Enhanced recovery after surgery in transurethral surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) measures have not been systematically applied in transurethral surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This study was performed on patients with BPH who required surgical intervention. From July 2019 to June 2020, the ERAS program was applied to 248 patients, and the conventional program was applied to 238 patients. After 1 year of follow-up, the differences between the ERAS group and the conventional group were evaluated. The ERAS group had a shorter time of urinary catheterization compared with the conventional group (mean ± standard deviation [s.d.]: 1.0 ± 0.4 days vs 2.7 ± 0.8 days, P < 0.01), and the pain (mean ± s.d.) was significantly reduced through postoperative hospitalization days (PODs) 0-2 (POD 0: 1.7 ± 0.8 vs 2.4 ± 1.0, P < 0.01; POD 1: 1.6 ± 0.9 vs 3.5 ± 1.3, P < 0.01; POD 2: 1.2 ± 0.7 vs 3.0 ± 1.3, P < 0.01). No statistically significant difference was found in the rate of postoperative complications, such as postoperative bleeding (P = 0.79), urinary retention (P = 0.40), fever (P = 0.55), and readmission (P = 0.71). The hospitalization cost of the ERAS group was similar to that of the conventional group (mean ± s.d.: 16 927.8 ± 5808.1 Chinese Yuan [CNY] vs 17 044.1 ± 5830.7 CNY, P =0.85). The International Prostate Symptom Scores (IPSS) and quality of life (QoL) scores in the two groups were also similar when compared at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after discharge. The ERAS program we conducted was safe, repeatable, and efficient. In conclusion, patients undergoing the ERAS program experienced less postoperative stress than those undergoing the conventional program.

The effect of bladder function on the efficacy of transurethral prostatectomy in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia: a retrospective, single-center study / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

We investigated the impact and predictive value of bladder function in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) on the efficacy of transurethral prostatectomy. Symptomatic, imaging, and urodynamic data of patients who underwent transurethral prostatectomy at West China Hospital of Sichuan University (Chengdu, China) from July 2019 to December 2021 were collected. Follow-up data included the quality of life (QoL), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and IPSS storage and voiding (IPSS-s and IPSS-v). Moreover, urinary creatinine (Cr), nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and prostaglandin estradiol (PGE2) were measured in 30 patients with BPH and 30 healthy participants. Perioperative indicators were determined by subgroup analyses and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Among the 313 patients with BPH included, patients with severe micturition problems had more improvements but higher micturition grades postoperatively than those with moderate symptoms. Similarly, good bladder sensation, compliance, and detrusor contractility (DC) were predictors of low postoperative IPSS and QoL. The urinary concentrations of BDNF/Cr, NGF/Cr, and PGE2/Cr in patients were significantly higher than those in healthy participants (all P < 0.001). After evaluation, only DC was significantly related to both urinary indicators and postoperative recovery of patients. Patients with good DC, as predicted by urinary indicators, had lower IPSS and IPSS-v than those with reduced DC at the 1st month postoperatively (both P < 0.05). In summary, patients with impaired bladder function had poor recovery. The combined levels of urinary BDNF/Cr, NGF/Cr, and PGE2/Cr in patients with BPH may be valid predictors of preoperative bladder function and postoperative recovery.

ARV-7: A biomarker for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer / 中华男科学杂志

As more and more patients with metastatic prostate cancer develop resistance to androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) and consequently castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), reasonable selection of therapies is becoming increasingly important for the prediction of the therapeutic results. Many studies show that androgen receptor splice variant 7 (AR-V7) is involved in the development and progression of CRPC and that the expression of AR-V7, absolutely higher in CRPC than in hormone-nave prostate cancer, plays a significant role in the mechanisms of resistance to abiraterone, enzalutamide and taxane chemotherapies. Further more, some clinical trials have revealed that the AR-V7 level may indicate the prognosis of different therapeutic options: AR-V7 negative in circulating tumor cells suggesting the effectiveness of a new hormonal therapy and taxane chemotherapy while AR-V7 positive indicating the poor result of a new hormonal therapy. These findings show that AR-V7 could be a biomarker for therapeutic options and the prognostic evaluation of CRPC.

Androgen biosynthesis in castration-resistant prostate cancer: Advances in studies / 中华男科学杂志

Prostate cancer is a most common malignant tumor in the male urogenital system. Currently, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a bottleneck in the treatment of prostate cancer, which has a very poor prognosis, with a median survival of merely 12 months. Although androgen-deprivation therapy eliminates the majority of the androgens in circulation, CRPC patients adapt to low-level androgens by synthesizing intratumoral androgens or altering androgen receptors. This review summarizes the main ways of synthesizing testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the enzymes involved, and changes of the androgen level in different stages of CRPC. Blocking any one of the pathways of androgen biosynthesis is likely to upregulate another and lead to incomplete androgen elimination and consequently drug resistance. Therefore, identifying the pathways of androgen biosynthesis may provide an opportunity for the development of the drugs for blocking the major pathways of androgen and introtumoral androgen biosynthesis and antagonizing androgen receptors.

The preoperative serum cystatin-C as an independent prognostic factor for survival in upper tract urothelial carcinoma / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Cystatin-C (Cys-C) has been reported as a valuable prognostic biomarker in various malignancies. However, its effect on upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) patients has not been investigated before. Thus, to explore the impact of Cys-C on survival outcomes in patients undergoing radical nephroureterectomy (RNU), a total of 538 patients with UTUC who underwent RNU between 2005 and 2014 in our center (West China Hospital, Chengdu, China) were included in this study. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between Cys-C and survival outcomes using SPSS version 22.0. The cutoff value of Cys-C was set as 1.4 mg l-1 using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and Youden index. The mean age of patients included was 66.1 ± 11.1 years, and the median follow-up duration was 38 (interquartile range: 19-56) months. Overall, 162 (30.1%) patients had elevated Cys-C, and they were much older and had worse renal function than those with Cys-C <1.4 mg l-1 (both P < 0.001). Meanwhile, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the group with elevated Cys-C had worse cancer-specific survival (CSS, P = 0.001), disease recurrence-free survival (RFS, P = 0.003), and overall survival (OS, P < 0.001). Multivariable Cox analysis suggested that the elevated Cys-C was identified as an independent prognostic predictor of CSS (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.997, 95% confidential interval [CI]: 1.331-2.996), RFS (HR: 1.429, 95% CI: 1.009-2.023), and OS (HR: 1.989, 95% CI: 1.366-2.896). In conclusion, our result revealed that the elevated preoperative serum Cys-C was significantly associated with worse outcomes in UTUC patients undergoing RNU.

Radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy for high-risk prostate cancer: An update / 中华男科学杂志

Recently, the D'Amico classification system is widely used for the risk stratification of prostate cancer (PCa) , although no consensus has been reached for the definition of high-risk PCa. This system defines high-risk PCa as a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level > 20 ng/ml, a Gleason score of 8-10, or a clinical stage ≥ T2c. Because high-risk PCa is prone to recurrence and metastasis after treatment, a proper initial therapy plays a crucial role. Currently, radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy are considered to be two most important options for the initial treatment of high-risk PCa although it remains controversial which is better.

No-flip method versus external method for Shang Ring circumcision: a meta-analysis / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the effect and safety of the no-flip method versus the external method in Shang Ring circumcision.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We searched relevant randomized controlled trials published in China and abroad comparing the no-flip method and external method of Shang Ring circumcision. Based on the Cochrane Handbook for systematic review, two reviewers independently eval- uated the quality of the included studies and abstracted relevant data, followed by a meta-analysis using the statistical software Review Manager 5.1.0.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Totally 7 studies with 1 200 cases were included. Compared with the external method, the no-flip method was associated with a lower total rate of complications (RR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.18, 0.87, P = 0.02), a lower incidence of postop- erative edema (RR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.81, P = 0.02), and a lower 24 h postoperative pain score (MD = -0.35, 95% CI: -0.55, -0.14, P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The no-flip method of Shang Ring circumcision was superior to the external method for its advantages of fewer complications, lower incidence of postoperative edema, and mild postoperative pain. However, our findings need further support by more high-quality randomized controlled trials.</p>

Circumcision with no-flip Shang Ring technique for adult males: analysis of 168 cases / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the clinical effects of the no-flip procedure with the Chinese Shang Ring when circumcising adult males with redundant prepuce or phimosis, and to discuss its advantages and disadvantages.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Using the no-flip Shang Ring technique, we performed circumcision for 167 adult males aged 18 -72 (mean 27.8) years with redundant prepuce or phimosis, and analyzed the clinical data, including the operation time, postoperative complications, ring-removal time, and postoperative appearance of the penis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Complete follow-up data of 94 cases (56.29%) were obtained. The mean operation time was (5.03 +/- 0.71) minutes and the average ring-removal time was (18.83 +/- 6.70) days. The primary postoperative complications were edema (35 cases [37.23%] at 2 weeks and 9 cases [9.57%] at 4 weeks), including 2 severe cases (2.13%), and infection (3 cases [3.19%]). The pain scores were 2.01 +/- 2.46 during the procedure and 4.52 +/- 2.53 at 24 hours postoperatively. Slipping of the outer ring occurred in 1 case, and delayed removal of the ring in 30 cases (31.91%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Adult male circumcision with the no-flip Shang Ring technique is recommended for its short operation time, simple procedure, fewer postoperative complications, less pain, and better incision appearance.</p>