A Comparison of Different Prophylactic Intravesical Chemotherapy Regimens for Bladder Cancer Recurrence After Nephroureterectomy for Primary Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinomas: A Retrospective 2-center Study

Prognostic models for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma patients after radical nephroureterectomy based on a novel systemic immune-inflammation score with machine learning

PURPOSE

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of a novel systemic immune-inflammation score (SIIS) to predict oncological outcomes in upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma(UTUC) after radical nephroureterectomy(RNU).

METHOD

The clinical data of 483 patients with nonmetastatic UTUC underwent surgery in our center were analyzed. Five inflammation-related biomarkers were screened in the Lasso-Cox model and then aggregated to generate the SIIS based on the regression coefficients. Overall survival (OS) was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analyses. The Cox proportional hazards regression and random survival forest model were adopted to build the prognostic model. Then we established an effective nomogram for UTUC after RNU based on SIIS. The discrimination and calibration of the nomogram were evaluated using the concordance index (C-index), area under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve (time-dependent AUC), and calibration curves. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to assess the net benefits of the nomogram at different threshold probabilities.

RESULT

According to the median value SIIS computed by the lasso Cox model, the high-risk group had worse OS (p<0.0001) than low risk-group. Variables with a minimum depth greater than the depth threshold or negative variable importance were excluded, and the remaining six variables were included in the model. The area under the ROC curve (AUROC) of the Cox and random survival forest models were 0.801 and 0.872 for OS at five years, respectively. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that elevated SIIS was significantly associated with poorer OS (p<0.001). In terms of predicting overall survival, a nomogram that considered the SIIS and clinical prognostic factors performed better than the AJCC staging.

CONCLUSION

The pretreatment levels of SIIS were an independent predictor of prognosis in upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma after RNU. Therefore, incorporating SIIS into currently available clinical parameters helps predict the long-term survival of UTUC.

Therapeutic strategies for asymptomatic upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma

Introduction

Upper urinary tract epithelial carcinoma (UTUC) and bladder cancer are both sources of urinary epithelial cell. In our previous study of asymptomatic bladder tumors, we found that most of these tumors could be resected through the urethra without radical surgery. This study analyzed the treatment strategies for asymptomatic UTUC.

Aim

To investigate the clinicopathological features and surgical methods of these patients, thus choosing appropriate surgical treatment.

Material and methods

136 patients with UTUC were recruited, of whom 21 patients with asymptomatic UTUC were group A, and 115 UTUC patients with hematuria or low back pain were group B. The clinicopathological features, oncologic outcomes, and surgical methods of patients were evaluated.

Results

Radical resection was the main surgical treatment which was included (group A 80.95%, group B 90.43%). Other patients were treated with kidney-retaining surgery. No statistically significant difference was observed in the pathological stage and grade between groups A and B (p > 0.05). During a median follow-up period of 44.3 months, tumor-specific mortality of group A was 7.14%, and that of group B was 5.10%. In the same period, 106 patients with asymptomatic bladder tumor were recruited: 31 patients of them had asymptomatic bladder urothelial carcinoma. The asymptomatic UTUC group had a higher stage and grade of clinicopathological features than the asymptomatic bladder urothelial carcinoma group (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The principle of asymptomatic UTUC treatment is the same as that of symptomatic UTUC. Risk stratification should be carried out according to clinical staging and other parameters, and the corresponding surgical treatment should be selected.

Clinical Characteristics and Current Status of Treatment for Recurrent Bladder Cancer after Surgeries on Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma

Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is a relatively rare, but highly malignant, disease with an estimated annual incidence of 2 cases per 100,000 people. The main surgical treatment modalities for UTUC are radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) with bladder cuff resection. After surgery, intravesical recurrence (IVR) can occur in up to 47% of patients, and 75% of them present with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). However, there are few studies focused on the diagnosis and treatment of postoperatively recurrent bladder cancer for patients with previous UTUC history (UTUC-BC), and many of the influencing factors are still controversial. In this article, we performed a narrative review of the recent literature, mainly summarizing the factors influencing postoperative IVR in patients with UTUC and discussing the subsequent prevention, monitoring, and treatment tools for it.

A 6-month maintenance schedule of mitomycin C after radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma for the prevention of intravesical recurrence: a retrospective, single center study

PURPOSE

To show the effect of a 6-month (4 times weekly followed by 5 times monthly) maintenance mitomycin C regimen on the prevention of intravesical recurrence (IVR) after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

METHODS

A total of 119 patients undergoing a RNU between 2007 and 2021 in a single center hospital were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 66 patients were eligible for further analysis. 27 patients received no post-operative MMC (median follow-up: 110 months) and 39 patients received a 6-month (4 times weekly, 5 times monthly) maintenance regimen of MMC (median follow up: 48 months). The primary outcome was the 1-, 2- and 5-year bladder recurrence free survival (BRFS).

RESULTS

There was a significant difference (p = 0.001) in BRFS between the two groups. The 1-, 2, and 5-year BRFS for the MMC- group was 67%, 63% and 43%, respectively. The 1-, 2- and 5-year BRFS for the MMC + group was 95%, 86% and 86%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed no other potential prognostic factors that had a significant effect on the BRFS.

CONCLUSION

A 6-month maintenance schedule of MMC is effective at significantly reducing the risk of IVR after RNU for UTUC. We could not find any other significant prognostic factors to predict IVR.

Survival and risk factors among upper tract urothelial carcinoma patients after radical nephroureterectomy in Northeast China

OBJECTIVE

The study objective was to investigate the prognostic risk factors related to overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and metastasis-free survival (MFS) after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). Patients were then divided into different risk groups (based on their number of prognostic risk factors), and specific postoperative treatment plans were formulated for patients in different risk groups.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the data of 401 patients with UTUC who underwent RNU between 2010 and 2020. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate the associations of clinicopathological variables with prognosis among UTUC patients. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of patients in different risk groups (based on their number of prognostic risk factors) was conducted.

RESULTS

Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that sex (being male), LVI, pT stage (>pT2), and lack of postoperative intravesical instillation were independent risk predictors of shorter OS, CSS, RFS, and MFS (all P<0.05). Laparoscopic RNU was also associated with shorter OS, CSS, and MFS, but not with shorter RFS (P=0.068). After risk stratification, the 5-year OS, CSS, RFS, and MFS in the high-risk group were 42.3%, 46.4%, 41%, and 46%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Sex (being male), LVI, pT stage (>pT2), and intravesical instillation were independent predictors of OS, CSS, RFS, and MFS for UTUC. All were risk factors, except for intravesical instillation, which was a protective factor. Additionally, laparoscopic RNU was an independent risk factor for OS, CSS, and MFS. Patients in the high-risk group may benefit greatly from adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Assessment of Therapeutic Benefit and Option Strategy on Intravesical Instillation for Preventing Bladder Cancer Recurrence after Radical Nephroureterectomy in Patients with Upper Urinary Tract Urothelial Carcinoma

Objective

Upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UUT-UC) is a very aggressive disease, characterized by 22%–50% of patients suffering from subsequent bladder recurrence after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). Although the therapy of intravesical instillation is reported to be effective in preventing bladder recurrence, no study had been reported in Northeast China. The findings relating to the clinical effectiveness of intravesical instillation after RNU are somewhat controversial, and the best efficacy and least adverse effects of instillation drugs have not been widely accepted. Here, we aimed at evaluating the efficacy of intravesical instillation for the prevention intravesical recurrence systematically.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, from October 2006 to September 2017, 158 UUT-UC patients underwent RNU were divided into 4 groups: epirubicin (EPB) instillation group, hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) instillation group, bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) instillation group, and noninstillation group. Cox univariate and multivariate analyses were employed to identify the risk factors for intravesical recurrence-free survival (IVRFS). The nomogram model was also applied to predict patient outcomes. Subsequently, to evaluate the clinical significance of intravesical instillation comprehensively, several databases including PubMed, Ovid, and Embase were searched and data from published studies with our results were combined by direct meta-analysis. Moreover, a network meta-analysis comparing instillation therapies was conducted to evaluate the clinical efficacy of different instillation drugs.

Results

In our retrospective cohort study, the Kaplan–Meier survival curve demonstrated noninstillation groups were associated with worsened IVRFS. Meanwhile, multivariate analysis indicated that intravesical instillation was independent protective factors for IVRFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.731). Moreover, calibration plots, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, area under the curve (AUC) values, and the C-index showed the priority of nomogram's predictive accuracy. Next, direct meta-analysis including 19 studies showed that intravesical instillation could prevent the recurrence of bladder cancer with a pooled risk ratio (RR) estimate of 0.53. Subgroup analysis by study type, year of intravesical recurrence, first instillation time, and instillation times also confirmed the robustness of the results. Moreover, intraoperative instillation was associated with a decrease in the risk of bladder recurrence compared with postoperative instillation. Then, a network meta-analysis including 7 studies indicated that pirarubicin (THP) (surface under the cumulative ranking curve [SUCRA] = 89.2%) is the most effective therapy to reduce the risk of bladder recurrence, followed by BCG (SUCRA = 83.5%), mitomycin C (MMC) (SUCRA = 53.6%), EPB (SUCRA = 52.6%), and HCPT (SUCRA = 5.1%) after the analysis of the value ranking.

Conclusions

A maintenance schedule of intravesical instillation prevents the recurrence of bladder cancer after RNU in UUT-UC patients effectively. Large, prospective trials are needed to further confirm its value. Compared with other chemotherapy regimens, THP may be a promising drug with favorable efficacy to prevent bladder recurrence. As included studies had moderate risk of bias, the results of network meta-analysis should be applied with caution.

Construction and Verification of Immunohistochemistry Parameters-Based Classifier to Predict Local-Recurrence of Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma After Kidney-Sparing Surgery

Background

Kidney-sparing surgery (KSS) for upper tract urothelial carcinomas (UTUCs) has been gradually performed in selected patients beyond the recommendation of guidelines. However, there is still a lack of tools to evaluate postoperative local recurrence. Herein, a new nomogram was established to predict the local recurrence risk after KSS.

Methods

Patients were randomly divided into two cohorts (training: testing cohorts = 7:3). Cancer samples after KSS were used for immunohistochemical tests to detect molecules missing in previous pathology reports. Then, the total number of molecules were screened by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method to construct an IHCscore, which was further tested in the validation cohort. Finally, the IHCscore and other clinicopathologic parameters were combined to develop a more accurate model using univariate and multivariate Cox regression methods.

Results

In total, 200 patients were included. The Kaplan-Meier test showed that high Ki-67 and loss of Uroplakin III and E-cadherin were correlated with poor recurrence-free survival. The individual IHCscore was calculated based on the expression levels of Ki-67, Her2 and E-cadherin. Based on the IHC score, patients were further classified as low- or high-risk, and a significant difference in the recurrence-free survival was observed between the two groups. Then, the nomogram was developed based on Gender, surgical margin and IHCscore; this nomogram had a higher AUC (0.847) in predicting 3-year recurrence-free survival than the IHCscore alone (0.788).

Conclusions

This easy-to-use nomogram shows better prediction accuracy in recurrence-free survival after KSS and may guide individualized intravesical chemotherapy. However, a larger sample is required for external validation.

Clinicopathological and Prognostic Significance of Preoperative Prognostic Nutritional Index in Patients with Upper Urinary Tract Urothelial Carcinoma

To investigate the prognostic value of preoperative prognostic nutritional index (PNI) to predict oncological outcome and intravesical recurrence (IVR) in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU).

This study involved the clinical data of 255 patients with UTUC who had undergone RNU from 2004 to 2019 at our institution. Patients were grouped according to an optimal value of preoperative PNI. Kaplan-Meier analyses and Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze the associations of preoperative PNI with progression-free survival (PFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS), and IVR.

Patients with low PNI were more likely to be older, have higher tumor stage, higher eGFR, and multifocal lesions. No significant association was found between PNI and CSS, IVR. In subgroup analysis according to the risk stratification, low PNI was associated with worse PFS, CSS, and OS for patients with higher risk. Multivariate analyses showed that elevated PNI was an independent prognostic indicator for PFS (P = 0.014) and OS (P = 0.048).

A low PNI is an independent predictor of PFS and OS in patients with UTUC after RNU. By subgroup analysis, the prognostic value of PNI was limited to patients with higher risk. PNI may become a useful biomarker to predict oncological outcomes in patients with UTUC after RNU.

Preoperative Monocyte-to-lymphocyte Ratio Predicts for Intravesical Recurrence in Patients With Urothelial Carcinoma of the Upper Urinary Tract After Radical Nephroureterectomy Without a History of Bladder Cancer

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate the preoperative monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) as a biomarker for intravesical recurrence (IVR) in upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for the first time.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study involved the clinical data of 255 patients with UTUC without a history of bladder cancer who had undergone RNU from March 2004 to February 2019 at an academic institution. The associations between MLR and IVR were assessed with Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS

The median follow-up was 43.93 months. Of the 255 patients, 37 developed IVR during the follow-up period. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients with high MLR (> 0.22) had poor IVR-free survival (P = .001); this prognostic value was in accordance with patients with high grade and more advanced stage UTUC. Cox regression preoperative models showed that ureteral tumor site (hazard ratio [HR], 2.784; P = .005), surgical approach (HR, 2.745; P = .008), and high MLR (HR, 4.085; P < .001) were an independent risk factor for IVR. These factors were used as a signature to establish a prognostic risk model, which revealed significant differences among the 3 subgroups of patients with low, intermediate, and high risk (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Ureteral tumor site, surgical approach, and preoperative MLR are significant predictors for IVR in patients with UTUC after RNU. MLR may become a useful biomarker to predict IVR in patients with UTUC after RNU.