Mevalonate pathway blockage enhances the efficacy of mTOR inhibitors with the activation of retinoblastoma protein in renal cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common malignancy of kidney and remains largely intractable once it recurs after resection. mTOR inhibitors have been one of the mainstays used against recurrent RCC; however, there has been a major problem of the resistance to mTOR inhibitors, and thus new combination treatments with mTOR inhibitors are required. We here retrospectively showed that regular use of antilipidemic drug statins could provide a longer progression free survival (PFS) in RCC patients prescribed with an mTOR inhibitor everolimus than without statins (median PFS, 7.

[Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the prostate: a case report].

The patient was a 72-year-old man who visited our hospital with a chief complaint of pollakisuria. Digital rectal examination suggested prostatic carcinoma, but prostate specific antigen level was within normal limits. Transperineal needle biopsy was performed and histology was squamous cell carcinoma.

Oncologic outcome of hand-assisted laparoscopic radical nephrectomy.

Objectives: To evaluate and compare the oncologic outcome of hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic radical nephrectomy (HALS) with that of open radical nephrectomy.

Methods: The clinical and follow-up data of 123 patients with localized renal cell carcinoma who underwent HALS were retrospectively compared with those of 70 patients who underwent open radical nephrectomy.

Results: No significant differences were found in operating time, complication rates, or transfusion rates between the HALS and open groups.

Laparoscopic pyeloplasty and isthmectomy for hydronephrosis of horseshoe kidney: a pediatric case.

A 4-year-old boy suffering from hydronephrosis of a horseshoe kidney underwent laparoscopic pyeloplasty with isthmectomy. Pyeloplasty was performed by the transposition of crossing vessels and the Anderson-Hynes method. In isthmectomy, Ligasure was used for transection of the isthmus.

[Radio-frequency ablation of T1a renal cell carcinoma].

We report the efficacy of radio-frequency ablation (RFA) for T1a renal cell carcinoma (RCC). RFA was performed under epidural or local anesthesia by ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) guidance in seven patients with Tla RCC, who were at significant operative or anesthetic risk for invasive surgery. At a median follow-up of 17.

Radio-frequency ablation of renal cell carcinoma in patients who were at significant risk.

Objective: Although radio-frequency ablation (RFA) has been recently applied as a minimally invasive treatment option for renal cell carcinoma (RCC), indication of this modality remains a critical issue due to the lack of complete tumor destruction as well as the uncertainty of its long-term efficacy. We report the efficacy of RFA for nine carefully selected patients with RCC who had significant reason to avoid invasive surgical treatment under general anesthesia.

Methods: Radio-frequency ablation was performed under epidural or local anesthesia by ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) guidance in nine patients with biopsy proven RCC (mean diameter, 38 mm; range, 20-53 mm), who were at significant operative or anesthetic risk for invasive surgery.

Learning curve of hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy in less-experienced laparoscopic surgeons.

Aim: To evaluate the learning curve of hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy (HALS) performed by less-experienced surgeons.

Methods: The operative records of 166 patients, including 103 with renal tumors and 63 with renal pelvic or ureteral tumors, who underwent HALS performed by 18 less-experienced urologists were reviewed.

Results: The insufflation time in the first four cases was significantly longer than that in the sixteenth and later cases.

Hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic radical nephrectomy and nephroureterectomy.

In laparoscopic operations for renal tumor and upper urinary-tract transitional-cell carcinoma (TCC), three approaches - the transperitoneal, retroperitoneal, and transperitoneal hand-assisted - have been reported. We have performed hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic radical nephrectomy (RN) since 1999 and nephroureterectomy (NU) since 2000. The surgical techniques and the operative results of 95 cases of RN and 54 cases of NU are described and analyzed.

Retroperitoneoscopic heminephroureterectomy for children with duplex anomaly: Initial experience.

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of retroperitoneoscopic heminephroureterectomy for children with duplex anomaly.

Methods: Retroperitoneoscopic heminephroureterectomy was performed in five children (four girls and one boy) with complete duplication of the ureter, of whom four (age range 1-5 years; mean age 3.3 years) had upper pole ectopic megaureters and one (3 years old) had an upper pole megaureter with ureterocele.

Significant antitumor effect of intratumoral ethanol injection on renal cell carcinoma.

Objective: The effects of intratumoral ethanol injection on renal cell carcinoma (RCC) heterotransplanted in nude rats were evaluated.

Materials And Methods: The OUR95AF human RCC cell line was inoculated subcutaneously into the backs of nude rats. Four weeks after transplantation, the size of tumors became 1.

Preliminary report of association of chronic diseases and erectile dysfunction in middle-aged men in Japan.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of chronic diseases on erectile dysfunction (ED) in Japanese middle-aged men using the International Index of Erectile Function, 5-item version (IIEF-5).

Methods: The subjects consisted of 640 healthy men and 396 men with chronic disease who responded to the IIEF-5 questionnaire (mean age 43.6 +/- 8.

Laparoscopic correction of vesicoureteral reflux using the Lich-Gregoir technique: initial experience and technical aspects.

We report two female cases with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) who underwent laparoscopic correction of VUR by the Lich-Gregoir technique. One patient was 10 years of age, with international grade III reflux of the left ureter; the other was 27 years of age, with grade II reflux of the right ureter. The respective operating times were 6 h 40 min and 6 h 10 min.

Hand assisted retroperitoneoscopic nephroureterectomy: comparison with the open procedure.

Purpose: We report our initial experience with hand assisted retroperitoneoscopic nephroureterectomy for upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma and compared our results to those of a contemporary series of open nephroureterectomy.

Materials And Methods: Clinical data on 34 consecutive patients who underwent hand assisted retroperitoneoscopic nephroureterectomy were reviewed and compared with those on 34 who underwent open nephroureterectomy. All specimens were extracted intact.

Hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic radical nephrectomy: initial experience.

Objectives: To report our initial experience of hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic radical nephrectomy for stage T1 renal tumors.

Methods: The clinical data on 22 consecutive patients who had undergone hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic radical nephrectomy and 22 who had undergone open radical nephrectomy were reviewed. The operation was performed with a hand placed retroperitoneally through a pararectal longitudal 7-7.

Clinical utility of ursodeoxycholic acid in preventing flutamide-induced hepatopathy in patients with prostate cancer: a preliminary study.

Background: The present study was designed to ascertain retrospectively the validity of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in the treatment of prostate cancer in terms of prophylactic effects on the occurrence of flutamide-induced hepatopathy in a large number of patients surveyed in a multi-center cooperative study.

Methods: One hundred and eighty-one patients (74.1 +/- 4.