The presence of cribriform pattern in prostate biopsy and radical prostatectomy is associated with negative postoperative pathological features.

Introduction: Prostate cancer is the second most common male cancer worldwide. Its rising incidence and high overtreatment rate drive the search for new prognostic factors. Histopathological variants, such as cribriform pattern (CP), are associated with poorer oncologic outcome. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between CP in prostate biopsy and radical prostatectomy (RP) and postoperative pathological features. Material and methods: In this retrospective, single-centre study we analysed the reviewed medical records of 100 men who underwent minimally invasive RP in the years 2017-2019. RP histopathological examination was performed by a single expert pathologist, and preoperative biopsies were assessed by various professionals from different referral centres. Results: 48% of men underwent endoscopic RP with limited lymphadenectomy, whereas 52% underwent laparoscopic RP with extended lymphadenectomy. CP in biopsy was present in 6 patients: 3 in each of both groups (6.3% and 5.8%, respectively). Lymph node metastases were present in 50% and 10% of patients with and without CP in biopsy, respectively (p = 0.028). Postoperative histopathological examination revealed CP in 65%. CP in RP was associated with higher International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) (p < 0.001), extraprostatic extension (EPE) (p = 0.001), seminal vesicle invasion (SVI) (p = 0.001), and positive surgical margin (PSM) (p = 0.004). Thirteen (20%) of the patients with CP in the RP specimen had lymph node metastasis, and none of the patients without CP in the RP specimen had regional LN metastasis. Conclusions: The presence of CP in a biopsy specimen and RP is associated with negative postoperative features. Therefore, efforts should be made to increase CP reporting in biopsies because its identification could trigger a more radical surgical approach with extended lymphadenectomy.

A Systematic Review on Postoperative Antibiotic Prophylaxis after Pediatric and Adult Male Urethral Reconstruction.

In the era of antibiotic overuse and increasing antibiotic resistance, there is a gap in evidence regarding antibiotic stewardship, and in particular, perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis after urethral reconstruction. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness and relevance of postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis after male pediatric and adult urethral reconstruction. An online search of MEDLINE database via PubMed was performed. The systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022348555) and was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines and AMSTAR 2 checklist. A narrative synthesis of included studies was performed. After the screening of 1176 publications, six studies regarding antibiotic prophylaxis after hypospadias reconstruction and two studies regarding antibiotic prophylaxis after urethroplasty in adults were eligible to be included in the systematic review. All but one of the studies on hypospadias repair showed no benefit from postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis. The level of evidence on postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis after urethroplasty in adults is low. Neither of the two studies included in the review showed a benefit from antibiotic use. Postoperative prophylaxis after hypospadias repair is not effective in preventing urinary tract infections and wound infections. It seems that the use of postoperative prophylaxis after urethroplasty in adults is also not beneficial, but there is a high need for high-quality scientific data.

Urethral management after artificial urinary sphincter explantation due to cuff erosion.

Introduction: The artificial urethral sphincter (AUS) is the gold standard treatment in cases of moderate-to-severe stress urinary incontinence in males. Cuff erosions are one of the most important distant complications of AUS implantation. The optimal urethral management has still not been established. Material and methods: Search terms related to 'urethral stricture', 'artificial urinary sphincter', and 'cuff erosion' were used in the PubMed database to identify relevant articles. Results: In this mini review we identified 6 original articles that assessed the urethral management after AUS explantation due to cuff erosion and included urinary diversion by transurethral and/or suprapubic catheterization, urethrorrhaphy, and in situ urethroplasty. We summarized the results of different management methods and their efficacy in terms of preventing urethral stricture formation. We highlight the need for better-quality evidence on this topic. Conclusions: The available data do not provide a clear answer to the question of optimal urethral management during AUS explantation. There is a great need to provide higher-quality evidence on this topic.

Non-Invasive Biomarkers in the Diagnosis of Upper Urinary Tract Urothelial Carcinoma-A Systematic Review.

Beyond laboratory, imaging and endoscopic procedures, new diagnostic tools are increasingly being sought for the diagnosis of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), especially those that are non-invasive. In this systematic review, we aimed to determine the effectiveness of non-invasive tests in the diagnosis of UTUC. PubMed and Embase electronic databases were searched to identify studies assessing effectiveness of non-invasive tests in the primary diagnosis of UTUC. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020216480). Among 10,084 screened publications, 25 were eligible and included in the analysis. Most of them were conducted on small samples of patients and the control groups were heterogenous. The test used in the largest number of studies was voided urinary cytology, which has poor sensitivity (11-71.1%) with favorable specificity (54-100%). Fluorescence in situ hybridization in diagnostic cytology showed higher sensitivity (35-85.7%) with equally good specificity (80-100%). There were also studies on the use of tests known to diagnose bladder cancer such as NMP22, uCYT or BTA test. Other urine or blood tests have been the subject of only isolated studies, with varying results. To conclude, currently there is a lack of high-quality data that could confirm good effectiveness of non-invasive tests used in the diagnosis of UTUC.

Human kidney injury molecule-1 as a urine biomarker differentiating urothelial and renal cell carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Urine concentration of human kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) is suggested to be increased in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, it has never been tested in patients with urothelial tumors, while preoperative differentiation between RCC and upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) plays an essential role in therapeutic decisions.The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of urinary KIM-1 expression in preoperative differentiation between RCC and urothelial carcinoma (UC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty-four participants were enrolled in the study, including 30 patients with RCC and 27 with UC (16 with UTUC and 11 with bladder tumor). Preoperative urinary KIM-1 levels were measured using a commercially available ELISA kit and normalized to urinary creatinine levels. RESULTS: The median concentration of urinary KIM-1 normalized to urinary creatinine was lower in patients with RCC compared to UC (1.35 vs 1.86 ng/mg creatinine, p = 0.04). The comparison between RCC and UTUC shows even more significant difference (1.33 vs 2.23 ng/mg creatinine, p = 0.02). Urinary KIM-1 concentration did not correlate with tumor stage nor grade in any of the groups. ROC analysis to identify UC revealed AUC of 0.657 with sensitivity 33.3% and specificity 96.7% at the cut-off value of 3.226 ng/mg creatinine. Among patients with eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m², ROC analysis to detect UC achieved AUC of 0.727 with sensitivity 69.5% and specificity 70.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Urine KIM-1 can potentially differentiate UC from RCC. However, a wide range of observed results and limited sensitivity and specificity requires caution in making clinical decisions before confirmatory studies.

MCM5 urine expression (ADXBLADDER) is a reliable biomarker of high-risk non- muscle-invasive bladder cancer recurrence: A prospective matched case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Mini Chromosome Maintenance 5 (MCM5) is considered as a urinary biomarker of bladder cancer. ADXBLADDER is a commercially available test to detect MCM5 antibodies. OBJECTIVE: External validation of ADXBLADDER test as a urinary biomarker of histopathologically confirmed non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) recurrence. METHODS: The study enrolled 119 consecutive patients with a history of NMIBC and 37 healthy volunteers matched as controls. Single, full-void urine samples were collected from patients before cystoscopy ± TUR. To measure MCM5 expression, Arquer Diagnostics ADXBLADDER test was used. The study protocol was registered within the clinical trials database (NCT03796299). RESULTS: Among patients with NMIBC history, recurrence was diagnosed in 83 patients (69.7%). ADXBLADDER demonstrated sensitivity of 73.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) 62.7%-82.6%), specificity of 33.3% (95% CI 18.6% to 51%), overall negative predictive value (NPV) of 35.3% (95% CI 23.3% to 49.5%) and overall positive predictive value of 71.8% (95% CI 66.1% to 76.8%) for detecting recurrence. In a control group, false positive ADXBLADDER results were noticed in 18 patients (48.6%). The sensitivity and NPV were the highest in invasive tumors (100% and 100%, respectively) and in high-grade recurrences (81.8% and 94.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: ADXBLADDER has a moderate sensitivity and poor specificity in detecting NMIBC recurrence. However, it properly diagnoses patients with T1+ stage recurrence or high-grade tumors.

Formulas Estimating Glomerular Filtration Rate in the Evaluation of Living Kidney Donor Candidates: Comparison of Different Formulas With Scintigraphy-Measured Glomerular Filtration Rate.

INTRODUCTION: Estimation of kidney function is crucial in the evaluation of living kidney donor candidates. Despite the multitude of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) formulas, no equation is universal, and none were validated in the population of kidney donors. Novel biomarkers, including beta trace protein (BTP) and cystatin C, are studied to help estimate GFR and improve the safe qualification of living kidney donors. AIM: This study compares the accuracy of different formulas that estimate GFR with reference scintigraphy-measured GFR in the population of living kidney donor candidates. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study enrolled 30 healthy living kidney donor candidates. GFR was measured using the following 11 different formulas. For reference, GFR was assessed using 99m-Technetium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid. RESULTS: The accuracy of estimation was generally low in all formulas. The strongest correlation between measured GFR (mGFR) and estimated GFR (eGFR) was achieved by the Nankivell formula (R = 0.47, P = .009); however, in the group of patients with a body mass index of >25 kg/m2, only the equations based on BTP had a statistically significant correlation with mGFR: White (R = 0.59; P = .016) and Poge (R = 0.53; P = .035). Bland-Altman plots revealed wide limits of agreement between eGFRs and mGFR in all groups of patients. CONCLUSION: In living kidney donor candidates, GFR estimation formulas should be chosen individually. White formula, which is based on BTP, may be a promising tool in estimating GFR in overweight potential living kidney donor candidates. More than 1 formula and personalized choice of GFR estimation method regarding the given patient should be performed in qualification of kidney donors.

Urinary Human Kidney Injury Molecule1- (hKIM1-) is not Increased in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Human Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (hKIM-1) was proposed as urinary biomarker of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The aim of the study was to validate urinary hKIM-1 as a biomarker of RCC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-six participants were enrolled into the study, including 30 patients with clear-cell or papillary RCC and 16 matched patients in the comparison group. Preoperative urinary hKIM-1 levels were measured using commercially available ELISA kit and normalized to urinary creatinine levels. RESULTS: The concentrations of urinary hKIM-1 normalized to urinary creatinine in patients with RCC and comparison group did not differ significantly (1.35 vs. 1.32 ng/mg creatinine, p=.25). There was also no difference in urinary hKIM-1 concentration regarding stage or grade of renal cancer. Additional analysis of patients without chronic kidney disease (defined as eGFR ≥60mL/min/1.73m²) also did not reveal significant difference in urinary hKIM-1 concentrations between the groups (1.54 vs. 1.37; p=.47). CONCLUSION: Results of our study do not confirm recent suggestions that urinary hKIM-1 may be a biomarker of RCC.

Bladder perforation during transurethral resection of bladder tumour is not a result of a deficient structure of the bladder wall.

BACKGROUND: Transurethral resection of the bladder tumour (TUR) is associated with a risk of bladder perforation. The underlying mechanisms and risk factors are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to determine if the bladder wall structure affects the risk of bladder perforation during TUR. METHODS: Fifteen patients who underwent TUR complicated by a bladder perforation (group 1) and fifteen matched controls who underwent uncomplicated TUR (group 2) were retrospectively enrolled in this morphological analysis. Surgical specimens were collected from all participating patients to describe the quality and architecture of urothelium and bladder submucosa. Immunohistochemical studies were performed with primary mouse anti-human E-cadherin, beta-catenin, type IV collagen, cytokeratin 20 and epithelial membrane antigen antibodies. The intensity of the immunohistochemical reaction was assessed using an immunoreactive score (IRS). Ultrastructural examinations were performed by transmission electron microscopy. The microscopic assessment was focused on the intensity of fibrosis in the bladder submucosa and the presence of degenerative changes in the urothelium. RESULTS: Patients' age, sex distribution, tumour diameters, surgeon experience or cancer stage did not differ between study groups. The immunohistochemical analysis did not reveal statistically significant differences between group 1 and group 2. From a clinical point of view, ultrastructural analysis by electron microscopy showed a higher rate of severe fibrosis in group 1 (63.6% vs. 38.5%), with no differences in the rate and degree of urothelial changes. However, these differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.32). CONCLUSIONS: Bladder perforation during TUR is not a result of a deficient structure of the bladder wall. Based on available evidence, the surgical technique seems to play the most important role in its prevention.

Surgical treatment for renal masses in the elderly: analysis of oncological, surgical and functional outcomes.

PURPOSE: Radical treatment in elderly patients with renal tumor remains debatable due to uncertainties regarding the risk of surgical complications, risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and survival benefit. The aim of the study was to assess outcomes of radical treatment for renal cancer in elderly patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective analysis enrolled 507 consecutive patients treated with partial or radical nephrectomy due to renal mass. Patients with upfront metastatic disease (n=46) and patients lost to follow-up (n=110) were excluded from the analysis. Surgical, functional (screen for ESRD development) and survival outcomes were analyzed in patients aged >75 years in comparison to younger individuals. RESULTS: The analyzed group included 55 elderly patients and 296 younger controls. Within the cohort a total of 148 and 203 patients underwent radical and partial nephrectomies respectively. The rate of surgical complications, including grade >3 Clavien- Dindo complications, did not differ between groups (3.6% vs. 4.4%, p=0.63). Median length of hospital stay was equal in both groups (7 days). During a follow-up (median 51.9 months, no difference between groups), ESRD occurred in 3.4% of controls and was not reported in elderly group (p=0.37). Younger patients demonstrated a statistically significant advantage in both overall survival and cancer-specific survival over elderly patients (OS 94.6% vs. 87% p=0.036, CSS 97.3% vs. 89.1% p=0.0008). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment in elderly patients with renal tumor is as safe as in younger individuals and does not increase the risk of ESRD. However, cancer specific survival among these patients remains shorter than in younger patients.

Bimanual palpation for staging of bladder cancer-clinical use and its predictors.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the frequency of performing bimanual palpation (BP) during transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (TURBT) and to identify its predictors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective analysis enrolled 568 consecutive patients, who underwent TURBT due to primary bladder cancer. There were thirty surgeons involved in the analysis, each performed a mean of 18.9 TURBTs (range 1-43). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors predicting the BP use. RESULTS: Two hundred and sixty-five patients (46.7%) underwent BP. BP was performed in 36.1% of Ta tumors, 49.1% of T1 tumors and 76.6% of ≥T2 tumors (p<0.001); in 60.2% of tumors >3 cm and in 33.3% of tumors <3 cm (p<0.001). Female, and male doctors performed BP in 38.3%, and 48.8% of the cases, respectively (p=0.01). Senior residents performed BP more often than junior residents and certified junior and senior urologists (64.6% vs. 39.2% vs. 48.2% vs. 31.1%, respectively; p=0.03). In multivariate logistic regression analysis higher tumor stage, larger tumor size, as well as senior residents and male surgeons performing TURBT were independent predictors of BP. CONCLUSION: Though BP is recommended for each patient at the time of TURBT, it is performed only in the minority of patients undergoing TURBT, mainly those with advanced or larger tumors, operated by senior residents and male surgeons.

Clinical rationale and safety of restaging transurethral resection in indication-stratified patients with high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Indications for restaging transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (reTURBT) in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) remain controversial. This study was aimed at evaluation of clinical value and safety of reTURBT in different clinical indications. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of consecutive 141 patients who underwent TURBT followed by reTURBT in years 2011-2015 in a single department. Pathological results and surgical complications were analyzed in the whole study cohort and stratified by clinical stage (Ta, T1, Tx (no muscle in the specimen)) and grade (low-grade (LG), high-grade (HG)) of bladder cancer diagnosed at primary TURBT. RESULTS: Full data was available for 132 patients. Residual disease was found in 53 patients (40.2%) with highest rate for Ta-HG cases (57.1%) followed by T1-HG (51.4%), Tx-HG (45.2%), T1-LG (32.1%), and Tx-LG (25.8%). In the multivariate analysis, high grade (p = 0.02) was the only independent predictor of residual disease. Upstaging to muscle-invasive bladder cancer was noticed in 9 patients (6.8%). The rate of grade ≥ 2 Clavien-Dindo complications (1.5 vs. 5.3%) did not differ significantly between TURBT and reTURBT cases. CONCLUSIONS: ReTURBT is a safe procedure that remains crucial for therapeutic and staging purposes in patients with T1, Tx, or high-grade bladder cancer found in the primary resection.