Long-term oncological and surgical outcomes after Video Endoscopic Inguinal Lymphadenectomy (VEIL) in patients with penile cancer

ABSTRACT Objective: To report outcomes from the largest multicenter series of penile cancer patients undergoing video endoscopic inguinal lymphadenectomy (VEIL). Materials and Methods: Retrospective multicenter analysis. Authors of 21 centers from the Penile Cancer Collaborative Coalition-Latin America (PeC-LA) were included. All centers performed the procedure following the same previously described standardized technique. Inclusion criteria included penile cancer patients with no palpable lymph nodes and intermediate/high-risk disease and those with non-fixed palpable lymph nodes less than 4 cm in diameter. Categorical variables are shown as percentages and frequencies whereas continuous variables as mean and range. Results: From 2006 to 2020, 210 VEIL procedures were performed in 105 patients. Mean age was 58 (45-68) years old. Mean operative time was 90 minutes (60-120). Mean lymph node yield was 10 nodes (6-16). Complication rate was 15.7%, including severe complications in 1.9% of procedures. Lymphatic and skin complications were noted in 8.6 and 4.8% of patients, respectively. Histopathological analysis revealed lymph node involvement in 26.7% of patients with non-palpable nodes. Inguinal recurrence was observed in 2.8% of patients. 10y- overall survival was 74.2% and 10-y cancer specific survival was 84.8%. CSS for pN0, pN1, pN2 and pN3 were 100%, 82.4%, 72.7% and 9.1%, respectively. Conclusion: VEIL seems to offer appropriate long term oncological control with minimal morbidity. In the absence of non-invasive stratification measures such as dynamic sentinel node biopsy, VEIL emerged as the alternative for the management of non-bulky lymph nodes in penile cancer.

Incontinence after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: a reverse systematic review

ABSTRACT Purpose: To report the prevalence of the definitions used to identify post-prostatectomy incontinence (PPI) after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP), and to compare the rates of PPI over time under different criteria. Materials and Methods: In the period from January 1, 2000, until December 31, 2017, we used a recently described methodology to perform evidence acquisition called reverse systematic review (RSR). The continence definition and rates were evaluated and compared at 1, 3, 6, 12, and >18 months post-operative. Moreover, the RSR showed the "natural history" of PPI after LRP. Results: We identified 353 review articles in the systematized search, 137 studies about PPI were selected for data collection, and finally were included 203 reports (nr) with 51.436 patients. The most used criterion of continence was No pad (nr=121; 59.6%), the second one was Safety pad (nr=57; 28.1%). A statistically significant difference between continence criteria was identified only at >18 months (p=0.044). From 2013 until the end of our analysis, the Safety pad and Others became the most reported. Conclusion: RSR revealed the "natural history" of PPI after the LRP technique, and showed that through time the Safety pad concept was mainly used. However, paradoxically, we demonstrated that the two most utilized criteria, Safety pad and No pad, had similar PPI outcomes. Further effort should be made to standardize the PPI denomination to evaluate, compare and discuss the urinary post-operatory function.

Correlation of tools for objective evaluation of infravesical obstruction of men with lower urinary tract symptoms

ABSTRACT Purpose To identify how the most frequently used parameters in daily clinical practice diagnosing bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) due to benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) correlate to each other. Materials and methods The study included 452 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) of the UNICAMP urology outpatient clinic of LUTS. Inclusion criteria: patients with BOO due to BPH who agreed to participate in the study. Exclusion criteria: patients with urinary tract infection, neurological diseases that compromised the lower urinary tract, prior prostatic surgery, radiotherapy or urethral stenosis. Patient assessment: history, international prostate symptoms score (IPSS), nocturnal quality of life score (NQoL) questionnaires, physical and digital rectal examination (DRE), PSA, transabdominal ultrasound with intravesical prostate protrusion (IPP), post-mictional residue and free uroflowmetry. Results There was no strong Spearman correlation among the studied variables. The only moderate correlations occurred between IPSS and NQoL (p <0001; c=0.56) and between IPP and prostate volume (p <0001; c=0.57). Weak correlations between IPP and post-mictional residue (p <0001; c=0.31) and free uroflowmetry (p <0001; c=-0.26); and between IPSS and free uroflowmetry (p <0001, c=-0.21) were observed. Conclusion In this study, we found moderate, weak, very weak and absent correlation among the various parameters used in the diagnosis and management of BOO due to BPH. As the value of these tools is variable, the creation of a logical and objective algorithm was not possible and the treatment is based on the interpretation of clinical symptoms.

Translational Research in Urology Training / Investigación Traslacional en Formación en Urología

In a continuum aimed at improving population health, translational medicine must bridge the gap between basic research and clinical needs. There are two main stages of translational research, the transfer of new knowledge from the laboratory to human trials and from these clinical studies to health practice and decision making. For doctors, the most important question is how to treat the patient, with the study of the disease being a secondary target, important only to improve the treatment of future patients. The opposite is often true for scientists, who will be taught by clinical exposition about the pressures and time constraints of clinical medicine.

En un continuo encaminado a mejorar la salud de la población, la medicina traslacional debe tender un puente entre la investigación básica y las necesidades clínicas. La investigación traslacional consta de dos etapas principales: la transferencia de nuevos conocimientos del laboratorio a los ensayos en humanos y de estos estudios clínicos a la práctica sanitaria y la toma de decisiones. Para los médicos, la cuestión más importante es cómo tratar al paciente, siendo el estudio de la enfermedad un objetivo secundario, importante sólo para mejorar el tratamiento de futuros pacientes. Lo contrario suele ocurrir con los científicos, a quienes la exposición clínica les enseñará las presiones y limitaciones de tiempo de la medicina clínica.

Schooling impacts on the overactive bladder diagnosis in women

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the overactive bladder (OAB) diagnosis using OAB-V8 and ICIQOAB questionnaires in women with different schooling and cultural levels. Materials and Methods: Three hundred and eighty six healthy women answered a clinical questionnaire filling out information about schooling, demographic and gynecological data. The OAB-V8 and ICIQ-OAB questionnaires were used to evaluate OAB diagnosis and symptoms; and the QS-F questionnaire, to determine the sexual function. All questionnaires were validated in Portuguese. Results: The mean age was 37.3 years-old. Regarding to schooling level, 23.1% had concluded primary education; 65.8%, secondary school; and 11.1% had higher education. Considering the OAB-V8 (score ≥8), 51.8% of evaluated women had OAB diagnosis. There was a positive linear correlation between the OAB-V8 and ICIQ-OAB questionnaires in its sections "a" (r=0.812, p<0.001) and "b" (r=759, p<0.001). There was a positive linear correlation between age and the amount of time used to answer the OAB-V8, ICIQ-OAB and QS-F questionnaires (p<0.001). The ICIQ-OAB was the hardest to answer for all schooling levels when compared to the other questionnaires. Women who had concluded primary and secondary education significantly demanded more help to answer all questionnaires than those with higher education (p<0.05). Furthermore, women with higher education took significantly less time answering all questionnaires when compared to their less educated counterparts (primary and secondary schooling), since they were quicker to answer each individual question. Conclusion: Educational level and ageing had an impact on women response using different questionnaires for OAB and sexual function evaluations.

Cocaine abuse that presents with acute scrotal pain and mimics testicular torsion

ABSTRACT Report case (s) relevant aspects: Man, 27 years old, complaining of acute testicular pain by 2 hours in the remaining left testicle. Denies fever, lower urinary tract symptoms such as dysuria, urinary frequency, concommitant or prior urethral discharge to the painful condition. He underwent right orchiectomy 13 years ago by testicular torsion. He is a chronic user of cocaine for 15 years and during the last three days the drug use was continuous and intense. Proposed premise substantiating case (s) description: Initial diagnostic hypothesis: Syndromic: Acute Scrotum Syndrome (SEA) Main Etiologic (testicular torsion) Secondary Etiologic (acute orchiepididymitis) Briefly delineates what might it add? Lines of research That Could be Addressed: In this challenging clinical case we presented an alternative and new etiologic diangosis for the acute scrotum which the main etiologic factor remains testicular torsion. This new diangosis is acute testicular ischemia as a complication of cocaine abuse.

Unraveling Brazilian Indian population prostate good health: clinical, anthropometric and genetic features

Purpose To compare dietary, lifestyle, clinical, anthropometric, genetic and prostatic features of Brazilian Indians and non-Indians (Amazon). Methods 315 men, 228 Indians and 89 non-Indians, ≥40 years old were submitted to digital rectal examination, serum prostate specific antigen (PSA), testosterone, TP53 and GSTP1 genotyping, anthropometric, lifestyle, dietary, personal and familial medical history. Prostatic symptoms were evaluated with the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). Results Macuxis and Yanomamis represented 43.6% and 14.5% of Indians respectively who spontaneously referred no prostate symptoms. Mean IPSS was 7, range 3-19, with only 15% of moderate symptoms (score 8-19); Mean age was 54.7 years, waist circumference 86.6 cm, BMI 23.9 kg/m2. Yanomamis presented both lower BMI (21.4 versus 24.8 and 23.3, p=0,001) and prostate volume than Macuxis and “other ethnic groups” (15 versus 20, p=0.001). Testosterone (414 versus 502 and 512, p=0.207) and PSA (0.48 versus 0.6 and 0.41, p=0.349) were similar with progressive PSA increase with aging. Val/Val correlated with lower PSA (p=0.0361). Indians compared to control population presented: - TP53 super representation of Arg/Arg haplotype, 74.5% versus 42.5%, p<0.0001. -GSTP1 Ile/Ile 35.3% versus 60.9%; Ile/Val 45.9% versus 28.7%; Val/Val 18.8% versus 10.3%; p=0.0003. Conclusions Observed specific dietary, lifestyle, anthropometric and genetic profile for TP53 and GSTP1 may contribute to Brazilian Indian population prostate good health. .

Controversial predictors of biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy: a study from a Latin American (Brazilian) Institution

Purpose To analyze controversial clinicopathologic predictors of biochemical recurrence after surgery: age, race, tumor extent on surgical specimen, tumor extent on needle biopsy, Gleason score 3 + 4 vs 4 + 3, and amount of extent of extraprostatic extension and positive surgical margins. Materials and Methods The needle biopsies and the correspondent surgical specimens were analyzed from 400 patients. Time to recurrence was analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier curves and risk of shorter time to recurrence using Cox univariate and multivariate analysis. Results Except for age, race, maximum percentage of cancer per core, and number of cores with cancer, all other variables studied were significantly predictive of time to biochemical recurrence using the Kaplan-Meier curves. In univariate analysis, except for focal extraprostatic extension, age, race, focal positive surgical margins, and maximum extent and percentage of cancer per core, all other variables were significantly predictive of shorter time to recurrence. On multivariate analysis, diffuse positive surgical margins and preoperative PSA were independent predictors. Conclusions Young patients and non-whites were not significantly associated with time to biochemical recurrence. The time consuming tumor extent evaluation in surgical specimens seems not to add additional information to other well established predictive findings. The higher predictive value of Gleason score 4 + 3 = 7 vs 3 + 4 = 7 discloses the importance of grade 4 as the predominant pattern. Extent and not simply presence or absent of extraprostatic extension should be informed. Most tumor extent evaluations on needle biopsies are predictive of time to biochemical recurrence, however, maximum percentage of cancer in all cores was the strongest predictor. .

Adenocarcinoma on needle prostatic biopsies: Does reactive stroma predicts biochemical recurrence in patients following radical prostatectomy?

Objective There is evidence that reactive stroma in different cancers may regulate tumor progression. The aim of this study is to establish any possible relation of reactive stroma grading on needle prostatic biopsies to biochemical recurrence. Materials and Methods The study group comprised 266 biopsies from consecutive patients submitted to radical prostatectomy. Reactive stroma was defined as stroma surrounding neoplastic tissue and graded as 0 (absent), 1 (slight), 2 (moderate), and 3 (intense) according to tumor stroma area relative to total tumor area. Results From the total of 266 needle prostatic biopsies, 143 (53.8%), 55 (20.7%), 54 (20.3%), and 14 (5.3%) showed grades 0, 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Increasing reactive stroma grade was significantly associated with clinical stage T2, higher preoperative PSA, higher biopsy and radical prostatectomy Gleason score, more extensive tumors in radical prostatectomy, and pathologic stage > T2. Only grade 3 was significantly associated with time and risk to biochemical recurrence. On multivariate analysis only preoperative PSA and 2 methods of biopsy tumor extent evaluation were independent predictors. Conclusion Increasing reactive stroma grade on biopsies is significantly associated with several clinicopathologic adverse findings, however, only grade 3 predicts time and risk to biochemical recurrence following radical prostatectomy on univariate but not on multivariate analysis. We have not been able to show that reactive stroma grade 3 on biopsies is an independent predictor of biochemical recurrence beyond that of preoperative PSA and other pathologic findings on biopsy. .

Association between Literacy, Compliance with Prostate Cancer Screening, and Cancer Aggressiveness: Results from a Brazilian Screening Study

Purpose Little is known about the effects of literacy levels on prostate cancer screening. This study evaluates the association between literacy, compliance with screening, and biopsy findings in a large Brazilian screening study. Materials and Methods We analyzed 17,571 men screened for PCa with digital rectal examination (DRE) and total and free prostate-specific antigen (PSA) from January 2004 to December 2007. Of those, 17,558 men had information regarding literate status. Full urological evaluation in a specialized cancer center was recommended in the case of: a) suspicious DRE, b) PSA > 4.0 ng/mL, or c) PSA 2.5-3.9 ng/mL and free/total PSA (f/tPSA) ratio < 15%. Transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy (14 cores) was performed upon confirmation of these findings after the patient's consent. Patients' compliance with screening recommendations and biopsy results were evaluated according to literacy levels. Results an abnormal PSA, a suspicious DRE, or both were present in 73.2%, 19.7%, and 7.1% of those men who underwent biopsy, respectively. PCa was diagnosed in 652 men (3.7%). Previous PSAs or DREs were less common among illiterate men (p < 0.0001). Additionally, illiterate men were less prone to attend to further evaluations due to an abnormal PSA or DRE (p < 0.0001). PSA levels > 10 mg/mL (p = 0.03), clinical stage > T2a (p = 0.005), and biopsy Gleason > 7 (p = 0.02) were more common among illiterate men. Conclusions In a screened population, literacy levels were associated with prior PCa evaluations and with compliance with screening protocols. Illiterate men were at higher risk of being diagnosed with more advanced and aggressive PCa. .

Influence of focal and diffuse extraprostatic extension and positive surgical margins on biochemical progression following radical prostatectomy

PURPOSE: The amount of extraprostatic extension and positive surgical margin correlates in most studies with biochemical recurrence following radical prostatectomy. We studied the influence of focal and diffuse extraprostatic extension and positive surgical margins on biochemical progression using a simple method for quantification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 360 prostates were step-sectioned and totally processed from 175 patients with stage T1c and 185 patients with clinical stage T2 submitted to radical retropubic prostatectomy. Extraprostatic extension was stratified into 2 groups: present up to 1 quadrant and/or section from the bladder neck or apex (Group 1, focal) and in more than 1 quadrant or section (Group 2, diffuse); and, positive surgical margin present up to 2 quadrants and/or sections (Group 1, focal) and in more than 2 quadrants or sections (Group 2, diffuse). The Kaplan-Meier product-limit analysis was used for the time to biochemical recurrence, and an univariate and multivariate Cox stepwise logistic regression model to identify significant predictors. RESULTS: Extraprostatic extension was found in 129/360 (35.8%) patients, 39/129 (30.2%) in Group 1 and 90/129 (69.8%) in Group 2. In univariate analysis but not in multivariate analysis, patients showing diffuse extraprostatic extension (Group 2) had a significant higher risk to develop biochemical recurrence in a shorter time. Positive surgical margin was present in 160/360 (44.4%) patients, 81/160 (50.6%) patients in Group 1 and 79/160 (49.4%) patients in Group 2. Patients with diffuse positive surgical margins (Group 2) had a significant higher risk in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Diffuse positive surgical margin was the strongest predictor on both analyses and an independent predictor on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Diffuse extraprostatic extension in univariate analysis and positive surgical margins on both univariate and multivariate analyses are significant predictors of shorter time to biochemical progression following radical prostatectomy.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy in penile cancer: a comparative study using modified inguinal dissection

INTRODUCTION: In the case of clinically negative inguinal regions in penile cancer, the treatments proposed might vary from careful observation to radical dissection for all patients. We evaluated the effectiveness of the sentinel lymph node biopsy using lymphoscintigraphy in patients with penile cancer and at least one negative inguinal region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 18 patients, biopsy of the sentinel lymph node from the 32 negative inguinal regions and modified radical lymphadenectomy in these regions regardless of the biopsy results was performed. Clinical staging, pathological results of the sentinel and the other lymph nodes removed during lymphadenectomy, tumor behavior, local and inguinal recurrence and specific disease mortality were accessed. RESULTS: The mean age of the study sample was 57.7 years (44 - 81 years) and the sentinel lymph node presented 0 percent false negative 66 percent sensitivity, and 79.3 percent specificity when compared with the modified inguinal lymphadenectomy as the gold standard treatment. CONCLUSION: Sentinel lymph node biopsy is a feasible method of assessing the presence of regional metastasis in patients with penile cancer and clinically negative inguinal regions. However, the optimal lymphoscintigraphy technique is still in evolution and requires further optimization at high volume centers.