Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy with a Remote Controlled Robot.

Purpose: Robotics in surgery is a recent innovation. This technology offers a number of attractive features in laparoscopy. It overcomes the difficulties with fixed port sites by restoring all 6 degrees of freedom at the instrument tips, provides new possibilities for miniaturization of surgical tasks and allows remote controlled surgery.

Occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons influenced neither the frequency nor the spectrum of FGFR3 mutations in bladder urothelial carcinoma.

Occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) is associated with an increased risk of urothelial carcinoma (UC). FGFR3 is found mutated in about 70% of Ta tumors, which represent the major group at diagnosis. The influence of PAH on FGFR3 mutations and whether it is related to the emergence or shaping of these mutations is not yet known.

The expression of Twist has an impact on survival in human bladder cancer and is influenced by the smoking status.

Objectives: Twist is considered as transcription factor that regulates epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) by at least inhibition of E-cadherin expression. EMT is a key event in the tumor invasion process. The purpose of this study is to investigate the expression of Twist but also those of E- and N-cadherin in human primary bladder tumor and to evaluate its prognostic value.

Regional copy number-independent deregulation of transcription in cancer.

Genetic and epigenetic alterations have been identified that lead to transcriptional deregulation in cancers. Genetic mechanisms may affect single genes or regions containing several neighboring genes, as has been shown for DNA copy number changes. It was recently reported that epigenetic suppression of gene expression can also extend to a whole region; this is known as long-range epigenetic silencing.

Saturation biopsy protocol enhances prediction of pT3 and surgical margin status on prostatectomy specimen.

A 21-samples saturation biopsy procedure (SBP) was developed in order to improve prostate cancer detection rate. Out of 650 patients who underwent this protocol, 150 had a clinically localized prostate cancer and underwent a radical prostatectomy. The number of cores positive for tumor was assessed in the SBP, and also in the sextant component of the SBP (SC) and in the non-sextant component of the SBP (NSC).

The striated urethral sphincter of the pig shows morphological and functional characteristics essential for the evaluation of treatments for sphincter insufficiency.

Purpose: New treatments are currently under investigation for intrinsic sphincter insufficiency. However, animal models in which to study the resting urethral tone generated by the striated urethral sphincter are still lacking. We describe the striated urethral sphincter in the pig.

The effect of ofloxacin on bacillus calmette-guerin induced toxicity in patients with superficial bladder cancer: results of a randomized, prospective, double-blind, placebo controlled, multicenter study.

Purpose: We determined whether prophylaxis with ofloxacin could decrease the toxicity of bacillus Calmette-Guerin for transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. We also investigated the impact of ofloxacin on bacillus Calmette-Guerin antitumor efficacy.

Materials And Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, multicenter study 115 patients with primary or recurrent superficial bladder cancer (Ta/T1, CIS, G1-G3) and no prior bacillus Calmette-Guerin treatment were randomized to induction treatment with intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin (6 plus 3 instillations) plus 200 mg ofloxacin in group 1 or plus placebo in group 2.

[Complications of retroperitoneal laparoscopy based on a series of 500 cases].

Objective: To evaluate the complications of retroperitoneal laparoscopy for upper urinary tract surgery.

Methods: From 1994 to 2003, 500 retroperitoneal laparoscopy procedures were performed: 143 radical nephrectomies, 104 simple nephrectomies, 95 adrenalectomies, 47 ureteropelvic junction plasties, 44 partial nephrectomies, 22 nephroureterectomies, 20 cyst resections, 9 diverticulectomies, 8 lymphadenectomies, 4 pyelotomies and 4 ureteric procedures. The standardized technique uses 5 trocars.

Gefitinib inhibits the growth and invasion of urothelial carcinoma cell lines in which Akt and MAPK activation is dependent on constitutive epidermal growth factor receptor activation.

Purpose: Abnormally high levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein are associated with advanced tumor stage/grade. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the specific EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor gefitinib on activation of the Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways in human urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) cell lines and to identify potential markers of gefitinib responsiveness in biopsy samples of UCC.

Experimental Design: Changes in markers of UCC growth and invasion after exposure to gefitinib were studied in six human UCC cell lines expressing various levels of EGFR.

Characterization of ZAG protein expression in prostate cancer using a semi-automated microscope system.

Objective: Zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein 1 (ZAG) is a 41-kD secreted protein that is known to stimulate lipid degradation in adipocytes. The aim of this study was to determine how ZAG protein expression is associated with prostate cancer (PCa).

Materials And Methods: An immunohistochemistry analysis was performed on a 227 PCa tissue microarray cases.

Tumor size improves the accuracy of TNM predictions in patients with renal cancer.

Objectives: Current staging for renal cancer (RC) does not directly rely on tumor size. We examined the increment in accuracy related to inclusion of pathologically determined tumor size in prediction of nodal metastases (N+), distant metastases (M+), and cancer-specific survival (CSS).

Methods: Partial or radical nephrectomy was performed in 2245 patients with clear cell histology.

Serum bioavailable testosterone: assayed or calculated?

Background: Bioavailable testosterone (BT), circulating testosterone not bound to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), is thought to easily penetrate cells. We compared BT measurements obtained by assays with those obtained by calculation with different testosterone association constants.

Methods: We obtained sera from 2 groups of hypogonadal men [group 1 (G1), 1421 samples; group 2 (G2), 170 samples] and a group of healthy men [group 3 (G3), 109 samples].

Oncogenic properties of the mutated forms of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3b.

Germinal activating mutations of FGFR3 are responsible for several forms of dwarfism due to the inhibitory effect of FGFR3 on bone growth. Surprisingly, identical somatic activating mutations have been found at the somatic level in tumours: at high frequency in benign epithelial tumours (seborrheic keratosis, urothelial papilloma) and in low-grade, low-stage urothelial carcinomas, and at a lower frequency in other types of urothelial carcinoma, in cervix carcinoma, and in haematological cancer, multiple myeloma. FGFR3 exists as two isoforms, FGFR3b and FGFR3c, differs in ligand specificity and tissue expression.

What information are urologists extracting from prostate needle biopsy reports and what do they need for clinical management of prostate cancer?

Objectives: This survey-based study examines what information urologists are extracting from prostate needle biopsy reports, and what they need for clinical management of prostate cancer (PC) patients.

Methods: A questionnaire was used to investigate several topics related to PC biopsy reporting. Two different clinical situations were separately explored, depending on whether the urologist intended a curative or a palliative therapy.

A human- and male-specific protocadherin that acts through the wnt signaling pathway to induce neuroendocrine transdifferentiation of prostate cancer cells.

Protocadherin-PC (PCDH-PC) is a gene on the human Y chromosome that is selectively expressed in apoptosis- and hormone-resistant human prostate cancer cells. The protein encoded by PCDH-PC is cytoplasmically localized and has a small serine-rich domain in its COOH terminus that is homologous to the beta-catenin binding site of classical cadherins. Variants of prostate cancer cells that express PCDH-PC have high levels of nuclear beta-catenin protein and increased wnt-signaling.

Prognostic value of histologic subtypes in renal cell carcinoma: a multicenter experience.

Purpose: To analyze to what extent histologic subtype is of prognostic importance in renal cell carcinoma based on a large, international, multicenter experience.

Patients And Methods: Four thousand sixty-three patients from eight international centers were included in this retrospective study. Histologic subtype (1997 International Union Against Cancer [UICC] criteria of tumor response), age, sex, TNM stage, Fuhrman grade, tumor size, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Goup performance status (ECOG PS), and overall survival were determined in all cases.

Evaluation of the antitumoral potential of different nitric oxide-donating non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NO-NSAIDs) on human urological tumor cell lines.

Our work aimed at identifying the antitumoral potential of new nitric oxide (NO)-releasing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) derivatives on human prostate and bladder carcinoma cell lines. Among all molecules tested, two sulindac derivatives, NCX 1102 ((Z)-5-fluoro-2-methyl-1-[[4-(methylsulfinyl)phenyl] methylene]-1H-indene-3-acetic acid 4-(nitrooxy)butyl ester) and NCX 1105 ((Z)-5-fluoro-2-methyl-1-[[4-(methylsulfinyl)phenyl] methylene]-1H-indene-3-acetic acid 6-(nitrooxymethyl)-2-methylpyrydyl ester hydrochloride), were the most cytotoxic compounds. In contrast to its parent molecule sulindac, cell cycle analysis showed that NCX 1102 led to cell accumulation in the G2-M transition stage in all cell lines, and induced apoptosis in five out of the six cell lines.

Symptoms as well as tumor size provide prognostic information on patients with localized renal tumors.

Purpose: T stage stratification of organ confined renal tumors is based only on tumor size. Currently T1a and T1b are defined as tumors less or greater than 4 cm. However, to our knowledge the validity of this stratification has not been determined.

Mutations in TP53, but not FGFR3, in urothelial cell carcinoma of the bladder are influenced by smoking: contribution of exogenous versus endogenous carcinogens.

Smoking is a major risk factor for urothelial cell carcinoma of the bladder (UCC). Mutations in the FGFR3 and TP53 genes have been shown to define two distinct pathways in superficial papillary and invasive UCC disease, respectively. We investigated the relationship between smoking and these mutations by means of denaturing high performance liquid chromatography and sequencing for 110 primary UCC of the bladder.

Docetaxel and zoledronic acid in patients with metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of combined docetaxel-zoledronic acid treatment in patients with metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC), as bisphosphonates are reported have a synergistic antitumoral effect when combined with taxanes.

Patients And Methods: Between January 2001 and June 2003, 14 patients with HRPC were treated; their mean (range) age was 71 (57-86) years and mean prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level 202 (6-489) ng/mL. Five patients had had previous chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide in two, mitoxantrone-prednisolone in three).