Escalating the dose of high-dose-rate brachytherapy combined with external beam radiotherapy improves the disease control rate in patients with high- or very-high-risk prostate cancer.

Purpose: High-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) combined with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) is an effective treatment for patients with high- and very-high-risk prostate cancer. We sought to identify the factors associated with reduced biochemical recurrence rates following HDR-BT.

Methods: A total of 304 patients with high- or very-high-risk prostate cancer who underwent HDR-BT and EBRT were analyzed.

Non-contrast CT attenuation value of renal papilla is a novel predictor of recurrence in kidney stone disease.

In calcium stone formers, most stones grow attached to Randall's plaque, which can be identified by measuring the computed tomography (CT) attenuation value of renal papilla. We hypothesized that the CT attenuation value of renal papilla can predict the severity (recurrent or multiple stone former) and recurrence of the stone disease. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 180 calcium oxalate stone formers who underwent non-contrast CT and 24-hour urine chemistry in our hospital between September 2012 and November 2021.

Comparison of Prognosis and Health-Related Quality of Life Between Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy Versus High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy Combined With External Beam Radiation Therapy and Hormone Therapy for High-Risk Prostate Cancer.

Background: We compare the oncological outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in men with high-risk prostate cancer after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) versus that after high-dose-rate brachytherapy + external beam radiotherapy + hormone therapy (hereafter: "HDR+").

Methods: We included 233 men who underwent RARP and 179 men who underwent HDR+ for high-risk prostate cancer at our hospital. We investigated the following oncologic outcomes: time to biochemical recurrence, time to development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), cancer-specific survival, and overall survival.

Suppression of renal crystal formation, inflammation, and fibrosis by blocking oncostatin M receptor β signaling.

Oncostatin M (OSM) has pleiotropic effects on various inflammatory diseases, including kidney stone disease. The prevalence of kidney stones has increased worldwide, despite recent therapeutic advances, due to its high recurrence rate, suggesting the importance of prevention of repeated recurrence in the treatment of kidney stone disease. Using a mouse model of renal crystal formation, we investigated the preventive effects of blockade of OSM receptor β (OSMRβ) signaling on the development of kidney stone disease by treatment with a monoclonal anti-OSMRβ antibody that we generated.

Real-world outcomes of avelumab plus axitinib in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma in Japan: long-term follow-up from the J-DART2 retrospective study.

Background: Avelumab + axitinib was approved for advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC) in Japan in December 2019. We report long-term real-world outcomes with first-line avelumab + axitinib from the J-DART2 study in Japan.

Methods: J-DART2 was a multicenter, noninterventional, retrospective study examining clinical data from patients with curatively unresectable locally advanced or metastatic RCC who started treatment with first-line avelumab + axitinib in Japan between December 2019 and October 2022.

Tumor-derived lactic acid promotes acetylation of histone H3K27 and differentiation of IL-10-producing regulatory B cells through direct and indirect signaling pathways.

Tumor cells are known to enhance glycolysis, even under normoxic conditions, via the Warburg effect, producing excess lactic acid in the tumor microenvironment. Lactic acid enhances the IL-23/IL-17 pathway and induces chronic inflammation. The acidic microenvironment formed by lactic acid suppresses immune cell proliferation and activation.

Pharmacotherapy for patients with calcium oxalate stones and abnormal urine chemistry: A systematic review and meta-analysis for the Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Urinary Stones, Third Edition.

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the benefits and harms of pharmacotherapies for patients with calcium oxalate stones and abnormal urine chemistry. This article is a modified and detailed version of the commentary on Clinical Question 10 described in the Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Urinary Stones, Third Edition. PubMed and Ichushi Web were searched through August 2020 for articles on pharmacotherapies for calcium oxalate stones (thiazides, citrate preparations, uric acid production inhibitors, and magnesium preparations).

Local extension findings on MRI compensate for the ability of pathological staging to predict oncological outcome.

Background: We investigated whether local extension findings on preoperative MRI and excisional pathology are associated with positive surgical margin and biochemical recurrence after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

Methods: We identified 704 of our patients that underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy between 2012 and 2020, and extracted the 326 patients who had preoperative MRI scans and a radiologist reading. These patients were classified into groups according to the presence of local extension on MRI and pathological findings: ≤ cT2pT2 (195 cases), ≤ cT2pT3 (55 cases), cT3pT2 (31 cases), and cT3pT3 (45 cases).

DDS-type near-infrared light absorber enables deeper lesion treatment in laser photothermal therapy while avoiding damage to surrounding organs.

The efficacy of drug delivery system (DDS)-type near-infrared (NIR) absorbing agents in enhancing laser photothermal therapy is widely acknowledged. Despite the acknowledged efficacy, the therapeutic advantages of photothermal therapy using DDS-type NIR-absorbing agents over simple photothermal therapy without such agents have not been fully elucidated. This study was designed to investigate two primary objectives: firstly, the ability of DDS-type NIR-absorbing agents to induce cell death at greater depths within tumors, and secondly, their capacity to minimize collateral damage to adjacent healthy organs.

Impact of postoperative sexual function on health-related quality of life after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

Background: We investigated potential disparities in health-related quality of life, particularly concerning urinary function, between patients with preserved and those with impaired sexual function after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).

Materials And Methods: Between December 2012 and April 2020, 704 men underwent RARP in our hospital. This study included 155 patients with a preoperative 5-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) of ≥12 points and an assessable IIEF-5 at 12 months postoperatively.

Comparative analysis of non-coding and coding DNA mutations in flat urothelial lesions: biological implications and insights.

Recent research in urothelial carcinoma (UC) has focused on coding mutations, leaving the significance of non-coding mutations unexplored. This study aims to evaluate non-coding DNA mutation frequencies compared to coding regions in normal urothelium and flat lesions, exploring their implications for tumor biology. Using targeted next-generation sequencing with UC-related gene panel, we analyzed non-coding and coding DNA mutation frequencies across 119 samples of flat urothelium encompassing various lesion types.

Efficacy of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy compared to conventional laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for completely endophytic renal tumor: a multicenter, prospective study.

Background: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy for completely endophytic renal tumors with the reported outcomes of conventional laparoscopic partial nephrectomy and investigate the transition of renal function after robot-assisted partial nephrectomy.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, multicenter, single-arm, open-label trial across 17 academic centers in Japan. Patients with endophytic renal tumors classified as cT1, cN0, cM0 were included and underwent robot-assisted partial nephrectomy.

Significance of androgen-deprivation therapy for intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer treated with high-dose radiotherapy: A literature review.

The real-world benefits of adding androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) and its optimal duration when combined with current standard high-dose radiation therapy (RT) remain unknown. We aimed to assess the efficacy of and toxicities associated with ADT in the setting of combination with high-dose RT for intermediate-risk (IR) and high-risk (HR) prostate cancer (PCa). This article is a modified and detailed version of the commentary on Clinical Question 8 described in the Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Prostate Cancer (ver.

Outcomes of active surveillance for Japanese patients with prostate cancer (PRIAS-JAPAN).

Objective: To report the outcomes of repeat biopsies, metastasis and survival in the Prostate Cancer Research International: Active Surveillance (PRIAS)-JAPAN study, a prospective observational study for Japanese patients, initiated in 2010.

Patients And Methods: At the beginning, inclusion criteria were initially low-risk patients, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) density (PSAD) <0.2, and ≤2 positive biopsy cores.

Prognostic impact of FAN score in patients receiving nivolumab plus ipilimumab for metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

FAN score is reportedly associated with prognostic outcomes in patients with urothelial carcinoma being treated with immune check point inhibitors. However, the prognostic impact of pre-treatment FAN score in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) treated with nivolumab plus ipilimumab remains unclear. We retrospectively evaluated the association between pre-treatment FAN score and prognostic outcomes in 154 patients with metastatic RCC treated with nivolumab plus ipilimumab.

Area of hydronephrosis is a useful predictive factor of impacted ureteral stones.

Ureteroscopic lithotripsy for impacted stones is challenging, but it is important to predict impacted stones preoperatively. Hydronephrosis, which is evaluated by a grading system, is often apparent in impacted stones. However, the currently used grading system is a qualitative evaluation.

Laparoscopic Nephrectomy Via the Retroperitoneal Approach for Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease After Renal Transplant: A Case Report.

We report a case of laparoscopic nephrectomy via the retroperitoneal approach for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease after renal transplant. A 54-year-old male patient with end-stage renal failure because of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease underwent a living donor renal transplant and right nephrectomy via open surgery through a median abdominal incision 5 years previously. However, the left kidney gradually became enlarged.

hinotori vs. da Vinci: propensity score-matched analysis of surgical outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

hinotoriâ„¢ is a recently developed surgical robot system. The present study aims to compare intraoperative and postoperative outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) by the hinotoriâ„¢ system compared with those of the longer-established da Vinci system. This study includes 100 consecutive patients who underwent RARP by da Vinci and 60 patients who underwent RARP by hinotoriâ„¢.

Poor performance status is a risk factor for higher detection of Gram positive coccus in stone-related pyelonephritis.

Introduction: We aimed to investigate the detection rate of causative organisms in stone-related pyelonephritis and to compare their distribution according to patient backgrounds.

Methods: We retrospectively identified patients with stone-related pyelonephritis. Clinical data were collected between November 2012 and August 2020 at Wakayama Medical University Hospital, including on patient backgrounds and causative organisms.

AI prediction of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy outcomes for ureteral stones by machine learning-based analysis with a variety of stone and patient characteristics.

We propose an artificial intelligence prediction method for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy treatment outcomes by analysis of a wide variety of variables. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 171 patients from between January 2009 and November 2019 that underwent shock wave lithotripsy at Wakayama Medical University, Japan, for ureteral stones shown on preoperative non-contrast computed tomography. This prediction method consisted of stone area extraction, stone analyzing factor extraction from non-contrast computed tomography images, and shock wave lithotripsy treatment result prediction by a non-linear support vector machine for analysis of 15 input and automatic measurement factors.