Women in urology: what is their current situation in Spain?

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the current state of women in urology in Spain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Descriptive study based on the results of an online survey sent between February and April 2020 through the database of the Residents and Young Urologists group (RAEU) of the Spanish Association of Urology (AEU). Characteristics of the survey and its results were analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 257 responses were obtained from 210 women (81.71%) and 47 men (18.29%) belonging to 111 hospitals. Statistically significant differences were observed (p < 0.001) with a higher proportion of men in all categories except for the group of young female and male attendings (29-39 years, p = 0.789), and the group of female residents against male residents (p = 0.814). The number of men was higher in hospitals with subspecialty units except for the Pelvic Floor Unit, where no statistically significant difference was observed (p = 0.06). Regarding positions of responsibility, only 7 out of 111 hospitals had female Department Chiefs. CONCLUSIONS: Women's representation in urology is increasing, mainly due to the younger generations. However, the access of these women to relevant positions is anecdotal.

Safety and efficacy of various strains of bacille Calmette-Guérin in the treatment of bladder tumours in standard clinical practice. / Eficacia y seguridad de distintas cepas de BCG en el tratamiento del tumor vesical en práctica clínica habitual.

BACKGROUND: The natural progression of bladder tumours (nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer [NMIBC]) is recurrence with a high rate of progression. Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) has been shown effective in reducing these rates, but there are few comparative studies between strains. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An observational, prospective and multicentre registry studied 433 patients with a 12-month follow-up visit from 961 registered patients, assessing disease-free survival (DFS), progression-free survival (PFS) cancer-specific survival (CSS) and adverse effects. We studied the Tice, Russian, Tokyo, Connaught and RIVM strains. RESULTS: The sociodemographic data, NMIBC history, comorbidities, size, number, stage, grade, associated carcinoma in situ and transurethral resection were well balanced. DFS: There were 85 relapses (19.6%). The median DFS time was 20months. When comparing the various strains, we detected no statistically significant differences (log-rank test; P=.93). LPS: There were 33 cases of progression (7.62%). When comparing the various strains, we detected no statistically significant differences (log-rank test; P=.69). CSS: Seven patients died (1.68%). When comparing the various strains, we detected no statistically significant differences (log-rank test; P=.93). In terms of safety, 33.3% of the patients presented some type of adverse effect, mostly lower urinary symptoms (no urinary tract infections) <48h, >48h and haematuria. According to the Common Toxicity Criteria of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, 92.7% of the patients were grade1. There were no statistically significant differences between the strains. CONCLUSIONS: In this intermediate analysis, the risk of recurrence, progression, specific death and safety were independent of the BCG strain employed.

Comparative analysis of the incidence of bladder cancer in the communities of Andalusia, Catalonia and Madrid in 2011.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence of bladder cancer (BC) in the autonomous communities that include the largest number of cases in the national hospital BC registry (Andalusia, Catalonia and Madrid) and report the clinical, pathological and diagnostic differences and similarities of BC in these regions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An observational epidemiological study was performed in 2011 in 12 public hospitals with reference population areas according to the National Health System (Spain). Demographic and clinical variables were collected from new cases and relapses, with histopathologic confirmation of BC. The raw incidence rate was calculated using the number of diagnosed cases in all the participating centers compared with the aggregate total population assigned to each center. The raw rates by age and sex were obtained from the National Institute of Statistics (2011) by weighting the assigned population with the distribution by age and sex. RESULTS: The 3 autonomous communities recorded 51% of the 4285 cases included in the national registration, with relapses corresponding to 42.8% of these cases. The raw annual incidence rate for new episodes was 22.6 (95% CI: 20.7; 24.6) in Andalusia, 23.5 (95% CI: 20.9; 26.0) in Catalonia and 22.0 (95% CI: 19.9; 24.1) in Madrid. CONCLUSIONS: Except for the larger proportion of smokers and lower tumor grade of lesions in Andalusia, the 3 autonomous communities studied are similar in terms of clinical characteristics, comorbidities, patient symptoms and diagnostic processes for BC.

Una hiperplasia benigna de próstata

El estudio de la hiperplasia benigna de próstata debe incluir: a) una valoración sintomática, para la cual utilizamos el índice IPSS; b) una medición del flujo miccional; c) una valoración del tamaño prostático mediante ecografía y/o tacto rectal, y d) no podemos olvidar la necesidad de descartar la presencia de un carcinoma, para lo cual añadiremos al estudio la determinación de PSA sérico. Una vez completado el estudio podemos catalogar al paciente dentro de unos grados de prostatismo, lo que permite establecer unas guías terapéuticas aplicables a la gran mayoría de enfermos, sin olvidar nunca que la decisión de tratamiento última se hará de forma individualizada para cada enfermo según su estado general y edad. Ante un prostatismo leve la abstención terapéutica sería lo ideal, mientras que ante un prostatismo grave lo sería la intervención quirúrgica. En los prostatismos moderados es donde se abre mayor número de posibilidades, pero sin duda son los tratamientos farmacológicos los que resultan de elección (AU)

[High incidence of chromosome 8 monosomy and chromosome 7 trisomy in prostatic primary tumor and its related lymphatic metastasis. Preliminary results]. / Alta incidencia de la monosomia del cromosoma 8 y la trisomia del cromosoma 7 en el tumor primario prostático y su metástasis ganglionar asociada. Resultados preliminares.

INTRODUCTION: The research on tumoral aggressivity parameters in prostate cancer, such DNA ploidy detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization, has significant relevance to refine prognostic on an individualized patient. OBJECTIVES: To identify chromosome numeric alterations by FISH in primary prostate cancer focus and its corresponding lymph node metastases. b) To describe a cytogenetic tumoral progression pathway. METHODS: So far, we have retrospectively studies eight patients with prostate cancer and lymph node metastases performing FISH analysis on the primary prostate cancer focus and its metastatic lymph node. DNA probes for chromosomes 7, 8, 10 and 12 have been used for FISH analysis. RESULTS: a) Seven out of eight tumours (85%) were aneuploid when studied by FISH and the most frequent chromosome alterations found were monosomy 8 (100%) and trisomy 7 (85.7%). All the lymph nodes were aneuploid being monosomy 8 (87.5%) and trisomy 7 (62.5%) the most common chromosome alterations. b) Monosomy 8 and trisomy 7 appeared to be in the same cytogenetic tumoral progression pathway. CONCLUSION: Although we report about a preliminary study, monosomy of chromosome 8 and trisomy 7 are related with poor evolution, probably because of the loss of a suppressor gene or a proto-oncogen overexpression. The presence of any of them in a prostate cancer focus is related with poor prognosis.