WWOX Modulates ROS-Dependent Senescence in Bladder Cancer.

The tumor-suppressor gene, WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX), has been found to be lost in various types of cancers. ROS result as a tightly regulated signaling process for the induction of cell senescence. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of WWOX in the regulation of ROS and cell senescence, which is intriguing in terms of the possible mechanism of WWOX contributing to bladder cancer.

A Hydrogel-Based Epirubicin Delivery System for Intravesical Chemotherapy.

This study aimed to examine the efficacy of epirubicin-loaded gelatin hydrogel (EPI-H) in the treatment of superficial urothelium carcinoma. Hydrogel was prepared by Schiff base-crosslinking of gelatin with glutaraldehyde. EPI-H exhibited high entrapment efficiency (59.

Preparation and characterization of gelatin-based mucoadhesive nanocomposites as intravesical gene delivery scaffolds.

This study aimed to develop optimal gelatin-based mucoadhesive nanocomposites as scaffolds for intravesical gene delivery to the urothelium. Hydrogels were prepared by chemically crosslinking gelatin A or B with glutaraldehyde. Physicochemical and delivery properties including hydration ratio, viscosity, size, yield, thermosensitivity, and enzymatic degradation were studied, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was carried out.

Use dose bricks concept to implement nasopharyngeal carcinoma treatment planning.

Purpose: A "dose bricks" concept has been used to implement nasopharyngeal carcinoma treatment plan; this method specializes particularly in the case with bell shape nasopharyngeal carcinoma case.

Materials And Methods: Five noncoplanar fields were used to accomplish the dose bricks technique treatment plan. These five fields include (a) right superior anterior oblique (RSAO), (b) left superior anterior oblique (LSAO), (c) right anterior oblique (RAO), (d) left anterior oblique (LAO), and (e) superior inferior vertex (SIV).

Changes in quality of life among prostate cancer patients after surgery.

Background: Quality of life (QoL) often is impacted after radical prostatectomy (RP) procedures. Although patients' QoL scores gradually improve after RP, changes in the QoL score over time after different RP procedures must be examined.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the changes in QoL over time of prostate cancer patients who were treated with open RP (ORP) or laparoscopic RP (LRP) procedures.

p53 codon 72 polymorphism as a progression index for bladder cancer.

The aim of this study was to calculate the positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) to determine whether p53 codon 72 can be used as a bladder cancer management index. Ninety-six patients diagnosed with bladed cancer and two control groups of 427 randomly sampled community participants and 142 non-cancerous individuals without a prior history of cancer were enrolled. After preliminary analysis, the convergent validity resulted in 96 patients from this study and 129 patients from our previous study.

Polymorphisms of TP53 are markers of bladder cancer vulnerability and prognosis.

Objectives: We have reported previously that the TP53 codon72 polymorphism (rs1042522) is associated with the incidence and invasiveness of bladder cancer in a Han Chinese population. Using an enlarged sample, we investigated the role of rs1042522 and of tagSNPs that were predicted to be in linkage disequilibrium with codon72 in relation to the incidence, invasiveness, and prognosis of bladder cancer.

Methods And Materials: A sample of 201 patients and 311 controls without cancer were genotyped for 5 tagSNPs using tetra-primer ARMS and/or an allele-specific PCR technique.

Comparison of health-related quality of life between subjects treated with radical prostatectomy and brachytherapy.

Aims And Objectives: To evaluate the symptoms and self-assessment of quality of life in men with localised prostate cancer after having had a radical prostatectomy or brachytherapy treatment.

Background: Prostate cancer is a significant growing disease among men in Taiwan. Quality of life issues for the men who are living with this disease and the consequences of treatment.

Bilateral renal myxoid perineuriomas.

A perineurioma is a benign tumor of the peripheral nervous system which is composed of perineurial cells. Perineuriomas commonly develop as extraneural tumors from soft tissues and less commonly have intraneural localization. This case report describes a 25-year-old man with large bilateral renal masses that were diagnosed as perineuriomas.

Effects of early pelvic-floor muscle exercise for sexual dysfunction in radical prostatectomy recipients.

Background: Sexual dysfunction is common after radical prostatectomy (RP). Although pelvic-floor muscle exercise (PFME) has been recommended for sexual dysfunction, the optimal time for starting exercises after this surgery and the effects of exercise still need to be examined.

Objectives: The present study was intended to explore the prevalence of sexual dysfunction and to assess the efficacy of PFME in sexual dysfunction following RP.

p53 codon 72 polymorphism was associated with vulnerability, progression, but not prognosis of bladder cancer in a Taiwanese population: an implication of structural equation modeling to manage the risks of bladder cancer.

Introduction: p53 codon 72 polymorphism has been reported to be associated with bladder cancer incidence, progression and prognosis, but the association is still under debate. A tentative model was constructed to evaluate the association between p53 codon 72 polymorphism and bladder cancer.

Subjects And Methods: In this study, a total of 554 participants were enrolled.

The effect of surgeon empathy and emotional intelligence on patient satisfaction.

We investigated the associations of surgeons' emotional intelligence and surgeons' empathy with patient-surgeon relationships, patient perceptions of their health, and patient satisfaction before and after surgical procedures. We used multi-source approaches to survey 50 surgeons and their 549 outpatients during initial and follow-up visits. Surgeons' emotional intelligence had a positive effect (r = .

Single-session laparoscopic total urinary tract exenteration without repositioning for multifocal urothelial carcinoma in dialysis-dependent patients.

Objectives: To report our experience of single-session, en bloc, laparoscopic total urinary tract exenteration in dialysis-dependent patients with multifocal urothelial carcinoma.

Methods: From June 2005 to April 2008, 5 dialysis-dependent patients (4 women and 1 man) diagnosed with synchronous upper urinary tract and bladder urothelial carcinoma underwent single-session, en bloc, laparoscopic total urinary tract exenteration. Bilateral nephroureterectomy was facilitated by rotating the operating table with or without alternative inflation of the tourniquet cuffs on either side of the patient's back to allow adequate spontaneous bowel displacement by gravity, thereby avoiding the need to reposition the patient.

An atrophic crossed fused kidney with an ectopic vaginal ureter causing urine incontinence.

An ectopic vaginal ureter is an infrequent cause of urinary incontinence. Most cases are associated with a duplex kidney in which the lower moiety ureter drains into the bladder. Occasionally, some cases of ectopic kidney with single vaginal ectopic ureter can occur.

Optimization of epirubicin nanoparticles using experimental design for enhanced intravesical drug delivery.

The aim of this study was to develop poly(ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate) (PECA) epirubicin-loaded nanoparticles (EPI-NP). A 2(3) factorial design was adopted with the type of surfactant, surfactant concentration and the pH of the polymerization medium as independent variables. The particle size, entrapment efficacy and polydispersity index of eight formulations were then evaluated.

De novo urothelial carcinoma in a pediatric recipient of living donor kidney graft.

De novo urothelial carcinoma is relatively rare among post-transplant malignancies and never reported in pediatric kidney transplant recipients. In this paper, we reported one 12-yr-old male case with painless gross hematuria as the initial manifestation of de novo urothelial carcinoma in living donor graft pelvis. We emphasize the importance that cystoscopy and retrograde pyelography of native and transplant kidneys should be performed in all kidney transplant recipients with painless gross hematuria.

Use of collagen for endoscopic correction in complicated vesicoureteral reflux.

Objective: Endoscopic treatment of children with primary vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) has become an alternative to long-term antibiotic prophylaxis and open surgery. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficiency and safety of endoscopic subureteral injections of collagen (STING) as a treatment for complicated VUR in children.

Material And Methods: Twenty-five patients (41 ureteral units) underwent a modified STING procedure for the correction of complicated VUR.

Imaging findings in fibroepithelial polyps causing ureteropelvic junction obstruction: report of one case.

Fibroepithelial polyps causing ureteropelvic junction obstruction are rarely reported in the pediatric age group. We report a 9-year-old boy who had ureteropelvic junction obstruction that proved to be owing to benign fibroepithelial polyps. Intravenous pyelography showed hydronephrosis with filling defects at the left ureteropelvic junction.

Diffuse xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis and staghorn calculus: report of one case.

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis and staghorn calculus are rare in children. In this report, we describe a Chinese boy without history of urinary tract infection who developed insidious onset of left flank pain. Urine culture showed Proteus mirabilis infection.

Buccal mucosal graft for urethral reconstruction.

Urethral reconstruction with graft substances, such as skin and bladder mucosa, has been previously used when primary anastomosis cannot be achieved. However, stricture and meatal prolapse are associated with these grafts. We report the use of buccal mucosa for the reconstruction of urethral defects in 3 patients.

High-dose rate iridium-192 brachytherapy and external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer with or without androgen ablation.

Aim: To report the results of our feasibility study incorporating iridium-192 high-dose-rate (HDR) afterloading brachytherapy and external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for the treatment of prostate carcinoma and to assess the role of androgen ablation in conjunction with this treatment option.

Methods: From July 2000 to June 2002, 42 patients with clinically localized or locally extensive prostate carcinoma were treated with HDR iridium-192 brachytherapy and EBRT with or without androgen ablation. The median follow up was 16.

Synchronous bilateral primary transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tracts: ten patients with more than five years of follow-up.

Primary transitional cell carcinoma of synchronous bilateral upper urinary tracts is rare. In our patients, end-stage renal disease and renal insufficiency were frequently associated with bilateral upper tract transitional cell carcinoma. The clinical presentations of these patients were similar to that of those with Chinese-herb nephropathy and Balkan endemic nephropathy.

The development of bladder tumors and contralateral upper urinary tract tumors after primary transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract.

Background: Contralateral, metachronous upper urinary tract (UUT) tumors after primary transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the UUT are reported rarely, and to the authors' knowledge the risk factors have not been determined to date. In addition, few reports have described the characteristics of recurrent bladder tumors and contralateral UUT tumors and any relation between theses tumor types.

Methods: Statistical analysis of data from 223 patients with documented primary UUT-TCC was undertaken.