Vitamin E reduces superficial bladder cancer recurrence: a randomized controlled trial

Most patients with superficial bladder cancer who undergo transurethral resection of bladder tumor show recurrence of the disease. So far, there have been numerous studies on ways to decrease bladder cancer recurrence, including the intake of vitamins and antioxidants. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of vitamin E on the recurrence of non invasive bladder cancer. In this randomized controlled trial, 46 patients with a single, low grade, superficial bladder cancer, less than 3 cm in diameter, were randomly divided into two groups of vitamin E intake [400 IU daily] and no intake of vitamin E. Ultrasound and urinalysis were performed every three months to detect bladder cancer recurrence. There was no significant difference between the groups in age, tumor size, mean time to recurrence, and follow up time. There recurrence rate was 28.3% throughout the follow up period [19% in the study group and 36% in the controls] [CI=0.19-0.92, RR=0.53, CI=0.11-0.94, OR=0.42, P=0.04]. In both groups, most [69.2%] of the recurrences occurred during the first year. The rate of recurrence decreased in smokers from 50% in the study group to 25% in the control group [P=0.06] and from 26.7% to 15.4% in the non smokers in the control and study groups, respectively [P=0.15]. Intake of vitamin E significantly decreased bladder cancer recurrence, especially among smokers, possibly due to higher levels of oxidants, which vitamin E may target in smokers. The trial registry code: IRCT201105235527N2

Serum Iron, Copper, Zinc levels in bladder cancer patients in comparison with healthy Individuals

Despite the high prevalence and recurrence of bladder cancer, researches about the role of trace elements such as iron, copper and zinc in bladder cancer are limited in number. In the present study, the concentrations of Iron, Copper and Zinc, [Fe, Cu and Zn] were determined in the serum of patients with bladder cancer and compared with the level of these trace elements in healthy subjects. This case control study was conducted on 51 patients with bladder cancer and 58 healthy volunteers after matching for age, sex and smoking habits. After getting a written consent, samples were collected and the concentrations of Fe, Cu and Zn were measured. Comparisons were made using student t test. There was a significant decrease in mean Fe and Zn serum level in bladder cancer patients as compared to the control group [p <0.001]. In contrast serum Cu level were significantly higher in patients having bladder cancer than in the control group [p <0.001]. More over patients with bladder cancer had significantly higher Cu/Zn ratio than controls. The present study showed that the mean serum cu level was higher and the mean serum Zn and Fe level were lower in patients with bladder cancer than the control group. Further studies are required to demonstrate a possible cause-and effect relationship between these elements and bladder cancer

Hernial sac lithiasis, a rare presentation of inguinal hernia

Inguinal hernias sometimes surprise surgeons with unexpected contents. This article reports a 46-year-old male with a painless inguinal mass. Surgical exploration showed three smooth yellowish concretions in the hernia sac. To our knowledge, this is the first report of hernial sac lithiasis

Evaluation of the Raphanus sativus effect on urinary pH

According to urology texts, urinary calculi are the third most common affliction of the urinary tract and they pose great expenses on health services. The use of oral herbal medication is one of the cheapest ways of treating this disease [in some societies black radish plant is used as a treatment]. The scientific term for black radish is Raphanus sativus nigra. Urinary pH is a prominent factor in any crystallization process in urine. This study was conducted to determine the possible effects of Raphanus on urinary pH as a factor in stone formation and crystallization. Thirty healthy people including 11 males and 19 females without any history of drug consumption or urinary calculi in their first degree relatives were chosen and underwent a four days trial. The experiment included 2 days of Raphanus juice consumption during which urinary pH was measured 4 times a day. The averages of Urinary pH with or without Raphanus juice consumption were compared by t-paired test. The Study was carried out using 30 participants including 11 males and 19 females with the mean +/- SD age of 28.66 +/- 10.8 [range 19-55]. Out of the eight pairs of urinary pH, only in two pairs P values were 0.05 and 0.028 and the rest were all greater than 0.05 which is not sufficient to show a significant difference between urinary pH with or without Raphanus juice consumption. In this study, the effect of Raphanus sativus nigra on urinary pH was not proved. However, according to the proved effects of Raphanus as a diuretic and dissolution agent in Rats, it would be reasonable to repeat the same study in a human population

Hemangioma of the spermatic cord: a case report

Hemangioma of the spermatic cord is a benign, extremely rare tumor. We report a case of spermatic cord hemangioma presenting with a painless mass in the left hemiscrotum. Physical examination revealed a non-tender nontransilluminating irregular mass in the left hemiscrotum, above and clearly separate from the left testis. After surgical removal of the mass arising from the spermatic cord, histologic examination showed a benign vascular tumor consistent with cavernous hemangioma. To our knowledge, only a few cases of spermatic cord hemangioma have been previously reported in the literature