Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes of Penile Cancer

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the clinicopathologic characteristics of penile cancer, including patterns of therapy, oncologic results, and survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2005 and July 2015, 71 patients at 6 institutions who had undergone penectomy or penile biopsy were enrolled. Their medical records were reviewed to identify the mode of therapy, pathology reports, and cancer-specific survival (CSS) rate. RESULTS: Clinicopathologic and outcome information was available for 52 male patients (mean age, 64.3 years; mean follow-up, 61.4 months). At presentation, 17 patients were node-positive, and 4 had metastatic disease. Management was partial penectomy in 34 patients, total penectomy in 12 patients, and chemotherapy or radiotherapy in 6 patients. The pathology reports were squamous cell carcinoma in 50 patients and other types of carcinoma in the remaining 2 patients. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed a 5-year CSS rate of 84.0%. In univariate and multivariate analyses, the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage and pathologic grade were associated with survival. CONCLUSIONS: Partial penectomy was the most common treatment of penile lesions. The oncologic outcomes were good, with a 5-year CSS of 84.0%. The AJCC stage and pathologic grade were independent prognostic factors for survival.

Clinical Outcomes of Continuous Addition of Androgen Deprivation Therapy During Docetaxel Chemotherapy for Patients With Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

PURPOSE: This study compared the oncologic results of docetaxel chemotherapy (DOC) in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) according to continuous addition of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) during chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 106 patients who received DOC in 6 medical institutes. Among them, 72 patients had a complete medical record: 28 patients with ADT (DOC+continuous ADT group) and 44 without ADT (DOC only group). We compared the progression-free survival of these groups after DOC. RESULTS: Docetaxel was administered an average of 28 months after primary ADT as the first treatment. A median number of 6 cycles of DOC was administered in both groups. In the DOC+continuous ADT group, orchiectomy was performed in 18 patients and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist was injected in 10 patients. During DOC treatment, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression-free survival was statistically different (6.0±4.75 months in DOC+continuous ADT group vs. 4.8±3.2 months in DOC only group, p=0.024), whereas radiologic progression-free survival was not statistically different (5.0±3.12 months in DOC+continuous ADT group vs. 5.0±2.79 months in DOC only group, p=0.387). CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, continuous addition of ADT showed a significant benefit in PSA progression-free survival during DOC in CRPC patients. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these observations.

Associations of Self-Reported Erectile Function with Non-Invasive Measurements of Endothelial Function: A Preliminary Study

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association of self-reported erectile function and endothelial function using the EndoPAT device. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 76 men (age> or =40 years) after obtaining a complete medical history and a self-reported questionnaire (International Index of Erectile Function-5 [IIEF-5], SEP Q2, Q3). Endothelial function was noninvasively measured with an EndoPAT 2000, recorded as the reactive hyperemia index (RHI), and analyzed according to the patients' baseline characteristics. RESULTS: The mean patient age and IIEF-5 score were 62.50+/-8.56 years and 11.20+/-6.36, respectively. In comparing the RHI according to erectile dysfunction (ED) risk factors, the RHI was significantly lower in older subjects (p=0.004). There was no difference in the RHI according to age, body mass index, waist circumference, obesity, smoking habit, or other comorbidities. When the subjects were divided into four groups according to the severity of ED, no statistical differences in the RHI value were found among the groups. There was no difference in IIEF-5 according to the RHI when categorized according to the normal cutoff value or quartile ranges. The second subdomain of IIEF-5 (erection firmness) was significantly correlated with the RHI value (R=0.309, p=0.007); however, this was not the case with the other IIEF-5 subdomains. Self-assessment showed a tendency toward a negative correlation with the RHI value (R=-0.202, p=0.080). CONCLUSIONS: The role of endothelial function measurement by the EndoPAT in the evaluation and management of ED patients remains inconclusive. However, further studies are needed to validate the role of endothelial function measurement, by the EndoPAT or any other device.

Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy in Urology

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy has been the standard method for resecting adrenal gland tumors. Recently, laparoscopic retroperitoneal adrenalectomy (RA) has been more popular than conventional transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy (TLA) as an alternative method. Studies comparing laparoscopic RA and TLA showed that laparoscopic RA was superior or at least comparable to TLA in operation time, blood loss, pain score, hospital stay, and return to normal activity. Conversion rates and complication rates were similar. At present, laparoscopic RA has been int the limelight procedure for patients with benign adrenal disease. However, surgeons have been reluctant to offer this operation to patients because of the concerns over inadequate working space and overall perceived higher rate of complications, laparoscopic RA is not popular in urologic field up to now. This article summarizes the latest ideas and issues on laparoscopic RA in the expanding field of laparoscopy in urology.

Simultaneous Robot-Assisted Laparoendoscopic Single-Site Partial Nephrectomy and Standard Radical Prostatectomy

Recently, patients with urologic malignancies are treated with robot-assisted surgery and the expanded role of robot-assisted surgery includes even those patients with two concomitant primary urologic malignancies. In an effort to further reduce port site-related morbidity, robot-assisted laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (RLESS) has been developed. Therefore, we present herein our early experience and feasibility of simultaneous RLESS partial nephrectomy and standard robotrobot-assisted laparoendoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) on 3 patients with synchronous renal masses and prostate cancer.

Ileo-Pelvic Anastomosis and Augmentation Cystoplasty for Treatment of Encrusted Pyelitis in a Transplanted Kidney

Infection stones are more likely to form after urinary diversion as the result of urinary stasis. To prevent urinary stasis due to encrusted pyelitis in a transplanted kidney, we describe an alternative a surgical treatment: ileo-pelvic anastomosis. In our patient with a transplanted kidney, the ileal conduit had previously been anastomosed end-to-side owing to renal tuberculosis with an atrophied bladder; the transplanted ureter was anastomosed to the ileum in the left lower abdomen with an ileal conduit on the opposite side. Routine check-up revealed hydronephrosis with infected pyelitis and ureteritis in the transplanted kidney. We performed ileo-pelvic end-to-end anastomosis to prevent urinary stasis by lengthening the ileal conduit and performed augmentation cystoplasty to support the atrophied bladder following tuberculosis. We suggest that this approach may be useful in similar cases.

Late Simultaneous Presentation of Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm and Tricuspid Regurgitation after Blunt Chest Trauma

A 32-yr-old man developed progressive exertional dyspnea 4 yr after blunt chest trauma due to an automobile accident. Two-dimensional echocardiography and computed-tomographic coronary angiography demonstrated a large pseudoaneurysm of the left ventricle and severe tricuspid regurgitation. The patient underwent successful surgical exclusion of the pseudoaneurysm by endoaneurysmal patch closure and repair of the tricuspid valve regurgitation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of these 2 different pathologies presenting late simultaneously after blunt chest trauma and successful surgical repairs in the published literature.

Initial Clinical Experience of Simultaneous Robot-Assisted Bilateral Partial Nephrectomy and Radical Prostatectomy

A 62-year-old male patient with prostate cancer and bilateral renal cell carcinoma underwent a simultaneous robot-assisted bilateral partial nephrectomy and radical prostatectomy. We describe our initial experience of combined operation with a port strategy allowing reuse of ports and surgical considerations because of prolonged pneumoperitoneum.

Clinical Experiences of Pheochromocytoma in Korea

PURPOSE: We report herein 119 patients with pheochromocytoma at our institute over the last 23 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1986 and 2009, 119 patients were diagnosed with pheochromocytoma at our institute. We reviewed the medical records of these patients. RESULTS: Of 119 patients, 45 were male and 74 were female, and mean age was 43.83 +/- 13.49 years. Forty-three patients (36.1%) were diagnosed incidentally, and 8 patients (6.7%) were found to have familial pheochromocytoma. The mean dimension of the tumors was 5.89 +/- 3.18 cm. 4 patients had bilateral tumors; three of these patients were found to have familial pheochromocytoma and 1 patient was diagnosed with malignant pheochromocytoma. A total of eight patients (6.7%) were found to have malignant pheochromocytoma. In 1 patient, metastasis to a lymph node was found at the time of diagnosis. Metastases were found at a mean of 49 +/- 25.83 (6-75) months after surgery in the other seven patients. 6 patients died of malignant pheochromocytoma at a mean of 31 +/- 28.71 months (1-81) after diagnosis, and the other 2 patients survived for 15 and 24 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: Approximately 35% of patients with pheochromocytoma are diagnosed incidentally, and the number of detected cases is increasing. Although familial pheochromocytoma was found only in 6.7% of the patients, genetic testing should be considered in all patients, especially in patients with a family history, young age, or multifocal, bilateral, extra-adrenal, or malignant tumors. Given that malignant pheochromocytomas are frequently diagnosed during the follow-up period, long-term follow-up is necessary to confirm the absence of recurrence or metastasis.

Palpation Device for the Identification of Kidney and Bladder Cancer: A Pilot Study

PURPOSE: To determine the ability of a novel palpation device to differentiate between benign and malignant tissues of the kidney and bladder by measuring tissue elasticity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A novel palpation device was developed, mainly composed of a micromotor, a linear position sensor, a force transducer, and a hemisphere tip and cylindrical body probe. Motion calibration as well as performance validation was done. The tissue elasticity of both benign and malignant tissues of the kidney and bladder was measured using this device. A single investigator performed the ex-vivo palpation experiment in twelve kidneys and four bladder specimens. Malignant tissues were made available from partial nephrectomy specimens and radical cystectomy specimens. Palpations for benign renal parenchyma tissue were carried out on nephroureterectomy specimens while non-involved areas in the radical cystectomy specimens were used for benign bladder samples. Elastic modulus (Young's modulus) of tissues was estimated using the Hertz-Sneddon equation from the experimental results. These were then compared using a t-test for independent samples. RESULTS: Renal cell carcinoma tissues appear to be softer than normal kidney tissues, whereas tissues from urothelial carcinoma of the bladder appear to be harder than normal bladder tissues. The results from renal cell carcinoma differed significantly from those of normal kidney tissues (p=0.002), as did urothelial carcinoma of the bladder from normal bladder tissues (p=0.003). CONCLUSION: Our novel palpation device can potentially differentiate between malignant and benign kidney and bladder tissues. Further studies are necessary to verify our results and define its true clinical utility.

Learning Curve for Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy for Pathologic T2 Disease

PURPOSE: To investigate the learning curve for robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) for pathologic T2 disease, we examined differences in perioperative outcomes according to time period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between July 2005 and June 2008, a total of 307 consecutive patients underwent RALP for prostate cancer and 205 patients had pathologic T2 disease. Patients were grouped into 6-month time periods. We collected and examined the patient's perioperative data including age, body mass index (BMI), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), operation time, estimated blood loss, and positive surgical margin. RESULTS: There were no significant differences among the groups in age (p=0.705), BMI (p=0.246), PSA (p=0.425), or prostate volume (p=0.380). Operation time (p<0.001) and estimated blood loss (p<0.001) decreased significantly with time. The positive surgical margin rate also showed a decreasing trend, but this was not significant (p=0.680). CONCLUSIONS: Operation time and estimated blood loss had a steep learning curve during the early 24 cases and then stabilized. A positive surgical margin rate, however, did not have a significant learning curve, although the positive surgical margin decreased continuously.

Initial Clinical Experience with Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy for Complex Renal Tumors

PURPOSE: Robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RLPN) is gaining acceptance as an alternative to open partial nephrectomy and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for small renal masses. However, it still remains a technically challenging procedure even for experienced laparoscopists. Endophytic tumors or renal hilar tumors pose an additional challenge. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 11 patients (mean age: 49.3 years; range: 31-67 years) who underwent RLPN for small, complex renal masses including hilar tumors and endophytic tumors. RLPN was performed with the Da Vinci(R) surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, USA) with three robot arms and intraoperative ultrasonography (Tile-pro(R) System). RESULTS: RLPN was performed successfully without complications in all cases. The mean tumor size was 3.2 cm (range, 1.1-8.0 cm). The mean operative time was 177 minutes (range, 150-260 minutes), and the mean warm ischemia time was 32 minutes (range, 25-41 minutes). The mean estimated blood loss was 177 ml (range, 50-350 ml), and the mean hospital stay was 4 days (range, 3-7 days). Pathology found four patients with clear cell type renal cell carcinoma, one with multilocular multicystic renal cell carcinoma, two with papillary type, one with chromophobe type, and three with angiomyolipoma. CONCLUSIONS: RLPN is a feasible and safe surgery for complex renal tumors. In our experiences, RLPN could be a nephron-sparing surgical option for patients with compromised renal function and it could be an alternative to open partial nephrectomy and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for a select group of patients.

Cost Analysis of Renal Cyst Ablation: Laparoscopic Cyst Marsupialization versus Repeated Sclerotherapy about Recurrent Renal Cyst / 대한비뇨기과학회지

PURPOSE: Percutaneous aspiration and sclerotherapy for the treatment of symptomatic simple renal cysts is relatively easy and noninvasive, but has the disadvantage of high recurrence rate following therapy. Therefore, we compared the cost effectiveness of laparoscopic, open marsupialization, and repeated sclerotherapy in the treatment of recurrent renal cyst. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from the patients who were treated for symptomatic simple renal cysts by either laparoscopic cyst marsupialization (n=11), open cyst marsupialization (n=12), or repeated percutaneous cyst aspiration and sclerotherapy (n=12) were reviewed. Only the patients who were followed up for more than 3 months and who demonstrated complete resolution and no recurrence were included. Cyst size, locations, operative times, complications, length of hospital stay, and hospital costs of the three groups were reviewed. RESULTS: The clinical characteristics, including cyst size, locations and laterality, were not different in each group. Mean follow-up durations were 6.4, 39.3, and 24.3 months in laparoscopy, open, and repeated sclerotherapy groups, respectively. Comparing the laparoscopy with the repeated sclerotherapy group, the operative times (64.1 vs 47.5 minutes, p=0.260), hospital stay (4.4 vs 2.9 days, p=0.051) and costs (1.14 vs 1.01 million won, p=0.091) were no statistical differences. Operative times (91.7 minutes), hospital stay (9.9 days), and complication rates (25%) were significantly increased for the open group. CONCLUSIONS: For a symptomatic renal cysts, laparoscopic marsupialization is an effective therapy, with a high success rate. If the cost for repeated treatment and higher rate of recurrence of percutaneous aspiration and sclerotherapy is brought into account, even considering the limited number of cases and short follow up period, laparoscopic cyst marsupialization can be considered the first line treatment for simple renal cysts.

A Comparison of Open, Laparoscopic, and Video-Assisted Minilaparotomy Radical Nephrectomy / 대한비뇨기과학회지

PURPOSE: We have retrospectively compared the surgical outcomes of 2 forms of minimal invasive surgery for the surgical treatment of renal cell carcinoma, the laparoscopic and video-assisted minilaparotomy (VAM) surgery, with the conventional open technique in performing a radical nephrectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from patients who underwent laparoscopic (n=14), VAM (n=15), and open (n=15) radical nephrectomies for renal cell carcinoma were reviewed. Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy was performed transperitoneally and VAM radical nephrectomy was performed using specially devised retractors such as piercing abdominal wall elevator and with endoscopic view using a telescope. RESULTS: There were no significant differences among three groups undergoing laparoscopic, VAM, and open radical nephrectomies in terms of mean operative times (161 vs 160 vs 158 minutes, respectively). Time to oral intake, postoperative length of stay, amount of analgesics consumed for laparoscopic and VAM groups were not significantly different. However, these two groups significantly different from those of the open group. Complications included 1 transfusion and 1 paralytic ileus in the laparoscopic group, 1 transfusion in the VAM group, 2 transfusions and 2 paralytic ileus in the open group. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic and VAM radical nephrectomy are associated with significantly less postoperative morbidity, time to oral intake, time to return to daily activity, postoperative length of hospital stay, and amount of analgesics consumed compared to conventional open radical nephrectomy. Therefore, in minimally invasive treatment of renal cell carcinoma, similar surgical outcomes can be expected whether purely laparoscopic or VAM technique for radical nephrectomy is adopted. Further prospective randomized studies are warranted.

Hybrid Squamous-Verrucous Carcinoma of Penis / 대한비뇨기과학회지

We report a rare case of hybrid squamous-verrucous carcinoma of penis that grew extensively in the glans and prepuce of a 68-year-old man. He presented himself with penile discharge and pain upon voiding. The penile glans and prepuce were eroded and replaced by a large, fungating, cauliflower-like ulcerative mass. There was no inguinal or pelvic lymph node enlargement. Partial penectomy was done and histologically, the superficial spreading type, well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma was seen with only minimal invasion of the background verrucous carcinoma with a pushing margin. There were no complications and recurrence of the tumor at 12 months after partial penectomy.

Hybrid Squamous-Verrucous Carcinoma of Penis / 대한비뇨기과학회지

We report a rare case of hybrid squamous-verrucous carcinoma of penis that grew extensively in the glans and prepuce of a 68-year-old man. He presented himself with penile discharge and pain upon voiding. The penile glans and prepuce were eroded and replaced by a large, fungating, cauliflower-like ulcerative mass. There was no inguinal or pelvic lymph node enlargement. Partial penectomy was done and histologically, the superficial spreading type, well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma was seen with only minimal invasion of the background verrucous carcinoma with a pushing margin. There were no complications and recurrence of the tumor at 12 months after partial penectomy.