Prognostic model using postoperative normalization of C-reactive protein levels in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma treated with radical nephroureterectomy.

INTRODUCTION: To improve the prediction of outcomes in patients who will undergo radical nephroureterectomy (RN U) for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), we investigated the preoperative prognostic factors and developed a risk classification model. METHODS: A total of 144 patients who underwent RNU with history of neither neoadjuvant nor adjuvant chemotherapy between 2008 and 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Associations between perioperative/clinicopathologic factors and outcomes, including cancer-specific survival (CSS), were assessed. We specifically focused on preoperative serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and its postoperative normalization. RESULTS: Non-normalization of postoperative serum CRP level and pathologic T3 stage were identified as independent predictive factors of shorter CSS in univariate and multivariate analysis (p=0.0150 and 0.0037, hazard ratio: 3.628 and 4.470, respectively). We classified the patients into three groups using these factors and found that five-year CSS was 88%, 42.5%, and 0% in the low-risk group (zero factors), intermediate-risk group (one factor), and high-risk group (two factors), respectively (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Non-normalization of postoperative serum CRP level and pathologic T stage were identified as independent postoperative prognostic factors in patients with UTUC who underwent RNU. These factors can stratify three prognostic groups and may help urologists in clinical decision-making for adjuvant therapy.

Impact of adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced upper tract urothelial carcinoma in real-world clinical practice.

INTRODUCTION: The impact of adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) using regimens including gemcitabine and platinum on the improvement of the prognosis of patients with locally advanced upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) has been recently demonstrated. This study aimed to determine the utility of ACT for patients with locally advanced UTUC in real-world clinical practice and the differences in efficacy among regimens. METHODS: Of 206 UTUC patients who underwent radical nephroureterectomy, 78 were pathologically diagnosed as T3 or higher and/or had pathologically identified lymph node metastasis; 36 in the ACT group and 42 in the non-ACT group were evaluated for patient background, recurrence, and prognosis. In the ACT group, either cisplatin (GC group, 12 cases) or carboplatin (GCa group, 24 cases) was administered as the platinum agent to be combined with gemcitabine. RESULT: The median patient age in the ACT group and that in the non-ACT group was 71 and 79 years, respectively (p<0.0001). There was no significant difference between these two groups in terms of other patient parameters. The two- and five-year cancer-specific survival (CSS ) and the two- and five-year disease-free survival (DFS) for the ACT group were 81.7%, 66.0%, 60.6%, and 56.6%, respectively, and for the non-ACT group were 68.4%, 40.5%, 42.8%, and 29.3%, respectively (p=0.0399 for CSS and p=0.0814 for DFS). There was no significant difference in CSS and DFS between the GC group and GCa group (p=0.9846 and p=0.9389, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In real-world clinical practice in Japan, UTUC patients who receive ACT after radical nephroureterectomy may be expected to have better cancer control than those who do not receive ACT.

A case of emphysematous intrascrotal abscess secondary to sigmoid coloseminal fistula.

A 54-year-old male patient presented with pneumaturia. Right scrotal swelling was observed. CT showed an intrascrotal abscess with gas formation. MRI showed a fistula extending from the sigmoid colon to the seminal vesicles. Since there are many diverticula in the sigmoid colon, an abscess caused by diverticulitis may have formed a fistula. The scrotal abscess was drained; however, the pus discharge did not decrease. A colostomy was then performed, and the scrotal infection rapidly improved. Sigmoidectomy and fistula transection were performed 11 months after the colostomy. Prompt diagnosis of a sigmoid coloseminal fistula using imaging has led to optimal treatment.