Construction and implementation of a laparoscopic skill training course based on a smartphone application and virtual reality.

Background: To develop a laparoscopic training course that combines a smartphone application (APP) and virtual reality (VR), and initially evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of its implementation.

Methods: The Exploring Laparoscopy (Ex-Lap) app was developed to meet training demands. The course was designed by integrating the app with a VR simulator (LapSim) and animal organ perfusion simulators.

Tumor-repopulating cells evade ferroptosis via PCK2-dependent phospholipid remodeling.

Whether stem-cell-like cancer cells avert ferroptosis to mediate therapy resistance remains unclear. In this study, using a soft fibrin gel culture system, we found that tumor-repopulating cells (TRCs) with stem-cell-like cancer cell characteristics resist chemotherapy and radiotherapy by decreasing ferroptosis sensitivity. Mechanistically, through quantitative mass spectrometry and lipidomic analysis, we determined that mitochondria metabolic kinase PCK2 phosphorylates and activates ACSL4 to drive ferroptosis-associated phospholipid remodeling.

Regular gastroscopy and colonoscopy during the evaluation of urachal cancer: do we really need them?

Purpose: Urachal cancer is similar to gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma in histology, and gastroscopy/colonoscopy is often administered during perioperative evaluation. However, gastroscopy and colonoscopy have corresponding disadvantages. This study discusses whether gastroscopy/colonoscopy is truly necessary for patients with urachal cancer.

Optimal interval timing between transurethral resection of bladder tumors and Bacillus Calmette-Guerin perfusion.

Objective: There is no consensus regarding the best interval time between transurethral resection of a bladder tumor and Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) perfusion. This study was to explore whether the interval time has an impact on the prognosis and adverse effects.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of patients who received BCG intravesical perfusion at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) from September 2015 to October 2021.

Prognostic Value of Inflammation Biomarkers in Penile Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients Without Distant Metastasis.

Background: To investigate the value of the presurgical inflammatory biomarkers including C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin (ALB), C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR), Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), the modified GPS (mGPS), and the high-sensitivity modified GPS (Hs-mGPS) in penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) without distant metastasis and develop a tool to predict the overall survival (OS) of PSCC patients.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 271 PSCC patients without distant metastasis from 2006 to 2021. Patients were divided into 2 cohorts by a 7:3 ratio-a training cohort (n = 191) and a validation cohort (n = 80).

mC-dependent cross-regulation between nuclear reader ALYREF and writer NSUN2 promotes urothelial bladder cancer malignancy through facilitating RABL6/TK1 mRNAs splicing and stabilization.

The significance of 5-methylcytosine (mC) methylation in human malignancies has become an increasing focus of investigation. Here, we show that mC regulators including writers, readers and erasers, are predominantly upregulated in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) derived from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center and The Cancer Genome Atlas cohort. In addition, NOP2/Sun RNA methyltransferase family member 2 (NSUN2) as a methyltransferase and Aly/REF export factor (ALYREF) as a nuclear mC reader, are frequently coexpressed in UCB.

LRPPRC regulates redox homeostasis via the circANKHD1/FOXM1 axis to enhance bladder urothelial carcinoma tumorigenesis.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) which are continuously generated mainly by mitochondria, have been proved to play an important role in the stress signaling of cancer cells. Moreover, pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins have been suggested to take part in mitochondrial metabolism. However, the mechanisms integrating the actions of these distinct networks in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) pathogenesis are elusive.

Ureteral stents cannot decrease the incidence of ureteroileal anastomotic stricture and leakage: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The ileal conduit and ileal orthotopic neobladder were the most popular methods for urinary diversion following radical cystectomy. Stenting the anastomosis of ileo-ureter or ureter-neobladder was a common practice. However, it is still controversial if ureteral stents could prevent complications such as ureteroileal anastomosis stricture (UIAS) and ureteroileal anastomosis leakage (UIAL) after ureteral anastomosis.

Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection in Penile Cancer With Inguinal Lymph Node Extranodal Extension: A Multicenter Experience.

The aim of this study is to determine the necessary extent of penile lymph node dissection (PLND) in penile cancer patients with inguinal lymph node extracapsular extension (ILN-ENE). Penile cancer patients who underwent PLND in 15 centers from January 2006 to April 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. PLND was performed in patients with ILN-ENE.

Prognostic significance of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Background: Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is a lethal disease with poor treatment response and a high death rate. Immune cells infiltrating the tumor tissues have been shown to play a vital role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression, but their prognostic significance in MIBC remains unclear.

Objectives: To explore the landscape and prognostic significance of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) in MIBC, and to develop a model to improve the prognostic predictions of MIBC.

Radiotherapy plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in penile cancer patients with extracapsular nodal extension after inguinal lymph node surgery: a multi-institutional study.

Purpose: Because there is a lack of evidence, it is not generally recommended to use adjuvant radiotherapy plus chemotherapy to treat lymph node disease in penile cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the benefit of using adjuvant radiotherapy after inguinal surgery for penile cancer.

Methods: Multi-institutional data were obtained from a total of nine centers from April 2003 to April 2015 and retrospectively analyzed.

Up-regulation of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) expression and catalytic activity is associated with immunosuppression and poor prognosis in penile squamous cell carcinoma patients.

Background: Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and tryptophan (Trp) catabolism have been demonstrated to play an important role in tumor immunosuppression. This study examined the expression and catalytic activity of IDO1 in penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) and explored their clinical significance.

Methods: IDO1 expression level, serum concentrations of Trp and kynurenine (Kyn) were examined in 114 PSCC patients by immunohistonchemistry and solid-phase extraction-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Prognostic Role of the Immunoscore for Patients with Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder Who Underwent Radical Cystectomy.

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that cancer progression is strongly influenced by the host immune response, which is represented by immune cell infiltrates. The T-lymphocyte-based Immunoscore is reported to be a reliable prognostic factor in colon cancer, but its significance in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) is at an early stage of exploration. This study aimed to determine whether the tumor immune infiltrate, as evaluated by the Immunoscore, could act as a useful prognostic marker for UCB patients who have undergone radical cystectomy (RC).

5-methylcytosine promotes pathogenesis of bladder cancer through stabilizing mRNAs.

Although 5-methylcytosine (mC) is a widespread modification in RNAs, its regulation and biological role in pathological conditions (such as cancer) remain unknown. Here, we provide the single-nucleotide resolution landscape of messenger RNA mC modifications in human urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB). We identify numerous oncogene RNAs with hypermethylated mC sites causally linked to their upregulation in UCBs and further demonstrate YBX1 as an mC 'reader' recognizing mC-modified mRNAs through the indole ring of W65 in its cold-shock domain.

Overexpression of CEP72 Promotes Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma Cell Aggressiveness via Epigenetic CREB-Mediated Induction of SERPINE1.

A vital constituent of the centrosome involved in regulating the activity of the organelle during the cell cycle is centrosomal protein (CEP)-72, whose function in the case of human cancer yet lacks clarity. The expression dynamics of CEP72 and its clinical impact were examined in a large cohort of bladder tissues. Several experiments at both the in vitro and in vivo levels on urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) cells were conducted to understand the role of this molecule along with the mechanisms.

Relapse in children with clinical stage I testicular yolk sac tumors after initial orchiectomy.

Purpose: To evaluate risk factors of relapse in pediatric patients with clinical stage I (CS1) testicular yolk sac tumors.

Methods: With retrospective analysis, the medical records of children with pure testicular yolk sac tumors who were referred to Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center and The First Affiliated Hospital from January 1995 to December 2015 were selected and recorded. Histopathology and staging were retrieved and multivariate analysis was performed with SPSS 20.

A modified clinicopathological tumor staging system for survival prediction of patients with penile cancer.

Background: The 8th American Joint Committee on Cancer tumor-node-metastasis (AJCC-TNM) staging system is based on a few retrospective single-center studies. We aimed to test the prognostic validity of the staging system and to determine whether a modified clinicopathological tumor staging system that includes lymphovascular embolization could increase the accuracy of prognostic prediction for patients with stage T2-3 penile cancer.

Methods: A training cohort of 411 patients who were treated at 2 centers in China and Brazil between 2000 and 2015 were staged according to the 8th AJCC-TNM staging system.

EGFR mono-antibody salvage therapy for locally advanced and distant metastatic penile cancer: Clinical outcomes and genetic analysis.

Purpose: There are limited therapeutic options for patients with advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) after chemotherapy failure. Thus, we evaluated the feasibility of salvage treatment using the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mono-antibody nimotuzumab in chemotherapy-failed PSCC patients and explored potential response or resistance biomarkers.

Materials And Methods: Six chemotherapy-failed PSCC patients with locally advanced disease or distant metastasis were enrolled consecutively to nimotuzumab treatment.

PRMT5 Circular RNA Promotes Metastasis of Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder through Sponging miR-30c to Induce Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

Purpose: Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of noncoding RNAs, have recently drawn lots of attention in the pathogenesis of human cancers. However, the role of circRNAs in cancer cells epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify novel circRNAs that regulate urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) cells' EMT and explored their regulatory mechanisms and clinical significance in UCBs.

Elevated serum LAMC2 is associated with lymph node metastasis and predicts poor prognosis in penile squamous cell carcinoma.

Purpose: Molecular biomarkers, especially serologic factors, have been widely applied in cancer diagnosis and patient follow-up. However, there are few valuable prognostic factors in penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC). Here, the authors investigated whether laminin gamma 2 (LAMC2) expression, especially serum LAMC2 (sLAMC2) level, was a suitable prognostic factor that could aid in the prediction of survival in PSCC.