Hyaluronic acid spacer in focal prostate reirradiation: A single centre experience.

PURPOSE: The optimal management of locally recurrent prostate cancer after curative radiotherapy is still unknown. In this study, we evaluated the preliminary results of reirradiation using stereotactic body radiotherapy for locally recurrent prostate cancer after initial definitive local radiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 2016 and February 2019, 11 patients with recurrent disease at the previously irradiated prostate were treated. Local recurrence was detected by radiological with or without functional imaging modalities including prostate multiparametric/pelvic MRI or positron-emission tomography-computerised tomography with (68Ga)-labelled prostate-specific membrane antigen performed after rising prostate specific antigen serum level during follow-up. All patients received stereotactic body radiotherapy to the recurrent nodule to a total dose of 30Gy in five fractions. Hyaluronic acid spacer was injected between prostate and rectum in seven patients to decrease the rectal dose. Acute toxicity was evaluated by using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0, and late toxicity was evaluated by using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer late radiation morbidity scoring schema. RESULTS: At the diagnosis, the median age was 64 years, and the mean prostate specific antigen serum concentration was 17.7ng/mL. The median interval time between local recurrence and initial definitive radiotherapy was 63 months. Mean prostate specific antigen concentration nadir value during follow-up was 0.43ng/mL. With a median follow up of 19 months, three patients developed either local or distant relapse. One patient had grade 3 acute rectal toxicity, and one patient had grade 2 late urinary toxicity. We did not observe any acute or late toxicity due to hyaluronic acid spacer injection. CONCLUSION: Reirradiation after local recurrence following initial definitive radiotherapy together with hyaluronic acid spacer use seems to be effective and safe.

European temporal trends in the use of lymph node dissection in patients with renal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The role of lymph node dissection (LND) in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is still under debate. We aimed to assess the utilization rates of LND over time in Europe. METHODS: A multi-institutional database of 13,581 RCC patients who underwent radical nephrectomy (RN) or nephron sparing surgery (NSS) between 1988 and 2014 was created within an European consortium. We analysed temporal trends in the frequency of LND by using Joinpoint regression. Logistic regression models were used to identify predictors of LND. RESULTS: Overall, 5114 patients (42.7%) underwent LND. Lymph node invasion was recorded in 566 cases (11% of LND patients) which represents 4.7% of the whole study cohort. A gradual decline in the use of LND started in the 1990s. After 2008 LND decreased significantly by 21.5% per year (95%CI -33.3 to -7.5, p < 0.01) until 2011 and stabilized thereafter (Annual Percentage Change 4.9%, 95%CI -3.4 to 13.8, p = 0.2). At multivariable analyses, patient age (OR 0.98, p < 0.0001), type of surgery (RN vs. NSS: OR 5.46, p < 0.0001), surgical approach (open vs. minimally invasive: OR 1.75, p < 0.0001), T stage (T2 vs. T1: OR 1.57; T3-4 vs. T1: OR 1.44, p < 0.0001), clinical tumour size (OR 1.14, p < 0.0001), and year of surgery (OR 0.95, p < 0.0001) were associated with higher probability of LND at nephrectomy. CONCLUSIONS: A trend towards lower LND was observed over time for RCC patients who underwent RN or NSS. LND is more frequently performed in younger patients, locally advanced diseases and in case of open surgery.

Management of localized and locally advanced renal tumors. A contemporary review of current treatment options.

About 70% of patients with renal cell carcinoma present with localized or locally advanced disease at primary diagnosis. Whereas these patients are potentially curable by surgical treatment alone, a further 20% to 30% of patients are diagnosed with primary metastatic disease. Although over the past years medical treatment for metastatic patients has nearly completely changed from immunotherapy to effective treatment with targeted agents, metastatic disease still represents a disease status which is not curable. Also in patients with metastatic disease, surgical treatment of the primary tumor plays an important role, since local tumor related complications can be avoided or minimized by surgery. Furthermore, also improvement of overall survival has been proven for surgery in metastatic patients when combined with cytokine treatment. Hence, surgical combined with systemic treatment as a multi-modal, adjuvant, and neo-adjuvant treatment is also required in patients with advanced or metastatic disease. A growing number of elderly and comorbid patients are currently diagnosed with small renal masses, which has led to increased attention paid to alternative ablative treatment modalities as well as active surveillance strategies, which are applied in order to avoid unnecessary overtreatment in these patients. Since surgical treatment also might enhance the risk of chronic kidney disease with consecutive cardiac disorders as well as reduced overall survival, ablative techniques and active surveillance are increasingly applied. In this review article we focus on current surgical and none-surgical treatment options for the management of patients with localized, locally advanced, and metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Can p53, Ki-67 and bcl-2 predict biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To analyze p53, Ki-67 and bcl-2 expressions immunohistochemically and their predictive role in biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy one patients who had undergone radical prostatectomy between 1992 and 2001 were randomly selected. Tissue microarrays were constructed from their radical prostatectomy specimens. They contained four cores from neoplastic and additional four cores from corresponding non-neoplastic regions. Gleason score ranged from 6-9, and pathological stage ranged from T2N0Mx to T3BN1. Staining for bcl-2 was scored visually taking percent negative, weak, moderate and strong positivity into consideration. Strong immunoreactivity was considered positive for p53. Ki-67 index was measured as the percentage of positive nuclei among tumor cells. Statistical analysis was performed to explore correlations between staining patterns and clinicopathological prognostic parameters. RESULTS: The follow-up period extended from 13 to 112 months with a mean 60 (48 ± 23, 2) months. Of all, 38.02% had no evidence of disease, 52.1% were alive with disease and 9.8% were died during follow-up. The expression of p53, Ki-67 and bcl-2 in tumors were 39%, 76% and 5% respectively. While the secretory layer showed negative or weak bcl-2 staining in most cases, expression in basal cells was often stronger. Statistical analysis revealed differences in staining between normal and carcinoma for all three markers. There was no correlation between staining patterns and time to biochemical relapse. On the other hand, cases with higher Gleason sum showed the tendency for over expression of p53, Ki-67 and bcl-2 although the differences were not statistically different. Multivariate analysis revealed CMS group and seminal vesicle invasion as the independent predictors of PSA failure (log rank P = 0.0039 and P = 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: The proteins bcl-2, p53 and Ki-67 were expressed at a different rate in normal and neoplastic prostate tissue. Bcl-2 was mainly expressed by basal cells in normal glands. p53 and Ki-67 expression were increased in most prostate carcinomas. However, overall expression levels did not correlate with biochemical recurrence in this study.