Can Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors Reduce the Incidence, Severity, and Duration of Radiation Proctitis?

Purpose: To determine whether participants taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and treated with radical radiation therapy with neoadjuvant/adjuvant hormone therapy have less incidence, severity, and duration of radiation proctitis.

Methods And Materials: A propensity score analysis of 817 patients who underwent radical radiation therapy with neoadjuvant or adjuvant hormone therapy as primary line management in a cohort study during 2009 to 2013 was conducted. Patients were stratified as follows: group 1, hypertensive patients taking ACEIs (as a study group); group 2, nonhypertensive patients not taking ACEIs; and group 3, hypertensive patients not taking ACEIs (both as control groups).

Enhancing the Quality of Antibodies to HIV-1 Envelope by GagPol-Specific Th Cells.

The importance of Fc-dependent effector functions of Abs induced by vaccination is increasingly recognized. However, vaccination of mice against HIV envelope (Env) induced a skewed Th cell response leading to Env-specific Abs with reduced effector function. To overcome this bias, GagPol-specific Th cells were harnessed to provide intrastructural help for Env-specific B cells after immunization with virus-like particles containing GagPol and Env.

What is the mechanism effect that links social support to coping and psychological outcome within individuals affected by prostate cancer? Real time data collection using mobile technology.

Purpose: Unmet support needs are prevalent in men affected by prostate cancer. Moreover, little is known about the optimal type of social support, or its mechanism effect between coping and emotional outcome in men affected by this disease to identify areas for clinical intervention. This study aimed to empirically test the propositions of social support theory in "real time" within individual men living with and beyond prostate cancer.

Citrate salts for preventing and treating calcium containing kidney stones in adults.

Background: Kidney stones affect people worldwide and have a high rate of recurrence even with treatment. Recurrences are particularly prevalent in people with low urinary citrate levels. These people have a higher incidence of calcium phosphate and calcium oxalate stones.

Perception, career choice and self-efficacy of UK medical students and junior doctors in urology.

Introduction: There is a growing concern about the reduced clinical exposure to urology at undergraduate level in the United Kingdom. As a consequence, the competencies of junior doctors are considered inadequate. The views of these doctors in training towards urology remain under reported.

Photodynamic diagnostic ureterorenoscopy: A valuable tool in the detection of upper urinary tract tumour.

Background: Photodynamic diagnosis increases the detection rate and hence decreases recurrence rates of urothelial cancer (UC) of the bladder. This technique has been implemented in the upper urinary tract and like in the bladder, has shown to increase the detection rate of urothelial lesions.

Objectives: To determine the sensitivity, specificity, and detection rates for photodynamic diagnostic flexible ureterorenoscopy (PDD-FURS) and white light ureterorenoscopy (WL-FURS).

High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and cancer in Saudi Arabian populations: Can we hypothesize a link?

Inspite of having so much sunshine, Saudi Arabian population is suffering from the deficiency of the 'sunshine vitamin', vitamin D, measured in the serum as 25-OHD level. According to a recent report, about 83.6% of Saudi population is vitamin D deficient.

Optimized Retroperitoneoscopic Excision of Large (>25 cm) Adult Polycystic Kidneys Using 3-Dimensional Image Reconstruction and Preresection Ultrasound-Guided Aspiration: Technique and Early Outcomes.

Background: Laparoscopic excision of large polycystic kidneys remains a challenging procedure. Most of the literature describes transperitoneal approaches. Alterations in anatomy due to size of kidneys can make vascular and hilar control difficult.

Detection of urinary bladder cancer cells using redox ratio and double excitation wavelengths autofluorescence.

The optical redox ratio as a measure of cellular metabolism is determined by an altered ratio between endogenous fluorophores NADH and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). Although reported for other cancer sites, differences in optical redox ratio between cancerous and normal urothelial cells have not previously been reported. Here, we report a method for the detection of cellular metabolic states using flow cytometry based on autofluorescence, and a statistically significant increase in the redox ratio of bladder cancer cells compared to healthy controls.

Quantitative urinary proteomics using stable isotope labelling by peptide dimethylation in patients with prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in men. The current prevalent diagnosis method, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening test, has low sensitivity, specificity and is poor at predicting the grade of disease. Thus, new biomarkers are urgently needed to improve the PCa diagnosis and staging for the management of patients.

Carcinoma in situ is significantly underdetected by prenephroureterectomy ureteroscopy in the management of upper tract urothelial cancers.

Objective. Diagnostic reliability of prenephroureterectomy ureteroscopy (PNU) for the detection of upper tract carcinoma in situ (CIS) remains unproven in particular and underreported in general. Methods.

Identifying the unmet supportive care needs of men living with and beyond prostate cancer: A systematic review.

Purpose: Men affected by prostate cancer are a patient population in need of on-going person-centred supportive care. Our aim was to synthesise current available evidence with regard to the unmet supportive care needs of men living with and beyond prostate cancer.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA Statement Guidelines.

Thiel embalming method for cadaver preservation: a review of new training model for urologic skills training.

The use of endourology training models is on the rise. Surgical practice is moving toward a more minimally invasive approach and deficits in surgical exposure by enforcement of the European Working Time Directive call for simulation models to be anatomically sound. Thiel-embalmed cadavers have been found to demonstrate efficacy in tissue quality, elasticity, and handling in addition to playing a role in teaching and training.

Quantitative elasticity measurement of urinary bladder wall using laser-induced surface acoustic waves.

The maintenance of urinary bladder elasticity is essential to its functions, including the storage and voiding phases of the micturition cycle. The bladder stiffness can be changed by various pathophysiological conditions. Quantitative measurement of bladder elasticity is an essential step toward understanding various urinary bladder disease processes and improving patient care.

Preliminary validation of Thiel embalmed cadavers for laparoscopic radical nephrectomy.

Purpose: This study evaluated face, content, construct validity, and reliability of Thiel embalmed cadavers (TEC) as a training tool for transperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy (TLN).

Materials And Methods: The study participants were prospectively recruited through an advanced laparoscopic renal resection teaching skill course. The participants were grouped into: nonexperts (performed fewer than 50 TLNs) and experts (performed more than 50 TLNs).

Laser-induced autofluorescence spectroscopy: can it be of importance in detection of bladder lesions?

Background: Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer can be missed during white light endoscopy in up to 50% of cases. We aimed to test whether or not we could find a difference between benign and cancerous tissue wavelengths using laser induced autofluorescence spectroscopy can increase cancer detection.

Materials And Methods: We analysed 67 tissue samples using spectral analysis.

Exploring prostate cancer survivors' self-management behaviours and examining the mechanism effect that links coping and social support to health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression: a prospective longitudinal study.

Objective: Little is known about the influence of psycho-social factors on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), anxiety and depression in men affected by prostate cancer. Developing an understanding in this area can help to identify men who are at high risk of inadequate support and suggest directions for appropriately targeted interventions. Moreover, little is known about how men affected by prostate cancer mobilise social support in their self-management behaviours over time.

Detection and characterisation of biopsy tissue using quantitative optical coherence elastography (OCE) in men with suspected prostate cancer.

We present first quantitative three-dimensional (3D) data sets recorded using optical coherence elastography (OCE) for the diagnosis and detection of prostate cancer (PCa). 120 transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy specimens from 10 men suspected with prostate cancer were imaged using OCE. 3D quantitative mechanical assessment of biopsy specimens obtained in kilopascals (kPa) at an interval of 40 µm was compared with histopathology.

Divergence of primary cognate B- and T-cell proliferative responses to subcutaneous and intravenous immunization with virus-like particles.

A major advantage of virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines against HIV is their structural identity to wild-type viruses, ensuring that antigen-specific B-cells encounter the envelope protein in its natural conformation. For the induction of affinity-matured antibodies, the B-cells must also obtain help from T-cells that are restricted by linear epitopes. Using B- and T-cell transgenic mouse models, we compared the efficacy of modified HIV-VLPs delivered by subcutaneous and intravenous immunization to stimulate primary B- and T-cell proliferative responses in different lymphoid organs.

Chromosome 9p deletion in clear cell renal cell carcinoma predicts recurrence and survival following surgery.

Background: Wider clinical applications of 9p status in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) are limited owing to the lack of validation and consensus for interphase fluorescent in situ hybridisation (I-FISH) scoring technique. The aim of this study was to analytically validate the applicability of I-FISH in assessing 9p deletion in ccRCC and to clinically assess its long-term prognostic impact following surgical excision of ccRCC.

Methods: Tissue microarrays were constructed from 108 renal cell carcinoma (RCC) tumour paraffin blocks.

Recurrent dermatomyositis manifesting as a sign of recurrent transitional cell carcinoma of urinary bladder: Long-term survival.

The association between urological malignancies and paraneoplastic syndromes has been well documented. We report a case of recurrent dermatomyositis manifesting as a sign of metastatic recurrence of non-muscle-invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, a relationship which has only been referred to in a few reports. The case highlights a few important clinical challenges; firstly, the importance of thorough investigation for underlying malignancy in patients with dermatomyositis, as successful treatment of such malignancy can lead to resolution of paraneoplastic symptoms, and secondly, a high index of suspicion of recurrence in cases where paraneoplastic manifestations recur.

Photodynamic diagnostic ureterorenoscopy with orally administered 5-aminolaevulinic acid as photosensitiser: how I do it.

Objective: To explain our use of photodynamic diagnostic ureterorenoscopy, we provide a detailed description of the choice of photosensitiser, equipment needed, a safety profile, and pointers on our technique.

Technique: Patients are given oral 5-aminolaevulinic acid (5-ALA) as a photosensitiser 3-4 h pre-operatively, and by using a Xenon blue light source, an eyepiece which blocks light below 450 nm which is fitted onto the ureterorenoscope, we are able to conduct a thorough photodiagnosis of the upper urinary tract.

Conclusion: Our technique of photodynamic diagnostic ureterorenoscopy has shown that the sensitivity, specificity and detection rates of upper urinary tract lesions can be significantly increased with the use of oral 5-ALA.

Robotic or open radical cystectomy, which is safer? A systematic review and meta-analysis of comparative studies.

Unlabelled: Robotic radical cystectomy (RRC) has been growing in popularity across the world as a treatment option for bladder cancer.

Objectives: To compare early surgical outcomes for RRC and open radical cystectomy (ORC) with an emphasis on complications and postoperative mortality rates.

Evidence Acquisition: A literature review was conducted from 2000 to 2013, including studies comparing RRC and ORC.