The Outcome of Post-Chemotherapy Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection in Patients with Metastatic Bladder Cancer in the Retroperitoneum.

Purpose: While a definitive cure can be achieved by radical cystectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection in select patients with regional lymphadenopathy, the benefit remains uncertain in patients who present with non-regional metastases. We analyzed the survival outcomes of post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection.

Materials And Methods: We reviewed our institutional database and identified 13 patients with radiographically evident or biopsy proven retroperitoneal nodal metastases with a significant response to chemotherapy.

Comparative Genomic Profiling of Refractory and Metastatic Penile and Nonpenile Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Implications for Selection of Systemic Therapy.

Purpose: Metastatic penile squamous cell carcinoma is an aggressive malignancy with limited treatment options. We compared the potential therapy impacting genomic alterations between metastatic penile squamous cell carcinoma and nonpenile metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

Materials And Methods: DNA was extracted from 40 μ of formalin fixed, paraffin embedded samples from 78 cases of metastatic penile squamous cell carcinoma and 338 of metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

The Prognostic Impact of a Positive Vascular Margin on pT3 Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Purpose: We examined the impact of positive vascular margins in patients with pT3 clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Materials And Methods: After excluding patients with nonvascular positive margins, metastasis, lymph node involvement, neoadjuvant therapy or nonclear cell histology, we identified 224 patients with venous tumor invasion through our institutional database from 1999 to 2013. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log rank tests were used to evaluate whether positive vascular margins were associated with progression-free survival or cancer specific survival.

Risk for Clostridium difficile infection after radical cystectomy for bladder cancer: Analysis of a contemporary series.

Introduction: This study seeks to evaluate the incidence and associated risk factors of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a single institution׳s bladder cancer database including all patients who underwent RC between 2010 and 2013. CDI was diagnosed by detection of Clostridium difficile toxin B gene using polymerase chain reaction-based stool assay in patients with clinically significant diarrhea within 90 days of the index operation.

Risk of Recurrence for Clinical Stage I and II Patients With Teratoma Only at Primary Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection.

Objective: To evaluate the oncologic outcomes of patients with retroperitoneal teratoma only at primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy.

Materials And Methods: Between 1979 and 2010, 23 patients with clinical stage (CS) I and II disease underwent primary RPLND at our institution with teratoma only in the retroperitoneum. No patient received adjuvant chemotherapy and the minimum follow-up was 2 years.

Incidence and risk factors of parastomal hernia in patients undergoing radical cystectomy and ileal conduit diversion.

Purpose: We evaluate the incidence and risk factors of parastomal hernia formation in patients undergoing radical cystectomy and ileal conduit urinary diversion.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the Indiana University cystectomy database between 2001 and 2011, and identified 516 patients who underwent radical cystectomy and ileal conduit diversion. Overall 199 patients had a clinical followup of at least 12 months and all underwent postoperative staging computerized tomography to confirm the presence of parastomal hernia.

Impact of ischemia and procurement conditions on gene expression in renal cell carcinoma.

Purpose: Previous studies have shown that ischemia alters gene expression in normal and malignant tissues. There are no studies that evaluated effects of ischemia in renal tumors. This study examines the impact of ischemia and tissue procurement conditions on RNA integrity and gene expression in renal cell carcinoma.

Repeat partial nephrectomy on the solitary kidney: surgical, functional and oncological outcomes.

Purpose: We examined outcomes in patients with recurrent or de novo renal lesions treated with repeat partial nephrectomy on a solitary kidney.

Materials And Methods: We reviewed the records of patients who underwent nephron sparing surgery at the National Cancer Institute from 1989 to 2008. Patients were included in analysis if they underwent repeat partial nephrectomy on a solitary kidney.

Validation of volume and mass assessments for human fetal heart imaging by 4-dimensional spatiotemporal image correlation echocardiography: in vitro balloon model experiments.

Objective: This study was designed to validate a slow-sweep real-time 4-dimensional (4D) spatiotemporal image correlation method for producing quantitatively accurate dynamic fetal heart images using an in vitro pulsatile balloon model and apparatus.

Methods: To model fetal heart chambers, asymmetric double-walled finger stalls (tips of surgical latex gloves) were used and attached to a laboratory-designed circuit that allowed calibrated changes in the inner balloon volume as well as an intermediate gel mass interposed between the 2 layers. The water-submerged model was attached to a small-volume pulsatile pump to produce phasic changes in volume within the inner balloon at a fixed rate.