Perioperative Complications and Omission of Ureteral Stents During Robot-Assisted Radical Cystectomy With Intracorporeal Ileal Conduit.

Purpose: Ureteral stents are commonly placed intraoperatively during radical cystectomy, although their efficacy in reducing complications is unproven. We compared clinical outcomes among patients undergoing robot-assisted radical cystectomy with intracorporeal ileal conduit (RARC-IC) with or without ureteral stents to determine if omission of ureteral stents affects postoperative complications.

Materials And Methods: All RARC-IC surgeries performed at our institution between November 2017 and June 2023 were reviewed.

Differential NEUROD1, ASCL1, and POU2F3 Expression Defines Molecular Subsets of Bladder Small Cell/Neuroendocrine Carcinoma With Prognostic Implications.

Small cell carcinomas (SMC) of the lung are now molecularly classified based on the expression of transcriptional regulators (NEUROD1, ASCL1, POU2F3, and YAP1) and DLL3, which has emerged as an investigational therapeutic target. PLCG2 has been shown to identify a distinct subpopulation of lung SMC with stem cell-like and prometastasis features and poor prognosis. We analyzed the expression of these novel neuroendocrine markers and their association with traditional neuroendocrine markers and patient outcomes in a cohort of bladder neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) consisting of 103 SMC and 19 large cell NEC (LCNEC) assembled in tissue microarrays.

Response to 2 Induction Courses of Bacillus Calmette-Guèrin Therapy Among Patients With High-Risk Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: 5-year Follow-Up of a Phase 2 Clinical Trial.

Importance: With the ongoing bacillus Calmette-Guèrin (BCG) shortage, alternate therapeutic options for patients with high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) are needed.

Objective: To report the 5-year outcomes of a cohort from a prospective phase 2 trial of patients with high-risk NMIBC who underwent 12 instillations of induction BCG without maintenance.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Between November 2015 and June 2018, patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center with primary or recurrent NMIBC (high-grade Ta, T1 tumors, with or without carcinoma in situ) were prospectively enrolled to receive 2 induction courses (12 intravesical instillations) of BCG without maintenance therapy.

The Role of Alumni Networks and Career Advising in Early Career Stability of Urologists: Results of a Multi-institutional Study.

Objective: To characterize training program and early career factors that impact decision-making and job retention following graduation in a diverse population of urologists.

Materials And Methods: We performed a computer-based survey distributed to residency graduates from 25 urology training programs. Five focus institutions were identified with a goal >30% response rate.

Association between obstructive sleep apnea and 24-h urine chemistry risk factors for urinary stone disease.

The effect of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on 24-h urine parameters and resultant kidney stone risk is unknown. We sought to compare urinary lithogenic risk factors among patients with kidney stone disease with and without OSA. We performed a retrospective cohort study of adult patients with nephrolithiasis undergoing both polysomnography and 24-h urine analysis.

Association between body mass index and localized prostate cancer management and disease-specific quality of life.

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to describe the association between body mass index (BMI) and (1) management option for localized prostate cancer (PCa) and (2) disease-specific quality of life (ds-QoL) after treatment or active surveillance.

Subjects/patients And Methods: We analysed data from men with localized PCa managed with radical prostatectomy (RP), radiation therapy (RT), or active surveillance (AS) in a prospective, population-based cohort study. We evaluated the association between BMI and management option with multivariable multinomial logistic regression analysis.

Prostate volume, baseline urinary function, and their association with treatment choice and post-treatment urinary function in men treated for localized prostate cancer.

Background: Benign prostatic hyperplasia, lower urinary tract symptoms, and prostate cancer often co-occur. Their effect on urinary function is an important consideration regarding prostate cancer treatment choices. While prostate volume (PV) and urinary symptoms are commonly used in treatment choice decision making, their association with post-treatment urinary function is unknown.

Implementation of a comprehensive prehabilitation program for patients undergoing radical cystectomy.

Background: Coordinated preoperative optimization programs for radical cystectomy (RC) are limited and non-comprehensive. We evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of a coordinated, multi-faceted prehabilitation program for RC patients at a high-volume bladder cancer referral center.

Methods: We performed a narrative literature review for prehabilitation in bladder cancer management as of December 1, 2020, with specific emphasis on examining higher-level evidence sources.

Association between adherence to radiation therapy quality metrics and patient reported outcomes in prostate cancer.

Background: Prior studies have shown significant variability in the quality of prostate cancer care in the US with questionable associations between quality measures and patient reported outcomes. We evaluated the impact of compliance with nationally recognized radiation therapy (RT) quality measures on patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes in the Comparative Effectiveness Analysis of Surgery and Radiation (CEASAR) cohort.

Methods: CEASAR is a population-based, prospective cohort study of men with localized prostate cancer from which we identified 649 who received primary RT and completed HRQOL surveys for inclusion.

How a Large Academic Training Program Influences Early Career Decision-making and Employment Stability in Urology.

Objective: To characterize training and practice factors that influence early career stability and satisfaction in urology residency and fellowship graduates.

Methods: A computer-based survey was distributed to residency and fellowship graduates from a single, large US training program from 1992 to 2015. Queries encompassed training program specifics, post-training practice characteristics, and a validated burnout assessment.

The Pursuit of Health Equity and Equality in Urologic Oncology: Where We Have Been and Where We Are Going.

Context: Advances in urologic oncology have improved early detection, treatment options, and health outcomes; however, racial/ethnic minorities continue to experience disparities in cancer incidence and survival. Research evaluating the optimal methods for closing these disparity gaps is under-reported.

Objective: To highlight critical disparities in equity and equality in urologic oncology and identify ways in which health care professionals can reduce these disparities among disproportionately affected groups through a health equity-focused framework.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in First-time and Recurrent Kidney Stone Formers.

Objective: To describe the patterns of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among patients with kidney stones and analyze the alkali content of commonly used CAM therapies.

Methods: We prospectively conducted structured interviews with patients who presented to a specialty stone clinic for the management of kidney stones. Open-ended questions were used to elicit information regarding CAM knowledge, formulation/dosing, and patterns of use.

Association between pelvic nodal radiotherapy and patient-reported functional outcomes through 5 years among men undergoing external-beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer: An assessment of the comparative effectiveness analysis of surgery and radiation (CEASAR) cohort.

Background: The role of pelvic irradiation in men receiving external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for prostate cancer is unclear, in part due to a lack of data on patient-reported outcomes. We sought to compare functional outcomes for men receiving prostate and pelvic versus prostate-only radiotherapy, longitudinally over 5 years.

Materials And Methods: We performed a population-based, prospective cohort study of men with clinically-localized prostate cancer undergoing EBRT.

Disparate Practice Patterns and Survival Outcomes: The Impact of Centralization of Cancer Care for Adrenocortical Carcinoma in the United States.

Purpose: Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare but aggressive malignancy. While centralization of care to referral centers improves outcomes across common urological malignancies, there exists a paucity of data for low-incidence cancers. We sought to evaluate differences in practice patterns and overall survival in patients with adrenocortical carcinoma across types of treating facilities.

Impact of Perioperative Infection on Cancer Specific Survival after Nephrectomy for Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Purpose: Several case reports have documented rare spontaneous cancer regression following systemic infections. Immune related targeted therapies are now available for many cancers, including renal cell carcinoma. We hypothesized that perioperative infection after nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma may impact long-term cancer specific survival.

Influence of pathologist experience on positive surgical margins following radical prostatectomy.

Background: A positive surgical margin (PSM) following radical prostatectomy (RP) for prostate cancer is associated with increased risk of biochemical recurrence. We sought to examine whether the pathologist is an independent predictor of PSMs.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 3,557 men who underwent RP for localized prostate cancer at our institution from 2003 to 2015.

DNA hydroxymethylation profiling reveals that WT1 mutations result in loss of TET2 function in acute myeloid leukemia.

Somatic mutations in IDH1/IDH2 and TET2 result in impaired TET2-mediated conversion of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC). The observation that WT1 inactivating mutations anticorrelate with TET2/IDH1/IDH2 mutations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) led us to hypothesize that WT1 mutations may impact TET2 function. WT1 mutant AML patients have reduced 5hmC levels similar to TET2/IDH1/IDH2 mutant AML.

Kidney disease among children in sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review.

The global burden of kidney disease is increasing, and several etiologies first begin in childhood. Risk factors for pediatric kidney disease are common in Africa, but data regarding its prevalence are lacking. We completed a systematic review of community-based studies describing the prevalence of proteinuria, hematuria, abnormal imaging, or kidney dysfunction among children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).