A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Telemedicine Versus In-Person Office Visits for the Follow-Up of Overactive Bladder.

IMPORTANCE: Overactive bladder is a condition that may be ideally suited for the use of telemedicine because initial treatment options are behavioral modification and pharmacotherapy. OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate if there was an overall difference in patient follow-up rates between telemedicine and in-person visits. STUDY DESIGN: New patients presenting with overactive bladder from July 2020 to March 2021 were randomized into telemedicine and in-person visits groups. A prospective database was maintained to compare follow-up rates, satisfaction rates, and time commitment. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients were randomized, 23 to the telemedicine group and 25 to the in-person visits group. There was no significant difference in follow-up rates between the telemedicine and in-person follow-up groups at 30 days (39% vs 28%, P = 0.41), 60-days (65% vs 56% P = 0.51) or 90 days (78% vs 60%, P = 0.17). There was no significant difference in satisfaction rates between the 2 groups. There was a significant difference between the average telemedicine visit time and in-person visit time (12.1 ± 6.9 minutes vs 22.8 ± 17.1 minutes; P = 0.02). For in-person visits, the average travel time was 49 minutes (interquartile range, 10-90 minutes) and average miles traveled was 22.1 miles (interquartile range, 10-70 miles). CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in follow-up or satisfaction rates between telemedicine and in-person visits. Telemedicine visits took half the length of time compared with in-person visits. On average, patients in the telemedicine group saved approximately 1 hour per follow-up visit. Telemedicine visits save both the health care provider and patient significant amounts of time without sacrificing patient satisfaction and follow-up rates.

Changes observed in prostate biopsy practices in an inner city hospital with a high risk patient population following the 2012 USPSTF PSA screening recommendations

ABSTRACT Introduction: We compared characteristics of patients undergoing prostate biopsy in a high-risk inner city population before and after the 2012 USPSTF recommendation against PSA based prostate cancer screening to determine its effect on prostate biopsy practices. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study including patients who received biopsies after an abnormal PSA measurement from October 2008-December 2015. Patients with previously diagnosed prostate cancer were excluded. Chi-square tests of independence, two sample t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and Fisher's exact tests were performed. Results: There were 202 and 208 patients in the pre-USPSTF and post-USPSTF recommendation cohorts, respectively. The post-USPSTF cohort had higher median PSA (7.8 versus 7.1ng/mL, p=0.05), greater proportion of patients who were black (96.6% versus 90.5%, p=0.01), and greater percentage of biopsy cores positive for disease (58% versus 29.5%, p<0.001). Multivariable analysis supported that the increase in PSA was independent of the increase in the proportion of patients who were black. The proportion of patients who were classified as D'Amico intermediate and high-risk disease increased in the post-USPSTF cohort and approached statistical significance (70.1% versus 58.8%, p=0.12). Conclusions: Our study suggests that the USPSTF recommendations may have led to an increase in pre-biopsy PSA as well as greater volume of disease. Also, a greater proportion of patients were being classified with intermediate or high risk disease. While the clinical significance of these findings is unknown, what the data suggests is somewhat troubling. Future research should further examine these changes in a larger cohort as well as resultant long-term outcomes.

Changes observed in prostate biopsy practices in an inner city hospital with a high risk patient population following the 2012 uspstf psa screening recommendations.

INTRODUCTION: We compared characteristics of patients undergoing prostate biopsy in a high-risk inner city population before and after the 2012 USPSTF recommendation against PSA based prostate cancer screening to determine its effect on prostate biopsy practices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study including patients who received biopsies after an abnormal PSA measurement from October 2008-December 2015. Patients with previously diagnosed prostate cancer were excluded. Chi-square tests of independence, two sample t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and Fisher's exact tests were performed. RESULTS: There were 202 and 208 patients in the pre-USPSTF and post-USPSTF recommendation cohorts, respectively. The post-USPSTF cohort had higher median PSA (7.8 versus 7.1ng/mL, p=0.05), greater proportion of patients who were black (96.6% versus 90.5%, p=0.01), and greater percentage of biopsy cores positive for disease (58% versus 29.5%, p<0.001). Multivariable analysis supported that the increase in PSA was independent of the increase in the proportion of patients who were black. The proportion of patients who were classified as D'Amico intermediate and high-risk disease increased in the post-USPSTF cohort and approached statistical significance (70.1% versus 58.8%, p=0.12). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the USPSTF recommendations may have led to na increase in pre-biopsy PSA as well as greater volume of disease. Also, a greater proportion of patients were being classified with intermediate or high risk disease. While the clinical significance of these findings is unknown, what the data suggests is somewhat troubling. Future research should further examine these changes in a larger cohort as well as resultant long-term outcomes.

Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer in Patients With and Without a History of Pelvic Irradiation: Survival Outcomes and Diversion-related Complications.

OBJECTIVE: To compare survival outcomes and diversion-related complications of patients with and without a history of pelvic irradiation who underwent radical cystectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Three hundred sixty-four patients underwent radical cystectomy for bladder cancer (BCa) from July 2001 to September 2013. Thirty-seven patients (10%) had a history of pelvic irradiation, and 327 (90%) did not. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression models were applied to evaluate survival outcomes. Diversion-related complications were tabulated. RESULTS: The proportion of non-organ-confined disease was numerically higher in irradiated than in nonirradiated patients (18 of 37 [49%] vs 117 of 327 [36%] patients, P = .1). The difference in the proportion of T4 disease between the 2 groups was statistically significant (13 of 37 [35%] irradiated vs 37 of 327 [11%] nonirradiated patients, P = .005). Pelvic lymph node dissection could not be performed in 7 of 37 irradiated patients. A nonurothelial carcinoma histology was more frequent in irradiated than in nonirradiated patients (5 of 37 [14%] vs 19 of 327 [6%], P = .003). At 3 years, BCa recurrence-free survival estimates were 70 ± 9% and 77 ± 3% (log-rank P = .5), and BCa-specific survival estimates were 64 ± 9% and 69 ± 3% (log-rank P = .4), for irradiated and nonirradiated patients, respectively. In multivariate analysis, a history of pelvic irradiation was not predictive of BCa recurrence or BCa-specific death. Rates of diversion-related complications did not differ between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: BCa patients with a history of pelvic irradiation present with more advanced disease. Surgery remains difficult in this group of patients as pelvic lymph node dissection is omitted in approximately 1 of 5 patients. Within limitations, prior pelvic irradiation is not predictive of survival outcomes.

Recurrence patterns after open and robot-assisted radical cystectomy for bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Concerns remain whether robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) compromises survival because of inadequate oncologic resection or alteration of recurrence patterns. OBJECTIVE: To describe recurrence patterns following open radical cystectomy (ORC) and RARC. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Retrospective review of 383 consecutive patients who underwent ORC (n=120) or RARC (n=263) at an academic institution from July 2001 to February 2014. INTERVENTION: ORC and RARC. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Recurrence-free survival estimates were illustrated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Recurrence patterns (local vs distant and anatomic locations) within 2 yr of surgery were tabulated. Cox regression models were built to evaluate the effect of surgical technique on the risk of recurrence. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: The median follow-up time for patients without recurrence was 30 mo (interquartile range [IQR] 5-72) for ORC and 23 mo (IQR 9-48) for RARC (p=0.6). Within 2 yr of surgery, there was no large difference in the number of local recurrences between ORC and RARC patients (15/65 [23%] vs 24/136 [18%]), and the distribution of local recurrences was similar between the two groups. Similarly, the number of distant recurrences did not differ between the groups (26/73 [36%] vs 43/147 [29%]). However, there were distinct patterns of distant recurrence. Extrapelvic lymph node locations were more frequent for RARC than ORC (10/43 [23%] vs 4/26 [15%]). Furthermore, peritoneal carcinomatosis was found in 9/43 (21%) RARC patients compared to 2/26 (8%) ORC patients. In multivariable analyses, RARC was not a predictor of recurrence. Limitations of the study include selection bias and a limited sample size. CONCLUSIONS: Within limitations, we found that RARC is not an independent predictor of recurrence after surgery. Interestingly, extrapelvic lymph node locations and peritoneal carcinomatosis were more frequent in RARC than in ORC patients. Further validation is warranted to better understand the oncologic implications of RARC. PATIENT SUMMARY: In this study, the locations of bladder cancer recurrences following conventional and robotic techniques for removal of the bladder are described. Although the numbers are small, the results show that the distribution of distant recurrences differs between the two techniques.

ICl-induced intramolecular electrophilic cyclization of 1-[4'-methoxy(1,1'-biphenyl)2-yl]alkynones--a facile approach to spiroconjugated molecules.

Spiro compounds: An iodine monochloride-induced intramolecular cyclization of 1-[4'-methoxy(1,1'-biphenyl)2-yl]alkynones has been developed (see scheme). An electrophilic iodocyclization selectively takes place at the ipso position (versus the ortho electrophilic aromatic substitution) to afford 4'H-spiro(cyclohexa[2,5]diene-1,1'-naphthalene)-4,4'-diones, a new group of spiroconjugated compounds.