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Purpose: Clonality assays can be used to address different questions of neoplasm development. The study of the X chromosome inactivation pattern in female patients provides a useful and most commonly used indirect approach to demonstrate the monoclonal status of a cell population. We used this approach to examine whether recurrent tumors of the bladder supposed to be of monoclonal origin derive from different, independently transformed cells or whether they arise from 1 primary tumor., Materials and Methods: We analyzed 45 archival or fresh frozen bladder tumors from 27 female patients. We assessed the X inactivation status of each tumor by a polymerase chain reaction based method after HpaII digestion., Results: Surprisingly 16 of the 45 tumors revealed a polyclonal pattern. The amount of undigested DNA far exceeded what was explained by contamination with normal cells, as determined on histological sections indicating that these tumors were in fact polyclonal. This polyclonal status was further confirmed by a comprehensive series of controls., Conclusions: Some bladder tumors are polyclonal in origin. Our findings are at variance with earlier observations and possibilities for explanation are proposed.

Purpose: Since 1986 orthotopic lower urinary tract reconstruction using the ileal neobladder has been our diversion of choice in patients of both sexes undergoing cystectomy. We report on experience and functional results of the first 363 men 11 years after this procedure., Materials and Methods: Complications were assessed, tabulated, subdivided into early (3 months or less postoperatively) and late types, and further categorized with respect to relationship to neobladder construction. Continence and voiding pattern were individually evaluated via a detailed patient questionnaire., Results: Perioperative death occurred in 11 patients (3%). Neobladder related early and late complications occurred in 56 (15.4%) and 85 (23.4%) of the 363 patients, respectively. Neobladder related early and late abdominal reoperation rates were 0.3 and 4.4%, respectively. Perioperative neobladder unrelated early complications were observed in 122 patients (33.6%) and 44 (12.1%) required operative treatment. Late postoperative complications unrelated to the neobladder occurred in 45 patients (12.4%) and 19 required open surgical revision. Of 290 evaluable patients 96.1% void spontaneously, 3.9% perform clean intermittent catheterization in some form and 1.7% perform regular intermittent catheterization. Daytime and nighttime continence was reported as good by 95.9% and satisfactory by 95% of the patients. Unacceptable daytime continence requiring more than 1 pad per day occurred in only 4.1% of the patients and only 5% are wetting more than 1 pad a night., Conclusions: The ileal neobladder produces good functional results and can be constructed with acceptable complications. Our data suggest that although it is not a complication-free procedure, we advocate its use when possible.

Purpose: The primary goal of bladder replacement is to attempt to improve patient quality of life, not to increase survival, affect cancer prognosis or decrease renal metabolic complications. Nevertheless, we retrospectively determined whether orthotopic bladder replacement has an impact on the decision to perform cystectomy., Materials and Methods: From April 1986 to September 1994, 213 men a mean of 63 years old with stages pT2N0M0 to pT4N0M0 invasive bladder cancer were referred to our department for cystectomy. For 135 patients who underwent an ileal neobladder procedure and 78 who underwent conduit diversion median followup was 4.8 and 3.5 years, respectively. We evaluated the interval from the primary diagnosis of bladder cancer to cystectomy as well as the number of previous transurethral bladder resections. The 5-year cancer specific survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The Wilcoxon and log rank tests, and the Cox proportional hazards model were used to determine statistical significance., Results: In the neobladder and conduit groups an average of 2.1 (range 1 to 18) and 4.1 (range 1 to 15) transurethral bladder resections was performed, respectively. Interval from the primary diagnosis to cystectomy was 11.8 months in the neobladder and 16.7 months in the conduit group. Cystectomy was performed 4.1 months after the diagnosis of invasive cancer in the neobladder group, whereas radical surgery was delayed for 15.4 months in the conduit group. Cancer specific 5-year survival rates were 76.6 and 28.35% in the neobladder and conduit groups, respectively. After stratifying according to tumor stage the 5-year survival rate was significantly higher for all disease stages in the neobladder than in the conduit group. The proportional hazards model revealed that this difference was not due to patient age at disease stages pT3bN0 and pT4N0 or by American Society of Anesthesiologists score. Independent prognostic factors for survival were diversion type and age. Delayed cystectomy was a risk factor only in advanced disease stages., Conclusions: These data suggest that the ileal neobladder may decrease physician reluctance to perform cystectomy early in the disease process, increasing the survival rate. They also demonstrate that the ileal neobladder option significantly affects an earlier patient and physician decision in favor of cystectomy.

Purpose: We present our surgical and functional experience with orthotopic bladder replacement in women., Materials and Methods: Since 1986, 18 women have undergone lower urinary tract reconstruction with an ileal neobladder. A nerve sparing cystectomy is done, and reservoirs are connected to the proximal urethra or urethrovesical junction. A total of 13 patients was available for complete followup as of March 1995., Results: There were no perioperative deaths and few early complications. The only 2 failures were a neobladder vaginal fistula and these cases, which were converted to a conduit, are excluded from this study. Late complications requiring rehospitalization or reoperation in 2 patients included urethroileal stenosis that had to be dilated without further sequelae and bilateral ureteroileal stenosis that was treated endoscopically. At 3 months postoperatively excellent continence was achieved in 8 patients, while 2 had grade 1 stress incontinence and 3 were hypercontinent. As of March 1995 only 4 patients voided to completion while 9 required intermittent catheterization (continuously in 5 and twice daily for residual urine in 4). We were unable to demonstrate a functional difference of the various resection lines located at the proximal urethra or urethrovesical junction., Conclusions: Urethral support and nerve sparing cystectomy plus the ileal neobladder as a reservoir guarantee excellent continence in all patients. Despite our efforts, we have been unable to demonstrate any advantage of the nerve and urethral support sparing cystectomy technique as far as micturition is concerned. The development of hypercontinence in 70% of the patients with time demonstrates that our current understanding of the functional and anatomical basics of the voiding process is too limited to allow bladder replacement with a perfect functional result in all female patients. Our long-term experience, which is different from initial reports, justifies creation of an ileal neobladder in select female patients as long as they accept a 70% risk of clean intermittent catheterization in the long term. Overall patient satisfaction, including sexual life, is exceptional. However, disappointment is considerable when clean intermittent catheterization is required after periods of successful voiding per urethram.