Secondary Cancer after Androgen Deprivation Therapy in Prostate Cancer: A Nationwide Study

PURPOSE

Androgen signaling is associated with various secondary cancer, which could be promising for potential treatment using androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). This study investigated whether ADT use was associated with secondary cancers other than prostate cancer in a nationwide population-based cohort.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total, 278,434 men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2017 were identified. After applying the exclusion criteria, 170,416 men were enrolled. The study cohort was divided into ADT and non-ADT groups by individual matching followed by propensity score matching (PSM). Study outcomes were incidence of all male cancers. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of events.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 4.5 years, a total of 11,059 deaths (6,329 in the ADT group and 4,730 in the non-ADT group) after PSM were found. After PSM, the overall all-cause of secondary cancer incidence risk of the ADT group was higher than that of the non-ADT group (HR: 1.312, 95% CI: 1.23-1.36; adjusted HR: 1.344, 95% CI: 1.29-1.40). The ADT group showed higher risk of overall brain and other central nervous system (CNS) cancer-specific incidence than the non-ADT group (adjusted HR: 1.648, 95% CI: 1.21-2.24). The ADT group showed lower risks of overall cancer-specific incidence for stomach, colon/rectum, liver/inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), gall bladder/extrahepatic bile duct, lung, bladder, and kidney cancers than the non-ADT group. When the duration of ADT was more than 2 years of ADT, the ADT group showed higher risk of cancer-specific incidence for brain and other CNS cancers but lower risk of cancer-specific incidence for liver/IBD and lung cancers than the non-ADT group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that ADT could affect cancer-specific incidence for various cancers.

The association between the severity of erectile dysfunction and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in patients with and without cardiovascular disease

PURPOSE

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is considered a microvascular disorder and serves as an indicator for the potential development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) reflects early myocardial damage caused by microvascular disorders, the association between ED and LVDD remains poorly elucidated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 123 patients with ED. They underwent RigiScan, and conventional echocardiography, and attempted International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire. ED severity was evaluated by measuring changes in the penile base circumference and duration of penile rigidity (≥70%) during erection. The early diastolic velocity of mitral inflow (E) and early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus (e') were measured using echocardiography. The patients were grouped based on the presence of CVD.

RESULTS

Among 123 patients, 29 had CVD and 94 did not. Patients with CVD exhibited more pronounced ED and more severe LVDD. Associations between increased penile circumference with echocardiographic parameters were more prominent in patients with CVD than in those without CVD (ΔTtop and e' wave, r=0.508 and r=0.282, respectively, p for interaction=0.033; ΔTbase and E/e' ratio, r=-0.338 and r=-0.293, respectively, p for interaction <0.001). In the multivariate linear regression, the increase of penile base circumference was an independent risk factor for LVDD (e', B=0.503; E/e' ratio, B=-1.416, respectively, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

ED severity correlated well with LV diastolic dysfunction, particularly in the presence of CVD. This study highlighted the potential role of ED assessment as early indicator of CVD development.

Association of 5α-Reductase Inhibitor Prescription With Bladder Cancer Progression in Males in South Korea

Importance

The antiandrogenic effect of the 5α-reductase inhibitor (5-ARI) has been investigated for its role in preventing male-predominant cancers. Although 5-ARI has been widely associated with prostate cancer, its association with urothelial bladder cancer (BC), another cancer experienced predominantly by males, has been less explored.

Objective

To assess the association between 5-ARI prescription prior to BC diagnosis and reduced risk of BC progression.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study analyzed patient claims data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. The nationwide cohort included all male patients with BC diagnosis in this database from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2019. Propensity score matching was conducted to balance the covariates between 2 treatment groups: α-blocker only group and 5-ARI plus α-blocker group. Data were analyzed from April 2021 to March 2023.

Exposure

Newly dispensed prescriptions of 5-ARIs at least 12 months prior to cohort entry (BC diagnosis), with a minimum of 2 prescriptions filled.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcomes were the risks of bladder instillation and radical cystectomy, and the secondary outcome was all-cause mortality. To compare the risk of outcomes, the hazard ratio (HR) was estimated using a Cox proportional hazards regression model and difference in restricted mean survival time analysis.

Results

The study cohort initially included 22 845 males with BC. After propensity score matching, 5300 patients each were assigned to the α-blocker only group (mean [SD] age, 68.3 [8.8] years) and 5-ARI plus α-blocker group (mean [SD] age, 67.8 [8.6] years). Compared with the α-blocker only group, the 5-ARI plus α-blocker group had a lower risk of mortality (adjusted HR [AHR], 0.83; 95% CI, 0.75-0.91), bladder instillation (crude HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.77-0.92), and radical cystectomy (AHR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.62-0.88). The differences in restricted mean survival time were 92.6 (95% CI, 25.7-159.4) days for all-cause mortality, 88.1 (95% CI, 25.2-150.9) days for bladder instillation, and 68.0 (95% CI, 31.6-104.3) days for radical cystectomy. The incidence rates per 1000 person-years were 85.59 (95% CI, 80.53-90.88) for bladder instillation and 19.57 (95% CI, 17.41-21.91) for radical cystectomy in the α-blocker only group and 66.43 (95% CI, 62.22-70.84) for bladder instillation and 13.56 (95% CI, 11.86-15.45) for radical cystectomy in the 5-ARI plus α-blocker group.

Conclusions and relevance

Results of this study suggest an association between prediagnostic prescription of 5-ARI and reduced risk of BC progression.

Corrigendum: The learning curve for robot-assisted radical cystectomy with total intracorporeal urinary diversion based on radical cystectomy pentafecta

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.975444.].

Diagnostic performance of transperineal prostate targeted biopsy alone according to the PI-RADS score based on bi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging

Purpose

To compare the diagnostic performance of transperineal targeted biopsy (TB) or systematic biopsy (SB) alone based on combined TB+SB and radical prostatectomy (RP) specimen for detecting prostate cancer (PCa) according to the prostate imaging reporting and data system (PI-RADS) score.

Materials and methods

This study included 1077 men who underwent transperineal bi-parametric (bp) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-ultrasound (US) fusion TB+SB (bpMRI-US FTSB) between April 2019 and March 2022. To compare the performance of each modality (TB, SB, and combined TB+SB) with the RP specimen (as the standard) for detecting PCa and clinically significant PCa (csPCa), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted.

Results

PCa was detected in 581 of 1077 men (53.9%) using bpMRI-US FTSB. CsPCa was detected in 383 of 1077 men (35.6%), 17 of 285 (6.0%) with PI-RADS 0 to 2, 35 of 277 (12.6%) with PI-RADS 3, 134 of 274 (48.9%) with PI-RADS 4, and 197 of 241 (81.7%) with PI-RADS 5, respectively. The additional diagnostic value of TB vs. SB compared to combined TB+SB for diagnosing csPCa were 4.3% vs. 3.2% (p=0.844), 20.4% vs 5.1% (p<0.001), and 20.3% vs. 0.7% (p<0.001) with PI-RADS 3, 4, and 5, respectively. TB alone showed no significant difference in diagnostic performance for csPCa with combined TB+SB based on RP specimens in patients with PI-RADS 5 (p=0.732).

Conclusion

A need for addition of SB to TB in patients with PI-RADS 3 and 4 lesions, however, TB alone may be performed without affecting the management of patients with PI-RADS 5.

Efficacy of pelvic floor muscle exercise or therapy with or without duloxetine: a systematic review and network Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

Postprostatectomy urinary incontinence (PPUI) is a serious complication despite surgical advances. Treatment options for PPUI include conservative care like Pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME), which is a physiotherapy performed by the patients themselves; Pelvic floor muscle therapy (PFMT), a physiotherapy performed under the guidance of a therapist, and duloxetine treatment; and surgical interventions. In this study, network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed for direct comparison of these treatment options.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The NMA pooled the odds ratios and 95% credible intervals using the number of patients achieving urinary continence and the total number of patients in an intention-to-treat population. The treatments were ranked based on the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) probabilities and the rankograms.

RESULTS

The pooled overall ORs of patients achieving urinary continence compared with no treatment was 1.73 (95% CrI: 0.657, 4.71) in PFME, 2.62 (95% CrI: 0.553, 13.5) in PFME plus Duloxetine, and 4.05 (95% CrI: 1.70, 10.2) in PFMT. The SUCRA values of ranking probabilities for each treatment showed high rates of continence in the order of PFMT, PFME plus Duloxetine, and PFME.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that patients with PPUI should undergo PFMT and consider duloxetine as an additional treatment option.

Modified apical dissection improves early continence in robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: Comparative study between modified apical dissection and anterior suspension stitch

PURPOSE

Recently, the modified apical dissection (MAD) technique in robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP) has shown excellent functional outcomes but has never been rigorously validated at various institutions. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of MAD on early continence and potency compared with the anterior suspension stitch (SS) technique.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 100 patients who underwent RARP with SS and 100 who underwent RARP with MAD by a single surgeon were propensity score matched and retrospectively compared for continence and potency recovery at 1 week and 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months.

RESULTS

Continence was reached in 20.6%, 33.3%, 67.2%, 74.1%, 81.1%, and 83.0% of patients in the SS group, compared with 49.2%, 73.3%, 86.8%, 96.6%, 100.0%, and 100.0% in the MAD group at postoperative 1 week and 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, respectively. In the SS group, potency rates were 0.0%, 20.0%, 50.0%, 66.7%, 75.0%, and 83.3%; in the MAD group, the rates were 50.0%, 90.0%, 88.9%, 100.0%, 100.0%, and 100.0%. Recovery of continence was higher in the MAD group within the first 6 months (p=0.005, <0.010, 0.041, 0.016 at 1 week, 1, 3, and 6 months). There were no significant differences in potency recovery rates between the two groups (all p≥0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The MAD technique results in earlier recovery of continence compared with the SS technique.

The learning curve for robot-assisted radical cystectomy with total intracorporeal urinary diversion based on radical cystectomy pentafecta

Objective

To analyze the learning curve for robot- assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with total intracorporeal urinary diversion (ICUD) in terms of both time efficiency and quality of surgery based on radical cystectomy (RC)-pentafecta.

Patients and methods

We identified 203 consecutive patients who underwent RARC with ICUD of the ileal conduit (IC, 85) and orthotopic neobladder (ONB, 118) performed by a single surgeon between 2011 and 2021. We grouped ten consecutive patients into time-associated blocks according to the operation order. Process efficiency and operation quality were measured based on the surgeon’s console time and attainment/score sum of RC-pentafecta. The overcoming point of the learning curve was defined graphically and statistically.

Results

The mean follow-up period was 44.5 ± 30.7 months. Of the 203 patients, 109 (53.7%) attained the five criteria of RC-pentafecta (ONB vs IC, 50.6% vs. 55.9%, p = 0.35). The attainment rate and sum of the RC-pentafecta score of the third group were not significantly different from those of all patients (40.0% vs. 53.7%, p = 0.369, 4.00 ± 1.05 vs. 4.41 ± 0.75, p = 0.137, respectively), and the proficiency in operation quality was satisfactory in the third group. The console times continually improved and stabilized after the 140^th case (IC, 60; ONB, 80), and the attainment rate and sum of the RC-pentafecta were significantly different between before and after the 140^th case (p<0.001).

Conclusion

A single surgeon’s learning curve for RARC with ICUD and pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) showed an acceptable level of proficiency after 30 consecutive cases in terms of the operation quality. However, for an expert surgeon, 140 cases were required to reach a plateau in time efficiency and second leap with the RC-pentafecta. RARC with ICUD and PLND can be performed safely without compromising functional outcomes and complications through sharing and transmission of standardized techniques.

Toggling Technique Allows Retrograde Early Release to Facilitate Neurovascular Bundle Sparing During Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy: A Propensity Score-Matching Study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to present the surgical facilitation of neurovascular bundle (NVB) sparing using the toggling technique (30° lens down/up switching) and to evaluate erectile dysfunction (ED) recovery after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).

METHODS

We assessed 144 patients (group with toggling, n = 72; group without toggling, n = 72) who underwent RARP with bilateral NVB sparing using propensity score matching. Inclusion criteria were ≥ 1 year follow-up and preoperative potency as per the Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) questionnaire (≥ 17 points). Recovery of ED after RARP was defined as return to baseline sexual function or self-assessment regarding successful intercourse. The subjective surgeon's nerve sparing (SNS) score and tunneling success rates were used to evaluate surgical facilitation. The recovery rate of ED between the groups was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier analysis.

RESULTS

A better ED recovery trend was confirmed according to the SNS score (R² = 0.142, P = 0.004). In the analysis of NVB sparing ease, the toggling group showed higher SNS scores (on right/left side: P = 0.011 and < 0.001, respectively) and overall tunneling success rates (87% vs. 74%, P = 0.001) than the group without toggling. Overall, ED recovery rates were 82% (59/72) and 75% (54/72) in the groups with and without toggling, respectively, at the 1-year follow-up (P = 0.047), and the toggling group showed a faster ED recovery rate at 3 months (47% vs. 35%, P = 0.013). In a specific analysis of the potent cohort (< 60 years, bilateral full NVB spared, SHIM score ≥ 22), the ED recovery rate reached 87% (14/16) in the toggling group.

CONCLUSION

The retrograde early release with the toggling technique improves the facilitation of NVB sparing, leading to improved ED recovery.

Initial Experience of Single-port Robot-assisted Radical Prostatectomy: A Single Surgeon’s Experience with Technique Description

Background

With the implementation of da Vinci SP robot platform (Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA), we described our initial experience with the da Vinci SP robot platform (Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA) for single-port robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (SP-RARP).

Methods

This retrospective review included 30 consecutive patients with prostate biopsy-confirmed prostate cancer who underwent SP-RARP by a single surgeon between June and November 2020. SP-RARP was performed with a single-incision plus one method, in which the multichannel guide port was inserted directly with an additional assist port. We report our initial experience of perioperative and early functional outcomes.

Results

The mean operative time (SD), console time (SD), and blood loss were 142.8 (15.1) min, 109.9 (15.7) min, and 133.0 (72.9) mL, respectively. No intraoperative complications or blood transfusions were reported. Of the 30 patients, 21 (70.0%), 7 (23.3%) and 2 (6.7%) had stage pT2, pT3a and pT3b disease, respectively. Positive surgical margins were reported in 5 of the 30 (16.7%) patients in the final pathology report, including 2 of 21 (9.5%) with stage pT2 and 3 of 9 (33.3%) with ≥ pT3. At 12 weeks after SP-RARP, 80.0% of patients had achieved continence and the potency was 46.7%; 8 of 11 (72.7%) had sexual health inventory for men (SHIM) scores ≥ 17 and 6 of 19 (31.6%) had SHIM scores < 17.

Conclusions

The SP platform for radical prostatectomy was technically safe and feasible. After overcoming the technical learning curve, this platform may provide high-quality outcomes comparable to those of multi-port platforms.

Association of meteorological factors and ambient air pollution on medical care utilization for urolithiasis: a population-based time-series study

BACKGROUND

To identify the association of meteorological factors/ambient air pollutants with medical care utilization for urolithiasis and estimate the effect size/time lags.

METHODS

This is a population-based time-series analysis of 300,000 urolithiasis cases from eight large metropolitan areas in Korea. Seventeen meteorological factors and ambient air pollutants were measured daily during 2002-2017 for each metropolis. Data on daily medical utilization owing to urolithiasis were collected. A generalized additive model was used while factoring in the nonlinear relationship between meteorological factors/ambient air pollutants and urolithiasis and a time lag of ≤10 days. A multivariate analysis was performed. Backward elimination with an Akaike information criterion was used for fitting the multivariate model.

RESULTS

Urolithiasis was significantly associated with average temperature, diurnal temperature range, sunshine duration, particulate matter (PM) ≤2.5 μm, and carbon monoxide (CO) levels. The incidence of ureteral stones was positively correlated with average temperature, PM ≤2.5 μm level, and CO level (time lags 0-9, 2-4, and 0-9 days, respectively). The incidence of renal stones was positively correlated with PM ≤2.5 μm and CO levels (time lags 2-4 and 0-9 days, respectively). PM ≤2.5 μm (0.05 and 0.07% per 10 μg/m³⁾ and CO (2.05 and 2.25% per 0.1 ppm) conferred the highest excess risk on ureteral and renal stones.

CONCLUSIONS

Urolithiasis is affected by various meteorological factors and ambient air pollutants, PM ≤2.5 μm, and CO levels may be novel potential risk factors for this condition.

Effect of intraoperative fluid volume on postoperative ileus after robot-assisted radical cystectomy

This study aimed to investigate the effect of intraoperative fluid volume on the postoperative ileus (POI) recovery period. A retrospective review of the Korean robot-assisted radical cystectomy database identified 718 patients who underwent robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC). Regression analyses were performed to identify the associations between the amount of intraoperative fluid administration (crystalloid/colloid/total), POI period (time to flatus/bowel movements), and length of hospital stay (LOS) after adjusting for covariates. In addition, we analyzed the risk factors for gastrointestinal complications and prolonged POI using a logistic regression model. An increasing volume of the administered crystalloid/total fluid was associated with prolonged POI (crystalloid R² = 0.0725 and P < 0.0001; total amount R² = 0.0812 and P < 0.0001), and the total fluid volume was positively associated with the LOS (R² = 0.099 and P < 0.0001). The crystalloid amount was a risk factor for prolonged POI (P < 0.001; odds ratio, 1.361; 95% confidence interval, 1.133–1.641; P < 0.001). In the context of RARC, increased intravenous fluids are associated with prolonged POI and longer LOS.

A Predictive Model Based on Bi-parametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Clinical Parameters for Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer in the Korean Population

PURPOSE

This study aimed to develop and validate a predictive model for the assessment of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) in men, prior to prostate biopsies, based on bi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (bpMRI) and clinical parameters.

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 300 men with clinical suspicion of prostate cancer (prostate-specific antigen [PSA] ≥ 4.0 ng/mL and/or abnormal findings in a digital rectal examination), who underwent bpMRI-ultrasound fusion transperineal targeted and systematic biopsies in the same session, at a Korean university hospital. Predictive models, based on Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data Systems scores of bpMRI and clinical parameters, were developed to detect csPCa (intermediate/high grade [Gleason score ≥ 3+4]) and compared by analyzing the areas under the curves and decision curves.

RESULTS

A predictive model defined by the combination of bpMRI and clinical parameters (age, PSA density) showed high discriminatory power (area under the curve, 0.861) and resulted in a significant net benefit on decision curve analysis. Applying a probability threshold of 7.5%, 21.6% of men could avoid unnecessary prostate biopsy, while only 1.0% of significant prostate cancers were missed.

CONCLUSION

This predictive model provided a reliable and measurable means of risk stratification of csPCa, with high discriminatory power and great net benefit. It could be a useful tool for clinical decision-making prior to prostate biopsies.

Diagnostic Accuracy and Value of Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Ultrasound Fusion Transperineal Targeted and Template Systematic Prostate Biopsy Based on Bi-parametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)–ultrasound (US) fusion transperineal targeted biopsy (FTB) and fusion template systematic biopsy (FSB) for prostate cancer (PCa) and clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) (intermediate/high grade [Gleason score ≥ 3+4]) based on bi-parametric MRI (bpMRI).

Materials and methods

Retrospectively, we analyzed 300 patients with elevated prostate-specific antigen (≥ 4.0 ng/mL) and/or abnormal findings in a digital rectal examination at the Korea University Hospital. All 300 men underwent bpMRI-US fusion transperineal FTB and FSB in the period from April 2017 to March 2019.

Results

PCas were detected in 158 of 300 men (52.7%), and the prevalence of csPCa was 34.0%. CsPCas were detected in 12 of 102 (11.8%) with Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) 3, 42 of 92 (45.7%) with PI-RADS 4, respectively; and 45 of 62 (72.6%) men with PI-RADS 5, respectively. BpMRI showed a sensitivity of 95.1% and negative predictive value of 89.6% for csPCa. FTB detected additional csPCa in 33 men (12.9%) compared to FSB. Compared to FTB, FSB detected additional csPCa in 10 men (3.9%).

Conclusion

BpMRI-US FTB and FSB improved detection of PCa and csPCa. The accuracy of bi-parametric MRI is comparable with that of multi-parametric MRI. Further, it is rapid, simpler, cheaper, and no side effects of contrast media. Therefore, it is expected that bpMRI-US transperineal FTB and FSB could be a good alternative to conventional US-guided transrectal biopsy, which is the current gold standard.

Predictive Validation of a Robotic Virtual Reality Simulator: The Tube 3 module for Practicing Vesicourethral Anastomosis in Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy

OBJECTIVE

To predict actual performance in real surgery when vesicourethral anastomosis (VUA) is performed in patients after Tube 3 module training of robot-naive surgeons.

METHODS

Forty-five patients were enrolled and divided into 3 groups according to chronological trends (each containing 15 patients). Three robot-naive surgeons in a single center completed VUA in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) following robotic virtual reality simulator (RVRS) training. The practicing tool used in robotic virtual reality simulator was Tube 3, which was invented for the dV-Trainer that imitates a VUA in RARP. The effects of performance were investigated by analyzing the number of repetitions and the time required to complete the task until achieving the predetermined proficiency level.

RESULTS

The targeted time (predetermined proficiency level) for completing tasks of Tube 3 and the number of required task repetitions to achieve the proficiency level were 283.1 s and 36 times, respectively, whereas in actual VUA procedures, the number of required attempts was 24, with an average time of 14.9 minutes. The mean time for completing VUA in real surgery significantly decreased with serial cases among all surgeons (1-15 vs 16-30 vs 31-45 cases, P <.001), as well as comparisons between groups (P <.001).

CONCLUSION

The Tube 3 module can represent a valuable educational tool for procedure-specific robotic training by bridging the gap between safe acquisition of surgical skills and effective performance during actual VUA in RARP.

The clinical significance of a second transurethral resection for T1 high-grade bladder cancer: Results of a prospective study

Purpose

This study was designed to estimate the value of a second transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) procedure in patients with initially diagnosed T1 high-grade bladder cancer.

Materials and Methods

Between August 2009 and January 2013, a total of 29 patients with T1 high-grade bladder cancer prospectively underwent a second TURBT procedure. Evaluation included the presence of previously undetected residual tumor, changes to histopathological staging or grading, and tumor location. Recurrence-free and progression-free survival curves were generated to compare the prognosis between the groups with and without residual lesions by use of the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results

Of 29 patients, 22 patients (75.9%) had residual disease after the second TURBT. Staging was as follows: no tumor, 7 (24.1%); Ta, 5 (17.2%); T1, 6 (20.7%); Tis, 6 (20.7%); Ta+Tis, 1 (3.4%); T1+Tis, 1 (3.4%); and ≥T2, 3 (10.3%). The muscle layer was included in the surgical specimen after the initial TURBT in 24 patients (82.7%). In three patients whose cancer was upstaged to pT2 after the second TURBT, the initial surgical specimen contained the muscle layer. In the group with residual lesions, the 3-year recurrence-free survival and 3-year progression-free survival rates were 50% and 66.9%, respectively, whereas these rates were 68.6% and 68.6%, respectively, in the group without residual lesions. This difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Initial TURBT does not seem to be enough to control T1 high-grade bladder cancer. Therefore, a routine second TURBT procedure should be recommended in patients with T1 high-grade bladder cancer to accomplish adequate tumor resection and to identify patients who may need to undergo prompt cystectomy.

Primary testicular carcinoid tumour with mature teratoma in undescended testis metastatic to lymph nodes

We report a case of primary testicular carcinoid tumour with mature teratoma metastatic to the para-aortic lymph node and the lymph node around the left gonadal vein, which was treated with radical orchiectomy, bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin chemotherapy, and modified retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. Three days after modified retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, bleomycin induced pneumonitis occurred, which was resolved with steroid administration. The patient is alive without recurrence 31 months after radical orchiectomy.

Are hypoechoic lesions on transrectal ultrasonography a marker for clinically significant prostate cancer?

Purpose

To investigate the relationship of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) findings with the pathological characteristics of prostate cancer (PCa).

Materials and Methods

The study was conducted retrospectively by analyzing the data for 970 patients who underwent prostate biopsies. Gleason scores and other clinical variables were compared between PCa patients with and without hypoechoic lesions on TRUS.

Results

Of the 970 patients, PCa was diagnosed in 291 (30%). Of these, high-grade PCa (Gleason score of 7 or more) was diagnosed in 190 (65%). The cancer detection rate was higher in patients with hypoechoic lesions (43.9%) than in those without hypoechoic lesions (21.4%, p<0.001). High-grade PCa was detected more often in patients with hypoechoic lesions than in those without hypoechoic lesions (p<0.001). Independent predictors for high-grade PCa by logistic regression analysis included hypoechoic lesions on TRUS and abnormal digital rectal examination findings.

Conclusions

Patients with PCa who had hypoechoic lesions on TRUS had more aggressive pathological disease than did those without lesions. Therefore, hypoechoic lesions on TRUS could be a marker for clinically significant PCa.

Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the kidney from cholangiocarcinoma

We present a rare case of a metastatic renal tumor originating from adenosquamous carcinoma of the intrahepatic bile duct. A 64-year-old man treated with bisegmentectomy and extended cholecystectomy for cholangiocarcinoma had a left cystic renal mass, which had irregular wall thickening, heterogeneously low attenuation, and soft tissue infiltration as determined by a computed tomography scan. The first impression was renal abscess. Left nephrectomy was performed and the nonencapsulated mass was gray in color macroscopically. Histological examination of the specimen revealed alveolar proliferation of small cancer cells, which was consistent with the original tumor of the intrahepatic bile duct. The left renal tumor was misdiagnosed as a renal abscess but finally diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma metastasized from the intrahepatic bile duct. The patient expired because of lung metastasis after 14 months following left nephrectomy. In our opinion, this case would be the first report of a renal metastasis from a cholangiocarcinoma clinically and was treated with nephrectomy.

Concurrent bladder lymphoma and bladder cancer presenting as metastatic bladder cancer

Malignant lymphoma of the bladder is a rare lesion, representing approximately 0.2% of the primary lesions and approximately 1.8% of the secondary lesions. A disseminated lymphoma presenting as a bladder mass is an infrequent phenomenon. The authors report the case of a 71-year-old patient with concurrent bladder lymphoma and bladder cancer presenting as metastatic bladder cancer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of concurrent bladder lymphoma and bladder cancer.