Pyeloplasty and Ureteral Reconstruction Surgery Trends: A Total Population Analysis in Germany from 2006 to 2022.

Background And Objective: With advancement in technology, it has been possible to use minimally invasive surgical approaches for performing pyeloplasty for the treatment of ureteral strictures. This study aims to investigate the current trends of pyeloplasty and reconstructive ureteral procedures.

Methods: We analyzed the nationwide German hospital billing database (Destatis) from 2006 to 2022.

Corrigendum to "RPN (Radius, Position of tumour, iNvasion of renal sinus) Classification and Nephrometry Scoring System: An Internationally Developed Clinical Classification To Describe the Surgical Difficulty for Renal Masses for Which Robotic Partial Nephrectomy Is Planned" [Eur. Urol. Open Sci. 54 (2023) 33-42].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.euros.

Functional outcome after radical prostatectomy in 1313 patients: A single-center study.

Objectives: To assess the impact of urinary continence and erectile function on the quality of life in men undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) for prostate cancer (PC), we analyzed the preoperative and 1-year postoperative outcomes of five functional domains and their influencing factors.

Patients And Methods: In this prospective study, all patients undergoing open or robot-assisted RP between Febuary 2017 and March 2020 in a single academic center were included. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed pre- and 12 months postoperatively using the Expanded Prostate Index Composite (EPIC-26) survey, evaluating continence, irritative/obstructive micturition, gastrointestinal symptoms, sexuality, and overall vitality.

Chicken RAPS: Chicken Robot-assisted Pyeloplasty Simulation. Validation Study of a Novel Chicken Model for Wet Laboratory Training in Robot-assisted Pyeloplasty.

Background: Since the introduction of minimally invasive surgery, the number of simulation models available for teaching new surgeons has continued to increase.

Objective: To evaluate and validate use of a model for teaching robot-assisted pyeloplasty.

Design Setting And Participants: Twenty simulated robot-assisted pyeloplasty procedures were performed by experienced ( = 4) and novice ( = 16) surgeons using a chicken crop model at two different training centers using third- and fourth-generation robotic systems.

Lessons learned after one year of COVID-19 from a urologist and radiotherapist view: A German survey on prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Introduction: Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, COVID-19 has changed the medical landscape. International recommendations for localized prostate cancer (PCa) include deferred treatment and adjusted therapeutic routines.

Materials And Methods: To longitudinally evaluate changes in PCa treatment strategies in urological and radiotherapy departments in Germany, a link to a survey was sent to 134 institutions covering two representative baseline weeks prior to the pandemic and 13 weeks from March 2020 to February 2021.

Identification of patients at risk for biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy with intra-operative frozen section.

Objective: To identify patients at risk for biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer (PCa) after radical prostatectomy (RP) with intra-operative whole-mount frozen section (FS) of the prostate.

Material And Methods: We examined differences in BCR between patients with initial negative surgical margins at FS, patients with final negative surgical margins with initial positive margins at FS without residual PCa after secondary tumour resection, and patients with final negative surgical margins with initially positive margins at FS with residual PCa in the secondary tumour resection specimen. Institutional data of 883 consecutive patients undergoing RP were collected.

To defer or not to defer? A German longitudinal multicentric assessment of clinical practice in urology during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: After the outbreak of COVID-19 unprecedented changes in the healthcare systems worldwide were necessary resulting in a reduction of urological capacities with postponements of consultations and surgeries.

Material And Methods: An email was sent to 66 urological hospitals with focus on robotic surgery (RS) including a link to a questionnaire (e.g.

Serum Hepcidin and GDF-15 levels as prognostic markers in urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract and renal cell carcinoma.

Background: Cancer is a life-threatening disease that causes every fourth death. It is often hard to determine the time point of progression. Therefore, biomarkers for cancer entities that indicate disease progression or aggressiveness and thereby guide therapeutic decisions are required.

Optimizing outcome reporting after radical cystectomy for organ-confined urothelial carcinoma of the bladder using oncological trifecta and pentafecta.

Unlabelled: Radical cystectomy (RC) for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) is associated with heterogeneous functional and oncological outcomes. The aim of this study was to generate trifecta and pentafecta criteria to optimize outcome reporting after RC.

Methods: We interviewed 50 experts to consider a virtual group of patients (age ≤ 75 years, ASA score ≤ 3) undergoing RC for a cT2 UCB and a final histology of ≤pT3pN0M0.

Analysis of tissue and serum microRNA expression in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial cancer.

Introduction: MicroRNAs play an important role in many human malignancies; so far, their expression remains to be studied in upper urinary tract urothelial cancer (UUTUC).

Materials And Methods: The expression of eleven microRNAs (miR-10a, miR-21, miR-96, miR-135, miR-141, miR-182, miR-200b, miR-205, miR-429, miR-520b, miR-1244) formerly shown to be upregulated in urothelial bladder cancer were studied in corresponding normal and cancerous tissue samples of patients undergoing nephroureterectomy for UUTUC. Upregulated microRNAs were then measured in serum samples of patients with UUTUC and patients with non-malignant urological diseases to evaluate their potential as non-invasive biomarkers for UUTUC.

Serum microRNAs as biomarkers in patients undergoing prostate biopsy: results from a prospective multi-center study.

Background/aim: Increased levels of microRNAs in serum/plasma have been identified in various malignancies. We aimed to investigate serum levels of miR-26a-1 and miR-141 in patients undergoing prostate biopsy clinical suspicious for prostate cancer (PCA) in a prospective multi-center study.

Patients And Methods: Pre-biopsy serum samples of 170 patients were collected in three different study Centres.

DNA hypermethylation as a predictor of PSA recurrence in patients with low- and intermediate-grade prostate cancer.

Background: DNA CpG island hypermethylation causes gene silencing and is a common event in prostate carcinogenesis and progression. We investigated its role as a possible prognostic marker in patients with PCA Gleason score ≤7.

Patients And Methods: We used a quantitative, methylation-specific PCR to analyze methylation patterns at five gene loci (APC, GSTP1, PTGS2, RARbeta and TIG1) in 84 prostate cancer (PCA) tissues (Gleason Score ≤7).

Analysis of sex differences in cancer-specific survival and perioperative mortality following radical cystectomy: results of a large German multicenter study of nearly 2500 patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

Background: Outcome of patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) varies between sexes. Although overall incidence is higher in men, cancer-specific survival (CSS) has been suggested to be lower in women. Although the former effect is attributed to greater exposure to carcinogens in men, the latter has not been elucidated.

Analysis of serum microRNAs (miR-26a-2*, miR-191, miR-337-3p and miR-378) as potential biomarkers in renal cell carcinoma.

Introduction: Emerging evidence suggest that microRNAs could serve as non-invasive biomarker for cancer patients. Our study was designed to analyze circulating serum microRNAs in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Materials And Methods: Serum RNA was isolated from patients with clear cell RCC (ccRCC) and non-malignant disease; an artificial microRNA (cel-miR-39) was spiked-in prior the isolation procedure to control isolation efficiency.

Gender-specific differences in cancer-specific survival after radical cystectomy for patients with urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder in pathologic tumor stage T4a.

Background: Bladder cancer (UCB) staged pT4a show heterogeneous outcome after radical cystectomy (RC). No risk model has been established to date. Despite gender-specific differences, no comparative studies exist for this tumor stage.

MicroRNAs in renal cell carcinoma: diagnostic implications of serum miR-1233 levels.

Background: MicroRNA expression is altered in cancer cells, and microRNAs could serve as diagnostic/prognostic biomarker for cancer patients. Our study was designed to analyze circulating serum microRNAs in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Methodology/principal Findings: We first explored microrna expression profiles in tissue and serum using taqman low density arrays in each six malignant and benign samples: Although 109 microRNAs were circulating at higher levels in cancer patients' serum, we identified only 36 microRNAs with up-regulation in RCC tissue and serum of RCC patients.

External validation of postoperative nomograms for prediction of all-cause mortality, cancer-specific mortality, and recurrence in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

Background: The Bladder Cancer Research Consortium (BCRC) created nomograms to predict all-cause mortality (ACM), cancer-specific mortality (CSM), and recurrence after radical cystectomy (RC) for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB).

Objective: To perform a formal validation of the BCRC nomograms in a large multi-institutional patient cohort from Europe.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Records of 2501 patients who underwent RC for UCB at eight European centers were reviewed.

Association between the number of dissected lymph nodes during pelvic lymphadenectomy and cancer-specific survival in patients with lymph node-negative urothelial carcinoma of the bladder undergoing radical cystectomy.

Background: A larger number of dissected lymph nodes (LN) during pelvic lymphadenectomy in patients with muscle-invasive transitional-cell carcinoma of the bladder treated by radical cystectomy (RC) is crucial for exact tumor staging and is associated with a positive oncological outcome.

Methods: Clinical and pathological records of 1291 patients undergoing RC due to LN-negative transitional-cell carcinoma of the bladder were summarized and evaluated in a multi-institutional database. The number of removed LNs and the presence or absence of lymphovascular invasion were assessed.