Prostate health index density aids the diagnosis of prostate cancer detected using magnetic resonance imaging targeted prostate biopsy in Taiwanese multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) followed by MRI-targeted prostate biopsy is the current standard for diagnosing prostate cancer (PCa). However, studies evaluating the value of biomarkers, including prostate health index (PHI) and its derivatives using this method are limited. We aimed to investigate the efficacy of PHI density (PHID) in guiding MRI-targeted prostate biopsies to identify clinically significant PCas (csPCa). METHODS: The multicenter prospectively registered prostate biopsy database from three medical centers in Taiwan included patients with PHI and MRI-targeted and/or systematic prostate biopsies. We assessed the required values of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), prostate volume, PHI, PHID, and Prostate Imaging Reporting & Data System (PI-RADS) score using multivariable analyses, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, and decision curve analyses (DCA). csPCa was defined as the International Society of Urological Pathology Gleason group ≥2 PCa, with an emphasis on reducing unwarranted biopsies. RESULTS: The study cohort comprised 420 individuals. Diagnoses of PCa and csPCa were confirmed in 62.4% and 47.9% of the participants, respectively. The csPCa diagnosis rates were increased with increasing PI-RADS scores (20.5%, 44.2%, and 73.1% for scores 3, 4, and 5, respectively). Independent predictors for csPCa detection included PHI, prostate volume, and PI-RADS scores of 4 and 5 in multivariable analyses. The area under the curve (AUC) for csPCa of PHID (0.815) or PHI (0.788) was superior to that of PSA density (0.746) and PSA (0.635) in the entire cohort, and the superiority of PHID (0.758) was observed in PI-RADS 3 lesions. DCA revealed that PHID achieved the best net clinical benefit in PI-RADS 3-5 and 4/5 cases. Among PI-RADS 3 lesions, cutoff values of PHID 0.70 and 0.43 could eliminate 51.8% and 30.4% of omitted biopsies, respectively. CONCLUSION: PHI-derived biomarkers, including PHID, performed better than other PSA-derived biomarkers in diagnosing PCa in MRI-detected lesions.

Treatment outcomes of radium-223 in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: An experience before National Health Insurance reimbursement in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Radium-223 (Ra-223), an α-particle-emitting isotope, inhibits bony metastases and prevents patients from skeletal-related events in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). We retrospectively reviewed the treatment response, predictive factors, and adverse events (AEs) of Ra-223 before the National Health Insurance reimbursement in a Taiwanese tertiary institute. METHODS: Patients treated with Ra-223 before January 2019 were enrolled and categorized into progressive disease (PD) and clinical benefits (CB) groups. Laboratory data before and after the treatment were collected, and spider plots concerning percentage changes of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) were prepared and calculated statistically. CB/PD, baseline ALP, LDH, and PSA levels were also adopted as stratification factors for overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Among 19 patients included, 5 (26.3%) and 14 (73.4%) belonged to the PD and CB groups, respectively, with no significant difference observed in the baseline laboratory data. The percentage changes in ALP, LDH, and PSA levels after Ra-223 treatment were statistically significant among the two groups (ALP: CB 54.3 ± 21.4% vs PD 77.6 ± 11.8%, p = 0.044; LDH: CB 88.2 ± 22.8% vs PD 138.3 ± 49.0%, p = 0.046; PSA: CB 97.8 ± 61.7% vs PD 277.0 ± 101.1%, p = 0.002). The trends of LDH between the two groups in spider plot were separated significantly. There were no differences in the AEs between the two groups. CB had a longer median OS than the PD group (20.50 months vs 9.43 months, p = 0.009). Patients with LDH <250 U/L at baseline tended to have longer OS but without significance. CONCLUSION: The CB rate of Ra-223 was 73.7%. No predictive factor for treatment response was obtained from pretreatment data. The mean percentage changes in ALP, LDH, and PSA levels compared with baseline significantly differed between the CB and PD groups, especially the LDH levels. The CB and PD groups showed different OS, with LDH levels exhibiting the potential to predict OS.

Correlations between bladder wall thickness and clinical manifestations in female patients with detrusor underactivity and detrusor overactivity-with-detrusor underactivity.

BACKGROUND: Among female patients with lower urinary tract symptoms, detrusor underactivity (DU), and detrusor overactivity-with-detrusor underactivity (DO-DU) are two common diagnoses. Here, we investigated the correlations between bladder wall thickness (BWT) and clinical manifestations of the two diagnoses. METHODS: From 2011 to 2016, female patients with DU or DO-DU, diagnosed at our institute, were recruited. We analyzed their urodynamic parameters and collected three questionnaires (IPSS, UDI-6, OABSS). Using transabdominal sonography, the BWT was recorded. DU was defined as follows: maximum free flow rate (Qmax) ≤ 15 cc/s; detrusor pressure at maximum flow (PdetQmax) ≤ 20 cmH2O; bladder capacity > 150 cc. DO-DU was defined as follows: Qmax ≤ 15 cc/s; PdetQmax ≤ 20 cmH2O; bladder capacity ≤ 150 cc. The BWTs of the two groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test; the correlations among the BWTs and the results of three questionnaires were analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Forty-eight female patients with DU and 13 with DO-DU were recruited. Demographic data revealed no differences between the two groups. The mean BWT of the DO-DU patients was significantly larger than that of the DU patients (4.11 vs 3.42 mm; p = 0.001). In the DO-DU group, a high correlation existed between the BWT and some of the UDI-6 items (urgency incontinence: r = 0.831, p = 0.006; incontinence related to activity: r = 0.884, p = 0.002; small amounts of leakage: r = 0.809, p = 0.008). The BWT of the DO-DU patients also exhibited a moderate correlation with the urgency incontinence from the OABSS questionnaire (r = 0.679; p = 0.044). No correlations existed between the BWT of the DU patients and any of the data from the three questionnaires. CONCLUSION: The BWT in the DO-DU patients was significantly thicker than that in the DU patients. The DO-DU patients with thicker bladder walls also had higher UDI-6 scores for both urgency and urgency incontinence.