Enhanced Prognostic Factors for Disease-Free Survival in Penile Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Insights From Songklanagarind Hospital.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate disease-free survival (DFS) outcomes and associated prognostic factors among surgically treated penile cancer patients at Songklanagarind Hospital, Thailand, over a 20-year period. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 208 primary penile cancer patients treated between January 2001 and December 2022. Disease-free survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves, and Cox proportional hazard models were employed for multivariate analysis. RESULTS: All of patients (100%) were squamous cell carcinoma of penis, with 38.9% having T1 tumors, 70.7% well-differentiated tumors, and 32.6% diagnosed at stage III. The recurrence rate was 16.8%, with a mean time to recurrence of 25.9 months. Disease-free survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 82.1%, 72%, and 70.2%, respectively. Median overall survival was 18.2 months, with rates at 1, 3, and 5 years at 68.7%, 44.7%, and 36.4%, respectively. Significant associations were found between disease-free survival and higher T stage, clinical chronic inflammation, delayed onset of symptoms, primary lesion location, groin node metastasis, lymphovascular invasion, and pelvic lymph node metastases. However, multivariate analysis revealed that higher primary tumor stage (T) was the only independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival. CONCLUSION: This study provides valuable insights into disease-free survival outcomes in penile cancer treatment at a single institution over an extended period. Higher pathologic T stage emerged as the sole independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival. Further validation through large-scale prospective studies is warranted.

Real world data of recurrent and survival rates of penile cancer patients in Songklanagarind hospital: Tumor stage as a predictor for disease-free survival.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated disease-free survival and oncological outcomes in penile cancer patients treated surgically at a high-volume center and identified the prognostic factors for disease-free survival. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on primary penile cancer patients diagnosed and treated at Songklanagarind Hospital, Thailand, between January 2001 and December 2021. Disease-free survival (DFS) was assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves, and Cox proportional hazard models were used for multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The study included 188 patients with primary penile cancer. The majority (98.4%) were uncircumcised. Tumor staging revealed 40.6% with T1 tumors, 72.9% with well-differentiated tumors, and 23.5% diagnosed at stage IIIA. The recurrence rate was 19.1%, with a mean time to recurrence of 25.9 months. Disease-free survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 81.1%, 70.9%, and 70.9%, respectively. Median overall survival was 16.43 months, with survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years at 67.7%, 42.7%, and 35.4%, respectively. Cox proportional hazard models showed significant associations between disease-free survival and a higher T stage, a high level of CRP (>15 mg/L), delayed onset of symptoms, primary lesion location, groin node metastasis, lymphovascular invasion, and pelvic lymph node metastases. However, multivariate analysis revealed that a higher primary tumor stage (T) was the only independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival. CONCLUSION: This study presents one of the largest cohorts investigating disease-free survival outcomes in penile cancer treatment at a single institution over a prolonged period. A higher pathologic T stage is a significant prognostic factor for disease-free survival. Further large-scale prospective studies are needed for validation.

Comparison of the Y-pouch orthotopic neobladder and the Studer technique after radical cystectomy: surgical and functional outcomes from a single-center series.

BACKGROUND: To explore a method of constructing an orthotopic ileal neobladder (ONB) in the Y-pouch configuration. We describe the steps followed to create the Y-pouch ileal orthotopic neobladder (ONB) and compared the perioperative, functional, and urodynamics outcomes with the Studer neobladder technique. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of 90 bladder cancer patients, who received open radical cystectomy with the ONB performed at a hospital from June 2009 to May 2020. These patients were divided into two groups-the Y-pouch and the Studer neobladder groups. Perioperative, functional outcome, complication, renal function data outcomes, and pressure-volume study were used to evaluate the treatment outcomes after a radical cystectomy. RESULTS: Ninety patients (54 Studer and 36 Y-pouch neobladder) were enrolled. The median patient age was 62.6 (± 11) years. The mean operative time for the Studer technique was 290 (242.5-350) min, and the Y-pouch technique was 300 (271.2-335) min) (p = 0.826). At 30 days postoperatively, the Clavien-Dindo classification of surgical complications revealed grade-2 urinary infections in two patients (5.6%) and six patients (11.1%) for the Y-pouch and Studer techniques, respectively. Intermediate complications (30-90 days) were reported in 4 (11.1%) and 18 patients (44.4%) in the Y-pouch and the Studer techniques, respectively (p = 0.062). In the urodynamics study (UDS), the Y-pouch group had a mean postvoid residual volume of 20 mL and Studer of 40 ml (p = 0.06). A mean capacity of 462 (380-600) mL compares to the Studer neobladder group with 495 (400-628) mL. The average mean compliance of the Studer group was 35.5 (28-52) ml/cm H2O and 33 (30-43) ml/cm H2O for Y pouch, and most patients had > 30 ml/cm H2O compliance (80/90 patients). CONCLUSIONS: The Y-pouch neobladder technique in an RC with an orthotopic neobladder provides perioperative and functional outcomes compared to those of the Studer orthotopic neobladder resulting in similar intermediate-term. Therefore, the Y-pouch ileal neobladder is both feasible and safe to be used as a standard neobladder technique for urinary diversion in patients with bladder cancer undergoing radical cystectomy and needs confirmation with long-term results.

The changing composition of urinary calculi in Southern Thailand over the past 14 years.

Objective: A worldwide increased incidence of urolithiasis has been observed over the past few decades. Insight into the composition of these stones can lead to enhanced medical treatment and outcomes. The objective of this study was to examine the distribution and chemical composition of urinary calculi in Southern Thailand over the past decade. Materials and Methods: An analysis was conducted on 2611 urinary calculi submitted to the Stone Analysis Laboratory, Songklanagarind Hospital, a single stone analysis laboratory in Southern Thailand. The analysis was performed from 2007 to 2020 using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The demographic results were described using descriptive statistical analyses, and the Chi-square test for trends was performed to identify changes in urinary calculi composition. Results: The patients' demographic data revealed a male-to-female ratio of 2.2:1; the most common age group of affected men was 50-69 years, whereas the most common age group of affected women was 40-59 years. The most common components found in the calculi were uric acid (30.6%), mixed calcium oxalate with calcium phosphate (29.2%), and calcium oxalate (26.7%). We noted a trend of increasing uric acid calculi for 14 years (P = 0.00493), whereas the trend for the other major components was decreasing. Conclusion: The most common component of urinary calculi analyzed in Southern Thailand was uric acid, with a significant rising trend in proportion in the past decade; the trend of other major components, such as mixed calcium oxalate-calcium phosphate and calcium oxalate, decreased.

Comparison of Perioperative, Functional, and Oncological Outcomes of Transperitoneal and Extraperitoneal Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the oncological, functional, and perioperative outcomes of localized and locally advanced prostate cancer treated with intraperitoneal or extraperitoneal laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP). Methods: From April, 2008, through December, 2020, 266 patients underwent laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, 168 cases with an extraperitoneal approach (E-LRP) and 98 cases using a transperitoneal approach (T-LRP). The clinical, perioperative, functional, and oncological outcomes were collected and compared between these groups. At the 3-, 12- and 24-monthfollow-ups, the functional outcomes tested were urinary function (urinary domain of EPIC) and sexual function (sexual domain of EPIC). The oncological outcomes of biochemical recurrence, biochemical recurrence-free survival, and positive surgical margin status were evaluated. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to identify factors predictive for biochemical recurrence. All statistical analyses used the R program. Results: The patient characteristics were similar between the E-LRP and T-LRP groups except for higher prostatic-specific antigen (PSA) in the T-LRP group. The T-LRP had lower overall operative time (222.5 min vs. 290 min, p 0.001), decreased blood loss (400 ml vs. 800 ml, p < 0.001), and shorter hospital stays (4 days vs. 7 days, p < 0.001) compared to the E-LRP. Early sexual intercourse with penetration at 3 months was higher in the T-LRP group (36.7% vs. 15.5%, p 0.001). Urinary continence (no pads) was not different between the T-LRP and E-LRP groups at 3 and 24 months after surgery but higher in the E-LRP group at 12 months (1% vs. 3%; p=0.419, 85.1 vs. 83.7%; p=0.889, 47.4% vs. 34.6%; p=0.028, respectively). The EPIC questionnaire was used to assess functional outcomes at 3, 12, and 24 months after surgery and found that urinary function was significantly higher in the T-LRP group at 3 and 12 months (p < 0.001) but did not show a difference at 24 months (p=0.734), and sexual function scores were higher in the T-LRP group at 12 and 24 months (p=0.001). The positive surgical margin rate was higher in the E-LRP (38.7% vs. 21.4%; p=0.006). The BCR rate was not different between the groups (36.3% in the E-LRP group and 27.6% in the E-LRP group; p=0.184). Conclusion: Transperitoneal laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (T-LRP) was found to be superior to extraperitoneal radical prostatectomy (E-LRP) in perioperative outcomes such as decreased operative time, decreased blood loss, shorter hospital stay, lower positive surgical margin, and improved early sexual intercourse and sexual function. The urinary functional outcome was better in the T-LRP group at 3 and 12 months. These findings support the use of transperitoneal laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, as our study patients exhibited significant benefits from this procedure.

Neoadjuvant versus Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients with Resectable Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: In regards to resectable muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients, contemporary guidelines recommend treatment with radical cystectomy and perioperative chemotherapy (neoadjuvant or adjuvant). In addition, the 5-year survival rate ranges from 36% to 48% in connection to T3 or T4 staged tumors or lymph node metastatic tumors. Perioperative treatment can improve overall survival, and the most robust evidence are in favor of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of perioperative chemotherapy on the survival of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who underwent radical cystectomy (RC). METHODS: The medical records of ninety-four patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) that were treated with radical cystectomy and perioperative chemotherapy from 2008 to 2018 were retrospectively analyzed at Songklanagarind hospital. Neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy groups were classified. Univariable and multivariable regression analyses were used to predict overall survival (OS) after treatment. The survival rates for each group were estimated and compared using long-rank testing. RESULTS: Overall, we identified 94 eligible patients of whom 20 patients (21.2%) received neoadjuvant and 74 patients (78.8%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. The 5-year survival rate of the neoadjuvant group was 55.7%, and in regards to the adjuvant group it was 30.4%. A multivariable analysis yielded that, patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy had longer survival than those treated with adjuvant chemotherapy (p =0.039).  The median survival here as log rank compares median survival. CONCLUSION: The overall survival of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) was better than adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) in regards to muscle-invasive bladder cancer. These data could support the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in MIBC prior to radical cystectomy.

Primary Malignant Melanoma of the Bladder: A Rare Case Report in Asia and Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: Primary malignant melanoma (PMM) of the bladder is extremely rare and has a poor prognosis; just 40 cases of PMM of the bladder have been recorded in the literature. We described a case of PMM of the bladder, treatment, and a review of the literature because the recommended treatment choices are not widely known. CASE PRESENTATION: An 80-year-old Thai female came in with a three-month history of pelvic pain and dysuria without extensive hematuria. She underwent transurethral excision of the bladder tumor and histologically reported malignant melanoma with no further primary sites of melanoma after computed tomography indicated a big heterogeneous enhancing mass on the posterior wall of the bladder. The patient eventually underwent anterior pelvic exenteration with ileal conduit, but metastatic disease occurred one year later. CONCLUSION: Bladder melanoma has a fatal aggressive nature. Certain diagnostic features can be obtained through histopathological investigation, immunohistochemistry, clinical history, and endoscopic evaluation. Despite a wide range of treatments, people with PMM still have a bad prognosis.

Oncological Outcomes of Radical Cystectomy for Transitional Cell Carcinoma of Bladder.

Objective: To investigate the oncological outcome of radical cystectomy for muscle invasive bladder (MIBC) on cancerspecific survival. Material and Method: A consecutive series of patients undergoing radical cystectomy from 2004 to 2012 were recorded. The prognostic significance of several clinicopathologic factors in these patients were analyzed. The endpoint of oncological outcome was cancer-specific survival (CSS). The effect of clinical variables on CSS were statistically analysed by a log-rank test or Cox regression with hazard ratios. All analyses were performed using a 0.05 level of significance. Results: One hundred eleven patients were analyzed. The average patient age when cystectomy was carried out was 65 (35 - 84) years. The 5-year cancer-specific survival rate was 36% for all 111 patients. The 5-year cancers-specific survival rates for patients with clinical T1, T2, T3 and T4 were 89%, 32%, 30% and 11.6%, respectively. Positive lymph nodes were found in 26 patients (23.4%) who had a 5-year cancer-specific survival 12.9%. Of several factors examined, univariate analysis identified tumor stage, nodal status, metastasis, margin positive and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) as significant predictors of OS, of which tumor stage and nodal status appeared to be independently related to overall survival on multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Radical cystectomy is a standard treatment for muscle invasive bladder cancer. Oncologic outcomes of radical cystectomy is generally favorable, however, surgery alone had no more potential to prolong survival of patients with invasive cancer, multimodal treatment approaches might need.

Oncological Outcome of Docetaxel-Based Chemotherapy for Men with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Objective: To retrospectively review the oncological outcome of docetaxel-based chemotherapy in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Material and Method: The present study included 68 patients with mCRPC who were treated with 3-weekly docetaxel (75 mg/m2) plus prednisone between 2010 and 2014. The prognostic significance of several clinicopathologic factors in these patients were analyzed. The endpoints of oncological outcome were overall survival (OS). The effect of clinical variables on OS was statistically analyzed by a log-rank test or Cox regression with hazard ratios. All analyses were performed using a 0.05 level of significance. Results: In these 68 patients, the median age and serum value of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) prior to docetaxel-based chemotherapy were 69 years and 173 ng/ml, respectively. Of these patients, PSA decline ≥50% was observed in 46 patients (67.6%). The OS and progression-free survival were 25.4 and 11.7 months, respectively. Of several factors examined, univariate analysis identified PSA at diagnosis mCRPC, PSA at diagnosis of mCRPC, PSA at first cycle of CMT ≥150 ng/mL, number of CMT response ≤2 cycle as significant predictors of OS, of which only PSA at first cycle of CMT ≥150 ng/mL appeared to be independently related to poor OS on multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Oncologic outcomes in mCRPC patients receiving docetaxel-based chemotherapy is generally favorable and only PSA at first cycle of CMT more than 150 ng/mL appeared to be independently related to poor OS on multivariate analysis.

Renal pelvic villous adenoma presented with mucusuria: report of a case and literature review.

Villous adenomas of the urinary tract are an uncommon condition, and appear mostly in patients where the disease occurred in the lower urinary tract. In contrast, upper urinary tract villous adenomas are a rare condition. Currently, just three cases of villous adenoma in the renal pelvis have been published. Herein, we present the fourth case of a renal pelvic villous adenoma, along with muconephrosis and mucusuria. A 73-year-old man presented with abdominal discomfort and a palpable abdominal mass. He had a history of bilateral anatrophic nephrolithotomy, 8 years and 6 years earlier. The preoperative radiographic investigation showed severe right hydronephrosis. A right nephrectomy was carried out and the intraoperative finding showed severe perinephric adhesion and a great deal of mucus in the renal pelvis. The pathological examination showed a villous adenoma and urothelial metaplasia in the kidney.

Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in Songklanagarind Hospital: first series from Southern Thailand.

OBJECTIVE: To describe our technique of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) and evaluated outcome during the first year experience in Songklanagarind Hospital. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between August 2011 and October 2012, sixteen patients of localized prostate cancer underwent LRP in Songklanagarind Hospital and were evaluated. The authors used five ports and conducted with an extraperitoneal approach. Patient characteristics, operative outcome, and pathological outcomes were analyzed RESULTS: The average age of patients was 66.8 years and average prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value was 14.9 ng/ml. The average operative time was 437 minutes and average blood loss was 1,696 ml. One unit of transfusion was required in most patients. Hospital stay on average was 11 days and average catheter time was 27 days. Maximal weight of prostate was 93 grams. Pathological report demonstrated pT2, pT3 in eleven (69%) and five (31%) patients, respectively. Gleason score of seven was presented in the most of the cases. None of the patients had lymph node metastasis. At average follow-up time of 8.4 months, serum PSA was less than 0.02 ng/ml in 75% and complete continence in nine patients. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy is safe and feasible in initial experience surgeon.

Tuberculosis of the urinary tract in southern Thailand.

BACKGROUND: The urinary system is one of the common sites of involvement of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB). The accurate diagnosis and treatment of extrapulmonary TB is complex and difficult. OBJECTIVE: To address the epidemiology and drug susceptibility of urinary tract TB in southern Thailand. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A retrospective analysis of data collected at the time of diagnosis of urinary tract TB cases, during a 10-year period from 1998 to 2007. Data collection included demography, presenting symptoms, laboratory investigations, and imaging studies of the urinary system. RESULTS: During a 10-year period of the present study, 35 new cases of urinary tract TB were diagnosed, with a male/female ratio of 1.3:1 and a common age group of 31-40 years. 34.3% of the patients were farmers. The most presenting symptoms were polyuria, dysuria and acidic urinary pH with pyuria. 80% ofthe patients had abnormal imaging studies ofthe urinary system, with hydronephrosis being the most frequently found condition. Fifty seven point one percent had positive urine cultures for Mycobacterium and 0.05% of them had streptomycin resistance, while none ofthem had an HIV coinfection. CONCLUSION: The urinary tract TB was more common in male with a common age group of 31-40 years. The common presenting symptoms were long-standing urinary symptoms as frequency in urination, dysuria, hematuria and acidic urinary pH associated with pyuria. In the present study, there was only 0.05% of streptomycin resistance, however, no patients with HIV infection.

Staghorn calculi in southern Thailand.

OBJECTIVE: To study the characteristics and components of staghorn calculi in southern Thailand. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 5,445 urolithiasis patients who underwent treatment in Songklanagarind Hospital between 1997 and 2000 were reviewed and 86 of them were included by the criteria of "complete staghorn" calculi. General data, laboratory data at presentation, and the component analysis was performed with infrared spectroscopy were analyzed. RESULTS: Forty-three men and 43 women were included in the present study, with a mean age of 55.5 years for men and 50.7 years for women. Uric acid was the most common component of staghorn calculi and 61.8% of the patients had hyperuricemia. Magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) was found in 11.6% of the calculi. A positive urine culture was found in 59.3% of the patients and the micro-organisms most frequently found were Corynebacterium sp and E. coli. CONCLUSION: There was a significant higher incidence of staghorn calculi in women in comparison with urolithiasis patients in southern Thailand, and the most common component was uric acid.

Urinary tract calculi in southern Thailand.

OBJECTIVE: To study the epidemiology of urolithiasis in Southern Thailand. DESIGN: Descriptive study. MATERIAL AND METHOD: An overview of urolithiasis in the South of Thailand was derived from 10,344 urolithiasis patients seeking treatment in 14 hospitals in southern Thailand, from January to December 2000. An epidemiological study focused on 1,452 urolithiasis patients treated at Songklanagarind Hospital during the same period. Composition of calculi was analysed with infrared spectroscopy. RESULTS: The ratio of male to female was 1.6 : 1 and the most common age group was 41 - 50 years. Ureteric calculi were more frequently found than renal calculi. ESWL was the most common treatment for upper urinary tract (UUT) calculi, while surgery was the most common treatment for lower urinary tract (LUT) calculi. The body mass index (BMI) of 48.1% was between 18.5 - 24.9. The study of the calculi composition showed that oxalate was found in most UUT, and uric acid was found in most LUT CONCLUSION: Ureteric calculi were most common in the South of Thailand. The BMI of urolithiasis patients was higher than the population average.

Prediction of upper urinary tract calculi using an artificial neural network.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the possibility of using an artificial neural network (ANN) in upper urinary tract calculi prediction. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Data of 168 upper urinary tract calculi patients treated in the Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Songklanagarind Hospital from January 1997 to December 2000 were reviewed and classified into 6 catagories and 20 characteristics. 100 items were used in training and 68 in testing for an ANN designed with 3 layers: 20 nodes for an input layer, 5 nodes for a hidden layer and a node for the output. RESULTS: Output data between 0-0.38 indicate free of calculi, 0.65-1 indicate prone to have calculi, 0.38-0.65 indicate probable calculi and further need investigation. CONCLUSION: An ANN with error back-propagation training can be used in diagnosing the presence of upper urinary tract calculi. The accuracy of prediction depends on a previous history of calculi, nephrocalcinosis, 24 hour urine assay for citrate and urine culture.