The challenges in diagnosis and management of osteitis pubis: An algorithm based on current evidence.

Objective: The objective of this study is to summarise the contemporary evidence regarding the prevalence, diagnosis, and management of osteitis pubis (OP) specially from urological point of view, while proposing an algorithm for the best management based on the current evidence. Methods: We performed a literature search using the PubMed database for the term 'osteitis pubis' until December 2020. We assessed pre-clinical and clinical studies regarding the aetiology, pathophysiology, and management of OP. Case reports and case series were evaluated by study quality and patient outcomes to determine a potential clinical management algorithm. Results: Osteitis pubis is a chronic painful condition of the symphysis pubis joint and its surrounding structures. Still, there is a paucity of data outlining the management plan and the possible triggers. The aetiology seems to be multifactorial with different proposals trying to explain the pathophysiology and correlate the findings to the outcome. The diagnosis is usually based on high suspicion index and clinical experience. The infective variant of the disease is aggressive and requires strict and active management. Universal consensus is still lacking regarding a formal algorithm of management of the condition, especially due to multiple specialities involved in the decision-making process. Conservative management remains the cornerstone; nevertheless, surgical interventions may be needed in special settings. Hence, a multi-disciplinary approach is of pivotal value in fashioning the plan for each case. The prognosis is usually satisfactory; however, a longstanding debilitating disease form is not uncommon. Conclusion: OP remains a rare condition with real challenges in its diagnosis. The current management is focused on conservative management; however, surgical intervention is still needed in some difficult scenarios. Continued research into the triggers of OP, multidisciplinary approach, and standardised clinical pathways can improve the quality of care for patients suffering from this condition.

A patient-centric pathway for testicular cancer - A multicentre study investigating the uptake of semen cryopreservation and impact on treatment.

BACKGROUND: The option of semen cryopreservation following a diagnosis of testicular cancer shows a variable uptake with the option to cryopreserve before surgery often dependent on the preference of the treating clinician and the fertility laboratory resources available. OBJECTIVES: To assess whether the introduction of a patient-centric pathway for managing suspected testicular cancer increases the uptake of semen cryopreservation and the impact of this on surgical waiting times. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multicentre retrospective analysis of patients treated as part of a patient-centric pathway was conducted for suspected testicular cancer at two specialist centres within a one-stop testicular clinic. Clinical information, including semen cryopreservation acceptance rate, time intervals to surgery and CT scan, TNM stage, histology and age, was recorded from an institutional database. RESULTS: Eighty nine patients (median age: 34 years (range: 14-89)) underwent orchidectomy for suspected testicular cancer over a 15-month period after the introduction of a patient-centric testicular cancer pathway at two UK centres. The overall uptake of semen cryopreservation was 68.5% (n = 61) with all men under the age of 33 years accepting this option. A microdissection oncoTESE was performed in 9/61 (14.8%) patients who attempted cryopreservation but were found to be azoospermic. Pre-operative CT imaging was completed for 85.4% of patients, and the median time from initial outpatient consultation to orchidectomy was 9 days. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: A patient-centric pathway ensures that the uptake of semen cryopreservation remains high particularly for those men within the common age for paternity. It also identifies men who may benefit from microdissection oncoTESE for complex cases such as tumours in solitary testicles, bilateral tumours or an atrophic contralateral testicle as well as those diagnosed with de novo azoospermia. The additional time taken for semen cryopreservation to be performed did not significantly delay orchidectomy or influence the decisions for adjuvant treatment.

Painful Ejaculation - An Ignored Symptom.

The purpose of this review is to summarize the pathophysiology of ejaculation and look into prevalence, aetiology, diagnosis, and treatment of painful ejaculation. We carried out a comprehensive search of PubMed in order to look for literature on male painful ejaculation using keywords post-orgasmic pain, painful ejaculation, dysejaculation, odynorgasmia, post-orgasmic pain, or dysorgasmia. Painful ejaculation has an alarming prevalence throughout the world, between 1 to 25%. It has a detrimental effect on patients' quality of life as it reduces individual self-esteem and is associated with sexual dysfunction. Its aetiology includes simple infection or inflammation of the urinary tract, benign prostate hyperplasia, ejaculatory duct obstruction, post-radical prostatectomy and side effects of certain medications. Once reported, it should be investigations and treatments should be tailored according to the etiology. Both medical and surgical treatment is available depending on the cause of painful ejaculation. Due to the sensitive nature of its presentation, it is a symptom that can be identified best when specifically asked. Our understanding regarding painful ejaculation is very limited and only a few articles have revealed insight into this topic. Further research is required in order to set proper guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of painful ejaculation.

Long-term Oncological Outcomes from an Early Phase Randomised Controlled Three-arm Trial of Open, Robotic, and Laparoscopic Radical Cystectomy (CORAL).

BACKGROUND: The long-term oncological outcomes of laparoscopic (LRC) and robotic-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) are still maturing compared with open radical cystectomy (ORC). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the 5-yr oncological outcomes of patients recruited into the randomised trial of Open, Laparoscopic and Robot Assisted Cystectomy (CORAL) and extracorporeal urinary diversion. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A review of prospectively maintained database of 60 patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) or high-risk nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (HRNMIBC) who were previously randomised in the CORAL trial to receive ORC, RARC, or LRC. This trial was designed to compare the perioperative and early oncological outcomes of these techniques. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The outcomes of interest included 5-yr recurrence-free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS). Kaplan-Meier curves were used to plot the recurrence and survival data. The curves between RFS, CSS, and OS were compared using the log-rank test. A two-sided p value <0.05 was considered significant. Results were analysed on the basis of intention to treat. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: A total of 60 patients with either MIBC (n=38) or HRNMIBC (n=21) were randomised in the CORAL trial to receive ORC, RARC, or LRC. The 5-yr RFS was 60%, 58%, and 71%; 5-yr CSS was 64%, 68%, and 69%; and 5-yr OS was 55%, 65%, and 61% for ORC, RARC, and LRC, respectively. There was no significant difference in RFS, CSS, and OS between the three surgical arms. The principal limitation is the small sample size. CONCLUSIONS: There was no difference in 5-yr RFS, CSS, and OS rates of patients who underwent ORC, RARC, and LRC for management of bladder cancer. Minimally invasive techniques achieved equivalent oncological outcomes to the gold standard of ORC. However, the study was based at a single institution with a small sample size. PATIENT SUMMARY: Patients who agreed to participate in the randomised trial of either open, laparoscopic, or robotic-assisted radical cystectomy for bladder cancer did not have different cancer outcomes at 5yr.

Landmarks in the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer is an aggressive disease associated with high morbidity and mortality. Radical cystectomy is the mainstay of treatment and has evolved since the first reported cystectomy in 1887 to include pelvic lymph node dissection and the creation of increasingly sophisticated urinary diversions, such as neobladders and pouches, which enable patients to maintain continence. Pioneering work in the 1970s established the therapeutic activity of cisplatin in patients with bladder cancer and resulted in the introduction of cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy, which led to the first improvement in survival outcomes in decades. Other notable advances include the development of bladder-sparing protocols, which combine surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Molecular profiling of bladder cancer has helped to enhance our understanding of tumour biology and identify several therapeutic targets, such as programmed death (PD-1) and its ligand programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1). Over the past 3 years, immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the PD-1-PD-L1 axis have demonstrated the ability to achieve durable objective responses in trials of patients with metastatic disease. If the current momentum continues, immunotherapy is poised to change the landscape of muscle-invasive bladder cancer treatment, promising improved survival outcomes for patients with this disease.

Impact of suboptimal neoadjuvant chemotherapy on peri-operative outcomes and survival after robot-assisted radical cystectomy: a multicentre multinational study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of suboptimal dosing on the outcomes of patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 336 consecutive patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder who were treated with NAC and RARC at three academic institutions. Outcomes were compared among three groups: patients who received optimal NAC; patients who received suboptimal NAC; and those who did not receive NAC. To adjust for potential baseline differences between the three groups, propensity-score-based matching was performed. The suboptimal dose group was defined as those who received <3 cycles of cisplatin-based chemotherapy, received a decreased dosage, or those not treated with cisplatin. Primary outcomes analysed were recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes were peri-operative complications and readmissions after RARC. RESULTS: After propensity-score matching, 69 patients in the cohort received optimal-dose NAC, 41 received suboptimal NAC and 69 did not receive NAC. Complication rates and readmission rates did not differ significantly among the three groups. On multivariable analysis, suboptimal NAC and no NAC were independent predictors of worse RFS (hazard ratio [HR] 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-5.7, P = 0.01 and HR 2.4, 95% CI 1.28-5.16, P = 0.01) and worse OS (HR 4.5, 95% CI 1.6-15.0, P < 0.01 and HR 4.9, 95% CI 1.9-15.6, P < 0.01) in patients who received NAC and RARC. Failure to achieve pathological complete response (ypT0N0) was also an independent predictor of worse RFS (HR 6.6, 95% CI 1.3-20.9; P = 0.02) and OS (HR 4.9, 95% CI 1.8-15.3; P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Optimal NAC resulted in a better RFS and OS when compared with suboptimal or no NAC. Suboptimal and no NAC were associated with worse OS and RFS. These findings will facilitate improved patient counseling and treatment selection.