Incidence and management of hepatic immune‑related adverse events in advanced urologic cancers treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: A multicenter retrospective study.

The present study aimed to evaluate the incidence, characteristics and management of hepatic immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in patients with advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Data regarding the demographics, ICI regimens and hepatic irAEs from 213 patients with metastatic UC or metastatic RCC receiving ICIs between February 2018 and September 2023 at three tertiary medical centers (Inje University Busan Paik Hospital, Busan, South Korea; Dongnam Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences Cancer Center, Busan, South Korea; Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, South Korea) in South Korea were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Hepatic irAEs were graded using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.

Risk-adapted scoring model to identify candidates benefiting from adjuvant chemotherapy after radical nephroureterectomy for localized upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma: A multicenter study.

Purpose: Adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) is recommended for muscle-invasive or lymph node-positive upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). However, disease recurrences are frequently observed in pT1 disease, and AC may increase the risk of overtreatment in pT2 UTUC patients. This study aimed to validate a risk-adapted scoring model for selecting UTUC patients with ≤pT2 disease who would benefit from AC.

Impact of diabetes mellitus and hypertension on renal function during first-line targeted therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma: a retrospective multicenter study.

Background: Renal function deterioration during systemic therapy in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) is a long-term concern in treatment planning. Although hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are the most common factors that affect chronic kidney disease (CKD) development and progression, their impact on renal function during targeted therapy is unclear. This study investigated whether DM and HTN were associated with a decline in renal function during first-line targeted therapy for mRCC.

Alix-normalized exosomal programmed death-ligand 1 analysis in urine enables precision monitoring of urothelial cancer.

Anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) Ab-based therapies have demonstrated potential for treating metastatic urothelial cancer with high PD-L1 expression. Urinary exosomes are promising biomarkers for liquid biopsy, but urine's high variability requires normalization for accurate analysis. This study proposes using the PD-L1/Alix ratio to normalize exosomal PD-L1 signal intensity with Alix, an internal exosomal protein less susceptible to heterogeneity concerns than surface protein markers.

Korean sexually transmitted infection guidelines 2023 revision, guideline update of viral infections: Genital herpes and anogenital warts.

The Korean Association of Urogenital Tract Infection and Inflammation and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency regularly update, revise, and develop new content for the Korean sexually transmitted infection (STI) guidelines. These professional bodies respond to changing epidemiological trends and evolving scientific evidence, and consider advances in laboratory diagnostics and research. The principal recommendations of the 2023 Korean STI guidelines in terms of viral infection follow: 1) If genital herpes recurs more than 4-6 times annually, suppressive therapy with acyclovir 400 mg orally 2 times/day or famciclovir 250 mg orally 2 times/day or valacyclovir 500 mg orally once a day (for patients with <10 episodes/year) or valacyclovir 1 g orally once daily (for patients with ≥10 episodes/year) is recommended to prevent recurrence; 2) molecular human papillomavirus (HPV) testing is not recommended as a routine test for STI status, nor for determination of HPV vaccination status; and 3) patients should inform their current sexual partners about anogenital warts because the types of HPV that cause such warts can be passed to partners.

TNM-Based Head-to-Head Comparison of Urachal Carcinoma and Urothelial Bladder Cancer: Stage-Matched Analysis of a Large Multicenter National Cohort.

Purpose: Outcome analysis of urachal cancer (UraC) is limited due to the scarcity of cases and different staging methods compared to urothelial bladder cancer (UroBC). We attempted to assess survival outcomes of UraC and compare to UroBC after stage-matched analyses.

Materials And Methods: Total 203 UraC patients from a multicenter database and 373 UroBC patients in single institution from 2000 to 2018 were enrolled (median follow-up, 32 months).

Prognostic value of the endothelial activation and stress index in patients with upper tract urothelial cancer undergoing radical nephroureterectomy.

Purpose: The relationship with endothelial activation and stress index (EASIX), which represents the degree of endothelial dysfunction, is unwell known in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). The present study aims to assess the prognostic value of the EASIX for recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with UTUC who underwent radical nephroureterectomy (RNU).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 627 patients with UTUC who underwent RNU without neoadjuvant chemotherapy at three hospitals between 2002 and 2019.

Comparative Analysis of Proteomes and Phosphoproteomes in Patients with Prostate Cancer Using Different Surgical Conditions.

Purpose: To establish the standard of procedure in preparing benign and cancerous prostate tissues and evaluate the quality of proteomics and phosphoproteomics during transurethral resection of the prostate (TUR-P) with different surgical conditions.

Materials And Methods: TUR-P tissue samples from three patients, two diagnosed with prostate cancer and one with benign prostatic hyperplasia, were each analyzed under three different conditions, based on differences in energy values, tissue locations, and surgical techniques. Global- and phosphorylated proteomic profiles of prostate tissues were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A Unique Urinary Metabolic Feature for the Determination of Bladder Cancer, Prostate Cancer, and Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Prostate cancer (PCa), bladder cancer (BCa), and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are the most prevalent cancer among urological cancers. However, there are no cancer-specific symptoms that can differentiate them as well as early clinical signs of urological malignancy. Furthermore, many metabolic studies have been conducted to discover their biomarkers, but the metabolic profiling study to discriminate between these cancers have not yet been described.

The Prognosis and Oncological Predictor of Urachal Carcinoma of the Bladder: A Large Scale Multicenter Cohort Study Analyzed 203 Patients With Long Term Follow-Up.

Aim: This study evaluated the prognosis and survival predictors for bladder urachal carcinoma (UC), based on large scale multicenter cohort with long term follow-up database.

Methods: A total 203 patients with bladder UC treated at 19 hospitals were enrolled. Clinical parameters on carcinoma presentation, diagnosis, and therapeutic methods were reviewed for the primary cancer and for all subsequent recurrences.

Effect of olfactory bulb atrophy on the success of olfactory training.

Purpose: To evaluate the success of olfactory training in patients with olfactory loss and olfactory bulb (OB) atrophy detected on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other characteristics.

Methods: This study included 48 patients with olfactory loss who underwent a nasal endoscopic examination and MRI before olfactory training. The Korean Version of the Sniffin' Sticks Test was performed before and after training.

Hearing Outcomes of Stapes Surgery in Children With Stapes Fixation and Ossicular Anomalies.

Objectives: To investigate hearing outcomes after stapes surgery in children with stapes fixation.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Targeted therapy response in early versus late recurrence of renal cell carcinoma after surgical treatment: A propensity score-matched study using the Korean Renal Cancer Study Group database.

Objectives: To investigate the clinicopathological features and outcomes of targeted therapy in patients with recurrence of renal cell carcinoma in <5 years or ≥5 years after the surgical treatment for renal cell carcinoma.

Methods: Patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with targeted therapy in a multicenter database were retrospectively characterized according to time from surgery to recurrence. Early recurrence was defined as recurrence within 5 years after surgery, and late recurrence was defined as occurring ≥5 years after surgery.

Prognostic significance of sarcopenia and decreased relative dose intensity during the initial two cycles of first-line sunitinib for metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Targeted therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treatment requires the identification of clinically important factors that can predict the therapeutic effect. We retrospectively investigated the prognostic roles of pre-treatment sarcopenia and relative dose intensity during the initial two cycles (2c-RDI) of sunitinib treatment in patients with mRCC. In total, 41 (52.

Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 1 Expression Status in Urothelial Carcinoma According to Clinical and Pathological Factors: A Multi-Institutional Retrospective Study.

To investigate programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression status and the clinical and pathological factors related to its expression in urothelial carcinoma (UC) patients. Data from 761 UC patients who underwent testing for PD-L1 expression using the VENTANA (SP-142 immunohistochemistry assay) for measuring PD-L1 expression according to the manufacturer's protocol between February 2016 and July 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were categorized into three groups based on the percentage of tumor area covered by PD-L1-expressing tumor-infiltrating immune cells (ICs) as follows: IC0 (<1%), IC1 (≥1% and <5%), and IC2/3 (≥5%).

Clinical factors that influence the occurrence of symptomatic pseudoaneurysms and arteriovenous fistulas after partial nephrectomy: multi-institutional study of renal function outcomes after one year of selective arterial embolization.

Purpose: Renal artery pseudoaneurysms (RAPs) and arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are rare but potentially life-threatening complications after partial nephrectomy (PN). Selective arterial embolization (SAE) is an effective method for controlling RAPs/AVFs. We assessed the clinical factors affecting the occurrence of RAPs/AVFs after PN and the effects of SAE on postsurgical renal function.

Comparison of allergens and symptoms in patients with allergic rhinitis between 1990s and 2010s.

Background: The prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR), an environment- and lifestyle-dependent condition, has been constantly increasing in Korea. Although the environment and lifestyle of the Korean people have recently undergone rapid changes, corresponding changes in the characteristics of AR patients have not been well documented. Therefore, we aimed to outline the changes in allergens and clinical manifestations of AR in Korean patients from the 1990s and 2010s.

Risk factors for survival of head and neck soft tissue sarcomas: A comparison between 7th and 8th edition AJCC staging systems.

Objectives: Soft tissue sarcomas of the head and neck (HNSTS) show various histological types and clinical behaviour. Recently, the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) proposed a staging system for HNSTS independent of other body soft tissue sarcomas, which requires validation. Therefore, we evaluated the prognostic factors for the survival of HNSTS patients through a comparison between previous and current AJCC staging systems.

Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System for Multiparametric MRI to Predict the Presence of Muscle Invasion for Bladder Cancer.

Background: The Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS) is a newly developed system of bladder cancer staging with multiparametric MRI (mpMRI), which can be used to predict the presence of muscle invasion for bladder cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of three mpMRI series (T WI, diffusion-weighted imaging [DWI], and dynamic contrast-enhanced image [DCEI]) and VI-RADS for diagnosing the muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).

Study Type: Retrospective.

Combination of Korean Red Ginseng Extract and Hydrogen-Rich Water Improves Spermatogenesis and Sperm Motility in Male Mice.

Objective: To investigate the effect of hydrogen-rich Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) water (HRGW) mixture on the spermatogenesis and sperm motility of mice of different ages.

Methods: Eighty young (3 month-old) and aged (12 month-old) male mice were randomly assigned to 4 groups (n =10 per group) including control group, hydrogen-rich water (HRW) group (10 mL/kg daily), KRG group (50 mg/kg daily) and HRGW group (10 mL/kg and 50 mg/kg daily) by an oral zoned needle for 4 weeks. Sperm count and motility were measured using sperm suspension released from cauda epididymis.

Prognostic value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in older patients with head and neck cancer.

Introduction: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), may predict treatment response and outcomes in some human malignancies. However, NLR has rarely been examined in older patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This study evaluated factors, including pre-treatment evaluation tests, predictive of mortality in older patients with HNSCC.

The superiority of contact surface area as a predictor of renal cortical volume change after partial nephrectomy compared to RENAL, PADUA and C-index: an approach using computed tomography-based renal volumetry.

To evaluate the renal cortical volume (RCV) change after nephron sparing surgery and the predictive value of the nephrometry score in RCV preservation after partial nephrectomy. Overall, 162 patients with renal tumors that were treated with open partial nephrectomy were retrospectively analyzed. The contact surface area (CSA), RENAL, PADUA and C-index scores were obtained from a preoperative CT scan.

Prognostic indicators of pulmonary metastasis in patients with renal cell carcinoma who have undergone radical nephrectomy.

The aim of the present study was to validate prognostic indicators of pulmonary metastasis in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) that have undergone nephrectomy treatment. The data from 356 patients who underwent nephrectomy were investigated and subsequently divided into 2 groups, according to the pulmonary metastasis status. The risk factors for pulmonary metastasis were examined in all patients.