Preliminary Comparative Effectiveness of Robotic Versus Open Radical Cystectomy in Elderly Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) remains highly morbid despite improving surgical techniques. As the median age of diagnosis is 73, many patients are elderly at the time of cystectomy. We compare perioperative surgical outcomes in elderly patients undergoing robotic vs open radical cystectomy (RC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients >75 years at time of RC were identified. Demographic, clinicopathologic, and perioperative variables were examined. Estimated blood loss (EBL) and length of stay (LOS) data were collected with multivariate linear regression analysis performed to assess whether technique was independently associated with outcomes. RESULTS: Eighty-seven patients >75 years of age underwent cystectomy for MIBC (58 open, 29 robotic). Mean age was 79.6 (±3.2) and 79.2 (±3.5) for open and robotic groups, respectively (p = 0.64). There were no significant differences in baseline comorbidities, clinical or pathologic stage, or use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The mean number of lymph nodes removed was similar (p = 0.08). Robotic cystectomy had significantly longer mean OR times (p < 0.001). On multivariate analyses, robotic surgery was associated with -389cc less EBL (95% CI -547 to -230, p < 0.001) and a -1.5-day-shortened LOS (95%CI -2.9 to -0.2, p = 0.02) compared with open surgery. There were no significant differences in surgical complications or 90-day readmission rates between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic cystectomy is safe and feasible in an elderly population. We observed longer OR times with robotic surgery, but with decreased EBL, shorter hospital stays, and comparable complication and readmission rates with open RC. Larger prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.

A contemporary large single-institution evaluation of resected retroperitoneal sarcoma.

PURPOSE: Retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPS) are rare malignancies, comprising just 10-15 % of all soft-tissue sarcomas. These are challenging tumors to treat, with surgical resection being the only modality capable of providing a cure. This study analyzed the management and survival of patients resected at a large academic institution. METHODS: A retrospective study of all patients with primary localized RPS referred to the University of Washington between January 2000 and January 2013 was performed. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were used to analyze progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) by patient, tumor, and treatment variables. RESULTS: The study identified 132 patients. Median follow-up was 31.8 months. Median PFS was 33 months, and median OS was 111 months. Sixty patients (45.5 %) underwent a margin-negative resection (R0), 59 (44.7 %) had a microscopic margin-positive resection (R1), and 7 (5.3 %) had a macroscopic margin-positive resection (R2). Forty (30.3 %) patients received preoperative radiation, 28 (21.2 %) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and 7 (5.3 %) received both. Tumor grade and microscopic margin status emerged as statistically significant predictors for both PFS and OS. Tumor size was also found to correlate with PFS. No significant difference in OS or PFS was observed for histologic subtype, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, or neoadjuvant radiation. CONCLUSIONS: Complete surgical resection should remain the mainstay of management for RPS, with emphasis on achieving negative microscopic margins. Neither neoadjuvant chemotherapy nor radiation was shown to significantly improve survival, and their unclear role in the management of RPS requires evaluation in a prospective setting.