[Histopathologic changes due to combination of androgen deprivation and transurethral microwave thermotherapy in patients with localized prostate cancer].

Fifty patients with localized prostate cancer, clinical stage T1-T2N0M0 were studied. The therapy started with androgen deprivation therapy for 3 months to reduce the volume of prostate about 35%. High-energy transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) was then performed. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) was performed in radical fashion at least 3 months after TUMT to confirm the treatment effect. Thorough pathological study of all the TURP chips revealed no cancer cells in 39 of the 50 patients. Among 11 patients who revealed remnant of cancer cells, 4 patients were with viable cancer cells, and 7 were with devitalized cancer cells.

[Histopathological changes due to transurethural microwave thermotherapy associated with androgen deprivation therapy in patients with localized prostate cancer].

PURPOSE: The 2nd generation transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT), equipped with high energy microwave generator and urethral cooling device is widely accepted as an less invasive effective modality to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia. For prostatic cancer, however, it is generally estimated as insufficient because of limitation in penetration of microwave into deep prostatic tissue. In this study, we examined histopathologic changes after androgen deprivation theraphy (ADT) and TUMT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ten patients with localized prostate cancer underwent ADT for 3 months, and then TUMT was proceeded using Urowave (Dornier MedTech GmbH). Additional 3 months after TUMT and continued ADT, TURP in radical fashion was performed in all the patients, and all the resected chips were submitted for pathological study. RESULTS: Significant reduction in prostate volume was noted after NHT for 3 months from 37.4 +/- 9.6 ml to 22.0 +/- 5.6 ml. The pathological study of resected chips revealed progressive fibrotic changes without viable cancer cells in 9 of 10 patients. In 1 patient, however, some remnant of carcinomatous foci were noted in a resected chip from the middle lobe of the prostate. CONCLUSION: Although the number of patient is limited and longer follow-up is needed, the results in present series was interested and worth considering.

Kidney disease quality of life of Japanese dialysis patients who desire administration of sildenafil and the treatment of erectile dysfunction using sildenafil.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is common among patients on dialysis therapy. In the present study, we attempted administration of sildenafil to Japanese patients undergoing dialysis. In order to diagnose ED before prescribing sildenafil, we assessed the hemodialysis patients who desired sildenafil by using the five items version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). In addition, the characteristics of the quality of life in Japanese hemodialysis patients who desired sildenafil were assessed using the kidney disease quality of life (KDQOL). To all 37 male subjects (mean age of 53.8 +/- 10.4 years) attending the Outpatient Hemodialysis Unit at Atsugi Clinic (Atsugi City, Japan), it was explained by their primary doctor that the treatment of ED with sildenafil was possible. As a result, 10 patients (27.0%) desired the treatment. For eight patients, ED was diagnosed by IIEF-5 prior to prescription of sildenafil. The mean IIEF-5 scores were 6.13 +/- 4.67 points. Sildenafil was prescribed to five patients (three diabetic, two non-diabetic) and sexual function was improved in three cases. The main adverse effect was found to be ventricular arrhythmia in one case. As for KDQOL, the group desiring sildenafil showed significantly high values in Dialysis Staff Encouragement and Patient Satisfaction. Among the other nine dialysis patients (five diabetic, four non-diabetic; mean age of 58.1 +/- 8.9 years) who visited the ED department of Ishida Hospital (Asahikawa City, Japan), sildenafil was effective for all non-diabetic patients (100%) and for only one diabetic patient (20%). Among all 14 patients at Atsugi Clinic and Ishida Hospital, sildenafil efficacy rates were 83.3% for non-diabetic patients and 37.5% for diabetic patients. Non-diabetic patients without the side-effects were all responders for the sildenafil treatment. The patients who relied on the dialysis staff and were more satisfied with the general treatment in the dialysis institute desired the administration of sildenafil under the present circumstances wherein the dialysis population had few experiences of sildenafil treatment. Diabetic status is thought to be a negative factor for the response of sildenafil treatment in dialysis patients.

Factors contributing to long graft survival in non-heart-beating cadaveric renal transplantation in Japan: a single-center study at Kitasato University.

A total of 107 cadaveric kidneys from non-heart-beating donors (NHBDs) have been transplanted between 1974 and 2000 at Kitasato University Hospital, Sagamihara, Japan. The patient survival of the 107 recipients of cadaveric renal transplants at 1, 5 and 10 yr was 0.857, 0.770 and 0.746, respectively. The 50% graft survival was 3.8 yr. The 5 and 10-yr graft survival was 0.457 and 0.337, respectively. Twenty of the 107 recipients of non-heart-beating cadaveric renal transplantation had graft survival longer than 10 yr. Of these 20 patients, 14 survivors still maintain functioning renal grafts and two died with functioning graft, although the remaining four reverted to dialysis because of chronic rejection and nephropathy. The average graft survival of these 20 patients at the time of study was 13.3 yr and the longest was 21.4 yr. The average serum creatinine level at 10 yr after transplantation was 1.63 mg/dL, almost identical to that at 5 yr post-transplant. The donors aged on average 40.2 yr; 13 were male and seven were female. The youngest donor was 9-yr-old and the oldest was 66. The graft survival was significantly better in the group with donor age younger than 55 yr (Log-rank: p=0.007). The average weight of the renal graft was not different between the long and shorter graft survival groups. The average warm ischemic time and total ischemic time were 9.7 and 539.7 min, respectively. The duration of post-transplant acute tubular necrosis averaged 9.2 days. These parameters tended to be shorter than those in recipients with graft survival >10 yr, but with no statistical significance. The mean numbers of acute rejection (AR) episode within 3 months after transplantation were 0.25 +/- 0.66 and 0.92 +/- 0.90 (p=0.020) in long survival and shorter survival groups, respectively. Long survivors had a significantly lower incidence of AR. Two of 20 cases received conventional immunosuppression with prednisolone, azathioprine and mizoribin, and 18 had prednisolone and calcineurin inhibitor (CNI). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a significant contribution of CNI to graft survival (p=0.036). However, the graft survival reduction rate after 1 yr post-transplant did not differ between conventional and CNI immunosuppression. These data suggest that renal grafts retrieved with proper organ procurement procedures from NHBDs may survive long-term and help to overcome donor shortage.