The ProtecT trial: analysis of the patient cohort, baseline risk stratification and disease progression.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that the baseline clinico-pathological features of the men with localized prostate cancer (PCa) included in the ProtecT (Prostate Testing for Cancer and Treatment) trial who progressed (n = 198) at a 10-year median follow-up were different from those of men with stable disease (n = 1409).

Patients And Methods: We stratified the study participants at baseline according to risk of progression using clinical disease stage, pathological grade and PSA level, using Cox proportional hazard models.

Results: The findings showed that 34% of participants (n = 505) had intermediate- or high-risk PCa, and 66% (n = 973) had low-risk PCa.

Gleason drift in the NIHR ProtecT study.

Aims: There is increasing evidence of Gleason score (GS) drift in prostatic core biopsies during the last two decades. The ProtecT study is a randomized controlled study and provides an excellent cohort to study the effect of time, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, perineural invasion, tumour length and age on GS.

Methods And Results: The ProtecT study recruited men in the United Kingdom between 1999 and 2010.

Paraspinal chordoma mimicking a neurofibroma: a rare but important radiological pitfall.

We present an unusual case of a chordoma presenting as an extradural spinal tumour with extension through an expanded intervertebral foramen to form a large paraspinal mass. The magnetic resonance imaging appearances closely mimicked a neurofibroma; however, pre-operative biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of chordoma. This is, to our knowledge, the tenth reported case of chordoma presenting as a mass expanding the intervertebral foramen.

Disease specific mortality in patients with low risk bladder cancer and the impact of cystoscopic surveillance.

Purpose: We determined the risk of disease specific mortality in patients with primary, low risk, noninvasive (G1pTa) bladder cancer and compared it to disease specific mortality in age and gender matched general populations.

Materials And Methods: We identified all patients with primary low risk cancer at our institution. We excluded those with adverse pathological features and then matched histopathology, pharmacy, hospital episode and Cancer Registry records.

Comparative outcomes of primary, recurrent, and progressive high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Background: The treatment of high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (BCa) is problematic given the variable natural history of the disease. Few reports have compared outcomes for primary high-risk tumours with those that develop following previous BCas (relapses). The latter represent a self-selected cohort, having failed previous treatments.