Utility of whole-body diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in the management of treatment-related neuroendocrine prostate cancer.

Introduction: Treatment-related neuroendocrine prostate cancer, a rare and aggressive malignancy that emerges during androgen deprivation therapy characterized by low serum prostate-specific antigen concentrations, is challenging to monitor because it is associated with predominantly visceral and lytic bone metastases.

Case Presentation: We describe the case of a 69-year-old man with treatment-related neuroendocrine prostate cancer in whom the treatment response could be monitored using whole-body diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in addition to serum concentrations of neuroendocrine markers. The patient responded well to platinum-based chemotherapy and achieved a complete response, as evidenced by these diagnostic modalities.

Association of cancer progression with elevated expression of programmed cell death protein 1 ligand 1 by upper tract urothelial carcinoma and increased tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte density.

Background: Increased expression of programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) by tumor cells is thought to be a mechanism through which solid cancers promote immune tolerance. However, the association between PD-L1 expression and the prognosis of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) remains unknown.

Methods: We examined immunohistochemical PD-L1 expression and the tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte density (TILD) in 79 patients with UTUC who underwent nephroureterectomy.

Association between serum prostate-specific antigen level and diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and the laboratory parameters related to glucose tolerance, hepatic function, and lipid profile: implications for modification of prostate-specific antigen threshold.

Background: Previous studies indicated inverse relationships between body mass index (BMI), diabetes and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentration besides an established positive relationship between age and PSA. Other causal relationships between clinical parameters including hypertension, hepatic function, tests, lipid profile and PSA were also suggested. Thus, we incorporated these parameters all together into the analysis to identify possible determinants of PSA concentration to improve the accuracy of PSA tests.

Elevated serum levels of cardiovascular biomarkers are associated with progression of renal cancer.

Objective: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a hypervascular tumour due to high constitutive production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is activated by hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). Elevated levels of cardiovascular peptides, including brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), have been reported in patients with cancer, regardless of whether they have overt cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that hypoxia stimulates BNP production by an HIF-dependent manner.

[Diagnostic Impact of 3D-CT with Retrograde Pyelography for Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction : A Case Report].

A 26-year-old woman presented to our hospital with right costovertebral angle (CVA) pain. Ultrasonographyand computed tomography(CT) scan indicated right hydronephrosis, and MAG3 renogram showed an obstructed pattern in the right kidney. Enhanced CT scan revealed an ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) with an aberrant vessel.

Performance characteristics of prostate-specific antigen density and biopsy core details to predict oncological outcome in patients with intermediate to high-risk prostate cancer underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

Background: Many urologic surgeons refer to biopsy core details for decision making in cases of localized prostate cancer (PCa) to determine whether an extended resection and/or lymph node dissection should be performed. Furthermore, recent reports emphasize the predictive value of prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) for further risk stratification, not only for low-risk PCa, but also for intermediate- and high-risk PCa. This study focused on these parameters and compared respective predictive impact on oncologic outcomes in Japanese PCa patients.

Extravasation of Urine Associated with Bilateral Complete Ureteral Duplication, Vesicoureteral Reflux and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.

We report a rare case of extravasation of urine, which may be associated with bilateral complete ureteral duplication, vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A 71-year-old male presented with a complaint of right abdominal pain. An extravasation of urine was noted, and was improved by indwelling urethral catheterization.

Clinically significant association between the maximum standardized uptake value on 18F-FDG PET and expression of phosphorylated Akt and S6 kinase for prediction of the biological characteristics of renal cell cancer.

Background: The relationship between the clinicopathological features and molecular changes associated with standardized uptake value (SUV) determined by Positron emission tomography (PET) with [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG PET) in human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has not been elucidated. On the other hand, overactivation of the phosphatidylinositol 3'kinase (PI3K), serine/threonine kinase Akt, and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway has been detected in a variety of human cancers, including RCC. So far, little is known about the relationship between the SUV and these proteins in human RCC.

Clinical significance of serum soluble T cell regulatory molecules in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

To clarify the role of serum soluble T cell regulatory molecules in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC), we measured the serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), soluble B7-H3 (sB7-H3), and soluble cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen-4 (sCTLA-4) in 70 CCRCC patients and 35 healthy controls. We investigated correlations between the serum levels of these soluble T cell regulatory molecules and the pathological grade, clinical stage, and prognosis of CCRCC. We also assessed the relations among each of these soluble molecules.

The Rho-kinase inhibitor HA-1077 suppresses proliferation/migration and induces apoptosis of urothelial cancer cells.

Background: Activation of Rho, one of the small GTPases, and its major downstream target Rho-kinase (ROCK) promotes the development and metastasis of cancer. We previously showed that elevation of Rho and ROCK expression was associated with tumor invasion, metastasis, and an unfavorable prognosis in patients with urothelial cancer of the bladder or upper urinary tract.

Methods: We investigated the effects of a ROCK inhibitor on the growth, migration, and apoptosis of bladder cancer cells.

Prostate volume and biopsy tumor length are significant predictors for classical and redefined insignificant cancer on prostatectomy specimens in Japanese men with favorable pathologic features on biopsy.

Background: Gleason pattern 3 less often has molecular abnormalities and often behaves indolent. It is controversial whether low grade small foci of prostate cancer (PCa) on biopsy could avoid immediate treatment or not, because substantial cases harbor unfavorable pathologic results on prostatectomy specimens. This study was designed to identify clinical predictors for classical and redefined insignificant cancer on prostatectomy specimens in Japanese men with favorable pathologic features on biopsy.

Metronomic oral cyclophosphamide chemotherapy possibly contributes to stabilization of disease in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: a prospective analysis of consecutive cases.

Introduction/background: Castration-resistant prostate cancer remains a therapeutic challenge, even after establishing the survival benefits of docetaxel chemotherapy. Metronomic chemotherapy stabilizes various cancers through antiangiogenic and immunomodulatory effects. We evaluate the activity of metronomic oral cyclophosphamide chemotherapy in metastatic CRPC patients, and assess predictive factors for clinical outcomes.

Axitinib for preoperative downstaging of renal cell carcinoma with sarcomatoid differentiation and direct invasion of the duodenum and inferior vena cava: a case report.

Background: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with sarcomatoid differentiation is invasive, refractory to treatment, and has a higher mortality. Therefore, systemic therapy is still challenging, and the curative resection of localized or locally advanced RCC with sarcomatoid differentiation is very important. Axitinib is a potent and selective second-generation vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor with improved safety and tolerability.

Increased expression of system large amino acid transporter (LAT)-1 mRNA is associated with invasive potential and unfavorable prognosis of human clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Background: The system L amino acid transporter (LAT) has an important role in the transport of various amino acids, and there have been reports about the relation of this system to cancer. Although LATs are highly expressed in the kidneys, little is known about their influence on human renal cancer.

Methods: To clarify the role of LATs in human clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC), we investigated the expression of mRNAs for LAT1, LAT2, LAT3, LAT4, and 4F2hc in clear cell RCC tissues.

Lower urinary tract symptoms of neurological origin in urological practice.

Purpose: The present study aimed to reveal the neurological origin of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in routine urological examination.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 70 cases to identify cases in which the neurologist and/or urologist suspected the relation between neurological diseases and LUTS. The compromised neurological areas were categorized into brain and spinal cord based on the appearance time of LUTS and presence/absence of disease specificity.

Renal metanephric adenoma mimicking papillary renal cell carcinoma on computed tomography: a case report.

We present a case of renal metanephric adenoma (MA) mimicking papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) on computed tomography (CT). In the present case, double-phase enhanced CT showed a hypovascular right renal tumor with gradual and prolonged enhancement. The renal tumor was surgically removed.

Prostate cancer detection with 3 T MRI: comparison of diffusion-weighted imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in combination with T2-weighted imaging.

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic ability of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging (DCEI) in combination with T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) for the detection of prostate cancer using 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with a phased-array body coil.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-three patients with elevated serum levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) were evaluated by T2WI, DWI, and DCEI prior to needle biopsy. The obtained data from T2WI alone (protocol A), a combination of T2WI and DWI (protocol B), a combination T2WI and DCEI (protocol C), and a combination of T2WI plus DWI and DCEI (protocol D) were subjected to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Prognostic significance of global grading system of Gleason score in patients with prostate cancer with bone metastasis.

Objective: To investigate the influence of the revised Gleason grading system (GGS, revised at a consensus conference organized by the International Society of Urological Pathology in 2005) on prediction of prognosis for patients with prostate cancer with bone metastasis.

Patients And Methods: Prostatic needle biopsy specimens from 113 patients with prostate cancer with bone metastasis were scored using the conventional GGS (CGGS), modified global GGS (MGGGS), and modified highest GGS (MHGGS). The patients were divided into two groups (Gleason score < or = 7 and > or = 8) using each grading system.

[Interferon alpha and half-dose sorafenib is an effective treatment modality for interferon alpha-resistant metastatic renal cell carcinoma: a case report].

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma is notoriously resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Immunotherapy with interferon alpha is widely used for the disease, but its treatment effects are poor. A 69-year-old Japanese women presented with gross hematuria.

A novel splice variant of the nuclear coactivator p120 functions strongly for androgen receptor: characteristic expression in prostate disease.

We cloned a novel splicing variant for nuclear coactivator p120(alpha), designated as p120beta and studied its function and expression in several human prostate diseases. Transfection assays demonstrated that p120beta functions as a strong coactivator for androgen receptor (AR), but weakly for other nuclear receptors. GST-pull down assay showed that a glutamine-rich region of the p120 bound to the ligand-binding domain of AR.

Preparation of a single prostate needle biopsy specimen for histological diagnosis and RNA analysis.

Purpose: When a prostate needle biopsy specimen is used for molecular study, a second specimen from the same area as the first one has previously been required for pathological diagnosis. However, we developed a method for obtaining substances such as RNA and we also made pathological diagnosis possible from a single needle biopsy specimen, improving reliability.

Materials And Methods: Prostate needle biopsy specimens from 118 patients were frozen in optimal cutting temperature compound.

Administration of extract of mushroom Phellinus linteus induces prostate enlargement with increase in stromal component in experimentally developed rat model of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Objectives: To clarify the effect of the mushroom extract Phellinus linteus on noncancerous prostate cells using an experimentally developed rat benign prostatic hyperplasia model. A growing number of people take some natural herbal extracts for maintenance of their health. Among them, the extracts of certain mushrooms are believed to have a marked tumoricidal effect but low toxicity for normal tissues, and they are being drunk widely in Japan and Korea.