The outcomes of same-day discharge following holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) surgeries: our experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the outcomes of Same-Day Discharge (SDD) following Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP) in patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A retrospective review of HoLEP surgeries at a single institution between January 2021 and March 2022 was performed. Patient demographic and operative data were collected, and postoperative outcomes were evaluated in terms of safety and efficacy and compared in both groups using a t-test and chi-square test. Logistic regression was also performed to identify factors that correlate with the failure of SDD. RESULTS: A total of 155 patients were identified; 135 patients were successfully discharged on the same day and 20 were admitted (87% SDD rate). Admitted HoLEP patients had a significantly higher median prostate-specific antigen (5.7 vs 3.9 ng/dL, P < 0.001), prostate volume (152.3 vs 100.6 mL, P < 0.001), and enucleated tissue weight (90.3 vs 56.9 g, P = 0.04) compared to the SDD group. The SDD group had a 2.9% (n = 4) readmission rate and a 5.2% (n = 7) Emergency Department (ED) visit rate. There was no significant difference in the rate of postoperative ED visits (P = 0.64), readmissions (P = 0.98), complications, and catheterization time (P = 0.98) between both groups. Preoperative predictors of SDD failure included prostate gland volume > 150 mL (OR = 7.17; CI 2.01-25.67; P < 0.01) and history of antiplatelet/anticoagulation use (OR = 6.59; CI 2.00-21.67; P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Same-day discharge following HoLEP is a safe and effective approach that can be performed in most patients using a liberal discharge criteria and relying on postoperative findings only.

Measuring cancer burden in prostatic needle core biopsies: simplified assessments outperform complex measurements in assessing outcome: evidence to assist pathologist efficiency and minimize datasets.

AIMS: The optimal method of measuring cancer extent in prostate cancer (PCa) biopsies is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: Nine hundred eighty-one men with clinically localised PCa managed conservatively were reviewed with follow up. The number of positive cores (NPC), the Maximum Cancer Length in a core (MCL), Total Cancer Length (TCL), and percentage of positive cores (%+cores) was calculated and univariate and multivariate analysis performed using prostate-specific antigen (PSA), T-stage, and Gleason score. The presence of stromal gaps (SG) was recorded. Univariate models were run where SG made a difference to the MCL. All variables showed significant association with PCa death in univariate models. In multivariate models, incorporating PSA, T-stage, and Gleason score, only %+cores was a significant predictor of outcome, with a 10% increase in %+cores resulting in a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.07 (likelihood-ratio test P > Χ2  = 0.01). There were 120 patients where SG made a difference to the MCL and a total of 20 events in this group. Including SG, on univariate analysis the median MCL was 10 mm and HR was 1.16 (P = 0.007), not including SG, the median MCL was 6 mm and HR was 1.23 (P = 6.3 × 10-4 ). Inclusion or exclusion of SG made no significant difference to TCL as a predictor of outcome. CONCLUSION: Cancer extent is a strong predictor of PCa death but only %+cores added to the multivariate model. Expressed as a fraction of NPC/total number of cores, this is the simplest method of assessment, which we favour over more complicated methods in nontargeted biopsies.

Linitis plastica of the rectum secondary to prostate carcinoma.

Linitis plastica is an intramural carcinoma that may occur in any hollow organ. Rectal linitis plastica (RLP) is a morphological variant cancer that may occur as a primary form of cancer or secondary as a metastasis of a primary malignancy. We report the case of a man in his 70s with RLP secondary to prostate carcinoma who was initially suspected to have an obstructing rectal adenocarcinoma. During colonoscopy a segment of cobblestone mucosa was seen in the distal rectum. Subsequent imaging showed enhancement of all wall-layers of the rectum and diffuse retroperitoneal fat infiltration with traction on both ureters. A prostate-specific membrane antigen scan confirmed RLP secondary to a prostate carcinoma mimicking the clinical and radiological signs of an obstructing rectal carcinoma with retroperitoneal fibrosis.This case emphasises the possible pitfalls in the diagnosis of RLP and the importance of advanced imaging techniques, such as MRI, as well as appropriate histological samples. The patient underwent androgen deprivation therapy to which RLP responded well and neither systemic chemotherapy or surgery was necessary.

Estimating Excess Mortality Due to Prostate, Breast, and Uterus Cancer during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Peru: A Time Series Analysis.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the deaths in Peru were related to COVID-19; however, cancer deaths have also been exacerbated in the first months of the pandemic. Despite this, excess mortalities of prostate, breast, and uterus cancer are not available by age group and region from January to December 2020. Therefore, we estimated the excess deaths and excess death rates (per 100,000 habitants) due to prostate, breast, and uterus cancer in 25 Peruvian regions. We did a time series analysis. Prostate, breast, and uterus cancer death data for 25 Peruvian regions were retrieved during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as well as data for up to 3 years prior (2017-2019) from the Sistema Informatico Nacional de Defunciones at the Ministry of Health of Peru. Deaths in 2020 were defined as observed deaths. The expected deaths (in 2020) were estimated using the average deaths over 3 preceding years (2017, 2018 and 2019). Excess mortality was calculated as the difference between observed mortality and expected mortality in 2020. We estimated that the number of excess deaths and the excess death rates due to prostate, breast, and uterus cancer were 610 deaths (55%; 12.8 deaths per 100,000 men), 443 deaths (43%; 6 deaths per 100,000 women), and 154 deaths (25%; 2 deaths per 100,000 women), respectively. Excess numbers of deaths and excess death rates due to prostate and breast cancer increased with age. These excess deaths were higher in men aged ≥ 80 years (596 deaths (64%) and 150 deaths per 100,000 men) and women aged 70-79 years (229 deaths (58%) and 15 deaths per 100,000 women), respectively. In summary, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were excess prostate and breast cancer mortalities in 2020 in Peru, while excess uterus cancer mortalities were low. Age-stratified excess death rates for prostate cancer and breast cancer were higher in men ≥ 80 years and in women ≥ 70 years, respectively.

Changes in Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Patients Affected by Covid-19.

INTRODUCTION: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a histological diagnosis characterized by an increase in the number of epithelial and stromal cells in the transitional zone of the prostate gland. The clinical manifestation of BPH is associated with the appearance of so-called lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) which can also be a consequence of other conditions not related to the prostate. Covid-19, also known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was discovered as a disease in late 2019 in the city of Wuhan, China. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case-control study was conducted between September 2021 and May 2022. Information was initially collected on 60 patients followed up and treated conservatively for BPH in two outpatient practices and recovered from Covid-19. After processing the received information, 27 patients were excluded from the study and 33 patients remained for observation The assessment of patients is carried out through an internationally validated questionnaire - international prostate symptom score (IPPS), prostate specific antigen, digital rectal examination (DRЕ), and ultrasound diagnostics of the prostate gland with consideration of its volume and the amount of residual urine. RESULTS: Our data show a strong correlation between the changes in LUTS in patients with BPH and Covid-19 infection. CONCLUSION: Although almost 3 years have passed since the beginning of this pandemic, there are still many unanswered questions surrounding this disease. We believe that with our experience we will enrich the information about the relationship between Covid-19 and LUTS, and the results obtained by us can serve as a basis for future large-scale and more in-depth studies on the subject.

Prostate MRI versus PSA screening for prostate cancer detection (the MVP Study): a randomised clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to compare prostate cancer detection rates between patients undergoing serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) vs magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for prostate cancer screening. DESIGN: Phase III open-label randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Single tertiary cancer centre in Toronto, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Men 50 years of age and older with no history of PSA screening for ≥3 years, a negative digital rectal exam and no prior prostate biopsy. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were recommended to undergo a prostate biopsy if their PSA was ≥2.6 ng/mL (PSA arm) or if they had a PIRADS score of 4 or 5 (MRI arm). Patients underwent an end-of-study PSA in the MRI arm. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Adenocarcinoma on prostate biopsy. Prostate biopsy rates and the presence of clinically significant prostate cancer were also compared. RESULTS: A total of 525 patients were randomised, with 266 in the PSA arm and 248 in the MRI arm. Due to challenges with accrual and study execution during the COVID-19 pandemic, the study was terminated early. In the PSA arm, 48 patients had an abnormal PSA and 28 (58%) agreed to undergo a prostate biopsy. In the MRI arm, 25 patients had a PIRADS score of 4 or 5 and 24 (96%) agreed to undergo a biopsy. The relative risk for MRI to recommend a prostate biopsy was 0.52 (95% CI 0.33 to 0.82, p=0.005), compared with PSA. The cancer detection rate for patients in the PSA arm was 29% (8 of 28) vs 63% (15 of 24, p=0.019) in the MRI arm, with a higher proportion of clinically significant cancer detected in the MRI arm (73% vs 50%). The relative risk for detecting cancer and clinically significant with MRI compared with PSA was 1.89 (95% CI 0.82 to 4.38, p=0.14) and 2.77 (95% CI 0.89 to 8.59, p=0.07), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Prostate MRI as a stand-alone screening test reduced the rate of prostate biopsy. The number of clinically significant cancers detected was higher in the MRI arm, but this did not reach statistical significance. Due to early termination, the study was underpowered. More patients were willing to follow recommendations for prostate biopsy based on MRI results. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02799303.

Sudden Occurrence of Pacemaker Capture Failure during Irreversible Electroporation Ablation for Prostate Cancer in Post-COVID-19 Patient: A Case Report.

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) ablation is a novel treatment option for localized prostate cancer. Here, we present a case of an abrupt and fatal arrhythmia during the IRE procedure in a prostate cancer patient with an implanted permanent pacemaker. A 78-year-old male patient with a pacemaker due to sick sinus syndrome and syncope was scheduled for IRE prostate ablation surgery under general anesthesia. He had a history of recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after having been vaccinated against it and recovered without sequalae. Pacemaker interrogation and reprogramming to asynchronous AOO mode was carried out before surgery, however, sinus pause occurred repeatedly during ablation pulse delivery. After the first sinus pause of 2.25 s there was a decrease in continuous arterial blood pressure (ABP). During the delivery of the second and third pulses, identical sinus pauses were observed due to failure to capture. However, the atrial-paced rhythm recovered instantly, and vital signs became acceptable. Although sinus pause recovered gradually, the duration thereof was increased by the delivery of more IRE pulses, with a subsequent abrupt decrease seen in blood pressure. The pacemaker was urgently reprogrammed to DOO mode, after which there were no further pacing failures and no hemodynamic adverse events. For patients with pacemakers, close cardiac monitoring in addition to the interrogation of the pacemaker during the electromagnetic interference (EMI) procedure is recommended, especially in the case of having a disease that may aggravate cardiac vulnerability, such as COVID-19.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in androgen sensitive phenotypes - A study on associated factors for SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and its adverse effects among androgenetic alopecia and benign prostate hyperplasia patients.

Background: Androgen sensitivity, which was established as the leading etiology of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), plays an important role in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vaccination is essential for AGA and BPH patients in view of the high risk from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Purpose: We aimed to investigate the associated factors for SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and its side effects in populations with AGA and BPH. Method: We collected the data on SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and adverse reactions of male AGA and BPH patients visited the outpatient of Xiangya hospital by telephone and web-based questionnaires. Vaccination rate and adverse reactions were compared by different vaccine types and use of anti-androgen therapy. Result: A total of 457 AGA patients and 397 BPH patients were recruited in this study. Among which, 92.8% AGA patients and 61.0% BPH patients had at least the first dose of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination (p < 0.001). Having comorbidities and use of anti-androgen therapy increased the risk of un-vaccination among AGA by 2.875 and 3.729 times, respectively (p < 0.001). Around 31.1% AGA patients and 9.5% BPH patients presented adverse reactions, which were mostly mild. Anti-androgen therapy increased the inclination of injection site pain after vaccination (18.7% vs 11.9%; OR: 1.708, 95% CI: 1.088-2.683, p = 0.019). Conclusion: Co-existence of other systemic diseases and anti-androgen therapy were the limiting factors for SARS-CoV-2 unvaccination, especially in AGA patients. The importance of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines should be strengthened and popularized in androgen sensitive phenotypes.

From uro-oncologists' perspectives: golf as a means of improving wellbeing among prostate cancer survivors.

Prostate cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death among men. Due to related societal limitations, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic increases physical inactivity, which decreases cancer survivors' functional capacity. As a result, golf might be a good way for prostate cancer survivors who have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus disease to improve their musculoskeletal function, cardiorespiratory fitness, psychological function, and general quality of life. Aerobic activity's ability to adjust hormone levels, prevent obesity, increase immunological function, and lower oxidative stress have all been identified as reasons for its benefit for prostate cancer survivors. Prostate cancer survivors must first complete a fitness evaluation supervised and recommended by a certified clinical exercise physiologist after consultations with a urologic oncologist before enrolling in a cancer-specific community golf program. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing is currently the gold standard technique for the evaluation of cardiopulmonary fitness. Prostate cancer survivors should be placed in a group with regard to their fitness level if they pass this fitness test. Prostate cancer survivors can be grouped into four to five groups at a time. Golfing activities should include warm-up, driving range, and course activities (on-course golf play twice a week for a duration of 90 min per day or 180 min per week at moderate-intensity). From the uro-oncologists' point of view, prostate cancer survivors can benefit from group-based community golf programs that can be recommended and designed for them through the collaboration of their physician and a certified exercise professional.

How I Use It: The Exosome Diagnostics (EPI) prostate cancer biomarker utility in urology and primary care.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening remains the mainstay for early detection of prostate cancer. Although PSA is a nonspecific prostate cancer biomarker, its specificity for high grade prostate cancer can be enhanced by pre-biopsy liquid biomarkers including the Exosome Dx Prostate IntelliScore (EPI) test. EPI is a stand-alone urine genomic test that measures 3 exosome-derived gene expression signatures without the need for digital rectal examination (DRE) or inclusion of standard of care parameters in the test algorithm. EPI has broad clinical utility as a risk stratification tool for clinically significant high grade prostate cancer in men considering diagnostic prostate biopsy (MRI-targeted and systematic biopsy). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the EPI At-Home Collection Kit was introduced and quickly became an important component of tele-urology. The EPI test has emerged as a prioritization tool for primary care referral to urologists and for prostate biopsy scheduling. EPI provides an objective and actionable genomic risk assessment tool for high grade prostate cancer and is a critical part of the informed decision-making regarding biopsy (targeted, systematic or both) in both urology and primary care practices.

Strengthening Capacity for Prostate Cancer Early Diagnosis in West Africa Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Realist Approach to Rethinking and Operationalizing the World Health Organization 2017 Guide to Cancer Early Diagnosis.

Two years after SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) was declared a global public health emergency, the restoration, at least, to the pre-pandemic level of early diagnostic services for prostate cancer has remained enormously challenging for many health systems, worldwide. This is particularly true of West Africa as the region grapples also with the broader impacts of changing demographics and overly stretched healthcare systems. With the lingering COVID-19 crisis, it is likely that the current trend of late prostate cancer diagnosis in the region will worsen with a concomitant increase in the burden of the disease. There is, therefore, a compelling need for innovative and evidence-based solutions to de-escalate the current situation and forestall the collapse of existing structures supporting early prostate cancer diagnosis in the region. In this viewpoint, we make a case for the operationalization of the World Health Organization (WHO) guide to early cancer diagnosis to strengthen the capacity for early prostate cancer diagnosis in West Africa using a realist approach, drawing on participatory health research and evidence-based co-creation. Ultimately, we demonstrate the potential for developing COVID-19 responsive and context-specific models to optimize patient navigation/journey along the essential steps of the World Health Organization guide to early cancer diagnosis.

Lessons learned after one year of COVID-19 from a urologist and radiotherapist view: A German survey on prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment.

INTRODUCTION: Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, COVID-19 has changed the medical landscape. International recommendations for localized prostate cancer (PCa) include deferred treatment and adjusted therapeutic routines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To longitudinally evaluate changes in PCa treatment strategies in urological and radiotherapy departments in Germany, a link to a survey was sent to 134 institutions covering two representative baseline weeks prior to the pandemic and 13 weeks from March 2020 to February 2021. The questionnaire captured the numbers of radical prostatectomies, prostate biopsies and case numbers for conventional and hypofractionation radiotherapy. The results were evaluated using descriptive analyses. RESULTS: A total of 35% of the questionnaires were completed. PCa therapy increased by 6% in 2020 compared to 2019. At baseline, a total of 69 radiotherapy series and 164 radical prostatectomies (RPs) were documented. The decrease to 60% during the first wave of COVID-19 particularly affected low-risk PCa. The recovery throughout the summer months was followed by a renewed reduction to 58% at the end of 2020. After a gradual decline to 61% until July 2020, the number of prostate biopsies remained stable (89% to 98%) during the second wave. The use of RP fluctuated after an initial decrease without apparent prioritization of risk groups. Conventional fractionation was used in 66% of patients, followed by moderate hypofractionation (30%) and ultrahypofractionation (4%). One limitation was a potential selection bias of the selected weeks and the low response rate. CONCLUSION: While the diagnosis and therapy of PCa were affected in both waves of the pandemic, the interim increase between the peaks led to a higher total number of patients in 2020 than in 2019. Recommendations regarding prioritization and fractionation routines were implemented heterogeneously, leaving unexplored potential for future pandemic challenges.

The role of COVID-19 in prostate tissue inflammation: first pathological evidence.

According to current studies, COVID-19 might have an impact on semen quality. Therefore, SARS-CoV-2 may affect other traits of male reproductive system, including the prostate. Thus, we recruited patients who experienced COVID-19 infection in-between prostate biopsy and radical prostatectomy and compared prostate samples inflammation, measured with IRANI score, to those who did not. Indeed, we recruited 20 patients, aged 69 (62-73) years, finding no difference between the 10 patients with COVID-19 infection and the others in IRANI score and all its sub-scores. Hence, according to our exploratory and limited results, COVID-19 infection might have no gross effect on prostate inflammation.

The Impact of the Ongoing COVID-19 Epidemic on the Increasing Risk of Adverse Pathology in Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy.

We aimed to assess whether the ongoing course of the COVID-19 epidemic has been associated with an increased risk of adverse pathology (AP) findings in prostate cancer (PC) patients treated with radical prostatectomy (RP). We performed a retrospective data analysis which included 408 consecutive, non-metastatic, previously untreated PC patients who underwent RP in our institution between March 2020 and September 2021. Patients were divided into two equally numbered groups in regard to the median surgery date (Early Epidemic [EE] and Late Epidemic [LE]) and compared. Adverse pathology was defined as either grade group (GG) ≥ 4, pT ≥ 3a or pN+ at RP. Patients in the LE group demonstrated significantly higher rates of AP than in the EE group (61 vs. 43% overall and 50 vs. 27% in preoperative non-high-risk subgroup, both p < 0.001), mainly due to higher rates of upgrading. On multivariable analysis, consecutive epidemic week (odds ratio: 1.02, 95% confidence interval: 1.00-1.03, p = 0.009) as well as biopsy GG ≥ 2 and a larger prostate volume (mL) were associated with AP in non-high-risk patients. The study serves as a warning call for increased awareness of risk underassessment in contemporarily treated PC patients.

Association of the COVID-19 Pandemic With Rates of Prostate Cancer Biopsies and Diagnoses in Black vs White US Veterans.

Importance: Several studies have assessed the negative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer screening and diagnosis rates. However, this has not been evaluated for prostate biopsy and prostate cancer (PC) diagnosis in an equal-access health care system. Objective: To determine the association of the pandemic with prostate biopsy and PC diagnosis rates among Black vs White patients in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System (VAHCS). Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study included a retrospective analysis of all prostate biopsies performed on patients in the VAHCS without a preexisting PC diagnosis between January 2018 and March 2021. The base population included all living male patients who had at least 1 visit to the VAHCS during the 3 years prior to each month of the study. Exposure: The COVID-19 pandemic. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcomes were the number of prostate biopsies and PC diagnoses by month. The influence of the pandemic on prostate biopsy volume and the incidence of PC diagnoses was modeled using an interrupted time-series analysis. Poisson generalized linear models were fitted to project the expected number of prostate biopsies and PC diagnoses had there been no pandemic interruption. Additional models were used to test for differences by race. Results: Prior to the pandemic (January 2018 through February 2020), monthly biopsy numbers among 51 606 included men ranged between 1230 and 1695, of which 56% to 60% of results were positive for PC. The estimated number of missed PC diagnoses from March 2020 through March 2021 ranged from 97 cases (October 2020: 752 cases expected, 655 cases observed) to 573 cases (April 2020: 794 cases expected, 221 cases observed). Prior to the pandemic, biopsy rates were statistically significantly higher among Black vs White men (incidence rate ratio, 2.25; 95% CI, 2.06-2.46; P < .001). There was no change in biopsy rates associated with race at the onset of the pandemic nor during the recovery period from March 2020 to March 2021. Similar trends were observed for PC diagnosis rates. Conclusions and Relevance: Results of this cohort study demonstrate that during the COVID-19 pandemic, prostate biopsy and PC diagnosis rates decreased, particularly during the peak of the pandemic. However, there were no statistically significant changes in rates by race.

Change from transrectal to transperineal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy under local anaesthetic eliminates sepsis as a complication.

Transrectal ultrasound-guided (TRUS) biopsy of the prostate is associated with increased risk of post-procedural sepsis with associated morbidity, mortality, re-admission to hospital, and increased healthcare costs. In the study institution, active surveillance of post-procedural infection complications is performed by clinical nurse specialists for prostate cancer under the guidance of the infection prevention and control team. To protect hospital services for acute medical admissions related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, TRUS biopsy services were reduced nationally, with exceptions only for those patients at high risk of prostate cancer. In the study institution, this change prompted a complete move to transperineal (TP) prostate biopsy performed in outpatients under local anaesthetic. TP biopsies eliminated the risk of post-procedural sepsis and, consequently, sepsis-related admission while maintaining a service for prostate cancer diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic.