-2016) were included. Body mass index (BMI) and weight were measured at all four attendings, and weight change was calculated as the difference between the first and last of either Tromsø4, Tromsø5 or Tromsø6. Overall, 904 men developed PCa during 16 years of follow-up, and Poisson regression with fractional polynomials was used to investigate trends in incidence. Cox proportional hazard and logistic regression models were used to study associations between measurements of BMI and weight change and PCa risk, severity, and mortality.

RESULTS

At study entry, 46% of the participants (median age 44 years) were overweight, and 14% were obese (BMI > 30 kg/m2). We observed a 127% increase in overall age adjusted PCa incidence in the cohort during 1995 through 2019. No overall associations between BMI or weight change and PCa risk were observed. However, in sub-group analysis, weight gain among obese men was associated with a three-fold higher PCa risk (HR 3.03, 95% CI 1.39-6.58) compared with obese men with stable weight. Overweight was associated with lower risk of metastatic cancer (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.30-0.75) at diagnosis. Men with obesity had higher risk of PCa-specific death (HR 1.72, 95% CI 1.03-2.88), while nonsmoking obese PCa cases had two times higher PCa-specific mortality compared with normal weighted PCa cases (HR 2.10, 95% CI 1.11-3.70).

INTERPRETATION

In our cohort, weight gain among obese men was associated with higher risk of PCa, and obesity was associated with higher PCa-specific mortality, especially among nonsmokers. The relationship between weight and risk for PCa remains complicated, and future studies are needed to determine clinical implications.

Grossing and reporting of radical prostatectomy specimens: An evidence-based approach

Radical prostatectomy (RP) constitutes the primary treatment option for patients with clinically localized, biopsy-proven prostate cancer that requires local treatment with curative intent. Accurate reporting of radical prostatectomy specimens is required to guide further risk stratification and management of patients. Hence, for the handling and reporting of RP specimens, a standardized protocol should be followed. Many general pathologists may not be well-versed with the guidelines for the handling of radical prostatectomy specimens. This article discusses a detailed approach to grossing techniques, including specimen description, fixation requirements, gross cut-up, and reporting of the grade and stage of RP specimens. This will enable the pathologist to aid in multidisciplinary management.

A Comprehensive Assessment of the Utility of Transperineal Template Prostate Mapping Biopsy: A 13-year Experience

OBJECTIVE

To assess Duke's experience on the utility of transperineal template mapping biopsy (TTMB) for re-evaluating patients with persistently elevated prostate-specific antigen after prior negative biopsy, with pre-existing prostate cancer (PCa) already on active surveillance (AS), or considering focal therapy (FT).

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed Duke patients undergoing TTMB. Functional outcomes were evaluated using International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) and International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). Complications within 30 days were recorded. Nonparametric statistical analyses compared functional measures from baseline to 2 and 6 weeks post-TTMB.

RESULTS

From 8/2009 to 1/2021, 218 patients underwent TTMB, with 57-month median follow-up. Complication rate was 17.4%, with the majority Clavien I. Overall PCa detection was 72.9%, with clinically significant PCa in 53.2%; for those without prior PCa diagnosis (n = 117), overall detection was 64.1% with clinically significant PCa in 49.5%. Of those on AS at TTMB (n = 86), 36 (41.8%) had Gleason upgrading. TTMB changed management for 59 (68.6%) patients, with 38 (44.2%) proceeding to whole-gland therapy and 21 (24.4%) electing FT. Regarding functional outcomes, IPSS were insignificantly different from baseline at 6 weeks (P = NS). Overall functional score impacts were minimal across subgroups; in groups with significant declines in IIEF-5, median score drops were ≤1 point and caused minimal/no movement in IIEF-5 scoring category.

CONCLUSION

In this cohort, TTMB offered enhanced cancer detection with overall minimal impact to functional outcomes. We conclude from this comprehensive assessment that TTMB provides value to rule out PCa, prevent overtreatment of those that can remain on AS, evaluate FT candidacy, and identify those needing whole-gland management.

Incidence and Predicting Factors of Histopathological Features at Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy in the mpMRI Era: Results of a Single Tertiary Referral Center

Background and Objectives: To describe the predictors of cribriform variant status and perineural invasion (PNI) in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) histology. To define the rates of upgrading between biopsy specimens and final histology and their possible predictive factors in prostate cancer (PCa) patients undergoing RARP. Material and Methods: Within our institutional database, 265 PCa patients who underwent prostate biopsies and consecutive RARP at our center were enrolled (2018-2022). In the overall population, two independent multivariable logistic regression models (LRMs) predicting the presence of PNI or cribriform variant status at RARP were performed. In low- and intermediate-risk PCa patients according to D'Amico risk classification, three independent multivariable LRMs were fitted to predict upgrading. Results: Of all, 30.9% were low-risk, 18.9% were intermediate-risk and 50.2% were high-risk PCa patients. In the overall population, the rates of the cribriform variant and PNI at RARP were 55.8% and 71.1%, respectively. After multivariable LRMs predicting PNI, total tumor length in biopsy cores (>24 mm [OR: 2.37, p-value = 0.03], relative to <24 mm) was an independent predictor. After multivariable LRMs predicting cribriform variant status, PIRADS (3 [OR:15.37], 4 [OR: 13.57] or 5 [OR: 16.51] relative to PIRADS 2, all p = 0.01) and total tumor length in biopsy cores (>24 mm [OR: 2.47, p = 0.01], relative to <24 mm) were independent predicting factors. In low- and intermediate-risk PCa patients, the rate of upgrading was 74.4% and 78.0%, respectively. After multivariable LRMs predicting upgrading, PIRADS (PIRADS 3 [OR: 7.01], 4 [OR: 16.98] or 5 [OR: 20.96] relative to PIRADS 2, all p = 0.01) was an independent predicting factor. Conclusions: RARP represents a tailored and risk-adapted treatment strategy for PCa patients. The indication of RP progressively migrates to high-risk PCa after a pre-operative assessment. Specifically, the PIRADS score at mpMRI should guide the decision-making process of urologists for PCa patients.

Gleason score, surgical and distant metastasis are associated with cancer-specific survival and overall survival in middle aged high-risk prostate cancer: A population-based study

Objective

According to statistics, patients with high-risk prostate cancer (PC) account for about 15% of prostate cancer diagnoses, and high-risk patients usually have a poor prognosis due to metastasis and recurrence and have a high mortality rate. Therefore, the accurate prediction of prognostic-related risk factors in middle-aged high-risk PC patients between 50 and 65 can help reduce patient mortality. We aimed to construct new nomograms for predicting cancer-specific survival (CSS) and Overall survival (OS) in middle-aged high-risk PC patients.

Methods

Data for patients aged between 50 and 65 years old and diagnosed with high-risk PC were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were used to identify independent risk factors for CSS and OS in patients. Nomograms predicting CSS and OS were developed based on multivariate Cox regression models. The concordance index (C-index), the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and the calibration curve are used to detect the accuracy and discrimination of the model. Decision curve analysis (DCA) is used to detect the potential clinical value of this model.

Results

Between 2010 and 2018, 1,651 patients diagnosed with high-risk PC and aged 50-65 years were included. In this study, the training group (n = 1,146) and the validation group (n = 505) were randomly assigned in a ratio of 7:3. The results showed that M stage, Gleason (GS) and surgical mode were independent risk factors for CSS; marital status, T stage, M stage, surgical mode, and GS were independent risk factors for OS. The C-index for predicting CSS in the training and validation groups are 0.84 and 0.811, respectively; the C-index for predicting OS in the training and validation groups are 0.824 and 0.784, respectively. The AUC and the calibration curves also showed good accuracy and discrimination.

Conclusions

We constructed new nomograms to predict CSS and OS in middle-aged high-risk PC patients. The prediction tools showed good accuracy and reliability, which can help clinicians and patients to make better clinical decisions.

Evaluation of the prognostic nutritional index for the prognosis of Chinese patients with high/extremely high-risk prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy

BACKGROUND

The incidence of prostate cancer (PCa) is on the rise in China. The risk level of patients with PCa is associated with disease-free survival rate at 10 years after radical prostatectomy. Predicting prognosis in advance according to the degree of risk can provide a reference for patients, especially treatment options and postoperative adjuvant treatment measures for high-risk/extremely high-risk patients.

AIM

To explore the predictive value of the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) for biological recurrence in Chinese patients with high/extremely high-risk PCa after radical prostatectomy.

METHODS

The biochemical test results and clinical data of 193 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for the first time from January 2015 to December 2020 were retrospectively collected. The PNI value of peripheral blood within 1 wk before surgery was calculated, and during the follow-up period, prostate-specific antigen ≥ 0.2 ng/mL was considered to have biological recurrence. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to calculate the optimal critical value and area under the curve (AUC) of the patients. According to the critical value, the progression-free survival of the high PNI group and low PNI group was compared. The independent influencing factors of the patients' prognosis were obtained by the Cox proportional hazards regression model.

RESULTS

The non-biological recurrence rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 92.02%, 84.05%, and 74.85%, respectively. The optimal critical value for PNI to predict biological recurrence was 46.23, and the AUC was 0.789 (95% confidence interval: 0.651-0.860; P < 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity were 82.93% and 62.30%, respectively. In accordance with the optimal critical value of the ROC curve (46.23), 193 patients were further divided into a high PNI group (PNI ≤ 46.23, n = 108) and low PNI group (PNI > 46.23, n = 85). The incidence of postoperative complications in the high PNI group was lower than that in the low PNI group (21.18% vs 38.96%). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the overall survival rate at 5 years in the low PNI group was 87.96% (13/108), which was lower than that in the high PNI group (61.18%, 33/85; P < 0.05). Low PNI [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.74; P = 0.003] and positive incisal margin status (HR = 2.14; P = 0.001) were independent predictors of biological recurrence in patients with high/extremely high-risk PCa.

CONCLUSION

The PNI has predictive value for the prognosis of patients with high/extremely high-risk PCa, and is an independent prognostic factor. Patients with low PNI value have a shorter time of non-biological recurrence after prostatectomy. It is expected that the combined prediction of other clinicopathological data will further improve the accuracy and guide postoperative adjuvant therapy to improve the quality of prognosis.

A comparison of clinicopathologic features of prostate cancer between Nigerian and South African black men

Background

Globally, prostate cancer (PCa) is the commonest non-cutaneous male malignancy. It is more aggressive among black men with little known reasons as to the cause and continued trend among black men. This disproportionate pattern of PCa especially among black men of African ancestry resident in Africa calls for a closer look. Nigeria and South Africa, combined, have the highest cumulative risk incidence of PCa in Africa. The present study investigated the clinicopathologic behaviour of PCa among Nigerian and South African black men and the relationship between the disease and socio-demographic characteristics alongside medical co-morbidities.

Methods

A retrospective cross-sectional study was undertaken in which de-identified records of 234 black men with pathologically confirmed PCa between 2007 and 2017 from two tertiary hospitals, in Nigeria (National Hospital, Abuja) and South Africa (Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town), were reviewed.

Results

Median age at presentation from both countries was 66 years (interquartile range, IQR 61–73 years) while the median PSA at presentation was 46 ng/ml (IQR 16–336.5 ng/ml). Half of the men (117/234) presented with locally advanced disease while metastatic disease was observed in 65.9% (27/41) of Nigerian men and 34.1% (14/41) of South African men. Thirty-three per cent of the men presented with organ-confined disease. Overall, Nigerian men presented with less organ-confined disease and significantly higher stage of disease (p < 0.001). Risk stratification using PSA, Gleason scores and T-staging showed that 84.2% (n = 197) of all the men presented with high-risk PCa disease. There was a statistically significant difference between Nigerian and South African black men (p = 0.003) in terms of disease risk at presentation. Logistic regression analysis showed that age (Adjusted OR 1.053 (95% CI 1.003–1.106), p = 0.003) and country of residence (Adjusted OR 4.281 (95% CI 1.690–10.844), p = 0.002) had a statistically significant relationship with high risk of PCa while disease co-morbidities (like diabetes and hypertension) and rural/urban location in both countries did not.

Conclusions

Disparities exist between PCa presentation and clinicopathologic behaviour among Nigerian and South African black men. Nigerian men showed higher disease risk at presentation. Environmental-genetic interactions need further exploration in the aetio-pathogenesis of PCa in black men of African ancestry.

Five-year follow-up study of a population-based prospective cohort of men with low-risk prostate cancer: the treatment options in prostate cancer study (TOPCS): study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Active surveillance (AS) is recommended for men with low-risk prostate cancer (LRPC) to reduce overtreatment and to maintain patients' quality of life (QOL). However, whether African American (AA) men can safely undergo AS is controversial due to concerns of more aggressive disease and lack of empirical data on the safety and effectiveness of AS in this population. Withholding of AS may lead to a lost opportunity for improving survivorship in AA men. In this study, peer-reviewed and funded by the US Department of Defense, we will assess whether AS is an equally effective and safe management option for AA as it is for White men with LRPC.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The project extends follow-up of a large contemporary population-based cohort of LRPC patients (n=1688) with a high proportion of AA men (~20%) and well-characterised baseline and 2-year follow-up data. The objectives are to (1) determine any racial differences in AS adherence, switch rate from AS to curative treatment and time to treatment over 5 years after diagnosis, (2) compare QOL among AS group and curative treatment group over time, overall and by race and (3) evaluate whether reasons for switching from AS to curative treatment differ by race. Validation of survey responses related to AS follow-up procedures is being conducted through medical record review. We expect to obtain 5-year survey from ~900 (~20% AA) men by the end of this study to have sufficient power. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques will be used to examine racial differences in AS adherence, effectiveness and QOL.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The parent and current studies were approved by the Institutional Review Boards at Wayne State University and Emory University. Since it is an observational study, ethical or safety risks are low. We will disseminate our findings to relevant conferences and peer-reviewed journals.

Perioperative and Functional Outcomes of Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy in Octogenarian Men

Background: The functional and oncologic outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) in octogenarians are not well studied. We sought to study the perioperative, functional, and oncologic outcomes of RARP in octogenarian men. Methods: Between January 2009 and 2019, 46 patients ≥80 years with localized prostate cancer (PCa) underwent RARP in three high-volume robotic urologic practices in the United States. Clinical and pathologic features, and perioperative and postoperative complications were retrospectively evaluated. Functional outcomes for urinary and sexual function were collected via patient-reported questionnaires. Continence was defined as the use of zero or one safety pad per day. Results: The median (interquartile range) age was 81 (80-82), the mean (standard deviation [SD]) operative time was 116.5 (36.4) minutes, and the mean (SD) blood loss was 132 (35.6) mL. All cases were completed robotically, no intraoperative complications were encountered, and the mean length of stay was 1.21 (0.78) days. Regarding 30- and 90-day complication, nine patients had postoperative complications; seven were Clavien-Dindo grade I-II, and two were Clavien-Dindo grade ≥III. Post-RARP continence rates at 3 and 12 months were 68.4% and 84.8%, respectively. Conclusions: RARP represents a feasible option to treat PCa in well-selected octogenarian men. Careful patient selection and counseling are critical before offering surgical treatment for these men.

Influence of localization of PSMA-positive oligo-metastases on efficacy of metastasis-directed external-beam radiotherapy-a multicenter retrospective study

PURPOSE

Approximately 40-70% of biochemically persistent or recurrent prostate cancer (PCa) patients after radical prostatectomy (RPE) are oligo-metastatic in ⁶⁸gallium-prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography (⁶⁸Ga-PSMA PET). Those lesions are frequently located outside the prostate bed, and therefore not cured by the current standards of care like external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) of the prostatic fossa. This retrospective study analyzes the influence of oligo-metastases' site on outcome after metastasis-directed radiotherapy (MDR).

METHODS

Retrospectively, 359 patients with PET-positive PCa recurrences after RPE were analyzed. Biochemical recurrence-free survival (BRFS) (prostate-specific antigen (PSA) < post-radiotherapy nadir + 0.2 ng/mL) was assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS

All patients were initially clinically without distant metastases (cM0). Seventy-five patients had local recurrence within the prostatic fossa, 32 patients had pelvic nodal plus local recurrence, 117 patients had pelvic nodal recurrence, 51 patients had paraaortic lymph node metastases with/without locoregional recurrence, and 84 patients had bone or visceral metastases with/without locoregional recurrence. Median PSA before MDR was 1.2 ng/mL (range, 0.04-47.5). Additive androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) was given in 35% (125/359) of patients. Median PSA nadir after MDR was 0.23 ng/mL (range, < 0.03-18.30). After a median follow-up of 16 months (1-57), 239/351 (68%) patients had no biochemical recurrence. Patients with distant lymph node and/or distant metastases, the so-called oligo-body cohort, had an overall in-field control of 90/98 (91%) but at the same time, an ex-field progress of 44/96 (46%). In comparison, an ex-field progress was detected in 28/154 (18%) patients with local and/or pelvic nodal recurrence (oligo-pelvis group). Compared with the oligo-pelvis group, there was a significantly lower BRFS in oligo-body patients at the last follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Overall, BRFS was dependent on patterns of metastatic disease. Thus, MDR of PSMA PET-positive oligo-metastases can be offered considering that about one-third of the patients progressed within a median follow-up of 16 months.

Image-guided dose-escalated radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer with helical tomotherapy

PURPOSE

To evaluate treatment outcomes for patients with localized prostate cancer who were treated with dose-escalated primary image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT).

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 88 consecutive patients treated using helical tomotherapy with daily megavoltage CTs (MVCT). Patients were prescribed daily doses of 1.8 Gy to the planning target volume (PTV) and 2 Gy to the clinical target volume (CTV). Low- and favorable intermediate-risk patients received a minimum total dose of 72 Gy to the PTV and up to 80 Gy to the CTV. Unfavorable intermediate-risk and high-risk patients received a minimum total dose of 75.6 Gy to the PTV and up to 84 Gy to the CTV. We assessed freedom from biochemical relapse (FFBF), 5‑year biochemical recurrence-free survival (5-bRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (5-dMFS), and cancer-specific survival (5-CSS) as well as acute and late genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity.

RESULTS

Among our cohort, 11.4% were low-risk, 50% intermediate-risk, and 38.6% high-risk patients according to the D'Amico criteria. Median follow-up was 66 months (range 8-83 months). FFBF was 100%, 97.7%, and 90.7%; 5‑bRFS was 100%, 92.8%, and 70.4%; 5‑dMFS was 100%, 92.7%, and 70.4%; and 5‑CSS was 100%, 97.4%, and 89.8% for low-, intermediate-, and high-risk patients, respectively. Grades 2 and 3 toxicity occurred at the following rates: acute GU toxicity 39.8% and 1.1%, acute GI toxicity 12.5% and 0%, late GU toxicity 19.3% and 4.5%, and late GI toxicity 4.5% and 1.1% of patients, respectively. No toxicity >grade 3 was observed.

CONCLUSION

Risk-adapted dose-escalated IGRT with helical tomotherapy of up to 84 Gy is a feasible and well-tolerable treatment scheme with promising oncological results.

A Prospective Analysis of the Effects of Nerve-Sparing Radical Prostatectomy on Urinary Continence Based on Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite and International Index of Erectile Function Scoring Systems

PURPOSE

This study aims to objectively characterize the effect of successful nerve sparing (NS) during radical prostatectomy (RP) on postoperative urinary continence (UC) using International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)-scores and a previously described Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) score cutoff value (COV) for UC. Several notable studies on this topic present conflicting outcomes. This is largely due to a lack of clear definitions and consensus regarding preserved erectile function (EF) and UC.

METHODS

This study is comprised of all patients who underwent RP at the Kantonsspital Baden, Switzerland, between 2004 and 2013. Patients completed self-assessment questionnaires for UC (EPIC) and EF (IIEF) pre- and postoperatively (3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months; yearly thereafter). We used a previously described EPIC subscore COV, with "satisfactory continence" signified by a score &gt;85. Statistical analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses for "surgeon-" and "IIEF-defined" NS definitions.

RESULTS

Of 236 men with a median age of 63 years (interquartile range [IQR], 59-66 years) and median follow-up time of 48 months (IQR, 30-78 months), 176 underwent unilateral (n=33) or bilateral (n=143) NS RP. Fifty-four underwent non-NS (NNS) RP. Kaplan-Meier analyses identified the following risk factors for UC: age, prostate volume, cancer risk group, and NS status. In surgeon-defined NS RP cases, multivariate analysis for regaining continence demonstrated no significant difference (hazard ratio [HR], 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48-1.25; P=0.3). With successful IIEF-defined NS RPs, regression analysis demonstrated no significant difference (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.59-1.35; P=0.58).

Conclusions

In our population, analysis and comparison of surgeon- and IIEF-defined NS and NNS cohorts revealed that NS RP did not improve postoperative UC. The conservation of UC alone should not motivate surgeons or patients to pursue NS RP.

Time between diagnosis and surgical treatment on pathological and clinical outcomes in prostate cancer: does it matter?

INTRODUCTION

Prostate cancer (PC) most of the time presents with an indolent course. Thus, delays in treatment due to any causes might not affect long-term survival and may not affect cancer cure rates.

PURPOSE

In this study, we evaluated the effect of delay-time between PC diagnosis and radical prostatectomy regarding oncological outcomes: Gleason score upgrade on surgical specimen, pathologic extracapsular extension (ECE) on surgical specimen, and postoperative biochemical recurrence (BCR) on follow-up.

METHODS

We evaluated PC patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) regarding clinical and pathological findings and theirs respective interval between diagnosis and surgical treatment measured in days and months. We used univariate and multivariate logistic regression to evaluate the impact of interval-time.

RESULTS

A total of 908 PC patients underwent RP between 2006 and 2014. Mean age was 61.5 years, the mean time-to-surgery was 191 days (> 6 months) and 187 (20.5%) patients had BCR, with a mean follow-up of 44 months. According to our analysis, no statistically significant maximum cut-off time interval between diagnostic biopsy and surgery could be established (p = 0.215). Regardless of interval-time: ≤ 6 months (56.5%), 6-12 months (38.5%), and > 12 months (5.1%) after biopsy, we found no time interval correlated with poor oncological outcomes. This study has several limitations. It was retrospective and had a mean follow-up of 4 years. Additional follow-up is necessary to determine whether these findings will be maintained over time.

CONCLUSIONS

We showed that the time between diagnosis and surgical treatment did not affect the oncological outcomes in our study.

Detection level and pattern of positive lesions using PSMA PET/CT for staging prior to radiation therapy

Background

To determine the potential role of ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in radiotherapy (RT) planning for prostate cancer (PCa).

Methods

One hundred twenty-nine patients (pts) with ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA PET/CT were retrospectively analysed. Potentially influencing factors (androgen deprivation therapy, amount of ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC, PSA doubling time ≤/> 10 months, PSA before PET/CT, T−/N-category and Gleason score) were evaluated by logistic regression analysis. The detection rate of PSMA PET/CT was compared to contrast enhanced CT and its impact on RT management analysed.

Results

One hundred twenty-nine patients (pts) (20 at initial diagnosis, 49 with PSA relapse and 60 with PSA persistence after radical prostatectomy) received PSMA PET/CT prior to RT. The majority of pts. (71.3%) had PET-positive findings (55.1% of pts. with PSA recurrence, 75% of pts. with PSA persistence and 100% of newly diagnosed pts). Median PSA before PET/CT in pts. with pathological findings (n = 92) was 1.90 ng/ml and without (n = 37) 0.30 ng/ml. PSA level at time of PET/CT was the only factor associated with PET-positivity. In pts. with a PSA ≤ 0.2 ng/ml, the detection rate of any lesion was 33.3%, with a PSA of 0.21–0.5 ng/ml 41.2% and with a PSA of 0.51–1.0 ng/ml 69.2%, respectively. Regarding the anatomic distribution of lesions, 42.2% and 14.7% of pts. with relapse or persistence had pelvic lymph node and distant metastases. In pts. at initial diagnosis the detection rate of pelvic lymph nodes and distant metastases was 20% and 10%. ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA PET/CT had a high detection rate of PCa recurrence outside the prostatic fossa in pts. being considered for salvage RT (22.4% PET-positive pelvic lymph nodes and 4.1% distant metastases). Compared to CT, PSMA PET/CT had a significantly higher sensitivity in diagnosing rates of local recurrence/primary tumour (10.1% vs. 38%), lymph nodes (15.5% vs. 38.8%) and distant metastases (5.4% vs. 14.0%). This resulted in a modification of RT treatment in 56.6% of pts.

Conclusions

The detection of PCa is strongly associated with PSA level at time of ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA PET/CT. PSMA PET/CT differentiates between local, regional and distant metastatic disease with implications for disease management. PSMA PET/CT allows for tumour detection in post-prostatectomy pts. with PSA ≤ 0.5 ng/ml considered for salvage RT.

Cancer-specific mortality of high-risk prostate cancer after carbon-ion radiotherapy plus long-term androgen deprivation therapy

The treatment outcomes of patients with high‐risk localized prostate cancer (PC) after carbon‐ion radiotherapy (CIRT) combined with long‐term androgen deprivation therapy (LTADT) were analyzed, and compared with those of other treatment modalities, focusing on PC‐specific mortality (PCSM). A total of 1247 patients were enrolled in three phase II clinical trials of fixed‐dose CIRT between 2000 and 2013. Excluding patients with T4 disease, 608 patients with high‐risk or very‐high‐risk PC, according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network classification system, who received CIRT with LTADT were evaluated. The median follow‐up time was 88.4 months, and the 5‐/10‐year PCSM rates were 1.5%/4.3%, respectively. T3b disease, Gleason score of 9–10 and percentage of positive biopsy cores >75% were associated with significantly higher PCSM on univariate and multivariate analyses. The 10‐year PCSM rates of patients having all three (n = 16), two (n = 74) or one of these risk factors (n = 217) were 27.1, 11.6 and 5.7%, respectively. Of the 301 patients with none of these factors, only 1 PCSM occurred over the 10‐year follow‐up (10‐year PCSM rate, 0.3%), and significant differences were observed among the four stratified groups (P <0.001). CIRT combined with LTADT yielded relatively favorable treatment outcomes in patients with high‐risk PC and very favorable results in patients without any of the three abovementioned factors for PCSM. Because a significant difference in PCSM among the high‐risk PC patient groups was observed, new categorization and treatment intensity adjustment may be required for high‐risk PC patients treated with CIRT.

Tissue-Based MicroRNAs as Predictors of Biochemical Recurrence after Radical Prostatectomy: What Can We Learn from Past Studies?

With the increasing understanding of the molecular mechanism of the microRNAs (miRNAs) in prostate cancer (PCa), the predictive potential of miRNAs has received more attention by clinicians and laboratory scientists. Compared with the traditional prognostic tools based on clinicopathological variables, including the prostate-specific antigen, miRNAs may be helpful novel molecular biomarkers of biochemical recurrence for a more accurate risk stratification of PCa patients after radical prostatectomy and may contribute to personalized treatment. Tissue samples from prostatectomy specimens are easily available for miRNA isolation. Numerous studies from different countries have investigated the role of tissue-miRNAs as independent predictors of disease recurrence, either alone or in combination with other clinicopathological factors. For this purpose, a PubMed search was performed for articles published between 2008 and 2017. We compiled a profile of dysregulated miRNAs as potential predictors of biochemical recurrence and discussed their current clinical relevance. Because of differences in analytics, insufficient power and the heterogeneity of studies, and different statistical evaluation methods, limited consistency in results was obvious. Prospective multi-institutional studies with larger sample sizes, harmonized analytics, well-structured external validations, and reasonable study designs are necessary to assess the real prognostic information of miRNAs, in combination with conventional clinicopathological factors, as predictors of biochemical recurrence.

Late urinary morbidity and quality of life after radical prostatectomy and salvage radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Scand J Urol 2017;51:457-463. [PMID: 28748716 DOI: 10.1080/21681805.2017.1354314]

OBJECTIVE

There is a paucity of knowledge of long-term urinary morbidity in patients treated for prostate cancer (PCa) with radical prostatectomy (RP) and salvage radiotherapy (SRT). Improved long-term survival calls for heightened awareness of late effects from radiotherapy after RP. The purpose of this study was to assess late urinary morbidity and its potential impact on quality of life (QoL) in patients treated with RP plus SRT compared with patients treated with RP alone.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Long-term morbidity and QoL were evaluated using a cross-sectional design with validated questionnaires in urinary morbidity [Danish Prostatic Symptom Score (DAN-PSS)] and QoL [European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30)]. Included were a total of 227 patients treated with SRT and 192 treated with RP in the periods 2006-2010 and 2005-2007, respectively.

RESULTS

Weak stream, straining, frequency and nocturia were significantly more prevalent in patients treated with RP + SRT than in patients treated with RP alone. Patients treated with RP + SRT generally suffered from more severe urinary symptoms. The QoL scores of the two treatment groups were not statistically significantly different, but a high level of urinary morbidity was significantly related to decreased QoL (p = 0.000).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients treated with SRT have a higher rate of urinary morbidity than do patients treated with RP alone. Severe urinary morbidity was significantly related to decreased QoL, but did not differ between the two treatment groups.

PHF21B overexpression promotes cancer stem cell-like traits in prostate cancer cells by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Background

PHF21B is newly identified to be involved in the tumor progression; however, its biological role and molecular mechanism in prostate cancer have not been defined. This study is aimed to study the role of PHF21B in the progression of prostate cancer.

Methods

Real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry and western blotting analysis were used to determine PHF21B expression in prostate cancer cell lines and clinical specimens. The role of PHF21B in maintaining prostate cancer stem cell-like phenotype was examined by tumor-sphere formation assay and expression levels of stem cell markers. Luciferase reporter assay, western blot analysis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and ChIP assay were used to determine whether PHF21B activates the Wnt/β-catenin signaling by transcriptionally downregulating SFRP1 and SFRP2.

Results

Our results revealed that PHF21B was markedly upregulated in prostate cancer cell lines and tissues. High PHF21B levels predicted poorer recurrence-free survival in prostate cancer patients. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies showed that overexpression of PHF21B enhanced, while downregulation suppressed, the cancer stem cell-like phenotype in prostate cancer cells. Xenograft tumor model showed that silencing PHF21B decreased the ability of tumorigenicity in vivo. Notably, Wnt/β-catenin signaling was hyperactivated in prostate cancer cells overexpressing PHF21B, and mediated PHF21B-induced cancer stem cell-like phenotype. Furthermore, PHF21B suppressed repressors of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling cascade, including SFRP1 and SFRP2. These results demonstrated that PHF21B constitutively activated wnt/β-catenin signaling by transcriptionally downregulating SFRP1 and SFRP2, which promotes prostate cancer stem cell-like phenotype.

Conclusions

Our results revealed that PHF21B functions as an oncogene in prostate cancer, and may represent a promising prognostic biomarker and an attractive candidate for target therapy of prostate cancer.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13046-017-0560-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Significant impact of biochemical recurrence on overall mortality in patients with high-risk prostate cancer after carbon-ion radiotherapy combined with androgen deprivation therapy

BACKGROUND

Whether biochemical recurrence (BR) is a significant predictive factor of mortality after definitive radiation therapy for prostate cancer remains unknown. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relation between BR and overall mortality (OAM) in high‐risk prostate cancer patients who were treated with carbon‐ion radiotherapy (CIRT) and had long‐term follow‐up in 2 prospective trials.

METHODS

In the 2 phase 2 clinical trials, which involved 466 prostate cancer patients who received 63.0 to 66.0 Gy of CIRT (relative biological effect) in 20 fractions between 2000 and 2007, 324 patients who were deemed to be at high risk on the basis of the modified D'Amico classification criteria and received CIRT along with androgen‐deprivation therapy (ADT) were examined. The OAM rate was adjusted for the ADT duration, and multivariate analyses using a Cox proportional hazards model were performed for OAM with BR as a time‐dependent covariate.

RESULTS

The median follow‐up period was 107.4 months, and the 5‐ and 10‐year OAM rates after adjustments for the ADT duration were 7.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.0%‐9.4%) and 23.9% (95% CI, 16.4%‐26.2%), respectively. A multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of BR (hazard ratio, 2.82; 95% Cl, 1.57‐5.08; P = .001) was one of the predictive factors for OAM. On the other hand, the duration of ADT had no impact on OAM.

CONCLUSIONS

BR after CIRT combined with ADT is an independent predictive factor for OAM in high‐risk prostate cancer patients. The results of this study could be applied to other high‐dose radiation therapies. Cancer 2016;122:3225–31. © 2016 The Authors. Cancer published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Cancer Society. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial‐NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non‐commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

Two prospective phase 2 studies involving 324 high‐risk prostate cancer patients treated with carbon‐ion radiotherapy have revealed that the presence of biochemical recurrence is an independent predictive factor for overall mortality (hazard ratio, 2.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.57‐5.08; P = .001) in patients with high‐risk prostate cancer after carbon‐ion radiotherapy according to a multivariate analysis.

Risk of biochemical recurrence and timing of radiotherapy in pT3a N0 prostate cancer with positive surgical margin : A single center experience

BACKGROUND

Despite improved biochemical recurrence-free survival rates by the use of immediate adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer, disagreement about the need and timing of RT remains.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From 2005-2009, 94 patients presenting with a stage pT3a N0 and microscopic positive resection margin were retrospectively analyzed after radical prostatectomy. Special attention was given to patients' outcome, the frequency of additive RT, and its efficacy.

RESULTS

Median follow-up was 80 months. A total of 71 patients had a negative postoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level (<0.07 ng/ml). Thirty-six of them did not experience any PSA relapse (subgroup 1). Fourteen of them received additive RT and during follow-up all 36 patients remained PSA negative. Of 71 initially PSA-negative patients, 35 had a biochemical relapse (subgroup 2); 28 patients underwent salvage RT. The median PSA value before salvage RT was 0.24 ng/ml and was subsequently negative (<0.07 ng/ml) in 23 patients after RT. Of the entire cohort, 23 patients had persisting PSA after surgery (subgroup 3). Of these, 18 patients received salvage RT at a median PSA level of 0.4 ng/ml. One patient in subgroup 1, 5 patients in subgroup 2, and 9 patients in subgroup 3 had ongoing androgen deprivation therapy.

CONCLUSION

The present study of 94 pT3a N0 R1 prostate cancer patients provides insight into medical care of this patient cohort and underlines the need for additive RT for the majority of patients to achieve long-term biochemical control. Although immediate adjuvant RT was applied with restraint (20 %), during the observation period 60 of 94 patients (63.8 %) received RT - highlighting the need of postoperative treatment.

Brachytherapy and radical prostatectomy in patients with early prostate cancer

OBJECTIVE

this study analyzes the survival of prostate cancer patients cared for at a hospital in Minas Gerais, Brazil according to one of the following treatments: iodine-125 seed implantation or radical prostatectomy. From January 2002 to December 2005, 129 patients underwent either brachytherapy (64 patients) or surgery (65 patients).

METHODS

all had prostate-specific antigen, Gleason scores and clinical stage recorded prior to treatment. Biochemical relapse was defined as prostate-specific antigen (PSA)>0.4 ng/mL for radical prostatectomy, and any elevation equal or higher than 2 ng/mL over the PSA nadir for implanted patients. To analyze the effect of treatment on biochemical recurrence-free survival (BRFS), Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression were generated. Mean follow-up time was 56.1 months for patients with the implant, and 26.6 months for those operated on. BRFS in 5 years was 69% (95% CI: 58.18-77.45) for the whole cohort.

DISCUSSION

when stratified according to treatment, survival of patients who had undergone brachytherapy (79.70%) was higher to those operated on (44.30%; p value= 0.0056). Upon multivariate analysis, independent predictors were iPSA (HR: 2.91, 95% CI: 1,32-6,42), Gleason score (HR: 2.18, 95% CI: 1,00-4,81) and treatment modality (HR: 2.61, 95% CI: 1.18-5,75). Risk of biochemical failure was higher with surgery than brachytherapy, which may be related to the failure criteria adopted, which is different for each therapy, as well as the high rate of histological progression between preoperative prostate biopsy and surgical specimen.

CONCLUSION

it was found that brachytherapy is a good therapeutic option for low risk prostate cancer.

Distribution of prostate nodes: a PET/CT-derived anatomic atlas of prostate cancer patients before and after surgical treatment

BACKGROUND

In order to define adequate radiation portals in nodal positive prostate cancer a detailed knowledge of the anatomic lymph-node distribution is mandatory. We therefore systematically analyzed the localization of Choline PET/CT positive lymph nodes and compared it to the RTOG recommendation of pelvic CTV, as well as to previous work, the SPECT sentinel lymph node atlas.

METHODS

Thirty-two patients being mostly high risk patients with a PSA of 12.5 ng/ml (median) received PET/CT before any treatment. Eighty-seven patients received PET/CT for staging due to biochemical failure with a median PSA of 3.12 ng/ml. Each single PET-positive lymph node was manually contoured in a "virtual" patient dataset to achieve a 3-D visualization, resulting in an atlas of the cumulative PET positive lymph node distribution. Further the PET-positive lymph node location in each patient was assessed with regard to the existence of a potential geographic miss (i.e. PET-positive lymph nodes that would not have been treated adequately by the RTOG consensus on CTV definition of pelvic lymph nodes).

RESULTS

Seventy-eight and 209 PET positive lymph nodes were detected in patients with no prior treatment and in postoperative patients, respectively. The most common sites of PET positive lymph nodes in patients with no prior treatment were external iliac (32.1 %), followed by common iliac (23.1 %) and para-aortic (19.2 %). In postoperative patients the most common sites of PET positive lymph nodes were common iliac (24.9 %), followed by external iliac (23.0 %) and para-aortic (20.1 %). In patients with no prior treatment there were 34 (43.6 %) and in postoperative patients there were 77 (36.8 %) of all detected lymph nodes that would not have been treated adequately using the RTOG CTV. We compared the distribution of lymph nodes gained by Choline PET/CT to the preexisting SPECT sentinel lymph node atlas and saw an overall good congruence.

CONCLUSIONS

Choline PET/CT and SPECT sentinel lymph node atlas are comparable to each other. More than one-third of the PET positive lymph nodes in patients with no prior treatment and in postoperative patients would not have been treated adequately using the RTOG CTV. To reduce geographical miss, image based definition of an individual target volume is necessary.

Concurrent chemoradiation for high-risk prostate cancer

There are estimated to be 220800 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in 2015, making up 26% of all cancer diagnoses. Fortunately, adenocarcinoma of the prostate is often a highly treatable malignancy. Even though the majority of prostate cancer patients present with localized disease, prostate cancer still accounts for over 27000 deaths a year. There is a subset of patients that are likely to recur after locoregional treatment that is thought of as a “high-risk” population. This more aggressive subset includes patients with clinical stage greater than T2b, Gleason score greater than 7, and prostate specific antigen greater than 20 ng/dL. The rate of biochemical relapse in this high risk group is 32%-70% within five years of definitive focal therapy. Given these discouraging outcomes, attempts have been made to improve cure rates by radiation dose escalation, addition of androgen depravation therapy, and addition of chemotherapy either sequentially or concurrently with radiation. One method that has been shown to improve clinical outcomes is the addition of chemotherapy to radiotherapy for definitive treatment. Concurrent chemoradiation with 5-fluorouracil, estramustine phosphate, vincristine, docetaxel, and paclitaxel has been studied in the phase I and/or II setting. These trials have identified the maximum tolerated dose of chemotherapy and radiation that can be safely delivered concurrently and established the safety and feasibility of this technique. This review will focus on the addition of concurrent chemotherapy to radiotherapy in the definitive management of high-risk prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer, comorbidity, and the risk of venous thromboembolism: A cohort study of 44,035 Danish prostate cancer patients, 1995-2011

BACKGROUND

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a serious complication of cancer. It is unknown whether comorbidity interacts clinically with prostate cancer (PC) to increase the VTE rate beyond that explained by PC and comorbidity alone, for example, by delaying diagnosis or precluding treatment.

METHODS

A nationwide, registry-based cohort study of all 44,035 Danish patients diagnosed with PC from 1995 to 2011 and 213,810 men from the general population matched 5:1 on age, calendar time, and comorbidities. The authors calculated VTE rate ratios and the interaction contrast as a measure on the additive scale of the excess VTE rate explained by synergy between PC and comorbidity.

RESULTS

In total, 849 patients in the PC cohort and 2360 men from the general population had VTE during 5 years of follow-up, and their risk of VTE was 2.2% and 1.3%, respectively. The 1-year VTE standardized rate among PC patients who had high comorbidity levels was 15 per 1000 person-years (PYs) (95% confidence interval, 6.8-24 per 1000 PYs), and 29% of that rate was explained by an interaction between PC and comorbidity. The VTE risk was increased among older patients, those with metastases, those with high Gleason scores, those in the D'Amico high-risk group, and those who underwent surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

PC interacted clinically with high comorbidity levels and increased the VTE rate. Because of the large PC burden, reducing VTEs associated with comorbidities may have an impact on VTE risk and the potential to improve prognosis. Clinical interactions between high levels of comorbidity and PC on the risk of VTE were observed. Almost 30% of all episodes of VTE occurred among patients who had high levels of comorbidity.

Radiation treatment in older patients: a framework for clinical decision making

In older patients, radiation treatment plays a vital role in curative and palliative cancer therapy. Radiation treatment recommendations should be informed by a comprehensive, personalized risk-benefit assessment that evaluates treatment efficacy and toxicity. We review several clinical factors that distinctly affect efficacy and toxicity of radiation treatment in older patients. First, locoregional tumor behavior may be more indolent in older patients for some disease sites but more aggressive for other sites. Assessment of expected locoregional relapse risk informs the magnitude and timeframe of expected radiation treatment benefits. Second, assessment of the competing cancer versus noncancer mortality and morbidity risks contextualizes cancer treatment priorities holistically within patients' entire spectrum and time course of health needs. Third, assessment of functional reserve helps predict patients' acute treatment tolerance, differentiating those patients who are unlikely to benefit from treatment or who are at high risk for treatment complications. Potential radiation treatment options include immediate curative treatment, delayed curative treatment, and no treatment, with additional consideration given to altered radiation target, dose, or sequencing with chemotherapy and/or surgery. Finally, when cure is not feasible, palliative radiation therapy remains valuable for managing symptoms and achieving meaningful quality-of-life improvements. Our proposed decision-making framework integrates these factors to help radiation oncologists formulate strategic treatment recommendations within a multidisciplinary context. Future research is still needed to identify how advanced technologies can be judiciously applied in curative and palliative settings to enhance risk-benefit profiles of radiation treatment in older patients and more accurately quantify treatment efficacy in this group.

Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging for detecting uni- and bilateral extraprostatic disease in patients with prostate cancer

Objective

The objective of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for detecting uni- and bilateral extraprostatic disease (T3) in patients with prostate cancer (PCa).

Materials and methods

This prospective study included 199 patients with biopsy-proven PCa who underwent MRI prior to radical prostatectomy from December 2009 to July 2012. Extraprostatic extension and seminal vesicle invasion represented T3 disease, and was classified as uni- (right or left) or bilateral. MRI detection of T3 disease was assessed by descriptive statistics and odds ratio (OR). Whole-mount histopathology was used as the reference standard.

Results

The overall prevalence of pT3 was 105/199 (53 %), unilateral in 81/105 (77 %) and bilateral in 24/105 (23 %). The sensitivity of MRI for predicting pT3 was 76/105 (72 %), specificity 61/94 (65 %), accuracy 137/199 (69 %), and OR 4.8 (95 % CI 2.7–8.8). A complete match with respect to the laterality of pT3 was found in 52/105 (50 %), and the side-specific accuracy was 113/199 (57 %). When unilateral pT3 was found, MRI falsely suggested contralateral T3 in 4/81 (5 %) and bilateral in 8/81 (10 %). When bilateral pT3 was found, MRI falsely suggested unilateral T3 in 12/24 (50 %).

Conclusion

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detected 72 % of all patients with T3 disease, and the accuracy dropped from 69 to 57 % when considering the laterality of T3. Thus far, the MRI technique is not yet adequate to meet the increasing demands of accurate diagnosis of locally advanced disease, and the contemporary MRI staging should be careful.

Combined PET imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging of intermediate and high-risk primary prostate carcinomas with simultaneous [18F] choline PET/MRI

Purpose

To characterize intermediate and high-risk prostate carcinomas with measurements of standardized uptake values (SUVs) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values by means of simultaneous [¹⁸F] choline PET/MRI.

Materials and Methods

35 patients with primary prostate cancer underwent simultaneous [¹⁸F] choline PET/MRI. From these, 21 patients with an intermediate and high risk constellation who were not under ongoing hormonal therapy were included. Altogether 32 tumor lesions with a focal uptake of [¹⁸F] choline could be identified. Average ADC values (ADC_aver) minimum ADC values (ADC_min) as well as maximum and mean SUVs (SUV_max, SUV_mean) of tumor lesions were assessed with volume-of-interest (VOI) and Region-of-interest (ROI) measurements. As a reference, also ADC_aver, ADC_min and SUV_max and SUV_mean of non-tumorous prostate tissue were measured. Statistical analysis comprised calculation of descriptive parameters and calculation of Pearson’s product moment correlations between ADC values and SUVs of tumor lesions.

Results

Mean ADC_aver and ADC_min of tumor lesions were 0.94±0.22×10⁻³ mm²/s and 0.65±0.21×10⁻³ mm²/s, respectively. Mean SUV_max and SUV_mean of tumor lesions were 6.3±2.3 and 2.6±0.8, respectively. These values were in each case significantly different from the reference values (p<0.001). There was no significant correlation between the measured SUVs and ADC values (SUV_max vs. ADC_aver: R = −0.24, p = 0.179; SUV_max vs. ADC_min: R = −0.03, p = 0.877; SUV_mean vs. ADC_aver: R = −0.27, p = 0.136; SUV_mean vs. ADC_min: R = −0.08, p = 0.679).

Conclusion

Both SUVs and ADC values differ significantly between tumor lesions and healthy tissue. However, there is no significant correlation between these two parameters. This might be explained by the fact that SUVs and ADC values characterize different parts of tumor biology.

Safe-R: a novel score, accounting for oncological safe nerve-sparing at radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the study were to describe a novel score (safe-R), combining information on surgical margin status (SM) and extend of nerve-sparing (NS) applicable for all patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP), and to test the impact of our frozen-section navigated nerve-sparing approach (NeuroSAFE) on safe-R score.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 9,635 RPs performed at our center between 2002 and 2011. Of these, 47 % were conducted with NeuroSAFE. Proportions of NS and SM status were assessed. Subsequently, a score for oncological safe NS (safe-R) was developed; Safe-R was categorized as 3 (for negative SM and bilateral NS), 2 (for negative SM and unilateral NS), 1 (for negative SM without NS), and 0 (for patients with positive SM), respectively. The impact of NeuroSAFE on safe-R was analyzed by chi-square test and confirmed by multinomial logistic regression, adjusting for preoperative risk factors.

RESULTS

Applying NeuroSAFE resulted in enhanced safe-R score, indicating lower rates of positive SM and higher rates of NS, across all risk categories (all p < 0.001). For example in high-risk patients, NeuroSAFE resulted in lower proportions of safe-R 0 (27.6 vs. 33.6 %) and higher proportions of safe-R 3 (32.4 vs. 17.1 %, p < 0.001). Linkage between the NeuroSAFE approach and safe-R was confirmed after multinomial logistic adjustment for preoperative risk factors. All results were confirmed in a propensity-matched cohort (matched for preoperative risk factors and year of surgery, data not shown).

CONCLUSION

Safe-R represents a novel tool to assess and report on oncological safe nerve-sparing in RP. NeuroSAFE is associated with enhanced safe-R scores.

Longitudinal comparison of quality of life after real-time tumor-tracking intensity-modulated radiation therapy and radical prostatectomy in patients with localized prostate cancer

The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of life (QOL) in patients with localized prostate cancer (PC) after intensity-modulated radiation therapy assisted with a fluoroscopic real-time intensity-modulated radiation therapy (RT-IMRT) tumor-tracking system versus the QOL after radical prostatectomy (RP). Between 2003 and 2006, 71 patients were enrolled in this longitudinal prospective study. Each patient was allowed to decide which treatment modality they would receive. Of the 71 patients, 23 patients underwent RT-IMRT, while 48 opted for RP. No patient received neo-adjuvant or adjuvant hormone therapy. The global QOL and disease-specific-QOL were evaluated before treatment and again at 1, 3 and 5 years after treatment. There was no significant difference in the background characteristics between the two groups. The 5-year biochemical progression-free survival was 90% in the RT-IMRT and 79% in the RP group. In the RT-IMRT group, there was no significant deterioration of the global QOL or disease-specific QOL through 5 years post-treatment. In the RP group, the urinary function, sexual function, and sexual bother indicators significantly deteriorated after treatment. Urinary and sexual function was significantly better in the RT-IMRT group at 1, 3 and 5 years post-treatment compared to the RP group. RT-IMRT may be a preferable treatment for localized PC because of similar efficacy to RP but better post-treatment QOL.

Burden among partner caregivers of patients diagnosed with localized prostate cancer within 1 year after diagnosis: an economic perspective

PURPOSE

Informal care plays an important role in the overall care for people with cancer. This study estimates lost productivity and informal caregiving and associated costs among partner caregivers of localized prostate cancer patients within 1 year after diagnosis.

METHODS

We applied data from the Family and Cancer Therapy Selection study, a three-wave self-administered survey among patients diagnosed with localized prostate cancer and their partner caregivers in multiple clinics in the USA. Time spent was measured by the sum of working hours lost, informal caregiving hours performed, and hours spent on household chores. The national median income for women 55 years or older was used to calculate costs associated with the time spent using the opportunity cost method. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

The average working hours decreased from 14.0 h/week (SD = 17.6) to 10.9 h/week (SD = 15.9), without a significant change in responsibility/intensity at work. The mean annual time spent on informal caregiving and household chores was 65.9 h/year (SD = 172.4) and 76.2 h/year (SD = 193.3), respectively. The mean annual economic burden among partner caregivers was US$6,063 (range US$571-US$47,105) in 2009 dollars accounted for by a mean of 276.2 h (range 26-2,146) in the study sample. The time spent on informal caregiving and household chores varied by patient and caregiver characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

Pilot estimates on non-medical economic burden among partner caregivers (spouses) during the initial phase of the treatment provide important information for comprehensive estimation of disease burden and can be used in cost-effectiveness analyses of prostate cancer interventions.

4FISH-IF, a four-color dual-gene FISH combined with p63 immunofluorescence to evaluate NKX3.1 and MYC status in prostate cancer

NKX3.1 allelic loss and MYC amplification are common events during prostate cancer progression and have been recognized as potential prognostic factors in prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy or precision radiotherapy. We have developed a 4FISH-IF assay (a dual-gene fluorescence in situ hybridization combined with immunofluorescence) to measure both NKX3.1 and MYC status on the same slide. The 4FISH-IF assay contains four probes complementary to chromosome 8 centromere, 8p telomere, 8p21, and 8q24, as well as an antibody targeting the basal cell marker p63 visualized by immunofluorescence. The major advantages of the 4FISH-IF include the distinction between benign and malignant glands directly on the 4FISH-IF slide and the control of truncation artifact. Importantly, this specialized and innovative combined multiprobe and immunofluorescence technique can be performed on diagnostic biopsy specimens, increasing its clinical relevance. Moreover, the assay can be easily performed in a standard clinical molecular pathology laboratory. Globally, the use of 4FISH-IF decreases analytic time, increases confidence in obtained results, and maintains the tissue morphology of the diagnostic specimen.

Risk of prostate cancer death in long-term users of warfarin: a population-based case-control study

PURPOSE

Recent evidence suggests that warfarin use may be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer. We aimed to determine whether exposure to warfarin is also associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer death.

METHODS

A nested case-control study was conducted within a population-based cohort of 10,012 men aged ≥50 years with newly diagnosed prostate cancer between 1985 and 2002 and with no history of cancer since 1970 using the linked records of Saskatchewan Health and Saskatchewan Cancer Agency registry. We identified 2,309 cases who died of prostate cancer during follow-up. For each case, one control alive at the time of the case's death and matched for length of follow-up (±6 months) was randomly selected. Prescription counts were used to define warfarin exposure. Multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the adjusted incidence rates of prostate cancer death in relation to warfarin use while adjusting for confounding by age, year of prostate cancer diagnosis, clinical stage and grade of cancer at diagnosis, Chronic Disease Score, and use of warfarin before diagnosis.

RESULTS

Ever use of warfarin following a diagnosis of prostate cancer was associated with an adjusted rate ratio of 1.44 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.33-1.84) for prostate cancer death. The adjusted rate ratio with one-year use of warfarin was 1.77 (95 % CI 1.25-2.50) compared to never use. The unadjusted rate ratio with five-year use of warfarin was 0.64 (95 % CI 0.40-1.00) and remained unchanged in the adjusted analysis (0.65, 95 % CI 0.37-1.13), although no longer statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Our study does not provide conclusive evidence for a protective effect of long-term warfarin on prostate cancer-specific mortality. Moreover, short-term warfarin use may be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer death.

Prostate cancer specific survival in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial

BACKGROUND

The prostate component of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) randomized screening trial demonstrated no mortality effect of screening. Here we analyze prostate cancer specific survival in PLCO and its relation to screening.

METHODS

76,693 men aged 55-74 were randomized to usual care (n = 38,350) or intervention (n = 38,343). Intervention arm men received annual prostate-specific antigen (6 years) and digital rectal exam (4 years). Men were followed for cancer diagnosis and mortality through 13 years. Medical record abstractors confirmed prostate cancer diagnoses, stage and grade. Prostate-specific survival in PLCO cases was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and proportional hazards modeling. We utilized data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program to compute expected survival in PLCO and compared this to observed.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in prostate-specific survival rates between arms; 10 year survival rates were 94.7% (intervention, n = 4250 cases) versus 93.5% (usual care, n = 3815 cases). Within the intervention arm, cases never screened in PLCO had lower 10 year survival rates (82%) than screen detected or interval (following a negative screen) cases, both around 95.5%. The ratio of observed to expected 10 year prostate-specific death (1-survival) rates was 0.59 (95% CI: 0.51-0.68) for all PLCO cases, 0.66 (95% CI: 0.51-0.81) for Gleason 5-7 cases and 1.07 (95% CI: 0.87-1.3) for Gleason 8-10 cases.

CONCLUSION

Prostate cancer specific survival in PLCO was comparable across arms and significantly better than expected based on nationwide population data. How much of the better survival is due to a healthy volunteer effect and to lead-time and overdiagnosis biases is not readily determinable.

Radical prostatectomy as radical cure of prostate cancer in a high-risk group: A single-institution experience

This study aimed to evaluate the possibility of performing radical prostatectomy (RP) alone to achieve radical cure of prostate cancer in a high-risk group. Between August 1998 and December 2008, 436 Japanese patients underwent antegrade RP following the exclusion of 139 patients. According to the D'Amico criteria, the low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups comprised 63, 122 and 112 patients, respectively. Twenty-five patients who were classified into the high-risk group based only on T2c stage, were evaluated as a separate intermediate/high-risk group. Results of the multivariate analysis revealed that of the preoperative characteristics only a biopsy Gleason score was a significant predictor in patients with and without PSA failure (P=0.017). After a median follow-up period of 60 months, the PSA failure-free rates in the low-, intermediate-, high- and intermediate/high-risk groups were 96.5, 92.2, 76.8 and 95.0%, respectively. No statistically significant difference was detected in the high- and intermediate/high-risk groups (P=0.064). Thus, patients classified into the high-risk group based on cT2 stage only, are considered to be potentially eligible for radical treatment by surgery alone, and should not be evaluated as high-risk patients.

Willingness to pay for prostate cancer treatment among patients and their family members at 1 year after diagnosis

OBJECTIVES

To explore an alternative approach to quantifying the burden of side effects at 1 year after treatment for prostate cancer among both patients and their partners.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 75 couples in the Family and Cancer Therapy Selection study. Paired patients and family members were independently asked about their willingness to pay (WTP) for a hypothetical new treatment that cures prostate cancer without side effects if they could reconsider their treatment decision by indicating the maximum amount they would be willing to pay given 11 separate "bids" ranging from $0 to $1500 per month. Descriptive and regression analyses were conducted for patients and family members controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and health status; Spearman correlations were also examined.

RESULTS

Among 75 couples analyzed, the income-adjusted mean WTP estimates per month were $400.8 (standard error [SE] $54.3) for patients and $650.2 (SE 72.2) for family members. The WTP between patients and family members was correlated (Pearson ρ 0.30; P = 0.01). After adjusting for covariates, the adjusted mean WTP per month was $588.1 (SE 65.77) for patients and $819.4 (SE 74.33) for family members. Wanting to avoid side effects at baseline predicted higher WTP for patients (P = 0.010). Experiencing sexual side effects was predictive of higher WTP for family members (P = 0.047).

CONCLUSIONS

Fairly high WTP amounts for a hypothetical treatment without side effects suggests that patients and their partners are experiencing important burdens 1 year after treatment. The higher amounts partners are willing to pay and the correlation with sexual side effects suggest that they are perceptive of significant treatment burdens.

A national study of adverse effects and global quality of life among candidates for curative treatment for prostate cancer

OBJECTIVES

To provide population-based estimates of typical adverse effects (AEs), e.g. urinary, bowel and sexual dysfunction, in patients with non-metastatic recurrence-free prostate cancer (PCa) by curative treatment method, including no treatment. To describe associations between typical AEs and global quality of life (QoL) and to study patients' use of medication for erectile dysfunction (EDmed) and the relationship between such use and global QoL.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In October 2006 a national population-based sample of PCa survivors diagnosed in 2004 was invited to a postal survey focusing on treatment-related AEs and global QoL, 12-32 months after treatment start. All had completed their initial treatment. In the present study, 771 compliers were categorized into four groups of localized or locally advanced PCa related to the treatment they completed: (i) no treatment; (ii) radical prostatectomy (RP); (iii) radiotherapy (RAD) without hormones; and (iv) RAD with hormone therapy of 3-24 months duration. Measurement of AEs was restricted to function, using selected items from the 50-item Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite and the Brief Sexual Function Inventory among others, whereas global QoL was measured with the 12-item short-form health survey. National prescription data enabled assessment of adjuvant hormone application and EDmed use.

RESULTS

Men who had undergone RP reported more urinary incontinence (24%) than the other treatment groups, but had the lowest level of moderate/severe urinary irritative-obstructive symptoms. Men from the 'no treatment' group had the highest level of moderate/severe irritative-obstructive urinary symptoms. Men who had undergone RAD reported higher levels of irritative intestinal symptoms and faecal leakage compared with the RP group and the no treatment group. In all treatment groups, poor sexual drive and poor erectile function were common AEs, with men treated with RP reporting the highest prevalence of poor erectile function (89%). Presence of irritative-obstructive urinary symptoms and poor sexual drive were independently associated with low global QoL in multivariate analyses. Fifty percent of the study group had used EDmed after treatment start, but only 47% of them were still using EDmed at the time of the survey. Use of EDmed was not significantly associated with global QoL.

CONCLUSIONS

PCa survivors after curative treatment, but also patients without any anticancer therapy, report high levels of urinary and sexual AEs. Irritative-obstructive urinary symptoms and poor sexual drive were significantly associated with low global QoL, whereas erectile function and use of EDmed were not.

Screening for prostate cancer using multivariate mixed-effects models

Using several variables known to be related to prostate cancer, a multivariate classification method is developed to predict the onset of clinical prostate cancer. A multivariate mixed-effects model is used to describe longitudinal changes in prostate specific antigen (PSA), a free testosterone index (FTI), and body mass index (BMI) before any clinical evidence of prostate cancer. The patterns of change in these three variables are allowed to vary depending on whether the subject develops prostate cancer or not and the severity of the prostate cancer at diagnosis. An application of Bayes' theorem provides posterior probabilities that we use to predict whether an individual will develop prostate cancer and, if so, whether it is a high-risk or a low-risk cancer. The classification rule is applied sequentially one multivariate observation at a time until the subject is classified as a cancer case or until the last observation has been used. We perform the analyses using each of the three variables individually, combined together in pairs, and all three variables together in one analysis. We compare the classification results among the various analyses and a simulation study demonstrates how the sensitivity of prediction changes with respect to the number and type of variables used in the prediction process.