Delayed radiotherapy for patients with localized prostate cancer: validation by propensity score matching.

AIM: To retrospectively investigate the biochemical outcome following delayed radiotherapy in patients with prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From July 2000 to November 2008, 144 consecutive patients with localized prostate cancer underwent radiotherapy and androgen-deprivation therapy. Biochemical progression-free survival was compared in patients who began radiotherapy >6 months (delayed group) with these who began ≤ 6 months (non-delayed group) from diagnosis by biopsy. Treatment selection bias was adjusted by the propensity score method. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 64 months, the 5-year biochemical progression-free survival of the delayed and non-delayed groups was 87.4% (95% confidence interval, CI=69.7-95.1%) and 96.6% (95% CI=89.6-98.9%), respectively (p=0.03). Delayed radiotherapy was the only independent risk factor for biochemical progression (hazard ratio=3.97, 95% CI 1.07-14.7, p=0.04). The results were validated by propensity score analysis. CONCLUSION: Delaying radiotherapy by >6 months increases the risk of biochemical progression in patients with localized prostate cancer.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of sildenafil using questionnaire methods versus audio-visual sexual stimulation.

AIM: In the present study, an audio-visual sexual stimulation (AVSS) test was used to evaluate the effectiveness of sildenafil, and the AVSS test was coevaluated with the international index of erectile function (IIEF) questionnaire. METHODS: Forty-two patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) were examined (age range, 28-73 years; mean, 51.9 +/- 11.4 years). Each patient answered the IIEF questionnaire and underwent laboratory tests and the AVSS test before administration of sildenafil. The IIEF questionnaire and AVSS test (1 h after administration of 25 mg or 50 mg sildenafil) were re-evaluated in the outpatient clinic 4 weeks later. Questions 3 and 4 of the IIEF test were used to evaluate the effectiveness of sildenafil. Sildenafil was determined to be effective if each score totalled four or five after administration. RESULTS: The rate of effectiveness of sildenafil was 52.4%, and the mean score of the IIEF 5 improved from 7.2 to 15.4 following treatment with sildenafil. The maximum and mean rigidity of the penile tip improved after the sildenafil treatment (36.1%vs 57.7% and 14.2%vs 35.8%, respectively). The maximum and mean rigidity of the penile base rose (42.4%vs 57.7% and 17.9%vs 36.8, respectively). Similarly, following treatment with sildenafil, the penile tumescence increased from 6.6 cm to 7.6 cm at the penile tip and from 7.5 cm to 8.5 cm at the penile base. CONCLUSIONS: In some ED patients the results of the IIEF questionnaire are not always consistent with those of objective evaluation, including AVSS. In these patients, combined assessment using the IIEF and AVSS might be more useful to evaluate the precise effectiveness of sildenafil, rather than relying on the IIEF results alone.

Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography for inferior vena caval tumor thrombus in renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the advantages of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) during inferior vena caval tumor thrombectomy in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS: Five patients with RCC that extended into the inferior vena cava (IVC) underwent radical nephrectomy. To remove the tumor thrombus in the IVC, an inflated Fogarty balloon catheter was used to pull the thrombus below the level of the hepatic veins with real-time TEE monitoring. RESULTS: In all cases, TEE monitoring during surgery provided an accurate and excellent view of the IVC thrombus. TEE was particularly helpful for the thrombectomy to minimize hepatic mobilization by using occlusion balloon catheter in two patients whose thrombus extended to the intrahepatic IVC. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative real-time TEE monitoring is a safe, minimally invasive technique that can provide accurate information regarding the presence and extent of IVC involvement, guidance for placement of a vena caval clamp, confirmation of complete removal of the IVC thrombus and intervention using catheters to assist in thrombectomy.

Protecting spermatogonia from apoptosis induced by doxorubicin using the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analog leuprorelin.

PURPOSE: The present study was performed to investigate the protective effect of leuprorelin (LH-RH analog), on spermatogonia apoptosis induced by doxorubicin (DXR) in the Sprague-Dawley rat model. METHODS: Twenty-four adult male rats were divided into the following four groups: (i) control group; (ii) group given doxorubicin (intravenous injection, 8 mg/kg); (iii) group given leuprorelin (subcutaneous injection, 3 mg/kg); and (iv) group given both doxorubicin (intravenous injection, 8 mg/kg) and leuprorelin (subcutaneous injection, 3 mg/kg). Evaluation for quantification of apoptotic spermatogonia was made by the ratio of TUNEL-labeled spermatogonia versus 100 Sertoli cells in each seminiferous tubule. Two hundred seminiferous tubules of each rat were assessed. RESULTS: The ratio of apoptotic spermatogonia versus 100 Sertoli cells at stages II-IV of the groups given DXR (groups 2 and 4) were significantly higher than those of the other groups. However, the value at stages II-IV of the group given both DXR and leuprorelin (group 4) was significantly lower than that of the group given DXR (group 2). CONCLUSION: The significant prophylactic effect (P < 0.05) of LH-RH analog against doxorubicin-induced spermatogonial apoptosis was observed in a stage specific manner by microscopic evaluation with TUNEL.

Clinical study of varicocele: statistical analysis and the results of long-term follow-up.

BACKGROUND: The results of clinical examinations of varicocele and the clinical outcome of varicocelectomy conducted at Tsukuba University Hospital, Tsukuba City, Japan were analyzed. METHODS: The subjects of the present study were sixty-four infertile male patients with varicocele who visited our hospital from 1991 to 1999. A physical examination, semen analysis and hormonal evaluation were performed for each patient. Patients selected their preferred type of treatment (varicocelectomy or conservative treatment) after providing their informed consent. RESULTS: The age of the patients was 34.1 +/- 5.1(mean +/- standard deviation [s.d.]) years, and the infertile duration was 4.2 +/- 3.0 (mean +/- s.d.) years. Fifty-one cases were left-sided; 13 were bilateral. Mean sperm density ( yen 106/mL) was 37.2 for Grade I, 21.3 for Grade II and 9.4 for Grade III. Sperm density was significantly lower in the higher-graded patients (P = 0.008). Varicocelectomy was performed in 31 cases; the postoperative/preoperative ratio of sperm density was significantly higher in the higher-graded varicocele (P = 0.04), and the peak/base ratio of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) after luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) stimulation was significantly decreased after varicocelectomy (P = 0.007). The pregnancy rate in the partners of the varicocelectomized group (60%) was significantly higher than in the conservatively treated group (28%) P = 0.04; the mean follow-up duration was 76.2 months. CONCLUSION: These results show that varicocele should influence spermatogenesis, therefore altered spermatogenesis could be effectively treated by varicocelectomy, and varicocelectomy should induce a higher probability of pregnancy.

[Saphenous vein grafting for Peyronie's disease: a case report].

We present a case of Peyronie's disease in a 50-year-old male with a progressive, painful induration (3 x 2 x 0.5 cm) in the dorsal region of the penis. In order to correct the high degree of penile curvature, we made a venous patch graft from the saphenous vein under general anesthesia and straightened the penis. Six months after the operation, a recurrent induration was observed in the proximal region of the penis, and the penis became slightly shortened.

Testicular cancers occurring in brothers with cryptorchism.

We report a case of familial testicular cancer associated with undescended testes in two brothers. The older brother (49 years) presented with a testicular tumor located in the right inguinal canal. The pathologic diagnosis was pure seminoma. Computerized tomography revealed iliac and retroperitoneal lymph node metastases. Four years later, the younger brother (44 years) developed bilateral testicular tumors, one located in the inguinal canal, the other located in the pelvic cavity. The pathologic diagnosis of both tumors was pure seminoma. Radiological examination revealed retroperitoneal lymph node metastases. Both patients received cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy as the initial treatment. The older brother suffered from repeated recurrences with lymph node metastases in the iliac and inguinal regions, but he was successfully treated with high-dose chemotherapy. The younger brother achieved long-term remission after retroperitoneal lymph node dissection following initial chemotherapy. We briefly review the reported cases of familial testicular cancer and discuss the association of the maldescent of the testes and familial testicular cancer cases.