Does increasing the nodal yield improve outcomes in contemporary patients without nodal metastasis undergoing radical prostatectomy?

Objectives: To determine if the number of lymph nodes (LNs) removed is an independent predictor of biochemical recurrence (BCR) in patients without LN metastases undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP).

Material And Methods: Retrospective analysis of 7,310 patients treated at 7 centers with RP and pelvic LN dissection for clinically localized prostate cancer between 2000 and 2011. Patients with LN metastases (n = 398) and other reasons (stated later in the article) (n = 372) were excluded, which left 6,540 patients for the final analyses.

Urine markers for detection and surveillance of bladder cancer.

Objectives: Bladder cancer detection and surveillance includes cystoscopy and cytology. Urinary cytology is limited by its low sensitivity for low-grade tumors. Urine markers have been extensively studied to help improve the diagnosis of bladder cancer with the goal of complementing or even replacing cystoscopy.

Association of diabetes mellitus and metformin use with oncological outcomes of patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Objective: To assess the association between diabetes mellitus (DM) and metformin use with prognosis and outcomes of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 1117 patients with NMIBC treated at four institutions between 1996 and 2007. Cox regression models were used to analyse the association of DM and metformin use with disease recurrence, disease progression, cancer-specific mortality and any-cause mortality.

Results: Of the 1117 patients, 125 (11.

Functional and oncological outcomes of patients aged <50 years treated with radical prostatectomy for localised prostate cancer in a European population.

Objective: To address the biochemical and functional outcomes after radical prostatectomy (RP) of men aged <50 years in a large European population.

Patients And Methods: Among 13,268 patients who underwent RP for clinically localised prostate cancer at our centre (1992-2011), 443 (3.3%) men aged <50 were identified.

Predictors of survival in patients with disease recurrence after radical nephroureterectomy.

Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic value of the Bajorin criteria in a multi-institutional cohort of patients with disease recurrence after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). To investigate whether clinical, pathological and/or biological factors at time of disease recurrence are also associated with cancer-specific outcomes in these patients.

Patients And Methods: We identified 242 patients with disease recurrence after RNU for UTUC from 11 centres.

Impact of peri-operative blood transfusion on the outcomes of patients undergoing radical cystectomy for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

Objective: To determine the association between peri-operative blood transfusion (PBT) and oncological outcomes in a large multi-institutional cohort of patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC) for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB).

Patients And Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 2895 patients treated with RC for UCB. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models were used to analyse the effect of PBT administration on disease recurrence, cancer-specific mortality, and any-cause mortality.

Prognosis of patients with pelvic lymph node (LN) metastasis after radical prostatectomy: value of extranodal extension and size of the largest LN metastasis.

Objective: To assess the prognostic role of extranodal extension (ENE) and the size of the largest lymph node (LN) metastasis in predicting early biochemical relapse (eBCR) in patients with LN metastasis after radical prostatectomy (RP).

Patients And Methods: We evaluated BCR-free survival in men with LN metastases after RP and pelvic LN dissection performed in six high-volume centres. Multivariable Cox regression tested the role of ENE and diameter of largest LN metastasis in predicting eBCR after adjusting for clinicopathological variables.

Impact of smoking status and cumulative exposure on intravesical recurrence of upper tract urothelial carcinoma after radical nephroureterectomy.

Objective: To assess the impact of cigarette smoking status, cumulative smoking exposure, and time from cessation on intravesical recurrence (IVR) outcomes in patients treated with radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

Patients And Methods: In all, 519 patients underwent RNU at five institutions. Smoking history included smoking status, quantity of cigarettes smoked per day (cpd), duration, and time from cessation.

Impact of preoperative anemia on oncologic outcomes of upper tract urothelial carcinoma treated with radical nephroureterectomy.

Purpose: We evaluated the impact of preoperative anemia on oncologic outcomes in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma treated with radical nephroureterectomy.

Materials And Methods: A total of 282 patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma underwent radical nephroureterectomy. Preoperatively measured hemoglobin values were stratified into normal and anemia based on the WHO classification of 13 gm/dl or less and 12 or less considered anemia in males and females, respectively.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and prostate cancer: implications for androgen deprivation therapy.

Luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) may play important roles in prostate cancer (PCa) progression. Specifically, LH expression in PCa tissues has been associated with metastatic disease with a poor prognosis, while FSH has been shown to stimulate prostate cell growth in hormone-refractory PCa cell lines. Gonadotropin-realizing hormone (GnRH) analogues are common agents used for achieving androgen deprivation in the treatment for PCa.

Long-term cancer-specific outcomes of TaG1 urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

Background: Few studies have investigated the natural history of TaG1 urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB).

Objective: To assess the long-term outcomes of patients with TaG1 UCB and the impact of immediate postoperative instillation of chemotherapy (IPIC).

Design, Setting, And Participants: A retrospective analysis of 1447 patients with TaG1 UCB treated between 1996 and 2007 at eight centers.

Association of oncofetal protein expression with clinical outcomes in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

Purpose: Oncofetal proteins are expressed in the developing embryo. Oncofetal protein expression correlates with the clinical outcome of nonmuscle invasive bladder urothelial carcinoma. IMP3, MAGE-A, glypican-3 and TPBG are oncofetal proteins that have not been well characterized in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

Pathologic nodal staging scores in patients treated with radical prostatectomy: a postoperative decision tool.

Background: Nodal metastasis is the strongest risk factor of disease recurrence in patients with localized prostate cancer (PCa) treated with radical prostatectomy (RP).

Objective: To develop a model that allows quantification of the likelihood that a pathologically node-negative patient is indeed free of nodal metastasis.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Data from patients treated with RP and pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND; n=7135) for PCa between 2000 and 2011 were analyzed.

Effect of smoking on outcomes of urothelial carcinoma: a systematic review of the literature.

Context: Cigarette smoking is the best-established risk factor for urothelial carcinoma (UC). However, the effect of smoking on outcomes of UC patients remains debated.

Objective: To integrate the available evidence regarding the impact of smoking status and smoking exposure on recurrence, progression, cancer-specific mortality, and any-cause mortality in patients with UC of the bladder (UCB) and upper tract UC (UTUC) treated with transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB), radical cystectomy (RC), or radical nephroureterectomy (RNU).

Effect of statin use on outcomes of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Objectives: To assess the impact of statin use on outcomes of patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). To measure the effect of statin use on the efficacy of intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 1117 patients treated with transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB) for NMIBC at three institutions between 1996 and 2007.

The impact of intravesical gemcitabine and 1/3 dose Bacillus Calmette-Guérin instillation therapy on the quality of life in patients with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer: results of a prospective, randomized, phase II trial.

Purpose: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin and intravesical chemotherapy represent viable adjuvant options for intermediate risk nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer. Although bacillus Calmette-Guérin is perceived as less tolerable than intravesical chemotherapy, to our knowledge no comparative studies have addressed quality of life issues. We compared the quality of life of patients with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer who received adjuvant intravesical gemcitabine or 1/3 dose bacillus Calmette-Guérin.

Short-term outcome and morbidity of different contemporary urethroplasty techniques--a preliminary comparison.

Background And Purpose: Only few comparative reports about different urethroplasties have been published, addressing success rate (SR), adverse events (AE), and quality of life (QoL). Our purpose was to evaluate SR, AE, and QoL in a contemporary cohort of patients undergoing urethroplasty in the short-term follow-up (FU).

Patients And Methods: Between December 2008 and June 2010, 205 patients underwent urethroplasty for anterior urethral strictures at our institution.

Impact of histological variants on oncological outcomes of patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder treated with radical cystectomy.

Objective: To investigate the impact of variant histologies of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) on oncologic outcomes after radical cystectomy (RC).

Materials And Methods: Data from 1984 UCB patients treated by RC without preoperative chemo- or radiotherapy were reviewed for histological differentiation and variants. We analysed the differences between pure UCB and UCB with variant histology, and those between the different histological variants using various stratifications.

Impact of statin use on oncologic outcomes in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder treated with radical cystectomy.

Purpose: Statins are cholesterol lowering agents used to prevent cardiovascular disease. Evidence suggests a dichotomous effect of statins with cancer inhibiting and promoting properties. To our knowledge the effect of statins on the prognosis of muscle invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder remains uninvestigated to date.

Obesity is associated with worse outcomes in patients with T1 high grade urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

Purpose: To our knowledge the impact of body mass index on oncologic outcomes in nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer has not been evaluated. We hypothesized that higher body mass index is associated with worse outcomes in patients with clinical primary T1 high grade urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 892 patients with primary nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer from 7 centers.

Female gender is associated with higher risk of disease recurrence in patients with primary T1 high-grade urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

Purpose: An increasing body of evidence suggests gender differences in the presentation and prognosis of bladder cancer. We aimed to assess the impact of gender on outcomes in patients with primary T1 high-grade (HG) urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB).

Methods: We retrospectively analysed the data from 916 patients with primary T1HG UCB from 7 tertiary care centres.