Validation of schedules for optimal prostate-specific antigen monitoring after radical prostatectomy.

BACKGROUND: Early detection of biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP) is crucial for early treatment and improving survival outcomes. The optimal prostate-specific antigen (PSA) monitoring remains unclear, and several models have been proposed. We aimed to externally validate four models for optimal PSA monitoring after RP and propose modifications to improve them. METHODS: We reviewed the clinicopathological data of 896 patients who underwent robot-assisted RP between 2009 and 2022. We examined all PSA values and estimated the PSA value for four monitoring schedules at each time point in the virtual follow-up. We defined the ideal PSA for BCR detection between 0.2 and 0.4 ng/mL. RESULTS: During the median follow-up of 21.4 months, 128 (14.3%) patients presented BCR. The original and modified Keio models, National Cancer Center Hospital model, and American Urological Association/American Society for Radiation Oncology model detected BCR in 14 (10.9%), three (2.3%), 12 (9.4%), and 11 (8.6%) patients with PSA >0.4 ng/mL. Most patients experienced BCR detected with PSA >0.4 ng/mL during the first year postoperative. The modification of interval within 6 months postoperative avoided BCR detection with PSA >0.4 ng/mL within the first year postoperative in 8/9 (88.9%), 1/2 (50.0%), 5/6 (83.3%), and 4/4 (100%) for the original and modified Keio models, National Cancer Center Hospital model, and American Urological Association/American Society for Radiation Oncology model, respectively. CONCLUSION: We validated four models for PSA monitoring after RP to detect BCR and suggested modifications to avoid detections out of the desired range of PSA. These modifications could help to establish an optimal PSA monitoring schedule after RP.

Current status and future perspective of immunotherapy for renal cell carcinoma.

In the last decade, the standard treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has evolved, mainly driven by the development and approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Currently, ICI monotherapy and ICI-based combinations with tyrosine kinase inhibitors and targeted therapies against mammalian target of rapamycin or vascular endothelial growth factor have become new standard treatments for first-line and subsequent-line therapies. ICIs play an important role as an adjuvant postoperative therapy, and this field is the subject of active research. Furthermore, ongoing randomized controlled trials are investigating the clinical value of more intense treatments by combining multiple effective treatments for RCC. Additionally, novel biomarkers for prognosis have been investigated. This study reviews the current evidence on immunotherapy as a treatment for RCC patients, randomized controlled trials, and ongoing studies including RCC patients and recent findings, and discusses future perspectives.

Improved urinary continence recovery after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy with lateral pelvic fascia preservation.

The novel technique of lateral pelvic fascia preservation (LPFP) in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) has been reported to improve urinary continence recovery. We aimed to investigate surgical and oncological outcomes after RARP using the LPFP technique and compare them with conventional RARP. This study included patients who underwent RARP with and without the LPFP technique. Time to urinary continence recovery was compared between the LPFP and non-LPFP groups using univariate, multivariate, and propensity-score matched analysis. Perioperative and postoperative outcomes were compared between the two groups using univariate analysis. We included 139 patients who underwent RARP, 68 in the LPFP group and 71 in the non-LPFP group. The LPFP technique was associated with a shorter time to urinary continence recovery, a shorter operative time and lower estimated blood loss. Surgical and oncological outcomes, including complications, pathological T-stage, surgical margin status, and biochemical recurrence-free survival, were comparable between the two groups. This study demonstrated that the LPFP technique improves urinary continence recovery and operative times without compromising surgical and oncological outcomes. The use of this technique in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer is recommended.

Artificial Intelligence for Segmentation of Bladder Tumor Cystoscopic Images Performed by U-Net with Dilated Convolution.

Background: Early intravesical recurrence after transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT) is often caused by overlooking of tumors during TURBT. Although narrow-band imaging and photodynamic diagnosis were developed to detect more tumors than conventional white-light imaging, the accuracy of these systems has been subjective, along with poor reproducibility due to their dependence on the physician's experience and skills. To create an objective and reproducible diagnosing system, we aimed at assessing the utility of artificial intelligence (AI) with Dilated U-Net to reduce the risk of overlooked bladder tumors when compared with the conventional AI system, termed U-Net. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively obtained cystoscopic images by converting videos obtained from 120 patients who underwent TURBT into 1790 cystoscopic images. The Dilated U-Net, which is an extension of the conventional U-Net, analyzed these image datasets. The diagnostic accuracy of the Dilated U-Net and conventional U-Net were compared by using the following four measurements: pixel-wise sensitivity (PWSe); pixel-wise specificity (PWSp); pixel-wise positive predictive value (PWPPV), representing the AI diagnostic accuracy per pixel; and dice similarity coefficient (DSC), representing the overlap area between the bladder tumors in the ground truth images and segmentation maps. Results: The cystoscopic images were divided as follows, according to the pathological T-stage: 944, Ta; 412, T1; 329, T2; and 116, carcinoma in situ. The PWSe, PWSp, PWPPV, and DSC of the Dilated U-Net were 84.9%, 88.5%, 86.7%, and 83.0%, respectively, which had improved when compared to that with the conventional U-Net by 1.7%, 1.3%, 2.1%, and 2.3%, respectively. The DSC values were high for elevated lesions and low for flat lesions for both Dilated and conventional U-Net. Conclusions: Dilated U-Net, with higher DSC values than conventional U-Net, might reduce the risk of overlooking bladder tumors during cystoscopy and TURBT.

Clinical advantages of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy versus laparoscopic partial nephrectomy in terms of global and split renal functions: A propensity score-matched comparative analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To identify predictors of renal function preservation, and to compare the global and split renal function outcomes of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. METHODS: Demographic, operative and pathological data, as well as renal function outcomes, of 251 patients who underwent laparoscopic (n = 104) and robot-assisted (n = 147) partial nephrectomy between 2008 and 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Propensity score matching (1:1) was carried out to adjust for potential baseline confounders. Functional outcomes were assessed based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate and dynamic renal scintigraphy (using 99m Tc-mercaptoacetyltriglycine), including renal volumetric analysis. RESULTS: A total of 98 patients were allocated to each partial nephrectomy group. Ischemic (laparoscopic vs robot-assisted partial nephrectomy: 29 vs 15 min, P < 0.001) and operative times (181 vs 100 min, P < 0.001) were shorter in robot-assisted partial nephrectomy. The preservation ratio of global renal function at 3 months (88.3% vs 91.4%, P = 0.040) and 12 months (87.8% vs 91.5%, P = 0.010) postoperatively, and the renal function of the operated kidney (80.3% vs 88.2%, P < 0.001) were greater after robot-assisted partial nephrectomy. In robot-assisted partial nephrectomy, the volume of resected parenchyma was significantly smaller (27.2 vs 15.5 mL, P < 0.001), resulting in greater postoperative normal parenchymal volumes (120 vs 132 mL, P < 0.001) and a greater parenchymal preservation ratio (81.1% vs 90.1%, P < 0.001). The parenchymal preservation ratio was the strongest predictor of renal function preservation after surgery (P < 0.001, odds ratio 6.02). CONCLUSIONS: Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy allows better preservation of split renal function than laparoscopic partial nephrectomy by increasing the parenchymal preservation ratio. This translates into better postoperative global renal function.

Surgical Navigation Improves Renal Parenchyma Volume Preservation in Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy: A Propensity Score Matched Comparative Analysis.

PURPOSE: We investigated the relationship between the surgical navigation system and postoperative parenchyma preservation volume, and assessed the feasibility of image guided surgery in robot-assisted partial nephrectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We developed surgical navigation with registration between real-time endoscopic images using 3-dimensional virtual reality models for robot-assisted partial nephrectomy. Surgical outcomes of 44 (nonsurgical navigation group) and 102 (surgical navigation group) patients between June 2013 and December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. To adjust for potential baseline confounders propensity score matching (1:1) was performed. Renal parenchymal preservation rate and extraparenchymal volume with a tumor including functional and oncological outcomes ("trifecta" defined as warm ischemia time of less than 25 minutes, no complications and negative surgical margins; "pentafecta" defined as trifecta plus greater than 90% preservation of estimated glomerular filtration rate at 12 months postoperatively and chronic kidney disease up staging) were evaluated using volumetric analysis and compared. RESULTS: After matching, 42 patients were allocated to each group. No significant differences in baseline characteristics; complications; and intraoperative, trifecta and pentafecta outcomes were observed between the 2 groups. Pathological T stages were significantly different between the groups (T1a/T1b/T2a or more 25/10/7 in the nonsurgical navigation group vs 35/7/0 in the surgical navigation group, p=0.003). Extraparenchymal volumes and parenchyma volume preservation rates were significantly higher in the surgical navigation group (21.4 vs 17.2 ml, p=0.041 and 83.5% vs 90.0%, p=0.042, respectively). Surgical navigation was positively associated with improved parenchyma preservation volume (p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical navigation preserves renal parenchyma in robot-assisted partial nephrectomy and may contribute to improvement in postoperative renal function.

Patients treated with radical prostatectomy with positive digital rectal examination findings in the intermediate-risk group are prone to PSA recurrence.

The present study aimed to evaluate the possibility of performing radical prostatectomy (RP) alone to achieve a radical cure for prostate cancer in the intermediate-risk group. Samples were collected from 638 Japanese patients who underwent antegrade RP between August 1998 and May 2013; subsequently, 157 patients were excluded. According to the D'Amico criteria, the low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups comprised 107, 222 and 152 patients, respectively. The 5-year prostate-specific antigen (PSA) failure-free survival rates in the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups were 96.5, 88.9 and 72.6%, respectively (P<0.001; degrees of freedom=2). In the intermediate-risk group, the difference in PSA failure-free survival between the 0