Development of a New Comorbidity Assessment Tool for Specific Prediction of Perioperative Mortality in Contemporary Patients Treated with Radical Cystectomy.

PURPOSE: The Deyo adaptation of the Charlson comorbidity index (DaCCI), which relies on 17 comorbid condition groupings defined with 200 ICD-9-CM diagnostic codes, lacks specificity in the context of radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer (BCa). We attempted to develop a new comorbidity assessment tool based on individual comorbid conditions and/or BCa manifestations for specific prediction of perioperative mortality after RC. METHODS: We relied on 7076 T1-T4 nonmetastatic BCa patients treated with RC between 2000 and 2009 in the SEER-Medicare linked database. Within the development cohort (n = 6076), simulated annealing (SA) was used to identify (1) individual comorbid conditions, (2) individual BCa manifestations, and (3) the combination of both, that satisfy the criteria of maximal accuracy and parsimony for prediction of 90-day mortality after RC, after adjusting for several confounders. The accuracy of the newly identified groups of individual comorbid conditions and/or BCa manifestations and of the original DaCCI was tested in a 1000-patient external validation cohort. RESULTS: The combination of six individual comorbid conditions and two individual BCa disease manifestations (type II diabetes without complications, anemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, aortocoronary bypass, cardiomegaly, urinary tract infection, and hydronephrosis), and seven individual comorbid conditions (type II diabetes without complications, anemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, aortocoronary bypass, osteoarthrosis, and cardiomegaly) respectively showed 71.1 and 70.2% accuracy versus 68.0% for the original DaCCI. CONCLUSIONS: These new approaches are specific to contemporary RC patients and represent simpler methods compared with the original DaCCI, without any compromise in accuracy.

Treatment trends and Medicare reimbursements for localized prostate cancer in elderly patients.

INTRODUCTION: The absolute and proportional numbers of elderly patients diagnosed with localized prostate cancer (PCa) are on the rise. We examined treatment trends and reimbursement figures in localized PCa patients aged ≥80 years. METHODS: Between 2000 and 2008, we identified 30 217 localized PCa patients aged ≥80 years in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare-linked database. Alternative treatment modalities consisted of conservative management (CM), radiation therapy (RT), radical prostatectomy (RP), and primary androgen-deprivation therapy (PADT). For all four modalities, utilization and reimbursements were examined. RESULTS: PADT was the most frequently used treatment modality between 2000 and 2005. CM became the dominant treatment modality from 2006-2008. RP rates were marginal. RT ranked third, and its annual rate increased from 20.77% in 2000 to 29.13% in 2008. Median individual reimbursement of RT was highest and ranged from $29 343 in 2000 to $31 090 in 2008, followed by RP (from $20 560 in 2000 to $19 580 in 2008), PADT (from $18 901 in 2000 to $8000 in 2008), and CM (from $1824 in 2000 to $1938 in 2008). RT contributed to most of the cumulative annual reimbursements from 2003 (49.24%) to 2008 (72.97%). PADT ranked first from 2000 (54.56%) to 2002 (50.49%), but decreased by 19.40% in 2008. CM's contribution increased from 4.42% in 2000 to 6.96% in 2008. RP's share of reimbursements was stable during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Our results, focusing on localized PCa treatment in patients aged ≥80 years, showed an important increase in rates, median cost, and proportion of cumulative cost related to RT.

External beam radiotherapy with or without androgen deprivation therapy in elderly patients with high metastatic risk prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Several randomized controlled trials have documented significant overall survival benefit in high metastatic risk prostate cancer (PCa) patients treated with combination of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) at radiotherapy (RT) relative to RT alone. Unfortunately, elderly patients are either not included or are underrepresented in these trials. In consequence, the survival benefit of combination of ADT at RT in the elderly warrants detailed reassessment, including its cost. METHODS: Between 1991 and 2009 within the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare-linked database, we identified 3,692 patients aged 80 years or more with clinical T1-T2 PCa and WHO histological grade 3, or clinical T3-T4 PCa and any histological grade, treated with or without combination of ADT at RT. Competing risks analyses focused on cancer-specific mortality (CSM) and other-cause mortality, after accounting for confounders. All analyses were repeated in patients with no comorbidity and in most contemporary patients, treated between 2001 and 2009. Finally, we assessed median annual cost according to use of combination of ADT at RT, after adjusting for patient and tumor characteristics. RESULTS: In competing-risks multivariable analyses, no statistically significant difference was observed in CSM and other-cause mortality between patients treated with or without combination of ADT at RT. Same results were recorded in subgroup analyses of patients with no comorbidity and in most contemporary patients. The median annual costs of $36,140 and of $47,510 were recorded, respectively in patients treated without and with ADT at RT. CONCLUSION: Our findings failed to confirm that combination of ADT at RT reduces CSM rates in high metastatic risk PCa patients aged 80 years or more. Moreover, combination of ADT at RT resulted in a significant cost increase, relative to RT alone.

Survival Outcomes in Octogenarian and Nonagenarian Patients Treated with First-line Androgen Deprivation Therapy for Organ-confined Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The use of primary androgen deprivation therapy (PADT) is common in elderly men with early-stage prostate cancer (PCa), despite the absence of guideline recommendations. OBJECTIVE: To examine survival patterns of octo- and nonagenarian men with organ-confined PCa exposed to PADT, to assess whether their life expectancy warrants androgen deprivation therapy use. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare-linked database, we identified 14 785 octo- and nonagenarian organ-confined PCa patients treated with PADT between 1991 and 2009. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The smoothed cumulative incidence method was used to examine 10-yr overall mortality, cancer-specific mortality (CSM), and other-cause mortality (OCM) rates. Multivariable Cox regression analyses focused on the combined effect of age and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) after adjusting for different confounders. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Of all the deaths observed during the study period, 80% were due to non-cancer causes and 20% were due to PCa. The 10-yr overall survival (OS) rate in the overall population was 15.4%. The 10-yr OS rates ranged from 19.9% in patients aged 80-84 yr to 3.1% in those aged ≥90 yr. Similarly, the 10-yr OS rates ranged from 18.7% in patients with CCI=0 to 11.5% in those with CCI≥2. The 10-yr OCM rate in the overall population was 68.2%. The 10-yr OCM rates ranged from 64.6% in patients aged 80-84 yr to 77.2% in patients aged ≥90 yr. Similarly, the 10-yr OCM rates ranged from 62.1% in patients with CCI=0 to 75.2% in those with CCI≥2. The 10-yr CSM rate in the overall population was 16.4%. The 10-yr CSM rates ranged from 15.5% in patients aged 80-84 yr to 19.7% in those aged ≥90 yr, and from 19.2% in patients with CCI=0 to 13.3% in those with CCI≥2. CONCLUSIONS: Of the elderly patients with organ-confined PCa exposed to PADT, only 15% survive at 10-yr follow-up. Mortality related to non-cancer causes is the leading cause of death in the same follow-up period. These figures question the rationale for PADT in elderly men with organ-confined PCa. PATIENT SUMMARY: In this study, we looked at the survival patterns of octo- and nonagenarians treated with primary androgen deprivation therapy for organ-confined prostate cancer. We found that a small proportion of patients who received primary androgen deprivation therapy remain alive at 10-yr follow-up, and the leading cause of death was not attributable to prostate cancer.

Short-Form Charlson Comorbidity Index for Assessment of Perioperative Mortality After Radical Cystectomy.

Background: The Deyo adaptation of the Charlson comorbidity index (DaCCI), which relies on 17 comorbid condition groupings, represents one of the most frequently used baseline comorbidity assessment tools in retrospective database studies. However, this index is not specific for patients with bladder cancer (BCa) treated with radical cystectomy (RC). The goal of this study was to develop a short-form of the original DaCCI (DaCCI-SF) that may specifically predict 90-day mortality after RC, with equal or better accuracy. Patients and Methods: Between 2000 and 2009, we identified 7,076 patients in the SEER-Medicare database with stage T1 through T4 nonmetastatic BCa treated with RC. We randomly divided the population into development (n=6,076) and validation (n=1,000) cohorts. Within the development cohort, logistic regression models tested the ability to predict 90-day mortality with various iterations of the DaCCI-SF, wherein <17 original comorbid condition groupings were included after adjusting for age, sex, race, T stage, and N stage. We relied on the Akaike information criterion to identify the most parsimonious and informative set of comorbid condition groupings. Accuracy of the DaCCI and the DaCCI-SF was tested in the external validation cohort. Results: Within the development cohort, the most parsimonious and informative model resulted in the inclusion of 3 of the 17 (17.6%) original comorbid condition groupings: congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, and chronic pulmonary disease. Within the validation cohort, the accuracy was 68.4% for the DaCCI versus 69.7% for the DaCCI-SF. Higher accuracy of the DaCCI-SF was confirmed in subgroup analyses performed according to age (≤75 vs >75 years), stage (organ-confined vs non-organ-confined), type of diversion (ileal-conduit vs non-ileal-conduit), and treatment period. Conclusions: DaCCI-SF relies on 17.6% of the original comorbid condition groupings and provides higher accuracy for predicting 90-day mortality after RC compared with the original DaCCI, especially in most contemporary patients.

Prediction of Competing Mortality for Decision-making Between Surgery or Observation in Elderly Patients With T1 Kidney Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To predict the risk of cancer-specific mortality (CSM) or other-cause mortality (OCM) for T1 kidney cancer patients, aiming at identifying those who would benefit from surgery over observation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Overall, 11,192 T1 kidney cancer patients treated with surgery or observation in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database were assessed. A competing risk regression (CRR) model was fitted to predict CSM and OCM after surgery or observation. Covariates consisted of age, gender, race, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), history of acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease, tumor size, and year of diagnosis. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 64 months, the 5-year rates of CSM and OCM were 6.7% and 24%, respectively. At CRR predicting CSM, surgery (hazard ratio [HR] 0.46; P < .0001) and year of diagnosis (HR 0.96; P < .0001) were associated with lower CSM risk. Conversely, age (HR 1.05; P < .0001), CCI (HR 1.07; P < .0001), and tumor size (HR 1.03; P < .0001) were associated with higher CSM risk. At CRR predicting OCM, surgery (HR 0.66; P < .0001), female gender (HR 0.83; P < .0001), Other race (HR 0.82; P < .0001), and year of diagnosis (HR 0.95; P < .0001) were associated with lower OCM risk. Conversely, age (HR 1.06; P < .0001), African American race (HR 1.16; P < .01), CCI (HR 1.17; P < .0001), and acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease (HR 1.35; P < .0001) were associated with higher OCM risk. CONCLUSION: The benefit of surgery over observation was more pronounced in younger and healthier patients with larger tumors. The proposed model can aid in clinical decision-making, providing crucial information on CSM and OCM risk after either treatment modality.

Survival After Conservative Management Versus External Beam Radiation Therapy in Elderly Patients With Localized Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE: To compare survival in elderly men with clinically localized prostate cancer (PCa) according to treatment type, defined as radiation therapy (RT) with or without androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) versus conservative management (observation). METHODS AND MATERIALS: In the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database, we identified 23,790 patients aged 80 years or more with clinically localized PCa treated with either RT or observation between 1991 and 2009. Competing risks analyses focused on cancer-specific mortality and other-cause mortality, after accounting for confounders. All analyses were repeated after stratification according to grade (well-differentiated vs moderately differentiated vs poorly differentiated disease), race, and United States region, in patients with no comorbidities and in patients with at least 1 comorbidity. Analyses were repeated within most contemporary patients, namely those treated between 2001 and 2009. RESULTS: Radiation therapy was associated with more favorable cancer-specific mortality rates than observation in patients with moderately differentiated disease (hazard ratio [HR] 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.66-0.94; P=.009) and in patients with poorly differentiated disease (HR 0.58; 95% CI 0.49-0.69; P<.001). Conversely, the benefit of RT was not observed in well-differentiated disease. The benefit of RT was confirmed in black men (HR 0.54; 95% CI 0.35-0.83; P=.004), across all United States regions (all P≤.004), in the subgroups of the healthiest patients (HR 0.67; 95% CI 0.57-0.78; P<.001), in patients with at least 1 comorbidity (HR 0.69; 95% CI 0.56-0.83; P<.001), and in most contemporary patients (HR 0.55; 95% CI 0.46-0.66; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Radiation therapy seems to be associated with a reduction in the risk of death from PCa relative to observation in elderly patients with clinically localized PCa, except for those with well-differentiated disease.

The Effect of Obesity on Perioperative Outcomes Following Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy.

OBJECTIVES: To test if obesity predisposes to higher rates of adverse outcomes after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Within the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), we identified patients treated with PCNL between 1998 and 2010 for kidney stones. We examined the temporal trends in PCNL use and charges among obese and nonobese patients. We then tested the effect of obesity on perioperative complications, transfusions, length of stay (LOS), and total hospital charges (THCs). LOS and THCs were defined as a continuous variable and were also dichotomized according to the 75th percentile into prolonged LOS (pLOS) and increased THCs (iTHCs). Then, multivariable models were fitted. RESULTS: Overall, a weighted sample of 90,529 individuals treated with PCNL between 1998 and 2010 was examined. Of those patients, 9300 were obese (10.3%). The proportion of PCNLs performed in obese patients increased throughout the years from 7.4% to 16.7% (p < 0.001). Overall complication rates were 21.6% vs 22.0% (p = 0.3) and transfusion rates were 4.3% vs 4.0% (p = 0.1) for obese and nonobese patients, respectively. Obese patients had fewer genitourinary complications (13.4% vs 15.0%, p < 0.001), but had higher rates of sepsis (1.7% vs 1.3%, p = 0.009) as well as respiratory (3.0% vs 2.5%, p = 0.002) and vascular complications (0.3% vs 0.2%, p = 0.007). Conversely, pLOS (20.9% vs 18.8%, p < 0.001) and iTHCs (30.8% vs 24.4%, p < 0.001) were more frequently recorded in obese patients. In multivariable analyses, obesity was neither associated with higher rates of overall complications (odds ratio [OR], p = 0.3) nor with higher rates of transfusions (p = 0.3). However, obesity was associated with pLOS (OR: 1.21, p = 0.002) as well as iTHCs (OR: 1.17, p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: PCNL in obese patients did not result in higher rates of individual complications or transfusions. However, it resulted in higher rates of pLOS and iTHCs.

Medical management of benign prostatic hyperplasia: Results from a population-based study.

INTRODUCTION: In men with bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), medical treatment usually represents the first line. We examined the patterns of medical management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in the Montreal metropolitan area, within the context of a case control study focusing on incident prostate cancer. METHODS: Cases were 1933 men with incident prostate cancer. Population controls included 1994 age-matched men. In-person interviews collected sociodemographic characteristics and medical history, including BPH diagnosis, its duration, and type of medical treatment received. Baseline characteristics were compared by the chi-square likelihood test for categorical variables and by the students t-test for continuously coded variables. RESULTS: Overall, 1120 participants had history of BPH; of those 53.7% received medical treatment for BPH. Individuals with medically treated BPH, compared to individuals with medically untreated BPH, were older at index date [mean: 66.9 vs. 64.9 years, p<0.001)] and at diagnosis of BPH [mean: 62.3 vs. 60.3 years, p<0.001]. They also had a longer duration of BPH-history [mean: 4.7 vs. 4.0 years, p=0.02]. Regarding medical treatment, mono-therapy was more often used than combination therapy [87.6% vs. 12.4%, p<0.001]. Alpha-blockers (69.9%) were most commonly used as monotherapy, followed by 5alpha-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs) (26.6%). Alpha-blockers plus 5ARIs were the most common combination therapy (97.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite evidence from randomized, controlled trials for better efficacy with use of combination therapy, monotherapy consisting of alpha-blockers or 5ARI, in that order, is most frequently used. Additionally, 5ARI use was more common than previously reported (27% vs. 15%).

Comparison of oncologic outcomes between sarcomatoid and clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma (sRCC) is a rare histological subtype that is associated with unfavorable prognosis. We sought to examine the effect of sRCC on cancer-specific mortality (CSM) relative to clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), after adjusting for other variables, as well as other-cause mortality (OCM). METHODS: We relied on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database from 2000 to 2009 to identify a cohort of 7916 patients with either sRCC (n = 234) or ccRCC (n = 7682) who received surgery as primary treatment. Patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics were evaluated. Then, 5-year smoothed Poisson regression CSM and OCM estimates were generated for stage-by-stage comparisons between sRCC and ccRCC. A multivariable competing-risks regression model predicting CSM and adjusting for several patient and tumor characteristics, as well as OCM, was finally fitted. RESULTS: Compared to ccRCC patients, sRCC patients had more advanced and more aggressive disease at diagnosis. Specifically, 48 and 7 % of sRCC and ccRCC patients presented with stage IV disease, respectively (p < 0.001). Overall, 5-year CSM and OCM estimates were 67 and 17 % for sRCC patients and 14 and 19 % for ccRCC patients. In stage-by-stage analyses, sRCC was invariably associated with worse CSM. After adjusting for several characteristics as well as OCM, sRCC was associated with a 3.2 higher risk of CSM compared with ccRCC. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with sRCC are present with more advanced disease. Moreover, sRCC is associated with a higher rate of CSM, even after adjusting for several characteristics and OCM.

Population-based assessment of cancer-specific mortality after local tumour ablation or observation for kidney cancer: a competing risks analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To examine, using competing risks regression, differences in cancer-specific mortality (CSM) that might distinguish between local tumour ablation (LTA) and observation (OBS) for patients with kidney cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study focused on 1 860 patients with cT1a kidney cancer treated with either LTA or OBS between 2000 and 2009 in the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare database. Propensity-score matching was used. The study outcome was CSM. Multivariable competing risks regression analyses, adjusting for other-cause mortality as well as patient (including comorbidities) and tumour characteristics, were fitted. RESULTS: Overall, fewer patients underwent LTA than OBS (30 vs 70%; n = 553 vs n = 1 307). Compared with patients in the OBS group, those in the LTA group were younger (median age 77 vs 78 years; P < 0.001), more likely to be white (84 vs 78%; P = 0.005), more frequently married (59 vs 52%; P = 0.02) and more frequently of high socio-economic status (54 vs 45%; P = 0.001). After propensity-score matching, 553 patients who underwent LTA and 553 who underwent OBS remained for subsequent analyses. The mean standardized differences of patient characteristics between the two groups were <10%, indicating a high degree of similarity. After LTA or OBS, the 5-year CSM estimates from Poisson regression-derived smoothed plots were 3.5 and 9.1%, respectively. In multivariable competing risks regression analyses, LTA use was found to have a protective effect on CSM (hazard ratio 0.47 [95% confidence interval 0.25-0.89]; P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: After adjustment for comorbidity and tumour characteristics in elderly patients with kidney cancer, LTA was associated with a clinically and statistically significant protective effect on CSM, compared with OBS. This advantage of LTA deserves consideration when obtaining informed consent.

Comparison of Postoperative Complications and Mortality Between Laparoscopic and Percutaneous Local Tumor Ablation for T1a Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Population-based Study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate potential differences in local tumor ablation (LTA) perioperative outcomes between the percutaneous LTA (pLTA) and the laparoscopic LTA (lapLTA) approaches. METHODS: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare, we identified all patients diagnosed with T1a renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who underwent either pLTA or lapLTA between 2000 and 2009. Overall complications at 30 days and mortality at 90 days were examined for both groups. A multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to evaluate the effect of the approach on perioperative complications. A second model was fitted to test for associations between patient or tumor characteristics and type of LTA approach. RESULTS: Overall, 516 patients diagnosed with T1a RCC were identified. Of those, 289 (56%) were treated with pLTA and 227 (44%) were treated with lapLTA. LapLTA-treated patients were younger (median 76 vs 78, P < .001) and healthier (median Charlson comorbidity index 2.1 vs 2.7, P = .03) than their counterpart. After pLTA and lapLTA, overall complication rates were 21% and 25%, respectively (P = .3). Similarly, 90-day mortality rates did not differ between the two groups (P = 1). After adjusting for patient and tumor characteristics, LTA approach was not associated with perioperative complications (odds ratio: 1.38, P = .1). However, older and sicker patients were less likely to be treated with lapLTA (both ≤ 0.04). CONCLUSION: No differences in 30-day overall complications or 90-day mortality rates were detected between lapLTA and pLTA for T1a RCC. pLTA was more frequently used in older and sicker individuals. Further prospective studies comparing both procedures should be undertaken.

Sociodemographic Disparities in the Nonoperative Management of Small Renal Masses.

BACKGROUND: Local tumor ablation (LTA) and expectant management (EM) represent competing treatment modalities for patients with small renal masses (SRMs) who are unfit for surgery. We examined the potential social discrepancies in the access of LTA and EM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1860 patients with cT1a kidney cancer who had undergone either LTA (n = 553) or EM (n = 1307) from 2000 to 2009 were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database. The baseline patient data (age, comorbidity status, defined as Charlson comorbidity index [CCI], and several sociodemographic variables) and tumor characteristics were examined. A multivariable analysis predicting access to LTA compared with EM was fitted. The subgroup analyses focused on patients aged ≥ 75 years with a CCI of ≥ 2. RESULTS: Compared with LTA patients, the EM patients were significantly older (median age, 78 vs. 77 years; P < .001), more frequently unmarried (43% vs. 37%; P = .02), more frequently of African-American ethnicity (14% vs. 8%; P = .005), and more frequently of low socioeconomic status (SES; 55% vs. 46%; P = .001). No differences were seen according to gender, population density, CCI, or tumor size. In a multivariable analysis predicting access to LTA over EM, older age, African-American ethnicity, male gender, low SES, and unmarried status were associated with lower access to LTA (P ≤ .04 for all). In the subgroup of older and sicker patients, none of the previous sociodemographic characteristics represented barriers to LTA access (P ≥ .1 for all). CONCLUSION: Sociodemographic characteristics might represent barriers to LTA access for patients with SRMs managed nonoperatively. However, these associations vanished when older and sicker patients were examined.

Prediction of Complications Following Partial Nephrectomy: Implications for Ablative Techniques Candidates.

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines recommend local tumour ablation (LTA) over partial nephrectomy (PN) in nonsurgical candidates; however, objective definitions of these candidates are lacking. OBJECTIVE: To identify specific patients who would benefit from LTA more than PN. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A population-based assessment was performed of 2476 patients in the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare database who had cT1a kidney cancer treated with either LTA or PN, between 2000 and 2009. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The outcome of the study was the relevant perioperative complications rate. A multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to predict the risk of complications after PN. Model-derived coefficients were used to calculate the risk of complication in case of PN among patients treated with LTA. Locally weighted scatterplot smoothing method was used to plot the observed complication rate against the predicted risk of complication in case of PN. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: At multivariable logistic regression, age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.04; p<0.001), Charlson comorbidity index (OR: 1.14; p<0.001), acute kidney injury (OR: 1.91; p=0.04), or chronic kidney disease (OR: 2.16; p=0.002), tumour size (OR: 1.02; p=0.01), and minimally invasive approach (OR: 0.77; p<0.03) emerged as significant predictors of complications. When LTA was chosen over PN, the reduction in the risk of complications was greatest in high-risk patients, intermediate in intermediate-risk patients, and least in low-risk patients. CONCLUSIONS: When postoperative complications are evaluated, the benefit of choosing LTA is not the same in all patients diagnosed with T1a kidney cancer. Specifically, patients at high risk of complications in case of PN may benefit the most from LTA and represent ideal LTA candidates. PATIENT SUMMARY: Elderly patients at high risk of complications in case of surgical treatment with partial nephrectomy for kidney cancer should be instructed that local tumour ablation might decrease their perioperative morbidity.

Comparison of renal function detriments after local tumor ablation or partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Local tumor ablation (LTA) and partial nephrectomy (PN) represent treatment alternatives for patients diagnosed with small renal mass and both may result in renal function detriments. The aim of the study was to compare renal function detriments after LTA or PN. METHODS: A Surveillance epidemiology and End Results-Medicare-linked retrospective cohort of 2850 T1 kidney cancer patients who underwent LTA or PN was abstracted. Short-term outcomes consisted of 30-day acute kidney injury (AKI) and 30-day dialysis rates. Long-term outcomes consisted of episodes of AKI, mild and moderate-severe chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage renal disease, hemodialysis and anemia in CKD. Analyses consisted of propensity score matching, logistic and Cox regression. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, 1122 patients remained. The 30-day incidence of AKI was 4.6 % after LTA and 9.4 % after PN. In multivariable analyses (MVAs), LTA was associated with a lower AKI rate (OR 0.42; p = 0.001). The 30-day incidence of any dialysis was <2 % after either LTA or PN. In MVA, LTA was not associated with a lower rate of any dialysis (OR 0.43; p = 0.2). At long-term assessment, both the unadjusted and adjusted rates of all six examined end points were not different between LTA and PN (all p > 0.5). CONCLUSIONS: LTA offers short-term protective effect from AKI. The short-term rates of any dialysis treatment are similar after either LTA or PN. At long-term assessment, LTA and PN renal function detriment rates are not different. Concern for long-term functional outcomes should not be a barrier for PN.

Prevalence and risk factors of contralateral extraprostatic extension in men undergoing radical prostatectomy for unilateral disease at biopsy: A global multi-institutional experience.

INTRODUCTION: We assessed the incidence of contralateral prostate cancer (cPCa), contralateral EPE (cEPE) and contralateral positive surgical margins (cPSM) in patients diagnosed preoperatively with unilateral prostate cancer and evaluated risk factors predictive of contralateral disease extension. METHODS: The occurrence of cPCa, cEPE and cPSM and the side-specific nerve-sparing technique performed were collected postoperatively from 327 men diagnosed with unilateral prostate cancer at biopsy. Parameters, such as the localization, proportion, and percentage of cancer in positive cores, were prospectively collected. RESULTS: Overall, 50.5% of patients had bilateral disease, and were at higher risk when associated with a positive biopsy core at the apex (p = 0.016). The overall incidence of ipsilateral EPE and cEPE were 21.4% and 3.4%, respectively (p < 0.001). Compared to cPCa, ipsilateral disease was at an almost 4-fold higher risk of extending out of the prostate (p < 0.001). None of the criteria tested were identified as useful predictors for cEPE. The low incidence of cEPE in our cohort could limit our ability to detect significance. The overall incidence of ipsilateral PSM and cPSM were 15.3% and 5.8%, respectively (p < 0.001). More aggressive nerve-sparing was not associated with a higher incidence of PSM. Prostate sides selected for more aggressive nerve-sparing were associated with younger patients (p < 0.001), a smaller prostate (p = 0.006), and a lower percentage of cancer in biopsy material (p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Although the risk of cPCa is high in patients diagnosed with unilateral prostate cancer at biopsy, the risk of cEPE and cPSM is low, yet not insignificant. Contralateral aggressive nerve-sparing should be used with caution and should not compromise oncological outcome.

Factors predicting prolonged operative time for individual surgical steps of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP): A single surgeon's experience.

INTRODUCTION: We evaluated the average time required to complete individual steps of robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) by an expert RARP surgeon. The intent is to help establish a time-based benchmark to aim for during apprenticeship. In addition, we aimed to evaluate preoperative patient factors, which could prolong the operative time of these individual steps. METHODS: We retrospectively identified 247 patients who underwent RARP, performed by an experienced robotic surgeon at our institution. Baseline patient characteristics and the duration of each step were recorded. Multivariate analysis was performed to predict factors of prolonged individual steps. RESULTS: In multivariable analysis, obesity was a significant predictor of prolonged operative time of: docking (odds ratio [OR] 1.96), urethral division (OR 3.13), and vesico-urethral anastomosis (VUA) (OR 2.63). Prostate volume was also a significant predictor of longer operative time in dorsal vein complex ligation (OR 1.02), bladder neck division (OR 1.03), pedicle control (OR 1.04), urethral division (OR 1.02), and VUA (OR 1.03). A prolonged bladder neck division was predicted by the presence of a median lobe (OR 5.03). Only obesity (OR 2.56) and prostate volume (OR 1.04) were predictors of a longer overall operative time. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity and prostate volume are powerful predictors of longer overall operative time. Furthermore, both can predict prolonged time of several individual RARP steps. The presence of a median lobe is a strong predictor of a longer bladder neck division. These factors should be taken into consideration during RARP training.

The Role of Everolimus in Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Everolimus (RAD001) is an orally administered agent that inhibits the mammalian target of rapamycin serine-threonine kinase. A phase III pivotal trial on everolimus, published in 2008, provided the first evidence for the efficacy of sequential therapy for patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In this study, everolimus was used after failure of one or several previous lines of therapy, and it demonstrated a 3-month survival benefit relative to placebo. Currently, based on the level 1 evidence, everolimus represents the molecule of choice for third-line therapy after failure of previous two tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). However, second-line use after failure of one TKI is challenged by two new molecules (nivolumab and cabozantinib), which proved to have better efficacy with similar toxicity profile. In non-clear cell metastatic RCC, the current evidence recommends everolimus as a second-line therapy after failure of previous first-line sunitinib.

Impact of the Site of Metastases on Survival in Patients with Metastatic Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Limited data exist on the impact of the site of metastases on survival in patients with stage IV prostate cancer (PCa). OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of metastatic phenotype at presentation on mortality in stage IV PCa. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Overall, 3857 patients presenting with metastatic PCa between 1991 and 2009, included in the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare database were evaluated. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTIC ANALYSES: Overall and cancer-specific survival rates were estimated in the overall population and after stratifying patients according to the metastatic site (lymph node [LN] alone, bone, visceral, or bone plus visceral). Multivariable Cox regression analyses tested the relationship between the site of metastases and survival. All analyses were repeated in a subcohort of patients with a single metastatic site involved. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Respectively, 2.8%, 80.2%, 6.1%, and 10.9% of patients presented with LN, bone, visceral, and bone plus visceral metastases at diagnosis. Respective median overall survival and cancer-specific survival were 43 mo and 61 mo for LN metastases, 24 mo and 32 mo for bone metastases, 16 mo and 26 mo for visceral metastases, and 14 mo and 19 mo for bone plus visceral metastases (p<0.001). In multivariable analyses, patients with visceral metastases had a significantly higher risk of overall and cancer-specific mortality versus those with exclusively LN metastases (p<0.001). The unfavorable impact of visceral metastases persisted in the oligometastatic subgroup. Our study is limited by its retrospective design. CONCLUSIONS: Visceral involvement represents a negative prognostic factor and should be considered as a proxy of more aggressive disease in patients presenting with metastatic PCa. This parameter might indicate the need for additional systemic therapies in these individuals. PATIENT SUMMARY: Patients with visceral metastases should be considered as affected by more aggressive disease and might benefit from the inclusion in clinical trials evaluating novel molecules.