Efficacy and safety of a new device for intravesical thermochemotherapy in non-grade 3 BCG recurrent NMIBC: a phase I-II study.

Purpose: We report for the first time the activity and safety of Unithermia(®) (Elmedical Ltd, Hod-Hasharon, Israel), a novel device for administration of MMC-C with hyperthermia (HT), that employs conductive heating, in a series of non-grade 3 non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) that failed Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG).

Methods: Patients with non-grade 3 NMIBC recurring after at least a full induction course of BCG were eligible for this phase I-II prospective single-arm study. Six weekly instillations with Unithermia(®) were scheduled following complete TUR.

The impact of intravesical gemcitabine and 1/3 dose Bacillus Calmette-Guérin instillation therapy on the quality of life in patients with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer: results of a prospective, randomized, phase II trial.

Purpose: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin and intravesical chemotherapy represent viable adjuvant options for intermediate risk nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer. Although bacillus Calmette-Guérin is perceived as less tolerable than intravesical chemotherapy, to our knowledge no comparative studies have addressed quality of life issues. We compared the quality of life of patients with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer who received adjuvant intravesical gemcitabine or 1/3 dose bacillus Calmette-Guérin.

Transurethral resection of the prostate in kidney transplant recipients: urological and renal functional outcomes at long-term follow-up.

Objectives: To assess prospectively the safety and efficacy of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms attributable to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in patients who have undergone renal transplantation (RT). To assess the impact of TURP on renal graft function.

Patients And Methods: Urological and renal functional outcomes of TURP performed in RT recipients for treatment of lower urinary tract obstruction attributable to BPH were prospectively assessed in a series of 32 consecutive patients with follow-up of ≥48 months.

Are referral centers for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer compliant to EAU guidelines? A report from the vesical antiblastic therapy Italian study.

Introduction: Adherence to international guidelines is viewed as a prerequisite for optimal medical care delivery. Previously reported surveys for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) employed mailed questionnaires to urologists or patients resulting in conflicting degrees of agreement with existing guidelines. In the current study, contemporary information on the management of NMIBC was generated from a sample of italian centers.

Morbidity and quality of life in elderly patients receiving ileal conduit or orthotopic neobladder after radical cystectomy for invasive bladder cancer.

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to evaluate morbidity, survival, and quality of life (QoL) in elderly patients with invasive bladder cancer who received an orthotopic neobladder or an ileal conduit.

Methods: The charts of 85 patients, aged 75 or older (median age 78), who had received an ileal conduit (n = 53) or an orthotopic neobladder (n = 32) after radical cystectomy at 3 Italian institutions in the period January 2000 to September 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. Perioperative and postoperative complications were recorded, as well as survival data at last follow-up.

Primary adenocarcinoma of the rete testis: diagnostic problems and therapeutic dilemmas.

We describe a rare case of a malignant tumour of the rete testis which was diagnosed incidentally during scrotal surgery for an apparently benign left hydrocele. Adenocarcinoma of the rete testis is a malignancy with a poor prognosis. The beneficial role of prophylactic retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy is controversial due to the extremely low number of reported cases and the occasional description of primary lymphatic spread outside the retroperitoneal space.

An unusual presentation of ureteric colic.

A patient presented with acute pain in the right iliac fossa and was found to have a small stone in the lower ureter of a crossed ectopic right kidney. This unique presentation highlights the potential pitfalls that may occur when assessing an acute pain in the right iliac fossa and reminds the invaluable role of IVP.

Is radical prostatectomy feasible in all cases of locally advanced non-bone metastatic prostate cancer? Results of a single-institution study.

Objectives: Previous prospective studies of the surgical treatment of locally advanced prostate cancer have enrolled patients selected on the basis of a limited T3 disease extension. The aim of the present study was to assess the feasibility and the oncologic outcome of radical prostatectomy administered to a consecutive unselected series of advanced, non-bone metastatic prostate cancers.

Methods: Between March 1998 and February 2003 radical prostatectomy was offered at our institution to any patient diagnosed with prostate cancer with no sign of extranodal metastatic disease.

Upper urinary tract complications in pregnant women with an ileal conduit. Lessons learned from two cases.

We describe the occurrence of severe upper urinary tract complications during pregnancy in two women with an ileal conduit. The first patient developed several episodes of left pyelonephritis throughout the duration of her pregnancy but never received proper antibiotic prophylaxis. Intravenous urography performed after delivery documented bilateral staghorn kidney stones and a non-functioning left kidney.

Phase II study to investigate the ablative efficacy of intravesical administration of gemcitabine in intermediate-risk superficial bladder cancer (SBC).

Objective: Phase I studies have so far demonstrated that intravesical Gemcitabine up to a 40 mg/ml concentration is well tolerated and has a substantial ablative activity on high-risk BCG refractory SBC. New treatment options are needed for intermediate-risk SBC recurring after conventional intravesical treatments. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the ablative efficacy of intravesical Gemcitabine on intermediate-risk SBC.