[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical activity within academic urological departments in Paris]

Introduction

En conséquence de la pandémie de COVID-19 en France, toute activité chirurgicale non urgente a dû être annulée à partir du 12 mars 2020. Afin d’anticiper la reprise des interventions décalées, une quantification de la réduction d’activité est nécessaire. L’objectif de l’étude était d’évaluer comparativement à 2019 la réduction d’activité chirurgicale urologique adulte pendant la pandémie de COVID-19.

Matériel et méthodes

Nous avons comparé le nombre d’interventions urologiques pratiquées dans les 8 services universitaires d’urologie de l’Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP–HP) sur deux périodes comparables (14–29 mars 2019 et 12–27 mars 2020) à l’aide du logiciel de planification opératoire et du PMSI partagé par ces centres. L’intitulé d’intervention et le type de chirurgie ont été collectés et regroupées en 16 catégories.

Résultats

Une baisse de l’activité globale à l’AP–HP en urologie de 55 % entre 2019 et 2020 (995 et 444 interventions respectivement) a été constatée sur les 8 services. L’activité oncologique et les urgences ont diminué de 31 % et 44 %. L’activité de transplantation rénale, la chirurgie fonctionnelle et andrologique ont subi les plus fortes baisses d’activité par les interventions non oncologiques (−92 %, −85 % et −81 %, respectivement). Environ 1033 heures d’intervention devront être reprogrammées pour rattraper le programme opératoire annulé.

Conclusion

Le confinement et le report des interventions chirurgicales « non urgentes » ont entraîné une diminution drastique de l’activité chirurgicale au sein de l’AP–HP. Pendant cette période, les urologues ont été sollicités pour d’autres tâches mais doivent désormais s’atteler à organiser la période de reprise d’activité pour éviter une crise organisationnelle en urologique.

Niveau de preuve

3.

The HIV-1 viral synapse signals human foreskin keratinocytes to secrete thymic stromal lymphopoietin facilitating HIV-1 foreskin entry

The complexity of signal transduction resulting from the contact of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected cells and mucosal cells has hampered our comprehension of HIV-1 mucosal entry. Such process is driven efficiently only by viral synapse contacts, whereas cell-free HIV-1 remains poorly infectious. Using CD4⁺ T-cells expressing only HIV-1 envelope inoculated on human adult foreskin tissues, we designed methodologies to identify the signals transduced in foreskin keratinocytes following HIV-1-envelope-dependent viral synapse formation. We find that the viral synapse activates the MyD88-independent TLR-4-nuclear factor (NfκB) signaling pathway in keratinocytes and the subsequent secretion of cytokines including thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), a cytokine linking innate and T-helper type 2-adaptive immune responses. Moreover, the viral synapse upregulates the non-coding microRNA miR-375, known to control TSLP, and transfection of keratinocytes with anti-miR-375 blocks significantly TSLP secretion. Thus, the secretion of TSLP by keratinocytes is induced by the viral synapse in a miR-375 controlled manner. At the tissue level, these signals translate into the epidermal redistribution of Langerhans cells and formation of conjugates with T-cells, recapitulating the initial events observed in human foreskin infection by HIV-1. These results open new possibilities for designing strategies to block mucosal HIV-1 transmission, the major pathway by which HIV-1 spreads worldwide.

Relation between plasma trough concentration of abiraterone and prostate-specific antigen response in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Abiraterone (ABI) is a major oral agent for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients but its systemic exposure is subject to a large inter-individual variability. We aimed to explore the relationship between ABI trough plasma concentration and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response in mCRPC patients and to identify the critical determinants for its activity.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This is a monocentric prospective observational study in mCRPC patients treated with ABI. The plasmatic concentration of ABI at steady state was measured using liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The primary objective was to study the relationship between mean ABI plasma exposure (ABI C_min) and 3-month PSA response.

RESULTS

From 2012 to 2016, 61 mCRPC patients were eligible for pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic assessment. Thirty-eight patients experienced PSA response (62%, [confidence interval {CI} 95% 50-78]). In univariate analysis, ABI C_min was 1.5-fold higher in responders: 12.0 ng/mL (CI 95% 9.4-15.6) versus 8.0 ng/mL (CI 95% 5.8-11.6; P = 0.0015). In multivariate analysis, only ABI C_min was independently associated with PSA response (odds ratio = 1.12 [CI 95% 1.01-1.25], P = 0.004). By receiver operating characteristic analysis, the optimal threshold for ABI C_min was 8.4 ng/mL. Progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly higher in patients with ABI C_min above 8.4 ng/mL (hazard ratio 0.55, [CI 95% 0.31-0.99], 12.2 [CI 95% 9.2-19.5] versus 7.4 [CI 95% 5.5-14.7] months otherwise, P = 0.044).

CONCLUSIONS

We showed that ABI trough concentration correlates with PSA response and PFS. Moreover, we could determine a cut-off value of plasmatic concentration for PSA response. Altogether, ABI concentration monitoring appears as a new approach to improve clinical outcome in mCPRC patients.

[Negative prognostic impact of female gender on oncological outcomes following radical cystectomy]

OBJECTIVE

To confirm gender specific differences in pathologic factors and survival rates of urothelial bladder cancer patients treated with radical cystectomy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective monocentric study on 701 patients treated with radical cystectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy for muscle invasive bladder cancer. Impact of gender on recurrence rate, specific and non-specific mortality rate were evaluated using Cox regression models in univariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

We collected data on 553 males (78.9%) and 148 females (21.1%) between 1998 and 2011. Both groups were comparable at inclusion regarding age, pathologic stage, nodal status and lymphovascular invasion. Mean follow-up time was 45 months (interquartile 23-73) and by that time, 163 patients (23.3%) had recurrence of their tumor and 127 (18.1%) died from their disease. In multivariable Cox regression analyses, female gender was independently associated with disease recurrence (RR: 1.73; 95% CI 1.22-2.47; P=0.02) and cancer-specific mortality (RR=2.50, 95% CI=1.71-3.68; P<0.001).

CONCLUSION

We confirmed female gender to be an independent negative prognosis factor for patients following a radical cystectomy and lymphadenectomy for an invasive muscle bladder cancer.

[Pronostic value of parenchyma renal invasion of pT3 upper tract urinary carcinoma]

INTRODUCTION

Upper tract urinary carcinoma (UTUC) pT3 tumors are a heterogeneous entity including tumors invading the renal parenchyma, tumors with peripelvic fat invasion or peri-ureteral fat invasion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of these three different groups of pT3 tumors.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between 1998 and 2012, 205 patients with UTUC were operated in two centers, including 52 patients with pT3 tumor stage. pT3 tumors were divided into three groups: peri-ureteral fat invasion (pT3U, n = 16), peripelvic fat invasion (pT3G, n = 21), and renal parenchyma invasion (pT3P, n = 15). The prognostic significance of the type of tumor infiltration was evaluated on specific and disease-free survival.

RESULTS

Median follow-up was 18.9 months [6-133.4]. In univariate analysis, renal parenchyma invasion was associated with a better prognostic in both specific (P = 0.026) and disease-free survival (P = 0.031) compared with peripelvic or peri-ureteral fat invasion. Mutivariate analysis retained the pT3 subgroup as an independant prognostic factor in both specific and disease-free survival (P = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

pT3 tumors with renal parenchyma invasion had a better prognosis than those with peripelvic or peri-ureteral fat invasion. The heterogeneity of the pT3 group should be taken into account to improve the care of patients.

Accuracy of the EORTC risk tables and of the CUETO scoring model to predict outcomes in non-muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder

Background:

The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) risk tables and the Spanish Urological Club for Oncological Treatment (CUETO) scoring model are the two best-established predictive tools to help decision making for patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The aim of the current study was to assess the performance of these predictive tools in a large multicentre cohort of NMIBC patients.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective analysis of 4689 patients with NMIBC. To evaluate the discrimination of the models, we created Cox proportional hazard regression models for time to disease recurrence and progression. We incorporated the patients calculated risk score as a predictor into both of these models and then calculated their discrimination (concordance indexes). We compared the concordance index of our models with the concordance index reported for the models.

Results:

With a median follow-up of 57 months, 2110 patients experienced disease recurrence and 591 patients experienced disease progression. Both tools exhibited a poor discrimination for disease recurrence and progression (0.597 and 0.662, and 0.523 and 0.616, respectively, for the EORTC and CUETO models). The EORTC tables overestimated the risk of disease recurrence and progression in high-risk patients. The discrimination of the EORTC tables was even lower in the subgroup of patients treated with BCG (0.554 and 0.576 for disease recurrence and progression, respectively). Conversely, the discrimination of the CUETO model increased in BCG-treated patients (0.597 and 0.645 for disease recurrence and progression, respectively). However, both models overestimated the risk of disease progression in high-risk patients.

Conclusion:

The EORTC risk tables and the CUETO scoring system exhibit a poor discrimination for both disease recurrence and progression in NMIBC patients. These models overestimated the risk of disease recurrence and progression in high-risk patients. These overestimations remained in BCG-treated patients, especially for the EORTC tables. These results underline the need for improving our current predictive tools. However, our study is limited by its retrospective and multi-institutional design.

Risk stratification of pT1-3N0 patients after radical cystectomy for adjuvant chemotherapy counselling

BACKGROUND

In pT1-T3N0 urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) patients, multi-modal therapy is inconsistently recommended. The aim of the study was to develop a prognostic tool to help decision-making regarding adjuvant therapy.

METHODS

We included 2145 patients with pT1-3N0 UCB after radical cystectomy (RC), naive of neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy. The cohort was randomly split into development cohort based on the US patients (n=1067) and validation cohort based on the Europe patients (n=1078). Predictive accuracy was quantified using the concordance index.

RESULTS

With a median follow-up of 45 months, 5-year recurrence-free and cancer-specific survival estimates were 68% and 73%, respectively. pT-stage, ge, lymphovascular invasion, and positive margin were significantly associated with both disease recurrence and cancer-specific mortality (P-values ≤ 0.005). The accuracies of the multivariable models at 2, 5, and 7 years for predicting disease recurrence were 67.4%, 65%, and 64.4%, respectively. Accuracies at 2, 5, and 7 years for predicting cancer-specific mortality were 69.3%, 66.4%, and 65.5%, respectively. We developed competing-risk, conditional probability nomograms. External validation revealed minor overestimation.

CONCLUSION

Despite RC, a significant number of patients with pT1-3N0 UCB experience disease recurrence and ultimately die of UCB. We developed and externally validated competing-risk, conditional probability post-RC nomograms for prediction of disease recurrence and cancer-specific mortality.

[Pronostic value of ureteral location of upper tract urinary carcinoma]

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of the ureteral location of the upper tract urinary carcinoma (UTUC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between January 1998 and December 2007, 161 patients with UTUC were operated in our center. Tumors were located on renal pelvis in 51% of cases, on the ureter in 34% of cases and in both locations in 15% of cases. Nephroureterectomy was performed in 79.5% of cases (128/161) whereas a conservative treatment was performed in 20.5% of cases (33/161).

RESULTS

In our series, 29.8% of patients had primary bladder cancer and 14.3% had synchronous bladder tumor. At a median follow-up of 42.5 months, 38.6% of patients developed bladder recurrence and 4.8% developed controlateral upper tract tumor. In multivariate analysis, ureteral location and existence of synchronous bladder tumor were independent prognostic factors of bladder recurrence (P=0.009 and P=0.025, respectively). Multivariate analysis retained T-stage and ureteral location as independent prognostic factors in both overall and disease-free survival (P=0.002 and P=0.0008 respectively for ureteral location).

CONCLUSION

Ureteral location was an independent prognostic factor of bladder recurrence and was associated with a poorer prognosis.

Sarcopenia and body mass index predict sunitinib-induced early dose-limiting toxicities in renal cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Little is known on factors predicting sunitinib toxicity. Recently, the condition of low muscle mass, named sarcopenia, was identified as a significant predictor of toxicity in metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC) patients treated with sorafenib. We investigated whether sarcopenia could predict early dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) occurrence in mRCC patients treated with sunitinib.

METHODS

Consecutive mRCC patients treated with sunitinib were retrospectively reviewed. A DLT was defined as any toxicity leading to dose reduction or treatment discontinuation. Body composition was evaluated using CT scan obtained within 1 month before treatment initiation.

RESULTS

Among 61 patients eligible for analysis, 52.5% were sarcopenic and 32.8% had both sarcopenia and a body mass index (BMI)<25 kg m(-2). Eighteen patients (29.5%) experienced a DLT during the first cycle. Sarcopenic patients with a BMI<25 kg m(-2) experienced more DLTs (P=0.01; odds ratio=4.1; 95% CI: (1.3-13.3)), more cumulative grade 2 or 3 toxicities (P=0.008), more grade 3 toxicities (P=0.04) and more acute vascular toxicities (P=0.009).

CONCLUSION

Patients with sarcopenia and a BMI<25 kg m(-2) experienced significantly more DLTs during the first cycle of treatment.

[Intra-prostatic UroLift(®) implants for benign prostatic hyperplasia: preliminary results of the four first cases performed in France]

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the feasibility, tolerance and short-term efficacy of intra-prostatic UroLift(®) implants in four patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

Four patients with symptomatic BPH, already treated with alpha-blockers, were consecutively treated with intra-prostatic UroLift(®) implants under general anaesthesia. A bladder catheter was placed postoperatively. Alpha-blocker therapy was withdrawn 7 days postoperatively. The clinical and morphological characteristics of the patients were noted. Low urinary tract (IPSS) and sexual symptoms (IIEF5, MSHQ-EjD), maximum urinary flow rate and post voiding residual volume were evaluated preoperatively and at 1 month.

RESULTS

Median age was of 69 [52-74] years old and median prostatic volume of 50 cm(3) [40-80]. Median procedure time was of 11 minutes [6-15]. Intra- and postoperative outcomes were uneventful. At 1 month, the mean IPSS and IPSS-QOL improvement were of 46 % and 58 %, respectively. One patient reported no improvement in his urinary and sexual symptoms. In the other three patients, the maximum urinary flow rate was improved, the post voiding residual improved in two patients and similar in one. No alteration in erection or ejaculation functions was reported.

CONCLUSIONS

In our initial experience, intra-prostatic UroLift(®) implant procedure seemed feasible, efficacious for LUTS and well tolerated, especially concerning sexual outcomes. Further study of the UroLift(®) implant in France is currently being planned.

Hedgehog pathway activation in human transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder

BACKGROUND

The Hedgehog (Hh) signalling pathway functions as an organiser in embryonic development. Recent studies have shown constitutive activation of this pathway in various malignancies, but its role in bladder cancer remains poorly studied.

METHODS

Expression levels of 31 genes and 9 microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in the Hh pathway were determined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR in 71 bladder tumour samples (21 muscle-invasive (MIBC) and 50 non-muscle-invasive (NMIBC) bladder cancers), as well as in 6 bladder cancer cell lines.

RESULTS

The SHH ligand gene and Gli-inducible target genes (FOXM1, IGF2, OSF2, H19, and SPP1) were overexpressed in tumour samples as compared with normal bladder tissue. SHH overexpression was found in 96% of NMIBC and 52% of MIBC samples, as well as in two bladder cancer cell lines. Altered expression of miRNAs supported their oncogene or tumour-suppressor gene status. In univariate analysis, high expression levels of PTCH2, miRNA-92A, miRNA-19A, and miRNA-20A were associated with poorer overall survival in MIBC (P=0.02, P=0.012, P=0.047, and P=0.036, respectively).

CONCLUSION

We observed constitutive activation of the Hh pathway in most NMIBC and about 50% of MIBC. We also found that some protein-coding genes and miRNAs involved in the Hh pathway may have prognostic value at the individual level.