Neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer: The likelihood of initiation and completion.

Introduction: Chemotherapy was shown to improve survival in patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC) for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). The initiation and completion rates for perioperative chemotherapy are variable. Our aim is to compare the likelihood of initiating and completing neoadjuvant (NAC) and adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) in patients who underwent of RC for MIBC.

Impact of body mass index and tumor location on the incidence of benign histology at the time of nephron-sparing surgery.

Purpose: Gender, smoking history, patient age, and tumor size have been found to impact the likelihood of benign histology at the time of nephron-sparing surgery (NSS). Providing external validation of these variables and evaluating the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and tumor location on the likelihood of benign histology during NSS for T1 tumors were the objectives of this study.

Methods: Data were analyzed for consecutive patients undergoing NSS for T1 disease.

Oncological and functional outcomes following open radical prostatectomy: how patients may achieve the "Trifecta"?

Purpose: The desirable outcomes after open radical prostatectomy (RP) for localized prostate cancer (PC) are to: a) achieve disease recurrence free, b) urinary continence (UC), and c) maintain sexual potency (SP). These 3 combined desirable outcomes we called it the "Trifecta". Our aim is to assess the likelihood of achieving the Trifecta, and to analyze the influencing the Trifecta.

Active surveillance vs. treatment for low-risk prostate cancer: a cost comparison.

Objective: Radical prostatectomy (RP) and radiation therapy are standard curative approaches for low-risk prostate cancer (PC). Active surveillance (AS) is becoming an increasingly accepted management alternative for low-risk PC. Our aim is to compare the cumulative medical costs of treatment vs.

Radical cystectomy for BCG failure: has the timing improved in recent years?

Objective: • To analyse if there is a trend in recent years towards performing radical cystectomy (RC) before muscle invasion or extravesical spread after failure of bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for high grade Ta/T1 bladder cancer. Although BCG is indicated for prophylaxis after endoscopic tumour resection there is still a risk of progression.

Patients And Methods: • A retrospective analysis of our RC database (1992-2008) was performed to identify patients who underwent RC after receiving BCG.

Robotic-assisted radical cystectomy and orthotopic ileal neobladder using a modified Pfannenstiel incision.

Objectives: To report our technique of robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical cystectomy with a modified Pfannenstiel incision. Robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical cystectomy has been gaining in popularity. A completely intracorporeal procedure is a technically difficult and time-consuming procedure.

Total prostatectomy within 6 weeks of a prostate biopsy: is it safe?

Purpose: Many urologists recommend a six-week time interval between a prostate biopsy and a total prostatectomy (TP) to allow the biopsy induced inflammation to subside. Our aim was to assess whether the time interval between prostate biopsy and TP has an impact on the surgical outcome.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on data from patients who underwent a TP by a single surgeon from 1992 to 2008.

Small cell carcinoma of the bladder in transplant recipients: a report of 2 cases.

Small cell carcinoma (SCC) of the urinary bladder is a rare disease accounting for 0.5% to 0.7% of all primary bladder cancers.

Role of patient-physician dialogue in selecting the type of urinary diversion.

Introduction: We analyze patient-physician dialogue prior to radical cystectomy (RC) when choosing the type of urinary diversion (UD).

Methods: 132 patients operated by one surgical team between 2003 and 2005 were included. Physician's recommendation, patient's decision and UD (neobladder (NB) or ileal conduit (IC)) performed were analyzed.

Tumor thrombus involving the inferior vena cava in renal malignancy: is there a difference in clinical presentation and outcome among right and left side tumors?

Purpose: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has a propensity to propagate into the renal vein and inferior vena cava (IVC). Due to inherent differences in the venous anatomy of the right and left kidneys, tumor thrombus involvement of IVC may vary. The aim of this study is to compare clinical presentation and outcome of right vs.

"Complete transurethral resection of bladder tumor": are the guidelines being followed?

Objectives: To determine how often complete eradication of all visible tumors during transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) is accomplished in a referral setting. The American Urological Association guidelines recommend complete eradication whenever possible.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who underwent a second TURBT within 4 weeks of being referred to us.

Synchronous panniculectomy with stomal revision for obese patients with stomal stenosis and retraction.

Objective: To report our experience of synchronous panniculectomy with stomal revision in morbidly obese patients after radical cystectomy (RC) and ileal conduit urinary diversion (UD). Abnormal skin folds with an uneven surface, stomal retraction and stomal stenosis result in a poorly fitting appliance which leads to urinary leakage, need for frequent change of appliances and skin excoriation.

Patients And Methods: In all, 302 RCs with UD were done by one surgical team between 2002 and 2008, with ileal conduit diversion in 182 (60%); 18 had a body mass index (BMI) of >35 kg/m(2), and among them four had severe stomal stenosis with retraction.

Is the incidence of uretero-intestinal anastomotic stricture increased in patients undergoing radical cystectomy with previous pelvic radiation?

Study Type: Therapy (case series).

Level Of Evidence: 4.

Objective: To present our long-term experience comparing uretero-intestinal anastomotic (UIA) stricture rates after radical cystectomy (RC) in patients with and without previous pelvic radiotherapy (pRT), as the risk of stricture is thought to be higher in patients undergoing RC and urinary diversion (UD) with a history of pRT.

Lymphovascular invasion in radical cystectomy specimen: is it an independent prognostic factor in patients without lymph node metastases?

Purpose: To determine the prognostic significance of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder undergoing radical cystectomy (RC) and bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection.

Methods: From 1992 to 2008, 526 patients underwent RC and pelvic lymphadenectomy at our institution by a single surgical team. All relevant data were entered into a database and analyzed.

Incisional hernia involving the neobladder: technical considerations to avoid complications.

The management of incisional hernia following radical cystectomy (RC) and neobladder diversion poses a special challenge. Mesh erosion into the neobladder is a potential complication of hernia repair in this setting. We describe our experience and steps to avoid this complication.

A rare case of renal gastrinoma.

We present a rare case of renal gastrinoma. To the best of our knowledge, only one case of renal gastrinoma has been reported in the literature so far. An African American male was diagnosed with Zollinger Ellison syndrome at the age of 15 years, when he underwent surgery for peritonitis secondary to duodenal ulcer perforation.

Long-term survival in patients undergoing radical nephrectomy and inferior vena cava thrombectomy: single-center experience.

Background: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with a tumor thrombus extension into the inferior vena cava (IVC) demands aggressive surgical management.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term survival in patients undergoing radical nephrectomy and IVC thrombectomy.

Design, Setting, And Participants: We performed a retrospective analysis of 87 patients undergoing surgery between 1997 and 2008.

Outcome after radical cystectomy in patients with clinical T2 bladder cancer in whom neoadjuvant chemotherapy has failed.

Objective: To analyse the outcome after radical cystectomy (RC) in patients with clinical T2 bladder cancer not responding to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

Patients And Methods: In a retrospective analysis, study patients received NAC for clinical T2 disease before RC and a control group had RC for clinical T2 disease with no NAC. Patients treated with NAC were further grouped based on the pathological response; failure to respond was defined as 'no change in T stage or a higher T stage in the RC specimen (>or=pT2)', and the relevant clinical and pathological data were analysed.