Publications by authors named "Bartosz Malkiewicz"

Purpose: The incidence of renal cell carcinoma has been steadily increasing over the past two decades, raising the need for minimally invasive approaches. We sought to present the methodology of the percutaneous cryoablation (PCA) procedure developed based on one year of experience with 81 PCA procedures.

Material And Methods: The percutaneous cryoablation programme at Wroclaw Medical University Hospital has been successfully operating for a year.

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Background: Penile cancer is a relatively rare neoplasm in developed countries, with the majority of newly diagnosed cases presenting as organ-confined, with a 5-year survival rate of 90%. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the impact of penile tumor resection on sexual and urinary function. Regrettably, the literature is devoid of comprehensive, step-by-step video instructions for the surgical procedure of partial penectomy with reconstruction using a split-thickness skin graft (0.

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Article Synopsis
  • Avelumab is an antibody that targets PD-L1 in cancer cells, focusing on its effects on two potential cancer targets, CD15 and IL-17RA, which are influenced by the STAT3 protein.
  • The study aimed to see if treating renal cancer cells with avelumab affects CD15 and IL-17RA expression and how STAT3 mediates this regulation.
  • Results showed that avelumab treatment reduced STAT3 levels, increased CD15 expression in certain cancer cells, and altered IL-17RA levels only in healthy cells, highlighting the complex role these proteins play in cancer therapy.
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Purpose: Urolithiasis significantly affects patient quality of life, yet the global standard of care predominantly focuses on achieving a stone free status, often ignoring patient reported outcomes. Currently, there are no specific measures available to assess the quality of life in the Polish population suffering from kidney stones. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and validate the Polish version of the Wisconsin Stone Quality of Life Questionnaire.

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Article Synopsis
  • Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) is a key feature in prostate cancer that correlates with an increased risk of biochemical recurrence and other negative clinical outcomes.
  • A systematic review of 94 studies showed that LVI significantly raises the likelihood of adverse factors such as advanced tumor stage, higher Gleason scores, and metastasis.
  • The results suggest that LVI could serve as an important prognostic marker for assessing cancer recurrence risks following radical prostatectomy, although the study had limitations due to data variability and reliance on nonrandomized data.
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Introduction: The aim was to evaluate ChatGPT generated responses to patient-important questions regarding upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

Material And Methods: Fifteen common inquiries asked by patients regarding UTUC were assigned to 4 categories: general information; symptoms and diagnosis; treatment; and prognosis. These questions were entered into ChatGPT and its responses were recorded.

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Introduction: Nitroxoline is an old antimicrobial agent with a broad spectrum of pharmacological applications and a unique mechanism of action. However, its use in the treatment and prevention of urinary tract infections (UTIs) has not been popular in the recent past. Recently, nitroxoline is gaining interest, due to frequent drug-resistance in uropathogens.

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  • This study evaluated lymph node metastases in muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients who underwent a specific type of surgery called super-extended pelvic lymph node dissection (sePLND) and sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND).
  • Out of 54 patients analyzed, 41% had metastases in their lymph nodes, with the obturator fossa being the most common location for these metastases.
  • The findings suggest that metastases often occur on the opposite side of the tumor, making unilateral lymph node dissection risky, and combining sePLND with SLND offers better cancer staging.
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Article Synopsis
  • Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is an aggressive cancer with limited reliable prognostic biomarkers currently available.
  • A thorough review of 94 studies assessed the prognostic value of various biomarkers from blood, tissue, and urine in UTUC patients, focusing on 22 blood-based, 13 tissue-based, and 4 urine-based markers.
  • While certain biomarkers like the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and albumin are well-supported and included in existing guidelines, the clinical significance of many other potential biomarkers needs further investigation due to insufficient research.
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Background And Objective: More than 10% of patients with negative clinical metastatic status (cN0M0) on conventional imaging for prostate cancer (PCa) harbor lymph node involvement (pN+) at final pathology following radical prostatectomy (RP) and lymphadenectomy. Our aim was to assess outcomes of initial observation for cN0M0 pN+ PCa and identify prognostic factors that may help in clinical decision-making.

Methods: We performed a retrospective multicenter study of patients with cN0M0 PCa on conventional imaging (computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging, and a bone scan) who were found to have pN+ disease at RP between 2000 and 2021.

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Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for approximately 90-95% of all kidney cancers in adults, with clear cell RCC (ccRCC) being the most frequently identified subtype. RCC is known for its responsiveness to immunotherapy, making it an area of significant research interest. Immune checkpoint (IC) molecules, which regulate immune surveillance, are established therapeutic targets in RCC.

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Introduction: Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) is a pivotal histopathological parameter in prostate cancer (PCa), holding significant prognostic implications. Our study pursued a dual objective: firstly, to identify preoperative factors associated with LVI, aiming to unveil markers facilitating the recognition of patients prone to LVI during postoperative examination; and secondly, to assess postoperative outcomes correlated with LVI.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 861 nonmetastatic PCa patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP), investigating preoperative factors and postoperative outcomes.

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Introduction: The ILY robotic flexible ureteroscope has been introduced in order to improve intraoperative ergonomics, reduce operator distance from radiation and shorten the learning curve. In this study we aimed to assess the clinical performance and feasibility of the ILY robot during retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) and combined endoscopic procedures (miniECIRS).

Material And Methods: The RIRS procedures were performed using the ILY robotic arm in 57 adult patients (46 RIRS and 11 miniECIRS) from 2022 to 2023.

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Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a widely assessed biomarker in most common diseases, is typically evaluated before treatment initiation. However, data on NLR in the post-treatment setting is limited. Therefore, we assessed the NLR calculated after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) initiation in patients with bladder cancer (BC).

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Preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME), a member of the cancer testis antigen family, is a promising target for cancer immunotherapy. Understanding the epigenetic mechanisms involved in the regulation of PRAME expression might be crucial for optimizing anti-PRAME treatments. Three malignancies of different lineages (sinonasal melanoma, testicular seminoma, and synovial sarcoma), in which immunohistochemical (IHC) reactivity for PRAME is a common yet variable feature, were studied.

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Percutaneous cryoablation (PCA) can be an alternative to partial nephrectomy (PN) in selected patients with stage T1 renal tumours. Existing meta-analyses regarding ablative techniques compared both laparoscopic and PCA with PN. That is why we decided to perform a meta-analysis that focused solely on PCA.

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Background: Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) is a vital but often overlooked prognostic factor in prostate cancer. As debates on lymphadenectomy's overtreatment emerge, understanding LVI laterality gains importance. This study pioneers the investigation into PCa, aiming to uncover patterns that could influence tailored surgical strategies in the future.

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Background And Objective: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a significant predictor of worse postoperative morbidity in cancer surgeries. No data have been available for patients with preoperative VTE and upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) undergoing radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). Our aim was to assess the impact of a preoperative VTE diagnosis on perioperative outcomes in the RNU context.

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Purpose Of Review: This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the evolving role of retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) in the management of testicular cancer (TC). It explores the significance of RPLND as both a diagnostic and therapeutic tool, highlighting its contribution to accurate staging, its impact on oncological outcomes, and its influence on subsequent treatment decisions.

Recent Findings: RPLND serves as an essential diagnostic procedure, aiding in the precise assessment of lymph node involvement and guiding personalized treatment strategies.

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Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) is one of the most important prognostic factors in prostate cancer (PCa) and is correlated with worse survival rates, biochemical recurrence (BCR), and lymph node metastasis (LNM). The ability to predict LVI preoperatively in PCa may be useful for proposing variations in the diagnosis and management strategies. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify preoperative clinicopathological factors that correlate with LVI in final histopathological specimens in PCa patients.

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Context: Despite negative preoperative conventional imaging, up to 10% of patients with prostate cancer (PCa) harbor lymph-node involvement (LNI) at radical prostatectomy (RP). The advent of more accurate imaging modalities such as PET/CT improved the detection of LNI. However, their clinical impact and prognostic value are still unclear.

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Background: Microbiome dysbiosis plays a role in the pathogenesis of many urological diseases, including bladder cancer (BC). The aim of the study was to compare the urinary and gut microbiota of patients with BC with a healthy control (HC) group.

Methods: The study group included patients hospitalized in 2020 to 2021 with diagnosed BC and HC.

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The microbiome is the totality of microorganisms found in a specific biological niche. It has been proven that in the human body, the microbiome is responsible for its proper functioning. Dysbiosis, i.

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Patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) prior to radical cystectomy (RC) typically show better survival outcomes than those undergoing immediate surgery for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. However, most studies have not considered the lymph node (LN) status when evaluating NAC's survival benefits. This study sought to delineate the impact of NAC on patients based on their pathologically determined LN status at the time of RC.

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