Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Renal Cell Carcinoma in Patients with Von Hippel-Lindau Disease-Results of a Prospective Trial.

Von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL) is a hereditary disorder associated with malignant tumors including clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Partial nephrectomy is complicated by multilocular tumor occurrence and a high recurrence rate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) as an alternative treatment approach in VHL patients with multiple ccRCC.

A Phase 1/2 Single-arm Clinical Trial of Recombinant Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) VPM1002BC Immunotherapy in Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer Recurrence After Conventional BCG Therapy: SAKK 06/14.

Background: VPM1002BC is a genetically modified Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) strain with potentially improved immunogenicity and attenuation.

Objective: To report on the efficacy, safety, tolerability and quality of life of intravesical VPM1002BC for the treatment of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) recurrence after conventional BCG therapy.

Design, Setting, And Participants: We designed a phase 1/2 single-arm trial (NCT02371447).

Real-World Data on the Use of Nivolumab Monotherapy in the Treatment of Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma after Prior Therapy: Interim Results from the Noninterventional NORA Study.

Background: Nivolumab monotherapy is approved for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC) after prior therapy on the basis of results from CheckMate 025.

Objective: The NORA (NivOlumab in Renal cell cArcinoma) noninterventional study (NIS) aims to capture real-world data to complement the pivotal CheckMate 025 clinical trial.

Design, Setting, And Participants: NORA is a prospective, multicenter NIS in Germany.

A Multi-Institutional Analysis of Prostate Cancer Patients With or Without 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT Prior to Salvage Radiotherapy of the Prostatic Fossa.

Introduction: 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT is associated with unprecedented sensitivity for localization of biochemically recurrent prostate cancer at low PSA levels prior to radiotherapy. Aim of the present analysis is to examine whether patients undergoing postoperative, salvage radiotherapy (sRT) of the prostatic fossa with no known nodal or distant metastases on conventional imaging (CT and/or MRI) and on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (68Ga-PSMA PET/CT) will have an improved biochemical recurrence-free survival (BRFS) compared to patients with no known nodal or distant metastases on conventional imaging only.

Material And Methods: This retrospective analysis is based on 459 patients (95 with and 364 without 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT).

Perioperative Outcomes of Transurethral Resection, Open Prostatectomy, and Laser Therapy in the Surgical Treatment of Benign Prostatic Obstruction: A "Real-World" Data Analysis from the URO-Cert Prostate Centers.

Introduction: The aim of the study is to compare length of hospital stay, transfusion rates, and re-intervention rates during hospitalization for transurethral resection of the prostate (TUR-P), open prostatectomy (OP), and laser therapy (LT) for surgical treatment of benign prostatic obstruction (BPO).

Methods: URO-Cert is an organization, in which clinical data of prostatic diseases from 2 university, 19 public, and 3 private hospitals and 270 office-based urologists are collected in order to document treatment quality. Data on diagnostics, therapy, and course of disease are recorded web based.

Evaluation of the Ginsburg Scheme: Where Is Significant Prostate Cancer Missed?

Background: Systematic biopsy (SB) according to the Ginsburg scheme (GBS) is widely used to complement MRI-targeted biopsy (MR-TB) for optimizing the diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer (sPCa). Knowledge of the GBS's blind sectors where sPCa is missed is crucial to improve biopsy strategies.

Methods: We analyzed cancer detection rates in 1084 patients that underwent MR-TB and SB.

Long-term Clinical Outcomes of Repeat Salvage Lymph Node Dissection for Nodal Recurrence of Prostate Cancer After Radical Prostatectomy: A Case Series.

This case series highlights the role of repeat salvage lymph node dissection (sLND) for nodal-recurrent prostate cancer. We provide a descriptive analysis of ten patients who underwent sLND in a total of 23 surgeries (mean 2.3 sLNDs per patient) and their long-term follow-up (median of 158 mo after radical prostatectomy).

Safety and side effects of transperineal prostate biopsy without antibiotic prophylaxis.

Study Aims: To investigate safety and side effects of transperineal prostate biopsy without antibiotic prophylaxis. Secondary aim was to identify whether the number of cores influenced the occurrence of complications.

Patients And Methods: A cohort of 184 patients undergoing perineal prostate biopsy without antibiotic prophylaxis from 2015 to 2017 was analyzed retrospectively.

Tc-labelled PSMA ligand for radio-guided surgery in nodal metastatic prostate cancer: proof of principle.

Purpose: Intraoperative identification of prostate cancer (PCa) lymph node (LN) metastases (LNM) detected by preoperative PSMA PET/CT may be facilitated by PSMA radio-guided surgery (RGS) with use of a γ-probe. Earlier we demonstrated excellent performance of the In-labelled PSMA ligand DKFZ-617 ([In]In-PSMA-617) in RGS for ex situ distinction of LN vs LNM at lymphadenectomy (LA) at a single LN level. In comparison with indium-111, technetium-99m has better physical properties for γ-probe measurements, better availability and lower radiation exposure for patients and medical personnel.

Comparison of Manual and Semi-Automatic [F]PSMA-1007 PET Based Contouring Techniques for Intraprostatic Tumor Delineation in Patients With Primary Prostate Cancer and Validation With Histopathology as Standard of Reference.

Purpose: Accurate contouring of intraprostatic gross tumor volume (GTV) is pivotal for successful delivery of focal therapies and for biopsy guidance in patients with primary prostate cancer (PCa). Contouring of GTVs, using 18-Fluor labeled tracer prostate specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography ([F]PSMA-1007/PET) has not been examined yet.

Patients And Methods: Ten Patients with primary PCa who underwent [F]PSMA-1007 PET followed by radical prostatectomy were prospectively enrolled.

Isotropic Expansion of the Intraprostatic Gross Tumor Volume of Primary Prostate Cancer Patients Defined in MRI-A Correlation Study With Whole Mount Histopathological Information as Reference.

Introduction: An accurate delineation of the intraprostatic gross tumor volume (GTV) is of importance for focal treatment in patients with primary prostate cancer (PCa). Multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) is the standard of care for lesion detection but has been shown to underestimate GTV. This study investigated how far the GTV has to be expanded in MRI in order to reach concordance with the histopathological reference and whether this strategy is practicable in clinical routine.

Outcome After 68Ga-PSMA-11 versus Choline PET-Based Salvage Radiotherapy in Patients with Biochemical Recurrence of Prostate Cancer: A Matched-Pair Analysis.

The purpose of this analysis was primarily to analyze biochemical-recurrence free survival (BRFS) after positron emission tomography (PET)-guided salvage radiotherapy (sRT) in a large cohort, and to further compare BRFS after PSMA vs. choline PET/ computer tomography (CT)-based sRT. This retrospective analysis is based on 421 patients referred for PSMA or choline PET/CT after radical prostatectomy due to biochemically recurrent or persistent disease.

Mental distress and need for psychosocial support in prostate cancer patients: An observational cross-sectional study.

Objective: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in German men and associated with various physical and psychosocial problems. This study investigated the association between mental distress and the subjective need for psychosocial support comparing subgroups of patients with different treatments and disease stages.

Method: We performed an observational, cross-sectional study including patients with four medical conditions: Active Surveillance, radical prostatectomy, biochemical relapse, metastasized disease.

Results from extended lymphadenectomies with [In]PSMA-617 for intraoperative detection of PSMA-PET/CT-positive nodal metastatic prostate cancer.

Purpose: Identification of suspicious PSMA-PET/CT-positive lymph node (LN) metastases (LNM) from prostate cancer (PCa) during lymphadenectomy (LA) is challenging. We evaluated an In-labelled PSMA ligand (DKFZ-617, referred to as [In]PSMA-617) as a γ-emitting tracer for intraoperative γ-probe application for resected tissue samples in PCa patients. Forty-eight hours prior to LA, [In]PSMA-617 was administered intravenously in 23 patients with suspected LNM on PSMA-PET/CT (n = 21 with biochemical relapse, n = 2 at primary therapy).

Growth characteristics and therapeutic decision markers in von Hippel-Lindau disease patients with renal cell carcinoma.

Background: Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is a multi-systemic hereditary disease associated with several benign and malignant tumor entities, including clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Since ccRCCs grow slowly, nephron sparing surgery is typically performed at a tumor diameter of 3-4 cm before the tumor metastasizes. However, in the case of recurrent disease, repeated surgical intervention can impair renal function.

Bevacizumab plus IFN-alpha-2a in First-line Treatment of Patients With Advanced or Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Prospective German Non-interventional Study.

Background/aim: The combination of bevacizumab (BEV) plus interferon alpha-2a (IFN) constitutes an option for first-line treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Real-world data from routine clinical practice are rare and were, therefore, collected during this non-interventional study (NIS).

Patients And Methods: A total of 359 patients received at least one dose of BEV (safety set population; SAF), 354 patients had at least one post-dose effectiveness assessment and formed the full analysis set (FAS) of the final analysis.

Detection Rate of F-Choline PET/CT and Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC PET/CT for Prostate Cancer Lymph Node Metastases with Direct Link from PET to Histopathology: Dependence on the Size of Tumor Deposits in Lymph Nodes.

Accurate detection of prostate cancer lymph node metastases (LNM) through PET/CT before lymphadenectomy is crucial for successful therapy. PET/CT with choline derivatives used to be the standard tool for imaging metastases, whereas Ga-PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen) PET/CT was introduced recently. Both PET techniques were investigated with respect to what extent the detection rate of LNM depends on the size of tumor deposits (TDs) within LNM.

Randomised phase II study of second-line olaratumab with mitoxantrone/prednisone versus mitoxantrone/prednisone alone in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Introduction: Platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α (PDGFRα) is expressed in primary prostate adenocarcinoma and in associated skeletal metastases. Olaratumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that binds PDGFRα and blocks downstream signalling. This phase II study assessed the efficacy and safety of olaratumab in combination with mitoxantrone and prednisone (M/P) versus M/P alone in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who progressed after docetaxel.

Performance of In-labelled PSMA ligand in patients with nodal metastatic prostate cancer: correlation between tracer uptake and histopathology from lymphadenectomy.

Purpose: Intraoperative identification of lymph node (LN) metastases (LNM) detected on preoperative PSMA PET/CT may be facilitated by PSMA radioguided surgery with the use of a gamma probe. We evaluated the uptake of In-labelled PSMA ligand DKFZ-617 (referred to as In-PSMA-617) in unaffected LN and LNM at the level of single LN.

Methods: Six patients with prostate cancer (PCa) with suspicion of LNM on preoperative PSMA PET/CT underwent In-PSMA-617-guided lymphadenectomy (LA; four salvage LA and two primary LA).

Diagnostic Accuracy of Ga-68-HBED-CC-PSMA-Ligand-PET/CT before Salvage Lymph Node Dissection for Recurrent Prostate Cancer.

By targeting the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) on prostate cancer (PCa) cells PSMA-PET/CT shows great potential in locating the site of biochemical recurrence even at low PSA (Prostate-specific antigen)-levels. Accurate imaging of PCa recurrent lymph node metastases (LNM) is crucial for metastases directed therapies such as salvage-lymph node dissection (salvage-LND). To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of PSMA-PET/CT for detection of affected lymph-node regions at salvage-LND for nodal recurrence of PCa.

Diagnosis of recurrent prostate cancer with PET/CT imaging using the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor antagonist Ga-RM2: Preliminary results in patients with negative or inconclusive [F]Fluoroethylcholine-PET/CT.

Purpose/background: [F]fluoroethylcholine (FECH) has been shown to be a valuable PET-tracer in recurrent prostate cancer (PCa), but still has limited accuracy. RM2 is a gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPr) antagonist that binds to GRPr on PCa cells. Recent studies suggest that GRPr imaging with PET/CT is a promising technique for staging and restaging of PCa.

Diabetes and beta-adrenergic blockage are risk factors for metastatic prostate cancer.

Background: We evaluated the influence of comorbidity inferred risks for lymph node metastasis (pN1) and positive surgical margins (R1) after radical prostatectomy in order to optimize pretherapeutic risk classification. We analyzed 454 patients after radical prostatectomy (RP) between 2009 and 2014. Comorbidities were defined by patients' medication from our electronic patient chart and stratified according to the ATC WHO code.

Comparison of Ga-HBED-CC PSMA-PET/CT and multiparametric MRI for gross tumour volume detection in patients with primary prostate cancer based on slice by slice comparison with histopathology.

Purpose: The exact detection and delineation of the intraprostatic tumour burden is crucial for treatment planning in primary prostate cancer (PCa). We compared Ga-HBED-CC-PSMA PET/CT with multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) for diagnosis and tumour delineation in patients with primary PCa based on slice by slice correlation with histopathological reference material.

Methodology: Seven patients with histopathologically proven primary PCa underwent Ga-HBED-CC-PSMA PET/CT and MRI followed by radical prostatectomy.