Prognostic factors of intravesical recurrence after radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

Purpose: To evaluate predictive factors of increasing intravesical recurrence (IVR) rate in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) after receiving radical nephroureterectomy (RNUx) with bladder cuff excision (BCE).

Materials And Methods: A total of 2114 patients were included from the updated data of the Taiwan UTUC Collaboration Group. It was divided into two groups: IVR-free and IVR after RNUx, with 1527 and 587 patients, respectively.

Enzalutamide Prior to Radium-223 Is Associated with Better Overall Survival in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Patients Compared to Abiraterone-A Retrospective Study.

Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) is a progressive stage of prostate cancer that often spreads to the bone. Radium-223, a bone-targeting radiopharmaceutical, has been shown to improve the overall survival in mCRPC in patients without visceral metastasis. However, the impact of prior systemic therapy on the treatment outcome of mCRPC patients receiving radium-223 remains unclear.

Prostate‑specific antigen density and preoperative MRI findings as predictors of biochemical recurrence in high‑risk and very high‑risk prostate cancer.

Patients with high-risk prostate cancer after prostatectomy have a particularly high chance of being diagnosed with biochemical recurrence (BCR). Patients with BCR have a greater risk of disease progression and mortality. The present retrospective observational study aimed to clarify the risk factors for the BCR of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy in patients with high-risk and very high-risk prostate cancer.

Risk analysis of subsequent therapies after first-line chemotherapy in advanced testicular cancer patients.

Background: Testicular cancer is the most common solid cancer diagnosed among young men. Despite good response to chemotherapy and a high survival rate, subsequent salvage therapies may still be required for some patients in advanced stages. The predictive and prognostic markers are crucial unmet needs.

Combination of Durvalumab and Chemotherapy to Potentially Convert Unresectable Stage IV Penile Squamous Cell Carcinoma to Resectable Disease: A Case Report.

Penile squamous cell carcinoma is a rare disease entity with poor overall survival in an advanced stage. Few studies have investigated the role of immunotherapy in advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma. Herein, we report a case of stage IV unresectable penile squamous cell carcinoma presenting with anal bleeding and urethra obstruction who responded dramatically to combination therapy of durvalumab and cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

A comparative study of transperineal software-assisted magnetic resonance/ultrasound fusion biopsy and transrectal cognitive fusion biopsy of the prostate.

Background: The advantages and disadvantages of transperineal and transrectal biopsies remain controversial in the era of prostate targeted biopsy. In this study, we compared the cancer detection and complication rates of transperineal magnetic resonance/ultrasound (MR/US) fusion biopsy and transrectal cognitive fusion biopsy of the prostate.

Methods: This was a comparative study of two prospectively collected cohorts.

Significant predictors of contralateral upper tract recurrence after radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

Objectives: To investigate the significant predictors of contralateral upper tract recurrence after radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

Methods: Between January 2001 and December 2015, 548 patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma who underwent radical nephroureterectomy in a single institution were included in this retrospective cohort study. Several clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes were explored.

Tumor Multifocality is a Significant Risk Factor of Urinary Bladder Recurrence after Nephroureterectomy in Patients with Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: A Single-Institutional Study.

The purpose of this study was to identify the significant risk factors of urinary bladder recurrence (UBR) after nephroureterectomy (NUx) in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). A total of 550 patients diagnosed with UTUC between January 2001 and December 2015 were included in this retrospective study. The median age of our patients was 68 (range 24-93) and the median follow-up time after NUx was 40.

Combining prostate health index and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer in an Asian population.

Objective: To evaluate the practicability of combining prostate health index (PHI) and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) for the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPC) in an Asian population.

Patients And Methods: We prospectively enrolled patients who underwent prostate biopsy due to elevated serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA > 4 ng/mL) and/or abnormal digital rectal examination in a tertiary referral center. Before prostate biopsy, the serum samples were tested for PSA, free PSA, and p2PSA to calculate PHI.

Outcomes of stage II-IV upper-tract urothelial carcinoma and adjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced cancer.

The present retrospective study aimed to examine the outcomes of stage II-IV upper-tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) and determine whether adjuvant chemotherapy is a beneficial treatment for patients with locally advanced UTUC (specifically, stage III-IV). The analysis included 126 patients with muscle-invasive UTUC who were treated between June 2003 and June 2012. All patients underwent laparoscopic or open nephroureterectomy and bladder cuff excision.

Alteration in serum concentrations of FGF19, FGF21, and FGF23 in patients with urothelial carcinoma.

Fibroblast growth factors (FGF) 19, 21, and 23 have been reported as functional factors in human metabolic diseases and malignancies. We performed a prospective survey to compare circulating FGF levels in urothelial carcinoma (UC) patients and normal controls. Between 2016 and 2017, 39 patients with UC of the urinary bladder or upper urinary tract who received surgical intervention were included.

The Impact of Local Intervention Combined with Targeted Therapy on Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Background/aim: We performed a retrospective survey on our metastatic renal cell carcinoma (MRCC) patients who had received targeted therapies, and afterwards evaluated the clinical impacts of local interventions on the patient outcomes.

Materials And Methods: Between 2006 and 2016, 124 patients with MRCC who had received at least one line of tyrosine kinase inhibitors or mammalian target of rapamycin were included in the study. Seventy-five patients (60.

Prostate Health Index (PHI) improves prostate cancer detection at initial biopsy in Taiwanese men with PSA 4-10 ng/mL.

In this study, we aimed to validate the Prostate Health Index (PHI) for the detection of prostate cancer (PCa). We prospectively enrolled patients aged 50-75 years with a serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) level of 4-10 ng/mL undergoing transrectal biopsy of the prostate between April 2016 and May 2017. The primary outcome was the diagnostic performance of various PSA derivatives (total PSA, free PSA, %fPSA, p2PSA, %p2PSA, and PHI) to predict PCa.

Effectiveness of Deferred Combined Androgen Blockade Therapy Predicts Efficacy in Abiraterone Acetate Treated Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Patients after Docetaxel.

Conventional anti-androgen regimens were widely used as an initiation or combined androgen blockade (CAB) therapy in advanced prostate cancer patients. Currently, new androgen pathway inhibitors such as abiraterone acetate (AA) and enzalutamide had been proven effective in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer. In this study, we attempt to analyze the role of conventional anti-androgen drugs as deferred CAB therapy in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients.

The Influence of Serum Prostate-Specific Antigen on the Accuracy of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Targeted Biopsy versus Saturation Biopsy in Patients with Previous Negative Biopsy.

Objective: We compared the prostate cancer (PCa) detection rates of targeted biopsy (TB) and saturation biopsy (SB) in patients with previous negative biopsy and the accuracy of TB and SB stratified by different serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.

Materials And Methods: Overall 185 patients were enrolled. In the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) group, 65 men underwent TB and SB.

First Line Androgen Deprivation Therapy Duration Is Associated with the Efficacy of Abiraterone Acetate Treated Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer after Docetaxel.

We performed a chart review study in our castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients who received Abiraterone acetate (AA) treatment after docetaxel and identified clinical markers which can predict treatment outcome. : From 2012 to 2016, 64 patients who received docetaxel after CRPC followed by AA treatment were included. Clinical parameters were recorded and analysis was performed to identify associations between pre-treatment variables and treatment outcome.

Proteome Profiling of Urinary Exosomes Identifies Alpha 1-Antitrypsin and H2B1K as Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers for Urothelial Carcinoma.

MALDI-TOF spectrometry has not been used for urinary exosome analysis. We used it for determining UC biomarkers. From 2012 to 2015, we enrolled 129 consecutive patients with UC and 62 participants without UC.

Higher risk of urothelial carcinoma in the upper urinary tract than in the urinary bladder in hemodialysis patients.

Purpose This study used the a nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study with the claims data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to investigate the risk of urothelial carcinoma (UC) for hemodialysis (HD) patients. Methods The study population consisted of 2689 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) newly diagnosed in 2000-2002 and underwent maintenance HD. Then, 21,449 reference patients were collected without HD randomly selected and matched with sex and age.

Reduced 5-methylcytosine level as a potential progression predictor in patients with T1 or non-invasive urothelial carcinoma.

This study aims to elucidate the level of DNA methylation in urothelial carcinomas (UCs) using 5-methylcytosine (5-MeC) immunohistochemistry (IHC). We examined the relationship among 5-MeC levels, DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) immunostaining levels, and clinicopathologic features. Tissue samples included 23 normal urothelia and 150 urothelial neoplasia, which comprised 40 non-invasive and 110 invasive UCs.

First-line treatment result influence second-line regimen selection in targeted therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Background: Sequential treatments using various targeted-therapies have been recommended for metastatic renal cell carcinoma. However, regimen selection remains difficult when adapting to various clinical situations.

Patients And Methods: From 2006 to 2012, 29 patients who received sequential targeted-therapy at our hospital were included for analysis of the treatment regimens and outcome.

FIP-gts potentiate autophagic cell death against cisplatin-resistant urothelial cancer cells.

Background: Urothelial cancer (UC) is a common cancer among males. Once metastatic or chemoresistant diseases develop, there is little effective treatment available. A fungal immunomodulatory protein, ganoderma tsugae (FIP-gts) possesses antitumor activity against solid tumors and inhibits telomerase activity.

Spontaneous ureteral rupture and review of the literature.

Introduction: Spontaneous ureteral rupture is defined as non-traumatic urinary leakage from the ureter. This is a diagnosis that, although uncommon, is important for emergency physicians to know about. The literature is relatively sparse.

Application in robotic urologic surgery.

Background: The da Vinci robot system has become the mainstay of minimally invasive surgery and has been used in numerous complex reconstructive procedures. Due to the success of this innovative technology, we attempted to expand our practical model and application of the da Vinci robot system into other urologic surgeries, beginning with robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a total of 683 patients who underwent robotic-assisted urologic surgery between December 2005 and December 2012.

Dual inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin NVP-BEZ235 effectively inhibits cisplatin-resistant urothelial cancer cell growth through autophagic flux.

Purpose: Therapeutically induced autophagic cell death has been proven to be effective in cases of solid tumors. The dual phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor NVP-BEZ235 possesses antitumor activity against solid tumors. Inhibition of mTOR has been shown to elicit autophagy.