In vivo evaluation of intravesical paclitaxel and combined bcl-xL antisense oligodeoxynucleotide treatment for orthotopic urothelial carcinoma.

Purpose: To evaluate intravesical paclitaxel monotherapy and combined treatment with antiapoptotic bcl-xL antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (AS-ODNs) on urothelial carcinoma (UC).

Methods: Forty-eight FoxN(rnu) athymic nude rats with orthotopic human bladder UC were randomized to four treatment groups [1, paclitaxel; 2, paclitaxel/bcl-xL AS-ODNs; 3, bcl-xL AS-ODNs (control); 4, medium (control)]. Three consecutive instillations were applied and weekly endoscopic tumor size measurements were performed.

Evidence-based sex-related outcomes after radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma: results of large multicenter study.

Objectives: To assess the sex differences in the clinical and pathologic characteristics of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) and to determine the effect on prognosis after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) in a large multicenter series.

Methods: The records of 1363 patients who had undergone RNU were reviewed from the UTUC Collaboration database. The median follow-up was 47 months (range 0-250).

Topical chemotherapy in human urothelial carcinoma explants: a novel translational tool for preclinical evaluation of experimental intravesical therapies.

Background: Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is associated with a high local recurrence rate despite intravesical therapy. There is a lack of representative preclinical models for standardized testing of novel experimental therapies.

Objective: To develop an ex vivo model for human UC and to evaluate its ability to generate reproducible and reliable results when testing cytotoxic agents.

[Solitary fibrous tumour of the testes (SFT)].

Introduction: Testicular masses in adults are most likely seminomatous or non-seminomatous germ cell tumours. Paratesticular tumours are far less frequent. Most lesions within this category are variants of fibrous pseudotumours.

Pre-treatment global quality of health predicts progression free survival in metastatic kidney cancer patients treated with sorafenib or sunitinib.

Purpose: Our goal was to prospectively evaluate self-reported quality-of-life (QoL) during second-line therapy in 51 consecutive patients with cytokine-refractory kidney cancer treated with sorafenib or sunitinib.

Methods: QoL was assessed by the EORTC QoL questionnaire QLQ-C30 at baseline and at weeks 4, 6, 10, 12 and 16.

Results: Global QoL deteriorated significantly during the first 4 weeks of treatment (P < 0.

Lymphovascular invasion and pathologic tumor stage are significant outcome predictors for patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

Objectives: To determine the predictors of urothelial recurrence, distant metastases, and disease-specific survival (DSS) after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

Methods: The records of 136 patients who underwent RNU in our department between 1983 and 2004 were reviewed. The study population consisted of 116 patients from whom tumor specimens were available for re-evaluation, focusing on pathologic tumor (pT) stage, grade, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), concomitant carcinoma in situ (CIS), and the presence of significant tumor necrosis.

Lymph-node metastases in intermediate-risk squamous cell carcinoma of the penis.

Objective: To evaluate the metastatic risk of pT1 G2 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the penis.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 20 patients with pT1 G2 penile SCC and determined their groin status at first presentation, their nodal status after inguinal lymph node dissection and their follow-up for at least 18 months.

Results: Four of the 20 patients had a clinically positive groin; three of these were found to have lymph node metastases.

The prognostic impact of pelvic lymph node metastasis and lymphovascular invasion on bladder cancer.

Objectives: To present long-term results of a single-center series of patients undergoing bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy and radical cystectomy for bladder cancer and to analyze the impact of pelvic lymph node metastasis and lymphovascular invasion on clinical outcome.

Methods: Between 1986 and 2005 833 patients were treated with bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy and radical cystectomy at our institution. 614 of them with valid clinical follow-up information and no neoadjuvant therapy could be evaluated.

Hemostatic properties of four devices for partial nephrectomy: a comparative ex vivo study.

Purpose: Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) is a common minimally-invasive treatment modality for renal tumors, and achieving hemostasis during excision is a major challenge. The aim of our study was to investigate the hemostatic potential of four different devices for realizing this under standardized conditions.

Materials And Methods: LPN was performed on a standardized model of blood-perfused ex-vivo porcine kidneys.

Evaluation of cystine transport in cultured human kidney cells and establishment of cystinuria type I phenotype by antisense technology.

Cystinuria is a rare hereditary disease resulting in recurrent stone formation and the need for repeated invasive interventions. So far, two responsible genes have been identified which encode the two transporters, rBAT and b(0,+)AT forming a heterodimer to transport cystine in proximal tubular cells (PTC) and whose defect results in increased excretion of cystine. A human cell line mimicing the phenotype of cystinuria in vitro is yet to be developed.

Optimizing chemotherapy for transitional cell carcinoma by application of bcl-2 and bcl-xL antisense oligodeoxynucleotides.

Objective: Therapy failure after intravesical and systemic chemotherapy for transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is still high. Antiapoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL have been reported to promote chemoresistance in TCC. Targeting bcl-2 and bcl-xL messenger ribonucleic acid with antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (AS-ODNs) may enhance the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents.

Experimental models for therapeutic studies of transitional cell carcinoma.

Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is the second most common malignancy of the genito-urinary tract. To date, the therapy options available seem unable to prevent TCC recurrence and its progression, even though therapy studies are constantly investigating new treatment options. A great variety of TCC models have been described.

[New markers for pharmacological targeting in bladder cancer with lymph node metastasis].

Purpose: VECF-C, -D and their receptor Flt-4 are associated with lymph node metastasis and a poor prognosis in many tumour entities. We have analysed the expression of these factors in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder with positive lymph nodes.

Materials And Methods: We constructed "tissue microarrays" (TMAs) from bladder cancer specimens (BC-array) and corresponding lymph node metastases (LN-array) of 73 patients, who all underwent radical cystectomy and bilateral lymphadenectomy.

Prognostic implications of lymphangiogenesis in muscle-invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

Objectives: Aim of the study was to describe and evaluate the association of lymph vessel density with clinicopathological parameters and survival in patients with muscle-invasive transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder.

Methods: The data on 108 patients with muscle-invasive bladder TCC, who underwent radical cystectomy, were reviewed retrospectively. Sections were analysed immunohistochemically for D2-40, a specific lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) marker.

Newly developed mini-endoscope for diagnosis and follow-up of orthotopic bladder transitional-cell carcinoma in vivo.

Background And Purpose: Orthotopic models of bladder transitional-cell carcinoma (TCC) are indispensable to the development of new intravesical agents for the treatment of non-muscle-invasive disease. Visual inspection of induced tumors and normal urothelium is of crucial interest when evaluating growth patterns and the potential effects of instillation therapies. The aim of our study was to test the practicability of a newly developed mini-endoscope in terms of the benefit and reproducibility of repeated diagnostic cystoscopy in a rat model, thus mimicking standard procedures in patients.

[Complications and side effects of low dose rate brachytherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer: data on a 13 year follow-up study from Mannheim].

Background: Brachytherapy (BT) is an established treatment option for low risk prostate cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the long-term complications and side effects of the procedure in an up to 13 year long single center follow-up analysis.

Material: A total of 505 patients were treated by BT for prostate cancer between May 1991 and August 2005.

Intravesical mitomycin C for superficial transitional cell carcinoma.

Intravesical instillation of mitomycin C after a transurethral resection of a bladder tumor constitutes a standard treatment modality in the management of superficial transitional cell carcinoma in the urinary bladder. An immediate instillation of mitomycin C after transurethral resection has been shown to reduce the recurrence rate of superficial transitional cell carcinoma. Intravesical mitomycin C is generally considered to be a safe treatment option, but the past few years have seen the publication of a number of case reports on severe complications following mitomycin C instillation.

Late results after extended pulmonary artery reconstruction in the arterial switch operation.

Background: Pulmonary artery stenosis remains the most frequent late complication and cause of reintervention after the arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries. We investigated the influence of an extended pericardial patch augmentation of the neopulmonary root and pulmonary artery on late pulmonary artery stenosis development.

Methods: Augmentation of the neopulmonary root and pulmonary artery was achieved by reconstructing the posterior wall using a large glutaraldehyde-treated autologous pericardial patch.