Health-related quality of life in bladder cancer patients: bladder cancer-specific instruments and domains. Part 2.

Purpose Of Review: Several instruments have been designed to evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with bladder cancer (BC). However, they vary in purpose, domains, and quality. To identify QoL instruments that have been validated for BC patients and to critically assess their domains and limitations.

Health-related quality of life in bladder cancer patients: general and cancer-specific instruments. Part 1.

Purpose Of Review: Although survival outcomes are the primary outcomes to determine the effectiveness of treatment options, quality of life (QoL) is gaining in importance in addition to classic oncological outcomes. The present review aims to state and critically assess the challenges in health-related QoL (HRQoL) assessment especially in bladder cancer (BC) patients.

Recent Findings: General QoL-instruments do not address concerns specific to cancer patients or BC patients.

Thromboprophylaxis and the route of administration of chemotherapy in testicular cancer patients in German-speaking countries.

Purpose: Due to the excellent cure rates for testicular cancer (TC), focus has shifted towards decreasing therapy-related morbidities. Thrombosis is a frequent complication of cisplatin chemotherapy. Furthermore, the optimal route of administration for chemotherapy is still under debate.

German second-opinion network for testicular cancer: sealing the leaky pipe between evidence and clinical practice.

In 2006, the German Testicular Cancer Study Group initiated an extensive evidence-based national second-opinion network to improve the care of testicular cancer patients. The primary aims were to reflect the current state of testicular cancer treatment in Germany and to analyze the project's effect on the quality of care delivered to testicular cancer patients. A freely available internet-based platform was developed for the exchange of data between the urologists seeking advice and the 31 second-opinion givers.

Predicting metastasized seminoma using gene expression.

Unlabelled: Treatment options for testis cancer depend on the histological subtype as well as on the clinical stage. An accurate staging is essential for correct treatment. The 'golden standard' for staging purposes is CT, but occult metastasis cannot be detected with this method.

A gene signature of primary tumor identifies metastasized seminoma.

Background: The aim of this study was the prediction of metastatic status in seminoma based on examination of the primary tumor.

Methods: Total RNA was isolated from metastasized seminoma (n = 10, T1N1-2M0), non-metastasized seminoma (n = 21, T1-3N0M0), and corresponding normal tissues. Pooled RNA from 10 biopsies of each tissue type was hybridized on whole genome microarrays for screening purposes.

Topical treatment of erectile dysfunction with prostaglandin E₁ ethyl ester.

Background: Prostaglandin E₁ ethyl ester (PGE₁-EE) is a prodrug of prostaglandin E₁ but with much improved transdermal penetration.

Patients And Methods: We performed a randomized, double-blind, controlled study in 34 patients to assess the safety and efficacy of transdermally applied PGE₁-EE for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. In a first single-blinded titration period the most appropriate PGE₁-EE dose (maximum 1000 μg) was determined.

Testis cancer cells have a genetic determination for a high sensitivity to apoptosis inducing stimuli.

Objective: The effect of cytotoxic therapy in testicular tumors (TGCT) has been shown to be mediated mainly by the induction of apoptosis. So far, it is not known which genes play a role for this inherent sensitivity to apoptosis inducing drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate the differential gene expression of apoptosis regulating genes in testicular tumors and in normal testis tissue using a quantitative method.

Correcting false gene expression measurements from degraded RNA using RTQ-PCR.

This paper describes a method allowing correcting false gene expression measured on highly degraded RNA using real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RTQ-PCR). RNA was isolated from different models (in vitro cell lines, in vivo models of human and dog) and different tissue types. In vitro RNA degradation and modeling of in vivo degradation were applied on intact and degraded total RNA.

A critical analysis of nonsurgical treatment of Peyronie's disease.

Objective: Because the efficacy of nonsurgical therapy of Peyronie's disease is controversial, this review analyses the current status of conservative therapy of Peyronie's disease.

Method: A systematic survey on results of studies published as original papers in peer-reviewed journals is provided.

Results: Oral drug therapies include potassium para-aminobenzoate (Potaba), vitamin E, colchicine, tamoxifen, propoleum, acetyl-L-carnitine, and propionyl-L-carnitine.

Apoptosis: a key effector mechanism of lymphocyte action in human nonseminomatous testicular carcinoma?

Objective: To correlate the number of tumour-infiltrating T lymphocytes (TILs) with the extent of apoptosis in testicular germ cell tumours, as TILs are considered to be a favourable prognostic factor of human testicular tumours, especially of seminomas, but the mechanism by which TIL contribute to an improved outcome is unclear.

Materials And Methods: Tissue samples from 47 patients with nonseminomatous germ cell tumour (NSGCT) and 15 with seminomatous GCT were investigated immunohistochemically for lymphocyte infiltration and apoptosis. The apoptotic index (AI) was assessed in various categories (DNA condensation and fragmentation) using in-situ end-labelling to identify typical apoptotic DNA strand breaks, and nuclear staining to identify typical apoptotic morphology.

Giant multilocular cystadenoma of the prostate: a rare differential diagnosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

We report a case of giant multilocular cystadenoma of the prostate in a 43-year-old man. This is a rare benign entity of the prostate imitating symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia and originates from the prostate with extensive spread into the pelvis. Histologically, prostatic glands and cysts lined by cuboid to columnar epithelial cells with basally located nuclei are characteristic.

Comparative analysis of different apoptosis detection methods in human testicular cancer.

In situ end-labeling (ISEL) of internucleosomal 3' DNA strand breaks and the morphological proof of nuclear chromatin condensation are two widely used methods to investigate and quantify apoptosis. However, it is still unclear whether both processes are linked with each other and if quantifying apoptosis by both methods leads to comparable results. Therefore, internucleosomal DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation were measured simultaneously on double-fluorescence-labeled sections of 62 testicular tumors (47 nonseminomatous tumors and 15 seminomas) using immunofluorescence microscopy.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy for Peyronie's disease: exploratory meta-analysis of clinical trials.

Purpose: Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) for the treatment of Peyronie's disease is still controversial. This exploratory meta-analysis of published studies in the international literature investigates its therapeutic effects.

Materials And Methods: The treatment outcomes from 17 study groups identified by a computerized literature search were compared with natural history outcomes and data from control groups from 2 controlled ESWT studies.

Questionable efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave therapy for Peyronie's disease: results of a prospective approach.

Purpose: Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) for Peyronie's disease is still a topic of debate. We evaluated the effects of ESWT in a large series of patients with Peyronie's disease via a prospective approach.

Materials And Methods: In a prospective study 114 patients with Peyronie's disease were treated with ESWT.

Imaging studies in the diagnosis of urogenital trauma.

Unlabelled: Polytraumatized patients often present with urological injuries. After hemodynamic stability is maintained urologists are consulted to evaluate diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. The following article describes how to handle the work-up of patients with injuries to specific urogenital organs: the importance of clinical examination, ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), angiography as well as organ-specific radiologic studies such as intravenous pyelography or cystography are discussed.

Diagnostic value of magnetic resonance imaging in Peyronie's disease--a comparison both with palpation and ultrasound in the evaluation of plaque formation.

Objective: To compare the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with palpation and ultrasound in the evaluation of plaque formation in Peyronie's disease.

Methods: 57 patients underwent a standardized diagnostic procedure to evaluate plaque formation consisting of palpation and ultrasonography (7.5 MHz).

Prospective analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms of the transforming growth factor beta-1 gene in Peyronie's disease.

Purpose: The detection of increased expression of transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta1) in Peyronie's disease plaques and the possibility of initiating a Peyronie's disease-like condition by intratunical injection of a synthetic heptopeptide with TGF-beta-like activity in an animal model has provided evidence for the central role of this cytokine in the pathogenesis of this entity. Recently 2 defined single nucleotide polymorphisms in the coding region of the TGF-beta1 gene have been described that are associated with different levels of TGF-beta1 production. Based on these data we prospectively investigated the genetic association of distinct TGF-beta1 genotypes with Peyronie's disease.

Fas/Fas ligand system and apoptosis induction in testicular carcinoma.

Background: Tumor-infiltrating, Fas ligand (FasL)-expressing lymphocytes are able to eliminate Fas-bearing tumor cells by apoptosis induction. Activated cytotoxic T-cells that express Fas may enter apoptosis in the presence of FasL tumor cells. To date, no studies of patients with testicular carcinoma have correlated the differential expression of Fas and FasL in both cell types with the corresponding apoptotic index (AI).