Comparison of perioperative outcomes and complications between intracorporeal, extracorporeal, and hybrid ileal conduit urinary diversion during robot-assisted radical cystectomy: a comparative propensity score-matched analysis from nationwide multi-institutional study in Japan.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the impact of different urinary diversion (UD) techniques on the peri- and postoperative complications of robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with ileal conduit. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 373 patients undergoing RARC with ileal conduit at 11 institutions in Japan between April 2018 and December 2021. Propensity score weighting was performed to adjust for confounding factors such as age, sex, body mass index, performance status, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, previous abdominal surgery, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and preoperative high T stage (≥ cT3) and high N stage (≥ cN1). Perioperative complications were then compared among three groups: extracorporeal, intracorporeal, and hybrid urinary diversion (ECUD, ICUD, and HUD, respectively). RESULTS: A total of 150, 68, and 155 patients received ECUD, HUD, and ICUD, respectively. Bowel reconstruction time and UD time were significantly shorter in the ECUD group (p < 0.001), and console time was significantly longer and blood loss was significantly higher in the ICUD group (p < 0.001). For postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo Classification grade ≥ 3), surgical site infection (p = 0.004), pelvic abscess (p = 0.013), anastomotic urine leak (p = 0.007), and pelvic organ prolapse (p = 0.011) significantly occurred in the ECUD group. For all grades, ileus was more common in the HUD group, whereas anastomotic stricture was more common in the ECUD group compared with the other groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Severe complications did not increase after HUD and ICUD compared with ECUD; however, console time tended to be longer and blood loss was slightly higher during RARC.

[A Case of Long-Term Survival Following Multidisciplinary Therapy for Small Intestinal Metastasis of Bladder Cancer].

The patient was a 70-year-old man who underwent transurethral resection of a bladder tumor. The pathological diagnosis was urothelial carcinoma (UC) with sarcomatoid variant, ≧pT2. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy using gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC), radical cystectomy was performed. The histopathological diagnosis was no tumor remnant (ypT0ypN0). Seven months later, the patient underwent an emergency partial ileectomy for ileal occlusion, after sudden complaints of vomiting and abdominal pain and fullness. Postoperatively, two cycles of adjuvant GC chemotherapy were administered. Approximately 10 months after ileal metastasis, a mesenteric tumor appeared. After seven cycles of methotrexate/epirubicin/nedaplatin and 32 cycles of pembrolizumab therapy, the mesentery was resected. The pathological diagnosis was UC with sarcomatoid variant. No recurrence was noted for 2 years after resection of the mesentery.

[Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma Diagnosed as an Inguinal Mass : A Case Report].

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is generally characterized by chief complaints such as abdominal mass and abdominal pain. We report a case of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma diagnosed as an inguinal mass. A 69-year-old man was referred to our hospital complaining of abdominal distension and swelling in the right inguinal region. Abdominal/pelvic contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a 22 cm tumor from the right inguinal canal to the peritoneal cavity and a large amount of ascites. Because imaging analyses revealed no metastasis, we planned tumor resection. We resected the tumor with the peritoneum and right testis and sampled some nodules in the mesentery. Histopathological examination of the tumor led to the diagnosis of epithelial malignant mesothelioma. Adhering to chemotherapy guidelines for pleural malignant mesothelioma, six courses of pemetrexed and cisplatin combination chemotherapy were performed. He is alive with no evidence of new local tumor or nodules in the mesentery 1 year postoperatively.

A higher De Ritis ratio (AST/ALT) is a risk factor for progression in high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: High-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is thought to be associated with a higher risk of recurrence and progression. A recent study revealed that a high De Ritis ratio was a risk factor in some solid malignancies. This study examined the importance of the De Ritis ratio as a prognostic marker in high-risk NMIBC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 138 patients who were initially diagnosed with high-risk NMIBC between January 2012 to December 2016 were enrolled in this study. The criteria for the high-risk classification followed the EAU guidelines. The recurrence-free and progression-free survival of the higher and lower De Ritis ratio groups were compared. The cut-off value of the De Ritis ratio was set at 1.35, based on a receiver operator curve analysis. RESULTS: The median observation period was 50.3 months. Among these patients, 32 (23.1%) patients developed recurrent disease and 15 (10.9%) patients showed progression. A multivariate analysis revealed that non-BCG treatment was an independent risk factor for recurrence, and a higher De Ritis ratio was an independent risk factor for cancer progression. CONCLUSIONS: The De Ritis ratio might be a risk factor for progression in high-risk NMIBC.

Early assessment with 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography to predict short-term outcome in clear cell renal carcinoma treated with nivolumab.

BACKGROUND: We reported previously the usefulness of 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) to predict prognosis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) treated with molecular targeted agents. Herein we describe a preliminary research of nine patients who underwent FDG-PET/CT before and after initiation of nivolumab. METHODS: Patients with metastatic RCC who were treated by nivolumab from October 2016 to March 2017 were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent FDG-PET/CT at baseline and 1 month as a first response assessment, and contrast-enhanced or non-contrast-enhanced CT scan at 4 month as a second response assessment. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association of potential predictors, including age, gender, baseline diameter, baseline maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), lung or not lung metastasis, elevation of SUVmax at 1st assessment, and decrease in diameter at 1st assessment with the response at 2nd assessment (decrease in the diameter ≥ 30% or not). RESULTS: There were 9 patients and 30 lesions. Mean days of first assessment with FDG-PET/CT and second assessment by CT scan from initiation of treatment were 32.3 ± 6.4, 115.5 ± 14.9, respectively. Lesions whose diameter decreased ≥30% at second assessment were defined as responding, and lesions whose diameter did not decrease ≥30% were defined as non-responding. There were 18 responding lesions, and 12 non-responding lesions. We compared change in diameter and SUVmax at first assessment with FDG-PET/CT, respectively. All lesions with decreased diameter and elevated SUVmax at first assessment with FDG-PET/CT showed responding at second assessment by CT scan, while most lesions with increased diameter and declined SUVmax at first assessment showed non-responding at second assessment. The multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that only the elevation of SUVmax at 1 month was an independent predictor (P = 0.025, OR: 13.087, 95%CI: 1.373-124.716). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the early assessment using FDG-PET/CT can be effective to predict the response of RCC to nivolumab. However, larger prospective studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered in University Hospital Medical Information Network in JAPAN [ UMIN0000008141 ], registration date: 11 Jun 2012.

[Post-Operative Immediate Single Instillation of Chemotherapy as Prevention of Recurrence after Transurethral Resection of Intermediate-High Risk Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer].

We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy of immediate single instillation (SI) of pirarubicine hydrochloride (THP) in the chemoprevention of intermediate and high risk patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The study population consisted of 256 intermediate and high risk patients with NMIBC who underwent Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) induction therapy or delayed intravesical chemotherapy between 1999 and 2014. We introduced SI of 30 mg THP in 30 ml normal saline for all cases in 2010, and thus earlier cases could be considered as historical controls. As BCG induction therapy, patients received 80 mg of BCG Tokyo strain 2 weeks after transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT), and the instillations were repeated weekly for 8 weeks. On the other hand, as delayed intravesical chemotherapy, patients received 30 mg THP in 30 ml normal saline over a period of 6 months starting 2 weeks after TURBT. The instillation schedule was once a week for 1 month, every other week for 1 month and once a month for 4 months. The patients were followed with cystoscopy and urine cytology every 3 months for the first 2 years and every 6 months thereafter. The 3-, and 5-year non-recurrence rates were 80. 3 and 80.3%, respectively, in the single immediate instillation group and 69.7 and 64.5%, respectively, in the control group. Univariate analysis revealed a significant difference between the SI group and the control group (P=0. 025). Multivariate analysis showed that there was an independent and significant recurrence risk factor in selecting chemotherapy instead of BCG in additional intravesical instillation therapy and not to perform SI. Limitations of our study are its retrospective and nonrandomized nature with a limited number of patients.

FDG PET/CT after first molecular targeted therapy predicts survival of patients with renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: We investigated prospectively whether 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) can predict the overall survival (OS) of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) previously treated by molecular targeted therapies. METHODS: Between 2009 and 2016, 81 patients who had received single molecular targeted therapies (43 sorafenib, 27 sunitinib, 8 temsirolimus and others) and were scheduled for second line molecular targeted therapies for advanced RCC were enrolled in this prospective study. FDG PET/CT was performed after first line molecular targeted therapies, the max SUVmax (highest standardized uptake value for each patient) recorded, and its association with OS compared with those of known risk factors. The median follow-up was 15.4 months (range 0.9-97.4 months). RESULTS: The max SUVmax of the 81 subjects ranged from undetectable to 23.0 (median 7.1). Patients with high max SUVmax had a poor prognosis and multivariate analysis with established risk factors showed that it was an independent predictor of survival (p < 0.001; hazard ratio 1.156; 95% confidence interval 1.080-1.239). Subclassification of patients by max SUVmax showed that the median OS of patients with max SUVmax < 7.0 (39), 7.0-12.0 (30), and ≥ 12.0 (12) were 32.8, 15.2, and 6.0 months, respectively. These differences are statistically significant (< 7.0 versus 7.0-12.0: p = 0.0333, 7.0-12.0 versus ≥ 12.0: p = 0.0235). CONCLUSIONS: The max SUVmax by FDG PET/CT of patients with RCC evaluated after their first molecular targeted therapy predicts OS. FDG PET/CT is a useful "imaging biomarker" for patients with advanced RCC planning sequential molecular targeted therapies.

[Post-Operative Single Immediate Intravesical Instillation Chemotherapy as Prophylaxis for Reccurence after Transurethral Resection of Low Risk Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer].

We evaluated the efficacy of single-dose instillation of pirarubicine hydrochloride (THP) in the chemoprophylaxis of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer(NMIBC). In a retrospective study, 135 evaluable patients were assigned to three groups after transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT). In group 1, patients received no adjuvant therapy after TURBT. In group 2, patients received a single-dose of 30 mg THP in 30 ml normal saline immediately after TURBT. In group 3, patients received 30 mg THP in 30 ml normal saline 2 weeks after TURBT , and the instillations were repeated for 4 weeks, then every other week twice and successively monthly for 6 months. Patients were followed with cystoscopy and urine cytology every 3 months for the first 2 years and every 6 months thereafter. The 3- and 5-year non-recurrence rates were 66.9%, and 66.0%, respectively, in group 1, 85.6%, and 85.6%, respectively, in group 2, and 93.6%, and 77.9%, respectively, in group 3. There was a significant difference only between group 1 and group2 (P ＝0.048). With respect to the recurrence per month, there was a significant difference between the 3 groups (P＝0.014) for the first 2 years. However, there was no significant difference thereafter. Limitations of our study are its retrospective and nonrandomized nature with a limited number of patients.

The acceleration of glucose accumulation in renal cell carcinoma assessed by FDG PET/CT demonstrated acquisition of resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy.

BACKGROUND: Tyrosine-kinase inhibitor (TKI) targeting angiogenesis improves the prognosis of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but its effect is temporary. In order to understand the mechanism by which RCC acquires resistance to TKI, we investigated the change of glucose accumulation in RCC by FDG PET/CT when they demonstrated progression disease (PD) against TKI. METHODS: We monitored the FDG accumulation in RCC of 38 patients treated with TKI by 162 PET/CT sequentially until they were judged to demonstrate PD. Standardized uptake value (SUV), a simplified index of tissue FDG accumulation rate, was measured, and the sequential changes of max SUVmax (the highest SUV in an individual patient) was analyzed. Additionally, the expression of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1) and associated proteins in 786-O cells cultured under hypoxia were analyzed. RESULTS: The 10 patients with RCC which FDG accumulation was accelerated after beginning of TKI treatment demonstrated PD soon. The other 28 patients with RCC which FDG accumulation was suppressed by TKI showed longer progression-free survival (3.6 months vs 6.5 months, P = 0.0026), but this suppression in most cases (96%) was temporary and FDG accumulation was accelerated when tumor demonstrated PD. Interestingly, the FDG accumulation at PD was higher than that before TKI treatment in the half cases. The acceleration of FDG accumulation was suppressed by following treatment by mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor. Additionally, in vitro assay demonstrated that the expression of GLUT-1 was increased in the RCC cells surviving under hypoxia condition via mTOR pathway. CONCLUSIONS: The acceleration of glucose accumulation dependent on mTOR in RCC assessed by FDG PET/CT demonstrated acquisition of resistance to TKI. FDG PET/CT had potential as an assessment method monitoring not only the initial response but also following status of RCC during TKI treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN0000008141 , 11 Jun 2012. This trial was retrospectively registered.

FDG PET/CT as a prognostic biomarker in the era of molecular-targeting therapies: max SUVmax predicts survival of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Various molecular-targeting therapies have become available for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Accurate prognostication is desirable for choosing the appropriate treatment for individual patients. (18)F-2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) is a non-invasive tool for evaluating glucose accumulation, which can be an index of biological characteristics of cancer. We prospectively evaluated FDG PET/CT as a prognostic indicator in patients with advanced RCC. METHODS: A total of 101 patients slated for different systematic therapies for advanced RCC were enrolled between 2008 and 2014. A total of 61 patients had recurrent RCC (58 metastatic and 3 regional) and 40 patients had stage IV RCC (36 metastatic and 4 locoregional). Sixteen patients had not undergone nephrectomy. Pre-treatment FDG PET/CT was performed, and the max SUVmax (the highest SUV measurement in each patient) was recorded. The max SUVmax was compared with different clinical risk factors as prognostic indicators. The median observation period was 18 months (range 1-70 months). RESULTS: The max SUVmax of the 101 subjects ranged from undetectable to 23.0 (median 6.9). Patients with high max SUVmax had a poor prognosis. Multivariate analysis with standard risk factors revealed that max SUVmax was an independent predictor of survival (p < 0.001; hazard ratio 1.265; 95% confidence interval 1.159-1.380). A cutoff of 8.8 for max SUVmax advocated in our previous report was highly significant (p < 0.0001). When we subclassified the max SUVmax values, the median overall survival of subjects with max SUVmax < 7.0 was 41.9 months. That of subjects with max SUVmax between 7.0 and 12.0 was 20.6 months. That of subjects with max SUVmax ≥ 12.0 was 4.2 months. The differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment max SUVmax assessed by FDG PET/CT is a useful prognostic marker for patients with advanced RCC, providing helpful information for clinical decision making.

[DISSEMINATED CARCINOMATOSIS OF THE BONE MARROW WITH UROTHELIAL CARCINOMA].

Disseminated carcinomatosis of the bone marrow with urothelial carcinoma in a 75-year-old man: A case study. A 75-year-old-man had first medical examination due to gross hematuria. The imaging study and cystoscopy revealed left ureteral and bladder tumor. The patient was referred for a laparoscopic assisted left nephroureterectomy and transurethral resection of a bladder tumor (TUR-Bt). Pathological findings included urothelial carcinoma, high grade, both a pT3 ureteral tumor and a pTa bladder tumor. The patient received 2 courses of gemcitabine and cisplatin and 1 course of methotrexate, epirubicin and nedaplatin as adjuvant chemotherapy. TUR-Bt was performed twice due to recurrence in the bladder and similar pathological findings. The patient received intravesical instillation of pirarubicin (THP 30 mg in 30 mL of saline) to prevent recurrence in the bladder, but discontinued in the 3rd time because of gross hematuria. The patient was then admitted to our hospital due to gross hematuria, general fatigue, and abnormal findings in the blood analysis. On admission, pancytopenia was detected and the serum ALP level had increased to 30,266 IU/L. A biopsy and bone marrow aspiration were performed because a super bone scan image was obtained using a bone scintigram. Diffuse bone marrow metastasis of the urothelial carcinoma was observed in the pathological evaluations. Therefore, our diagnosis was urothelial carcinoma with disseminated carcinomatosis of the bone marrow. Although treatment with zoledronic acid and blood transfusion were performed, the patient died 20 days after the admission. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of disseminated carcinomatosis of the bone marrow with urothelial carcinoma.

Nomogram for overall survival of Japanese patients with bone-metastatic prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: We analyzed the relationship between prostate cancer outcomes and pretreatment clinical factors and developed a prognostic nomogram of overall survival (OS) of patients with bone metastasis. METHODS: From 1993 to 2011, 463 consecutive patients were treated for bone-metastatic prostate cancer. Data sets from 361 patients were used to develop a nomogram (training data), and data sets of 102 patients were used for validation of the nomogram (validation data). Using the external validation data set, the nomogram was assessed for discriminatory ability, and the predictions were assessed for calibration accuracy by plotting actual survival against predicted risk. RESULTS: Of the 361 patients in the training data set, 205 (56.8%) patients died, 169 (46.8%) deaths of which were due to prostate cancer. The median follow-up period was 55.2 months. In the multivariate analysis, patient age, serum prostate-specific antigen level, clinical T stage, extent of disease on bone scan, and biopsy Gleason sum were independent prognostic factors. We developed a prognostic model comprising these five factors for patients with bone-metastatic prostate cancer. This nomogram can be used to estimate 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival probability. External validation of this model using 102 validation data sets showed reasonable accuracy (concordance index, 0.719). CONCLUSION: Our pretreatment prognostic nomogram might be useful for Japanese patients with bone-metastatic prostate cancer.

The early response of renal cell carcinoma to tyrosine kinase inhibitors evaluated by FDG PET/CT was not influenced by metastatic organ.

BACKGROUND: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have become the mainstay of treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but it has been unclear whether the antitumor effect of TKIs depends on the organ where the RCC metastasis is located. We previously reported that the FDG accumulation assessed by FDG PET/CT, was a powerful index for evaluating the biological response to TKI. In this study we investigated the differences in FDG accumulation and the response to TKI as assessed by FDG PET/CT among various organs where RCC were located. METHODS: A total of 48 patients with advanced RCC treated with a TKI (25 with sunitinib and 23 with sorafenib) were evaluated by FDG PET/CT before and at 1 month after a TKI treatment initiation. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of all RCC lesions were measured and analyzed. RESULTS: We evaluated 190 RCC lesions. The pretreatment SUVmax values (mean ± SD) were as follows: in the 49 lung metastases, 4.1 ± 3.3; in the 40 bone metastases, 5.4 ± 1.6; in the 37 lymph node metastases, 6.7 ± 2.7; in the 29 abdominal parenchymal organ metastases, 6.6 ± 2.7; in the 26 muscle or soft tissue metastases, 4.4 ± 2.6; and in the nine primary lesions, 8.9 ± 3.9. Significant differences in the SUVmax were revealed between metastases and primary lesions (p = 0.006) and between lung metastases and non-lung metastases (p < 0.001). The SUVmax change ratios at 1 month after TKI treatment started were -14.2 ± 48.4% in the lung metastases, -10.4 ± 23.3% in the bone metastases, -9.3 ± 47.4% in the lymph node metastases, -24.5 ± 41.7% in the abdominal parenchymal organ metastases, -10.6 ± 47.4% in the muscle or soft tissue metastases, and -24.2 ± 18.3% in the primary lesions. There was no significant difference among the organs (p = 0.531). CONCLUSIONS: The decrease ratio of FDG accumulation of RCC lesions evaluated by PET/CT at 1 month after TKI treatment initiation was not influenced by the organs where the RCC metastasis was located. This result suggests that TKIs can be used to treat patients with advanced RCC regardless of the metastatic site.

Androgen deprivation therapy prevents bladder cancer recurrence.

Although accumulating preclinical evidence indicates the involvement of androgen receptor signals in bladder cancer (BC) development, its clinical relevance remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the predictive role of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in BC recurrence in prostate cancer (PC) patients. We retrospectively reviewed 20,328 patients with PC diagnosed during 1991-2013 and identified 239 (1.2%) men having primary BC. After excluding ineligible patients, 162 patients made up a final cohort. With a median follow-up of 62 months, 38 (50%) of 76 control patients without ADT experienced BC recurrence, while 19 (22%) of 86 did in ADT group. Thus, patients having received ADT for their PC showed a significantly lower risk of BC recurrence (5-year actuarial recurrence-free survival: 76% v 40%; P < 0.001) and also had a significantly smaller number of recurrence episodes (5-year cumulative recurrence: 0.44 v 1.54; P < 0.001), compared to the control patients. A multivariable analysis revealed ADT as an independent prognosticator (hazard ratio, 0.29; 95% confidence interval, 0.17-0.49) for BC recurrence. This is the first clinical study showing that ADT significantly reduces the risk of BC recurrence.

[Effect of prophylactic intravesical instillation of pirarubicin to prevent recurrent bladder tumors following nephroureterectomy for upper urinary tract cancer].

We retrospectively evaluated 23 patients who had been administered pirarubicin by intravesical instillation once weekly for 5 weeks, after undergoing surgery for upper urinary tract cancer between May 2003 and October 2008. We compared their clinical records with those of 19 patients with upper urinary tract cancer subjected to nephroureterectomy between 1998 and 2008, and who did not receive intravesical instillation of pirarubicin. This prophylactic therapy was well tolerated and contributed to reduce the rate of bladder recurrence. The non-recurrence rate at 2 years was 87.0% in the instillation group and 68.4% in the non-instillation group (P＝0.0025). The overall analysis of the study population did not reveal any statistically significant risk factors of bladder recurrence.

[A case report of eosinophilic funiculitis difficult to distinguish from incarceration of inguinal hernia].

A 45-year-old man visited our emergency room with left inguinal pain, mass and high-grade fever. Emergency surgery was performed with a primary diagnosis of left inguinal hernia. Although there was no hernia, there was a mass involving the spermatic cord in the left inguinal canal. We performed high orchiectomy because of the possibility of malignancy. Pathological findings showed eosinophilic infiltration in the mass lesion. An allergic inflammation was suspected to have occurred in the spermatic cord. His postoperative course was good.

[Assessment of clinical features in solitary minimum size (<1 cm) bladder cancer].

We retrospectively evaluated primary non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer diagnosed between 1999 and 2008 at 2 facilities (Kawasaki Municipal Hospital and Yokohama Minami Kyosai Hospital). Size (< 1 cm) solitary bladder cancer statistically evaluated the characteristics. Out of 463 bladder cancers, 52 were minimum-size solitary pTa bladder cancers less than 1 cm in diameter. The average follow-up period was 50.9 months. The recurrence rate of the minimum-size bladder cancer was significantly lower than that of bladder cancers of other sizes (1 to 3 cm or ≥ 3 cm). The 3-year non-recurrence rate was 80.7,71.0,and 62.9% in each group (< 1, 1 to 3, ≥ 3 cm). High-grade minimum size bladder cancer (pTa) showed a significantly higher recurrence rate than the low-grade cases (P = 0.0101). Intravesical chemotherapy with anti-cancer drugs significantly reduced the intravesical recurrence rate in the low-grade minimum-size bladder cancer group (P = 0.0418). There was no statistically significant difference in either the average recurrence number or the rate of multiple recurrences between the minimum-size tumor group and the 1 to 3 cm tumor group. Minimum size bladder cancer had a lower recurrence rate than tumors of other sizes; however, there were no differences in other characteristics between the groups. Therefore, sufficient treatment, in accordance with the guidelines, should be administered for minimum size tumors as well as tumors of other sizes.

Early assessment by FDG-PET/CT of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors is predictive of disease course.

BACKGROUND: We reported previously that (18)F-2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) had potential for evaluating early response to treatment by tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This time we investigated the relation of the early assessment by FDG PET/CT to long-term prognosis with an expanded number of patients and period of observation. METHODS: Patients for whom TKI treatment for advanced RCC was planned were enrolled. FDG PET/CT was performed before TKI treatment and after one month of TKI treatment. The relations of the FDGPET/CT assessment to progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were investigated. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were enrolled (sunitinib 19 cases, sorafenib 16 cases). The patients with RCC showing high SUVmax in pretreatment FDG PET/CT demonstrated short PFS (P =0.024, hazard ratio 1.137, 95% CI 1.017-1.271) and short OS (P =0.004, hazard ratio 1.210 95% CI 1.062-1.379). Thirty patients (sunitinib 16 cases, sorafenib 14 cases) were evaluated again after 1 month. The PFS of the patients whose SUVmax decreased<20% was shorter than that of the patients whose SUVmax decreased<20% (P = 0.027, hazard ratio 3.043, 95% CI 1.134-8.167). The PFS of patients whose tumor diameter sum increased was shorter than that of the patient with tumors whose diameter sum did not (P =0.006, hazard ratio 4.555, 95% CI 1.543-13.448). The patients were classified into three response groups: good responder (diameter sum did not increase, and SUVmax decreased ≥ 20%), intermediate responder (diameter sum did not increase, and SUVmax decreased<20%), and poor responder (diameter sum increased, or one or more new lesions appeared). The median PFS of good, intermediate, and poor responders were 458 ± 146 days, 131 ± 9 days, and 88 ± 26 days (good vs. intermediate P = 0.0366, intermediate vs. poor P = 0.0097, log-rank test). Additionally the mean OSs were 999 ± 70 days, 469 ± 34 days, and 374 ± 125 days, respectively (good vs. intermediate P = 0.0385, intermediate vs. poor P = 0.0305, log-rank test). CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of RCC response to TKI by tumor size and FDG uptake using FDG PET/CT after 1 month can predict PFS and OS.

[Assessments of progression in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer].

We retrospectively studied 463 patients with primary non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer diagnosed between 1999 and 2008 at two facilities (Kawasaki Municipal Ida Hospital and Yokohama Minami Kyosai Hospital). In this study, disease progression was defined as invasion to the muscle or further (upstage) and presence of metastasis (metastasis). We detected progression in 22 cases, including 18 upstages and 4 metastasis. Univariate analysis showed that factors associated with progression were T category (pT1 p< 0.0001), grade (high grade p< 0.0001, G3 p< 0.0001) and number of tumors (multiple p=0.0213). Multivariate analysis showed that the only equivocal factor associated with progression was T category (T1). Use of a second tansurethral resection for high-grade pT1 cases was unrelated to progression. Among the patients with progression, many had a more advanced T category at the time of radical treatment, and the results of treatment were poor. The factors associated with progression of bladder cancer should be investigated in more detail, so that early radical treatment can be initiated in eligible patients.