Evaluation of the Surgical Margin Threshold for Avoiding Recurrence after Partial Nephrectomy in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma

Purpose@#An adequate minimal surgical margin for partial nephrectomy (PN) has not yet been conclusively established. Therefore, we aimed to compare PN recurrence rates according to surgical margin status and to establish an adequate minimal surgical margin. @*Materials and Methods@#We retrospectively studied patients with clinically localized renal cell carcinoma who underwent PN between 2005 and 2014. Surgical margin width (SMW) was assessed for all surgical tissues and divided into three groups: SMW <1 mm, SMW ≥1 mm, and positive surgical margin (PSM). The data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank tests and multivariate Cox regression models. @*Results@#Of 748 patients (median age, 55 years; interquartile range, 46–64 years; 220 female), 704 (94.2%) and 44 (5.8%) patients had negative and PSMs, respectively. Recurrence-free survival was significantly lower in patients with PSMs (p<0.001) and was not significantly different between SMW ≥1 mm and <1 mm groups (p=0.604). PSM was a significant predictor of recurrence (hazard ratio: 8.03, 95% confidence interval: 2.74–23.56, p<0.001), in contrast to SMW <1 mm (p=0.680). @*Conclusion@#A PSM after PN significantly increases the risk of recurrence. We discovered that even a submillimeter safety surgical margin may be enough to prevent recurrence. To maximize normal renal parenchyma preservation and to avoid cancer recurrence in renal parenchymal tumor patients, PN may be a safe treatment, except for those with a PSM in the final pathology.

Ferroportin and FBXL5 as Prognostic Markers in Advanced Stage Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Purpose@#Advanced stage clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) involves a poor prognosis. Several studies have reported that dysfunctions in iron metabolism‒related proteins may cause tumor progression and metastasis of this carcinoma. In this study, we investigated the impact of the expression of iron metabolism‒related proteins on patient prognoses in advanced stage ccRCCs. @*Materials and Methods@#All of 143 advanced stage ccRCC specimens were selected following validation with double blind reviews. Several clinicopathological parameters including nuclear grade, perirenal fat invasion, renal sinus fat invasion, vascular invasion, necrosis, and sarcomatoid/rhabdoid differentiation were compared with the expression of ferroportin (FPN), and F-Box and leucine rich repeat protein 5 (FBXL5), by immunohistochemistry. FPN and FBXL5 mRNA level of ccRCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas database were also analyzed for validation. @*Results@#FPN and FBXL5 immunohistochemistry showed membrane and cytoplasmic expression, respectively. Based on the H-score, cases were classified as low or high expression with a cutoff value of 20 for FPN and 15 for FBXL5, respectively. Low expression of FPN and FBXL5 were significantly associated with patient death (p=0.022 and p=0.005, respectively). In survival analyses, low expression of FPN and FBXL5 were significantly associated with shorter overall survival (p=0.003 and p=0.004, respectively). On multivariate analysis, low expression of FBXL5 (hazard ratio, 2.001; p=0.034) was significantly associated with shorter overall survival. @*Conclusion@#FPN and FBXL5 can be used as potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for advanced stage ccRCC.

Patterns of Locoregional Recurrence after Radical Cystectomy for Stage T3-4 Bladder Cancer:A Radiation Oncologist’s Point of View

Purpose@#Adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) has been performed to reduce locoregional failure (LRF) following radical cystectomy for locally advanced bladder cancer; however, its efficacy has not been well established. We analyzed the locoregional recurrence patterns of post-radical cystectomy to identify patients who could benefit from adjuvant RT and determine the optimal target volume. @*Materials and Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed 160 patients with stage ≥ pT3 bladder cancer who were treated with radical cystectomy between January 2006 and December 2015. The impact of pathologic findings, including the stage, lympho-vascular invasion, perineural invasion, margin status, nodal involvement, and the number of nodes removed on failure patterns, was assessed. @*Results@#Median follow-up period was 27.7 months. LRF was observed in 55 patients (34.3%), 12 of whom presented with synchronous local and regional failures as the first failure. The most common failure pattern was distant metastasis (40%). Among LRFs, the most common recurrence site was the cystectomy bed (15.6%). Patients with positive resection margins had a significantly higher recurrence rate compared to those without (28% vs. 10%, p=0.004). The pelvic nodal recurrence rate was < 5% in pN0 patients; the rate of recurrence in the external and common iliac nodes was 12.5% in pN+ patients. The rate of recurrence in the common iliac nodes was significantly higher in pN2–3 patients than in pN0–1 patients (15.2% vs. 4.4%, p=0.04). @*Conclusion@#Pelvic RT could be beneficial especially for those with positive resection margins or nodal involvement after radical cystectomy. Radiation fields should be optimized based on the patient-specific risk factors.

Patterns of Locoregional Recurrence after Radical Cystectomy for Stage T3-4 Bladder Cancer:A Radiation Oncologist’s Point of View

Purpose@#Adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) has been performed to reduce locoregional failure (LRF) following radical cystectomy for locally advanced bladder cancer; however, its efficacy has not been well established. We analyzed the locoregional recurrence patterns of post-radical cystectomy to identify patients who could benefit from adjuvant RT and determine the optimal target volume. @*Materials and Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed 160 patients with stage ≥ pT3 bladder cancer who were treated with radical cystectomy between January 2006 and December 2015. The impact of pathologic findings, including the stage, lympho-vascular invasion, perineural invasion, margin status, nodal involvement, and the number of nodes removed on failure patterns, was assessed. @*Results@#Median follow-up period was 27.7 months. LRF was observed in 55 patients (34.3%), 12 of whom presented with synchronous local and regional failures as the first failure. The most common failure pattern was distant metastasis (40%). Among LRFs, the most common recurrence site was the cystectomy bed (15.6%). Patients with positive resection margins had a significantly higher recurrence rate compared to those without (28% vs. 10%, p=0.004). The pelvic nodal recurrence rate was < 5% in pN0 patients; the rate of recurrence in the external and common iliac nodes was 12.5% in pN+ patients. The rate of recurrence in the common iliac nodes was significantly higher in pN2–3 patients than in pN0–1 patients (15.2% vs. 4.4%, p=0.04). @*Conclusion@#Pelvic RT could be beneficial especially for those with positive resection margins or nodal involvement after radical cystectomy. Radiation fields should be optimized based on the patient-specific risk factors.

Association Between Prostate Cancer and 25-Hydroxyvitamin D2 Levels: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007−2008 Results

Purpose@#To report an association between prostate cancer and vitamin D levels among different races in a single population in the United States. @*Materials and Methods@#We investigated whether there was an association between vitamin D level and prostate cancer in different races in the United States. We used data collected from 1,363 men during the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2008. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the independent associations between vitamin D levels (not only 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], but also 25(OH)D2 and D3) and prostate cancer. Association between vitamin D levels and prostate specific antigen level was also analyzed in non-Hispanic white males without prostate cancer. @*Results@#Older age was significantly associated with prostate cancer in all races (p＜0.05), whereas vitamin D (p=0.024), especially 25(OH)D2 (p=0.027) was significantly higher only in non-Hispanic white males. There was no difference in vitamin D levels between non-Hispanic white males with a prostate specific antigen concentration ＞3 ng/mL and ≤3 ng/mL. @*Conclusions@#This study revealed a positive association between vitamin D, especially 25(OH)D2, and prostate cancer only in non-Hispanic white males. And vitamin D was not associated with prostate specific antigen level causing detection bias. (Korean J Urol Oncol 2020;18:32-39)

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Predicts Pathological Renal Sinus Fat Invasion in Renal Cell Carcinomas of ≤7 cm with Presumed Renal Sinus Fat Invasion

PURPOSE: Computed tomography (CT) is the most useful diagnostic modality for staging renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, CT is limited in its ability to predict renal sinus fat invasion (SFI). Here, we aimed to evaluate whether preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) could predict pathological SFI in patients with RCC of ≤7 cm for whom preoperative imaging reveals potential renal SFI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 1311 patients who underwent extirpative renal surgery for non-metastatic RCC of ≤7 cm between November 2005 and December 2014. After excluding patients with no SFI in preoperative imaging, unavailable preoperative data, and morbidity affecting inflammatory markers, a total of 476 patients were included in this study. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate predictors of pathological SFI. RESULTS: We implemented a cut-off value of 1.98, which was calculated by ROC analysis to obtain high (≥1.98) and low (<1.98) NLR groups. A total of 93 patients with pathological SFI had larger clinical tumor size, higher preoperative NLR, larger pathological tumor size, more frequent renal vein involvement, and higher Fuhrman nuclear grade. Multivariate analysis indicated that high NLR [odds ratio (OR) 2.032, p=0.004], clinical tumor size (OR 1.586, p<0.001), and collecting system involvement on preoperative imaging (OR 3.957, p=0.011) were significantly associated with pathological SFI in these tumors. CONCLUSION: Preoperative high NLR was associated with pathological SFI in patients with RCC of ≤7 cm and presumed SFI on preoperative imaging. Greater surgical attention is needed to obtain negative margins during partial nephrectomy in these patients.

The Within-Group Discrimination Ability of the Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment Score for Men with Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer

BACKGROUND: Significant clinical heterogeneity within contemporary risk group is well known, particularly for those with intermediate-risk prostate cancer (IRPCa). Our study aimed to analyze the ability of the Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment (CAPRA) score to discern between favorable and non-favorable risk in patients with IRPCa. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 203 IRPCa patients who underwent extraperitoneal robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) performed by a single surgeon. Pathologic favorable IRPCa was defined as a Gleason score ≤ 6 and organ-confined stage at surgical pathology. The CAPRA score was compared with two established criteria for the within-group discrimination ability. RESULTS: Overall, 38 patients (18.7% of the IRPCa cohort) had favorable pathologic features after RARP. The CAPRA score significantly correlated with established criteria I and II and was inversely associated with favorable pathology (all P < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the discriminative ability between favorable and non-favorable pathology was 0.679 for the CAPRA score and 0.610 and 0.661 for established criteria I and II, respectively. During a median 37.8 (interquartile range, 24.6–60.2) months of follow-up, 66 patients (32.5%) experienced biochemical recurrence (BCR). Cox regression analysis revealed that the CAPRA score, as a continuous sum score model or 3-group risk model, was an independent predictor of BCR after RARP. CONCLUSION: The within-group discrimination ability of preoperative CAPRA score might help in patient counseling and selecting optimal treatments for those with IRPCa.

Impact of Early Salvage Androgen Deprivation Therapy in Localized Prostate Cancer after Radical Prostatectomy: A Propensity Score Matched Analysis

PURPOSE: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is used as a salvage treatment for men with biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer (PCa) following initial radical prostatectomy (RP). The optimal time at which to begin salvage ADT (sADT) remains controversial. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the efficacy of initiating sADT in patients before prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values met the clinical definition of BCR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified 484 PCa patients who received sADT for BCR after RP. Median follow-up was 82 months. Propensity score matching was performed based on preoperative PSA level, pathologic T stage, and Gleason score. Patients were assigned to two groups of 169 patients each, based on PSA levels at the time of sADT: Group A (without meeting of the definition of BCR) and Group B (after BCR). Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and Cox regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: The median PSA level at sADT initiation was 0.12 ng/mL in group A and 0.42 ng/mL in group B. Kaplan-Meier analyses showed that group A had favorable disease progression-free survival (DPFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), but did not have better cancer-specific survival (CSS) than group B. In subgroup analyses, group A showed better CSS rates in the non-organ confined PCa group. In Cox regression analyses, early sADT was associated significantly with DPFS and DMFS rates, however, did not correlate with CSS (p=0.107). CONCLUSION: Early sADT after RP improved DPFS and DMFS. Furthermore, early sADT patients demonstrated better CSS in non-organ confined PCa.

Efficacy and Safety of Robotic Procedures Performed Using the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System at a Single Institute in Korea: Experience with 10000 Cases

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of robotic procedures performed using the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System at a single institute. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed all robotic procedures performed at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health System (Seoul, Korea). Reliability and mortality rates of the robotic surgeries were also investigated. RESULTS: From July 2005 to December 2013, 10267 da Vinci robotic procedures were performed in seven different departments by 47 surgeons at our institute. There were 5641 cases (54.9%) of general surgery, including endocrine (38.0%), upper (7.7%) and lower gastrointestinal tract (7.5%), hepato-biliary and pancreatic (1.2%), and pediatric (0.6%) surgeries. Urologic surgery (33.0%) was the second most common, followed by otorhinolaryngologic (7.0%), obstetric and gynecologic (3.2%), thoracic (1.5%), cardiac (0.3%), and neurosurgery (0.1%). Thyroid (40.8%) and prostate (27.4%) procedures accounted for more than half of all surgeries, followed by stomach (7.6%), colorectal (7.5%), kidney and ureter (5.1%), head and neck (4.0%), uterus (3.2%), thoracic (1.5%), and other (2.9%) surgeries. Most surgeries (94.5%) were performed for malignancies. General and urologic surgeries rapidly increased after 2005, whereas others increased slowly. Thyroid and prostate surgeries increased rapidly after 2007. Surgeries for benign conditions accounted for a small portion of all procedures, although the numbers thereof have been steadily increasing. System malfunctions and failures were reported in 185 (1.8%) cases. Mortality related to robotic surgery was observed for 12 (0.12%) cases. CONCLUSION: Robotic surgeries have increased steadily at our institution. The da Vinci Robotic Surgical System is effective and safe for use during surgery.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Functional Outcomes and Complications Following the Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate and Monopolar Transurethral Resection of the Prostate

PURPOSE: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate (MTURP) and photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) in order to provide the most up-to-date and reliable recommendations possible. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relevant RCTs were identified from electronic databases for meta-analysis of the surgical outcomes and complications of MTURP and PVP. Meta-analytical comparisons were made using qualitative and quantitative syntheses. The outcome variables are presented as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: In total, 11 articles were included in this comparative analysis of PVP versus MTURP. Most of the recently published studies exhibited low risk in terms of quality assessment. MTURP was superior to PVP regarding operative time; however, with regard to catheterization and hospitalization time, the mean differences were -1.39 (95% CI=-1.83~-0.95, p<0.001) and -2.21 (95% CI=-2.73~-1.69, p<0.001), respectively, in favor of PVP. PVP was superior to MTURP with regard to transfusion rate and clot retention, but no statistically significant differences were found with regard to acute urinary retention and urinary tract infection. The long-term complications of bladder neck contracture and urethral stricture showed no statistically significant differences between PVP and MTURP. Long-term functional outcomes, including the International Prostate Symptom Score and maximum flow rate, likewise did not display statistically significant differences between PVP and MTURP. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our findings, we believe that PVP should be considered as an alternative surgical procedure for treating male lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia.