Severe systemic disease of the American Society of Anesthesiologists' (ASA) physical status system classification associated with delayed length of hospital stay in 1329 consecutive patients treated with radical prostatectomy for clinical prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: The investigate the associations of the ASA physical status system with clinical, pathological, and perioperative features of prostate cancer (PCa) patients treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) that eventually associated with pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND). METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of prospective collected data from January 2013 to October 2020, including1329 patients. The ASA system was preoperatively assessed for each patient. Evaluated clinical factors were grouped as preoperative, perioperative, and pathological and were statistically associated with the ASA system. Continuous variables were represented as medians with relative interquartile ranges (IQR) and categorical factors were assessed as frequencies (percentages). Associations and risk of each ASA Class with population features were assessed by the multinomial logistic regression model (univariate and multivariate analysis). All tests were two-sided with P<0.05 considered to indicate statistical significance. RESULTS: Postoperative complications at discharge occurred in 27.2%. The distribution of the ASA physical status system was as follows: ASA I 108 patients (8.1%), ASA II 1081 subjects (81.3%) and ASA III 140 cases (10.5%). Median length of hospital state (LOHS) was the same for ASA groups I and II (4 days), but longer (5 days) for the ASA group III. On MVA, the risk of delayed hospital stay was associated only with ASA III patients and was independent from age and BMI. Clavien-Dindo complications greater than 2 did not show any independent association with the ASA system. CONCLUSIONS: The ASA preoperative physical status system predicted the likelihood of longer LOHS.

Endogenous testosterone density is an independent predictor of pelvic lymph node invasion in high-risk prostate cancer: results in 201 consecutive patients treated with radical prostatectomy and extended pelvic lymph node dissection.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of endogenous testosterone density (ETD) on pelvic lymph node invasion (PLNI) in high risk (HR) prostate cancer (PCa) treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) and staged with extended pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND). MATERIALS AND METHODS: ETD was evaluated as the ratio of endogenous testosterone (ET) on prostate volume (PV). HR-PCa was assessed according to the European Association of Urology (EAU) system. The association of ETD and other routinely clinical factors (BPC: percentage of biopsy positive cores; PSA: prostate specific antigen; ISUP: tumor grade system according to the International Society of Urologic Pathology; cT: tumor clinical stage) with the risk of PLNI was assessed by the logistic regression model. RESULTS: Overall, 201 out of 805 patients (24.9%) were classified HR and PLNI occurred in 42 subjects (20.9%). On multivariate analysis, PLNI was independently predicted by BPC (OR 1.020; 95% CI 1.006-1.035; p = 0.019), ISUP > 3 (OR 2.621; 95% CI 1.170-5.869; p = 0.019) and ETD (OR 0.932; 95% CI 0.870-0.999; p = 0.045). After categorizing continuous clinical predictors, the risk of PLNI was independently increased by ETD up to the median (OR 2.379; 95% CI 1.134-4.991; p = 0.022), BPC > 50% (OR 3.125; 95% CI 1.520-6.425; p = 0.002) as well as by ISUP > 3 (OR 2.219; 95% CI 1.031-4.776; p = 0.042). CONCLUSIONS: As ETD measurements decreased, patients were more likely to have PLNI. In HR disease with PLNI, the influence of PCa on ETD should be addressed by higher level studies.

The Influence of Endogenous Testosterone Density on Unfavorable Disease and Tumor Load at Final Pathology in Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer: Results in 338 Patients Treated with Radical Prostatectomy and Extended Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of endogenous testosterone density (ETD) on features of aggressive prostate cancer (PCa) in intermediate-risk disease treated with radical prostatectomy and extended pelvic lymph node dissection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Density measurements included the ratio of endogenous testosterone (ET), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and percentage of biopsy positive cores (BPC) on prostate volume (ETD, PSAD, and BPCD, respectively). The ratio of percentage of cancer invading the gland (tumor load, TL) on prostate weight (TLD) was also calculated. Unfavorable disease (UD) was defined as tumor upgrading (ISUP >3) and/or upstaging (pT >2) and/or lymph node invasion (LNI). Associations of ETD with features of aggressive PCa, including UD and TLD, were evaluated by logistic and linear regression models. RESULTS: Evaluated cases were 338. Subjects with upgrading, upstaging, and LNI were 61/338 (18%), 73/338 (21%), and 25/338 (7.4%), respectively. TLD correlated with UD (Pearson's correlation coefficient, r = 0.204; p < 0.0001), PSAD (r = 0.342; p < 0.0001), BPCD (r = 0.364; p < 0.0001), and ETD (r = 0.214; p < 0.0001), which also correlated with BMI (r = -0.223; p < 0.0001), PSAD (r = 0.391; p < 0.0001), and BPCD (r = 0.407; p < 0.0001). TLD was the strongest independent predictor of UD (OR = 2.244; 95% CI = 1.146-4.395; p = 0.018). In the multivariate linear regression model predicting BPCD, ETD was an independent predictor (linear regression coefficient, b = 0.026; 95% CI: 0.016-0.036; p < 0.0001) together with PSAD (b = 1.599; 95% CI: 0.863-2.334; p < 0.0001) and TLD (b = 0.489; 95% CI: 0.274-0.706; p < 0.0001). According to models, TLD increased as ETD increased accordingly, but mean ET levels were significantly lower for patients with UD. CONCLUSIONS: As ETD measurements incremented, the risk of large tumors extending beyond the prostate increased accordingly, and patients with lower ET levels were more likely to occult UD. The influence of ETD on PCa biology should be addressed by prospective studies.

Possible role of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors in non-invasive bladder urothelial neoplasm: multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: About 75% of urothelial bladder cancers are non-muscle invasive (NMIBC), and limited to mucosa (Ta or CIS) or sub-mucosa (T1). An increase of androgen expression and androgen receptors has a positive effect on oncogenic expression. We aimed to evaluate whether 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARI) have a role in NMIBC. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the clinical and pathological data of 423 patients with NMIBC who underwent transurethral bladder resection. We considered the number of resections, number of total recurrences, time of recurrences, and histopathology details. The population was classified into two groups: treated and untreated with 5-ARIs. The enrolled patients were in treatment with 5ARIs for symptomatic prostatic hyperplasia for at least 12 months. Mean follow-up time was 30.43 months. RESULTS: Patients treated with 5-ARIs had a lower rate of recurrence (14%) than the untreated group (37%). There was a significant difference in the mean number of recurrences between the untreated and the treated group (P=0.006). Furthermore, the treated group showed a significantly greater number of low than high grade tumors, compared to the untreated group (P≤0.05). There was a significant decrease in the number of muscle invasive tumors in treated patients (P=0.032). The recurrence-free survival rate of patients treated with 5-ARIs was significantly higher (P=0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term treatment with 5-ARIs might reduce the risk of bladder tumor recurrence, extension of lesions and increase the recurrence-free survival rate. A long-term, randomized prospective study could definitively assess the possible role of these drugs.

Predictors of complications occurring after open and robot-assisted prostate cancer surgery: a retrospective evaluation of 1062 consecutive patients treated in a tertiary referral high volume center.

To investigate factors associated with the risk of major complications after radical prostatectomy (RP) by the open (ORP) or robot-assisted (RARP) approach for prostate cancer (PCa) in a tertiary referral center. 1062 consecutive patients submitted to RP were prospectively collected. The following outcomes were addressed: (1) overall postoperative complications: subjects with Clavien-Dindo System (CD) one through five versus cases without any complication; (2) moderate to major postoperative complications: cases with CD < 2 vs. ≥ 2, and 3) major post-operative complications: subjects with CDS CD ≥ 3 vs. < 3. The association of pre-operative and intra-operative factors with the risk of postoperative complications was assessed by the logistic regression model. Overall, complications occurred in 310 out of 1062 subjects (29.2%). Major complications occurred in 58 cases (5.5%). On multivariate analysis, major complications were predicted by PCa surgery and intraoperative estimated blood loss (EBL). ORP compared to RARP increased the risk of major CD complications from 2.8 to 19.3% (OR = 8283; p < 0.0001). Performing ePLND increased the risk of major complications from 2.4 to 7.4% (OR = 3090; p < 0.0001). Assessing intraoperative blood loss, the risk of major postoperative complications was increased by BL above the third quartile when compared to subjects with intraoperative blood loss up to the third quartile (10.2% vs. 4.6%; OR = 2239; 95%CI: 1233-4064). In the present cohort, radical prostatectomy showed major postoperative complications that were independently predicted by the open approach, extended lymph-node dissection, and excessive intraoperative blood loss.

Perioperative Outcomes of Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to systematically review the literature and describe perioperative complications of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP), including the Clavien-Dindo classification of surgical complications. METHODS: All English language publications on HoLEP were evaluated. We followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses) guidelines to evaluate PubMed®, Scopus®, and Web of Science™ databases from January 1, 1998, to June 1, 2020. RESULTS: Fifty-seven studies were included, for a total of 10,371 procedures. We distinguished between intra-, peri-, and postoperative complications. Overall, the rate of complications is 0-7%. Intraoperative complications include incomplete morcellation (2.3%), capsular perforation (2.2%), bladder (2.4%), and ureteric orifice (0.4%) injuries. Perioperative complications include postoperative urinary retention (0.2%), hematuria and clot retention (2.6%), and cystoscopy for clot evacuation (0.7%). Postoperative complications include dysuria (7.5%), stress (4.0%), urge (1.8%), transient (7%) and permanent (1.3%) urinary incontinence, urethral stricture (2%) and bladder neck contracture (1%). CONCLUSIONS: HoLEP is a safe procedure, with a satisfactory low complication rate. The most common reported perioperative complications are not severe (Clavien-Dindo classification grades 1-2). Further randomized studies are certainly warranted to fully determine the predictor of surgical complications in order to prevent them and improve this technique.

ABO blood group system and risk of positive surgical margins in patients treated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: results in 1114 consecutive patients.

To test the hypothesis of associations between the ABO blood group system (ABO-bg) and prostate cancer (PCa) features in the surgical specimen of patients treated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Between January 2013 and October 2020, 1114 patients were treated with RARP. Associations of ABO-bg with specimen pathological features were evaluated by statistical methods. Overall, 305 patients were low risk (27.4%), 590 intermediate risk (50%) and 219 high risk (19.6%). Pelvic lymph node dissection was performed in 678 subjects (60.9%) of whom 79 (11.7%) had cancer invasion. In the surgical specimen, tumor extended beyond the capsule in 9.8% and invaded seminal vesicles in 11.8% of cases. Positive surgical margins (PSM) were detected in 271 cases (24.3%). The most frequently detected blood groups were A and O, which were equally distributed for both including 467 patients (41.9%), followed by groups B (127 cases; 11.4%) and AB (53 subjects; 4.8%). Among specimen factors, the ABO-bgs associated only with the risk of PSM, which was higher for blood group O (30.4%) compared with group A (19.5%) after adjusting for other standard clinical predictors (odds ratio, OR = 1.842; 95% CI 1.352-2.509; p < 0.0001). Along the ABO-bgs, the risk of PSM was increased by group O independently by other standard preoperative factors. The ABO-bgs may represent a further physical factor for clinical assessment of PCa patients, but confirmatory studies are required.

Severe intraoperative bleeding predicts the risk of perioperative blood transfusion after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

To evaluate potential factors associated with the risk of perioperative blood transfusion (PBT) with implications on length of hospital stay (LOHS) and major post-operative complications in patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) as a primary treatment for prostate cancer (PCa). In a period ranging from January 2013 to August 2019, 980 consecutive patients who underwent RARP were retrospectively evaluated. Clinical factors such as intraoperative blood loss were evaluated. The association of factors with the risk of PBT was investigated by statistical methods. Overall, PBT was necessary in 39 patients (4%) in whom four were intraoperatively. Positive surgical margins, operating time and intraoperative blood loss were associated with perioperative blood transfusion on univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, the risk of PBT was predicted by intraoperative blood loss (odds ratio, OR 1.002; 95% CI 1.001-1.002; p < 0.0001), which was associated with prolonged operating time and elevated body mass index (BMI). PBT was associated with delayed LOHS and Clavien-Dindo complications > 2. In patients undergoing RARP as a primary treatment for PCa, the risk of PBT represented a rare event that was predicted by severe intraoperative bleeding, which was associated with increased BMI as well as with prolonged operating time. In patients who received a PBT, prolonged LOHS as well as an elevated risk of major Clavien-Dindo complications were seen.

American Society of Anesthesiologists' (ASA) Physical Status System and Risk of Major Clavien-Dindo Complications After Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy at Hospital Discharge: Analysis of 1143 Consecutive Prostate Cancer Patients.

Objective: To test the hypothesis of associations of preoperative physical status system with major postoperative complications at hospital discharge in prostate cancer (PCa) patients treated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Materials and Methods: In a period ranging from January 2013 to October 2020, 1143 patients were evaluated. The physical status was assessed by the American Society of Anesthesiologists' (ASA) system, which was computed trained anesthesiologists. The Clavien-Dindo system was used to classify postoperative complications, which were coded as major if greater than 1. Results: ASA physical status system included class I in 102 patients (8.9%), class II in 934 subjects (81.7%), and class III in 107 cases (9.4%). Clavien-Dindo complications were distributed as follows: grade 1: 141 cases (12.3%), grade 2: 108 patients (9.4%), grade 3a: 5 subjects (0.4%), grade 3b: 9 patients (0.8%), and grade 4a: 3 cases (0.3%). Overall, major complications were detected in 125 cases (10.9%). On multivariate analysis, major Clavien-Dindo complications were predicted by ASA score grade II (adjusted odds ratio, OR = 2.538; 95%CI 1.007-6.397; p = 0.048) and grade III (adjusted OR 3.468; 95%CI 1.215-9.896; p = 0.020) independently by pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) and/or blood lost. Conclusion: In RARP surgery, the risk of major postoperative Clavien-Dindo complications increased as the physical status system deteriorated independently by performing or not a PLND and/or large intraoperative blood lost. The ASA score system was an effective predictor of major Clavien-Dindo complications, which delayed LOHS in RARP surgery. Confirmatory studies are required. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13193-022-01577-9.

Association between ABO blood group and unfavorable prostate cancer features after radical prostatectomy: Retrospective study of 1149 patients.

Objectives: To test hypothesized associations between the ABO blood group (ABO-bg) system and the pathological features of prostate cancer (PCa). Material and methods: Between January 2013 and September 2019, 1173 patients underwent radical prostatectomy. Associations between ABO-bg levels and pathological features were evaluated using statistical methods. Results: Overall, 1149 consecutive patients were evaluated using the ABO-bg system, which was represented by O-bg (42.8%) and A-bg (41.3%), followed by B-bg (11.1%) and AB-bg (4.8%). Only positive surgical margins (PSMs) was correlated with ABO-bg (Pearson correlation coefficient, r = 0.071; p = 0.017), and the risk was increased in group-O (odds ratio [OR], 1.497; 95% confidence interval, 1.149-1.950; p = 0.003) versus non-O-bg. In clinical and pathological models, O-bg was at increased risk of PSM after the adjustment for prostate-specific antigen, percentage of biopsy-positive cores, and high surgical volume (adjusted OR, 1.546; 95% confidence interval, 1.180-2.026; p = 0.002); however, the adjusted OR did not change after the adjustment for tumor load and stage as well as high surgical volume. Conclusions: In clinical PCa, the risk of PSM was higher in O-bg versus non-O-bg patients after the adjustment for standard predictors. Confirmatory studies are needed to confirm the association between ABO-bg and unfavorable PCa features.

Endogenous testosterone density as ratio of endogenous testosterone levels on prostate volume predicts tumor upgrading in low-risk prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate preoperative endogenous testosterone (ET) density (ETD), defined as the ratio of ET on prostate volume, and tumor upgrading risk in low-risk prostate cancer (PCa). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From November 2014 to December 2019, 172 low-risk patients had ET (nmol/L) measured. ETD, prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) and the ratio of percentage of biopsy positive cores (BPC) to prostate volume (PV), defined as BPC density (BPCD), were evaluated. Associations with tumor upgrading in the surgical specimen were assessed by statistical methods. RESULTS: Overall, 121 patients (70.3%) had tumor upgrading, which was predicted by BPCD (odds ratio, OR = 4.640; 95% CI 1.903-11.316; p = 0.001; overall accuracy: 70.3%). On multivariate analysis, tumor upgrading and clinical density factors related to each other for BPCD being predicted by ETD (regression coefficient, b = 0.032; 95% CI 0.021-0.043; p < 0.0001), PSAD (b = 1.962; 95% CI 1.067-2.586; p < 0.0001) and tumor upgrading (b = 0.259; 95% CI 0.112-0.406; p = 0.001). According to the model, as BPCD increased, ETD and PSAD increased, but the increase was higher for upgraded cases who showed either higher tumor load but significantly lower mean levels of either ET or PSA. CONCLUSIONS: As ETD increased, higher tumor loads were assessed; however, in upgraded patients, lower ET was also detected. ETD might stratify low-risk disease for tumor upgrading features.

Endogenous testosterone density predicts unfavorable disease at final pathology in intermediate risk prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that endogenous testosterone (ET) density could be associated with tumor load (TL) in patients with intermediate risk (IR) prostate cancer (PCa). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Endogenous testosterone density (ETD, ratio between ET and prostate volume [PV]), biopsy positive cores density (BPCD, the ratio between the number of positive cores and PV) and prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD, ratio between total PSA and PV) were retrospectively evaluated on a prospectively collected data on 430 patients with IR PCa submitted to radical prostatectomy (RP). Tumor load (TL) was measured as the percentage of prostatic volume occupied by cancer at final pathology. Unfavorable disease (UD) was defined as tumor upgrading (ISUP grading group 4, 5) and/or upstaging (pT3a or 3b) in prostate specimens. Associations were assessed by the logistic regression and linear regression models. RESULTS: Overall, UD, which was detected in 122 out of 430 IR patients (28.4%), was predicted by BPCD (odd ratio, OR = 1.356; 95% CI 1.048-1.754; p = 0.020) with a sensitivity 98.4% and overall accuracy 71.9%. On multivariate analysis, BPCD was independently predicted by PSAD (regression coefficient, b = 1.549; 95% CI 0.936-2.162; p < 0.0001), ETD (b = 0.032; 95% CI 0.023-0.040; p < 0.0001) and TL (b = 0.009; 95% CI 0.005-0.014; p < 0.0001). As BPCD increased, ETD and ET levels increased accordingly, but patients with BPCD > 1.0%/mL had significantly lower ET levels. CONCLUSIONS: As ETD increased, BPCD and TL increased, accordingly; furthermore, patients with lower ET levels were more likely to have occult UD. The influence of tumor load, and unfavorable disease on ET and ETD needs to be addressed by further studies.

Low endogenous testosterone levels are associated with the extend of lymphnodal invasion at radical prostatectomy and extended pelvic lymph node dissection.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate clinical factors associated to lymphnodal metastasis load in patients who underwent to radical prostatectomy (RP) and extended pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between November 2014 and December 2019, ET was measured in 617 consecutive patients not under androgen deprivation therapy who underwent RP and ePLND. Lymphnode invasion (LNI) was codified as not present (N = 0) or with one (N = 1) or more than one metastatic node (N > 1). The risk of multiple pelvic lymph node metastasis (N > 1, mPLNM) was assessed by comparing it to the other two groups (N > 1 vs. N = 0 and N > 1 vs. N = 1). Then, we assessed the association between ET and lymphnode invasion for standard predictors, such as PSA, percentage of biopsy positive cores (BPC), tumor stage greater than 1 (cT > 1) and tumor grade group greater than two (ISUP > 2). RESULTS: Overall, LNI was detected in 70 patients (11.3%) of whom 39 (6.3%) with N = 1 and 31 (5%) with N > 1. On multivariate analysis, ET was inversely associated with the risk of N > 1 when compared to both N = 0 (odds ratio, OR 0.997; CI 0.994-1; p = 0.027) as well as with N = 1 cases (OR 0.994; 95% CI 0.989-1.000; p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: In clinical PCa, the risk of mPLNM was increased by low ET levels. As ET decreased, patients had an increased likelihood of mPLNM. Because of the inverse association between ET and mPLNM, higher ET levels were protective against aggressive disease. The influence of locally advanced PCa with high metastatic load on ET levels needs to be explored by controlled trials.

The Influence of Endogenous Testosterone on Incidental Prostate Cancer after Transurethral Prostate Resection.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that endogenous total testosterone (TT) may relate to incidental prostate cancer (iPCA) in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with prostate enlargement undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). METHODS: The hypothesis was tested in contemporary cohort of patients who underwent TURP because of LUTS due to prostate enlargement after excluding the suspect of PCA. In period running from January 2017 to November 2019, 389 subjects were evaluated. Endogenous testosterone was measured preoperatively between 8:00 and 10:00 o'clock in the morning. Relationships between TT and iPCA were evaluated by statistical methods. RESULTS: Overall, iPCA was detected in 18 cases (4.6%) with clinical stage cT1a or International Society of Urologic Pathology (ISUP) < 2 in 11 patients (61.1%). Endogenous testosterone was inversely associated with age and BMI in the study population but not in the subgroup with iPCA in wholly endogenous TT strongly correlated to both number of chips involved by cancer (Pearson's correlation coefficient, r = 0.553; p = 0.017) and ISUP > 2 (r = 0.504; p = 0.033). The positive association of endogenous TT with both tumor load and tumor grade was confirmed by the linear regression model with high-regression coefficients for the former (regression coefficient, b = 0.307; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI: 0.062-0.551; and p = 0.017) as for the latter (b = 5.898; 95% CI: 0.546-11.249; and p = 0.033). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative endogenous TT is associated with features of iPCA. The influence of iPCA on endogenous testosterone needs to be addressed by a large multicenter prospective trial.

Endogenous testosterone as a predictor of prostate growing disorders in the aging male.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations of endogenous testosterone with prostate growing disorders (PGD) including benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCA). METHODS: The study population was composed by 1176 cases including 371 BPH subjects (31.5%) without cancer who underwent prostate transurethral resection from January 2017 to November 2019 and 805 patients (68.5%) with PCA who underwent surgery from November 2014 to December 2019. The association of endogenous testosterone, which was measured before surgery, with the risk of PGD was evaluated by statistical methods. RESULTS: In the study population, endogenous testosterone levels were significantly lower in PCA cases compared to BPH patients who were older with larger prostates but lower prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. On multivariate analysis, the risk of PCA decreased by endogenous testosterone (odds ratio, OR = 0.957; 95% CI 0.930-0.984; p = 0.002) as by age (OR = 0.955; 95% CI  0.933-0.984; p < 0,0001) and prostate volume (OR = 0.930; 95% CI 0.919-0.940; p < 0.0001) but increased by PSA (OR = 1.652; 95% CI 1.542-1.769; p < 0.0001). On multivariate linear regression analysis, endogenous testosterone inversely associated with body mass index (BMI) (regression coefficient, b = - 0.279; p = 0.002) and PCA (b = - 2.935; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In the aging male, endogenous testosterone independently predicted malignant prostate disorders, which associated with decreased hormone levels along BMI categories. Endogenous testosterone is a further marker for evaluating prostate growing disorders in clinical practice; however, controlled studies are required.

Incidental prostate cancer after transurethral resection of the prostate: analysis of incidence and risk factors in 458 patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence and risk factors of incidental prostate cancer (IPCA) in a contemporary cohort of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) patients who underwent trans-urethral resection of the prostate (TURP). METHODS: A series of 458 consecutive patients who underwent TURP were evaluated between January 2016 to June 2018. Evaluated factors included age (years), Body Mass Index (BMI; kg/square meters), treatment with inhibitors of 5-alpha reductase, previous prostate biopsies, basal prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels (ng/mL), serum leukocyte count (×109/L), weight of resected prostate tissue (grams), grade and stage of IPCA. The multivariate logistic regression model evaluated associations of significant clinical factors with the risk of IPCA. RESULTS: Overall, IPCA was detected in 30 of 454 patients (6.6%). A mean of 21.8 g of tissue was resected. The mean number of positive chips was 5.6 (mean percentage 3.9%) with tumor grade group 1 in 22 cases (73.4%) and tumor stage cT1a in 23 patients (76.7%). On multivariate analysis, independent factors that were positively associated with the risk of IPCA were BMI (odds ratio, OR=1.121; P=0.017) and leukocyte count (OR=1.144; P=0.027). CONCLUSIONS: In a contemporary cohort of patients undergoing TURP for the treatment of LUTS, the risk of IPCA was not negligible with a rate of being 6.6%. BMI and serum leukocyte count were found to be independent factors that were positively associated with the risk of IPCA.

Predictors of Lymph Node Invasion in Patients with Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer Who Undergo Radical Prostatectomy and Extended Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection: The Role of Obesity.

OBJECTIVE: In patients with intermediate- and high-risk localized prostate cancer (PCa), improving the detection of occult lymph node metastases could play a pivotal role for therapeutic counseling and planning. The recent literature shows that several clinical factors may be related to PCa aggressiveness. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential associations between clinical factors and the risk of multiple lymph node invasion (LNI) in patients with intermediate- and high-risk localized PCa (cT1/2, cN0, and ISUP grading group >2 and/or prostate-specific antigen (PSA) >10 ng/mL) who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) and extended pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a period ranging from January 2014 to December 2018, 880 consecutive patients underwent RP with ePLND for PCa. Among these, 481 met the inclusion criteria and were selected. Data were prospectively collected within an institutional dataset and retrospectively analyzed. Age (years), body mass index (BMI; kg/m2), PSA (ng/mL), prostate volume (mL), and biopsy positive cores (BPC; %) were recorded for each case. BMI and BPC were considered continuous and categorical variables, respectively. The logistic regression models evaluated the association of clinical factors with the risk of nodal metastases. RESULTS: LNI was detected in 73/418 patients (15.2%) of whom 40/418 (8.3%) harbored multiple LNI (median 2, IQR: 3-4). On multivariate analysis, BMI was independently associated with the risk of multiple LNI in the pathological specimen when compared with patients without LNI (OR = 1.147; p = 0.018), as well as the percentage of biopsy positive cores (OR = 1.028; p < 0.0001) and European Association of Urology high-risk class (OR = 5.486; p < 0.0001). BMI was the only predictor of multiple LNI when compared with patients with 1 positive node (OR = 1.189, p = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS: In intermediate- and high-risk localized PCa, BMI was an independent predictor of the risk of multiple lymph node metastases. The inclusion of BMI within LNI risk calculators could be helpful, and a detailed counseling in obese patients should be required.

Prostatic chronic inflammation and prostate cancer risk at baseline random biopsy: Analysis of predictors.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate predictors of prostatic chronic inflammation (PCI) and prostate cancer (PCa) in patients undergoing transperineal baseline random prostatic needle biopsies (BNB). PATIENT AND METHODS: According to BNB outcomes, patients were divided into four groups: cases without PCI or PCa (Control group), cases with PCI only (PCI group), cases with PCa and PCI (PCa+PCI group) and cases with PCa only (PCa group). A multinomial logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association of clinical factors with BNB outcomes. Additionally, clinical factors associated with the risk of PCa in the overall population were investigated using a multivariable logistic regression model (univariate and multivariate analysis). RESULTS: Overall, 945 patients were evaluated and grouped as follows: Control group, 308 patients (32.6%); PCI group, 160 (16.9%); PCa+PCI group, 45 (4.8%); and PCa group, 432 (45.7%). Amongst these, PCa was independently predicted by age (odds ratio [OR] 1.081), prostate specific-antigen level (PSA; OR 1.159), transition zone volume (TZV; OR 0.916), and abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE; OR 1.962). PCa and PCI (4.8%) were independently predicted by age (OR 1.081), PSA level (OR 1.122) and TZV (OR 0.954). In the group without PCa, the PSA level was the only factor associated with the risk of PCI when compared to the control group (OR 1.051, P = 0.042). Among patients with PCa, independent factors associated with the risk of only PCa compared to cases with PCA+PCI were TZV (OR 0.972) and number of positive cores (OR 1.149). In the overall population, PCI was the strongest predictor of a decreased risk of PCa (multivariate model, OR 0.212; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: At BNB, PCI was associated with both a decreased risk of PCa and less aggressive tumour biology amongst patients with PCa. The presence of PCI on biopsy cores should be reported because of its implications in clinical practice. ABBREVIATIONS: BGG: biopsy Gleason Group; BPC: biopsy positive (cancer) cores; BMI: body mass index; FGF-2: fibroblast growth factor 2; IL: interleukin; ISUP: International Society of Urologic Pathology; NIH: National Institutes of Health; OR: odds ratio; PCa: prostate cancer; PCI: prostatic chronic inflammation; TGF: transforming growth factor; TPV: total prostate volume; TZV: transition zone volume.

Basal total testosterone serum levels predict biopsy and pathological ISUP grade group in a large cohort of Caucasian prostate cancer patients who underwent radical prostatectomy.

AIMS: The study aimed to evaluate associations of preoperative total testosterone (TT) with the risk of aggressive prostate cancer (PCA). MATERIALS & METHODS: From 2014 to 2018, basal TT levels were measured in 726 consecutive PCA patients. Patients were classified according to the International Society of Urologic Pathology (ISUP) system. Aggressive PCA was defined by the detection of ISUP > 2 in the surgical specimen. The logistic regression model evaluated the association of TT and other clinical factors with aggressive PCA. RESULTS: On univariate analysis, there was a significant association of basal TT with the risk of aggressive PCA as well as age, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), percentage of biopsy positive cores (BPC), tumor clinical stage (cT), and biopsy ISUP grade groups. On multivariate analysis, two models were considered. The first (model I) excluded biopsy ISUP grading groups and the second (model II) included biopsy ISUP grade groups. Multivariate model I, revealed TT as well as all other variables, was an independent predictor of the risk of aggressive disease [odds ratio (OR) = 1.585; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.113-2.256; p = 0.011]. Elevated basal PSA greater than 20 µg/dl was associated with the risk of aggressive PCA. Multivariate model II revealed that basal TT levels maintain a positive association between aggressive PCA, whereas age, BPC, and clinical stage cT3 lost significance. In the final adjusted model, the level of risk of TT did not change from univariate analysis (OR = 1.525; 95% CI: 1.035-2.245; p = 0.011). CONCLUSION: Elevated preoperative TT levels are associated with the risk of aggressive PCA in the surgical specimen. TT may identify patients who are at risk of aggressive PCA in the low and intermediate European Association of Urology (EAU) risk classes.

Obesity strongly predicts clinically undetected multiple lymph node metastases in intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer patients who underwent robot assisted radical prostatectomy and extended lymph node dissection.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between obesity and risk of multiple lymph node metastases in prostate cancer (PCa) patients with clinically localized EAU intermediate and high-risk classes staged by extended pelvic lymph-node dissection (ePLND) during robot assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 373 consecutive PCa intermediate or high-risk patients were treated by RARP and ePLND. According to pathology results, extension of LNI was classified as absent (pN0 status) or present (pN1 status); pN1 was further categorized as one or more than one (multiple LNI) lymph node metastases. A logistic regression model (univariate and multivariate analysis) was used to evaluate the association between significant categorized clinical factors and the risk of multiple lymph nodes metastases. RESULTS: Overall, after surgery lymph node metastases were detected in 51 patients (13.7%) of whom 22 (5.9%) with more than one metastatic lymph node and 29 (7.8%) with only one positive node. Comparing patients with one positive node to those without, EAU high-risk class only predicted risk of single LNI (OR = 2.872; p = 0.008). The risk of multiple lymph node metastases, when compared to cases without LNI, was independently predicted by BMI ≥ 30 (OR = 6.950; p = 0.002) together with BPC ≥ 50% (OR = 3.910; p = 0.004) and EAU high-risk class (OR = 6.187; p < 0.0001). Among metastatic patients, BMI ≥ 30 was the only factor associated with the risk of multiple LNI (OR = 5.250; p = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with clinically localized EAU intermediate and high-risk classes PCa who underwent RARP and ePLND, obesity was a risk factor of multiple LNI.