ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The accurate selection of patients who are most likely to benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy is an important challenge in oncology. Serum AGR has been found to be associated with oncological outcomes in various malignancies. We assessed the association of pre-therapy serum albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) with pathologic response and oncological outcomes in patients treated with neoadjuvant platin-based chemotherapy followed by radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for clinically non-metastatic UTUC. METHODS: We retrospectively included all clinically non-metastatic patients from a multicentric database who had neoadjuvant platin-based chemotherapy and RNU for UTUC. After assessing the pretreatment AGR cut-off value, we found 1.42 to have the maximum Youden index value. The overall population was therefore divided into two AGR groups using this cut-off (low, < 1.42 vs high, ≥ 1.42). A logistic regression was performed to measure the association with pathologic response after NAC. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses tested the association of AGR with OS and RFS. RESULTS: Of 172 patients, 58 (34%) patients had an AGR < 1.42. Median follow-up was 26 (IQR 11-56) months. In logistic regression, low AGR was not associated with pathologic response. On univariable analyses, pre-therapy serum AGR was neither associated with OS HR 1.15 (95% CI 0.77-1.74; p = 0.47) nor RFS HR 1.48 (95% CI 0.98-1.22; p = 0.06). These results remained true regardless of the response to NAC. CONCLUSION: Pre-therapy low serum AGR before NAC followed by RNU for clinically high-risk UTUC was not associated with pathological response or long-term oncological outcomes. Biomarkers that can complement clinical factors in UTUC are needed as clinical staging and risk stratification are still suboptimal leading to both over and under treatment despite the availability of effective therapies.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Transitional Cell/blood , Carcinoma, Transitional Cell/therapy , Globulins/analysis , Kidney Neoplasms/blood , Kidney Neoplasms/therapy , Neoplasms, Multiple Primary/blood , Neoplasms, Multiple Primary/therapy , Nephroureterectomy , Serum Albumin/analysis , Ureteral Neoplasms/blood , Ureteral Neoplasms/therapy , Aged , Humans , Middle Aged , Neoadjuvant Therapy , Retrospective Studies , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Investigating the infectivity of body fluid can be useful for preventative measures in the community and ensuring safety in the operating rooms and on the laboratory practices. We performed a literature search of clinical trials, cohorts, and case series using PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Cochrane library, and downloadable database of CDC. We excluded case reports and searched all-language articles for review and repeated until the final drafting. The search protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database. Thirty studies with urinary sampling for viral shedding were included. A total number of 1,271 patients were enrolled initially, among which 569 patients had undergone urinary testing. Nine studies observed urinary viral shedding in urine from 41 patients. The total incidence of urinary SARS-CoV-2 shedding was 8%, compared to 21.3% and 39.5 % for blood and stool, respectively. The summarized risk ratio (RR) estimates for urine positive rates compared to the pharyngeal rate was 0.08. The pertaining RR urine compared to blood and stool positive rates were 0.20 and 0.33, respectively. Our review concludes that not only the SARS-CoV-2 can be excreted in the urine in eight percent of patients but also its incidence may have associations with the severity of the systemic disease, ICU admission, and fatality rates. Moreover, the findings in our review suggest that a larger population size may reveal more positive urinary cases possibly by minimizing biases.
Subject(s)
Betacoronavirus/genetics , Clinical Laboratory Techniques , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Feces/virology , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Urine/virology , Viremia/diagnosis , Virus Shedding , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , COVID-19 , COVID-19 Testing , COVID-19 Vaccines , Child , Child, Preschool , Coronavirus Infections/diagnosis , Coronavirus Infections/mortality , Coronavirus Infections/virology , Female , Humans , Incidence , Infant , Intensive Care Units , Male , Middle Aged , Pandemics , Patient Admission , Pneumonia, Viral/mortality , Pneumonia, Viral/virology , RNA, Viral/genetics , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , SARS-CoV-2 , Severity of Illness Index , Young AdultABSTRACT
High-risk prostate cancer (PCa) refers to a very heterogeneous subgroup of disease. Recent series have shown very promising results of radical prostatectomy (RP)-alone or part as a multimodality approach-in patients with high-risk PCa, with satisfactory survival curves even though biochemical recurrence rate was high. Adjuvant treatment (radiotherapy (RT) alone or combined with androgen deprivation) was necessary in 20 to 54 % of patients, notably in cases with positive surgical margins. As for functional outcomes, urinary continence was preserved in about 92 % of cases and overall potency in 60 %. When comparing RP versus RT as primary treatment for high-risk PCa, a recent meta-analysis found surgery to be associated with an improved cancer-specific mortality compared with RT. In selected high-risk PCa young patients, surgery appears to be a valid option. Patients should however be informed of the possibility of adjuvant treatment, as part of a multimodal approach.
