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Background. Retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy (RPLND), chemotherapy, and active surveillance represent treatment options for patients with nonseminomatous germ-cell tumors of the testis (NSGCTT). Our objective was to assess the utilization rate of RPLND in patients with NSGCTT. Methods. Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cohort, 4,620 and 1,671 patients with stage I and II NSGCTT were diagnosed between the years 1988 and 2006. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to test the predictors of RPLND use in respectively patients with stage I and II NSGCTT. Results. The rate of RPLND according to stage I and II was 27 and 58%, respectively. In patients with stage I disease, the rate of RPLND decreased from 39% in 1988-1995 to 18% in 2004-2006 (P < 0.001), and remained stable for stage II patients (62-56%, P = 0.2). Regional variability existed regarding the rate of RPLND use only in stage I (Utah: 51% vs. Louisiana: 16%). Multivariable analyses performed in stage I NSGCTT revealed that year of diagnosis, SEER registry, and age were significant predictors of RPLND use. However, none of these variables achieved statistical significance within stage II NSGCTT patients. Conclusions. In patients with stage I NSGCCT, the RPLND utilization rate decreased during the study span. This observation may be ascribed to wider use of surveillance or chemotherapy. No temporal difference was recorded in patients with stage II NSGCCT.

The relationship between provider volume and complication and transfusion rates in patients undergoing minimally invasive prostatectomy (MIRP) for prostate cancer has not been assessed. Temporal trends in MIRP annual surgical caseload (AC), impact of MIRP surgical experience (SE), and in-hospital complication and transfusion rates were evaluated. Between 2002 and 2008, 2,666 patients in Florida underwent MIRP. Surgical experience was defined as the number of procedures performed from the beginning of the study until each individual MIRP. Multivariable logistic regression models using generalized estimating equations assessed the relationship between SE and in-hospital complication and transfusion rates. Overall AC and SE ranged from 1-171 and 1-500, respectively. Between 2002 and 2005, 94-100% of surgeons were considered as low AC tertile (a parts per thousand currency sign15 MIRP) vs. 76-82% between 2006 and 2008. For the same time periods, low AC tertile surgeons performed 46-100 and 27-32% of all MIRPs respectively. Multivariable logistic regression models revealed 51 and 68% lower complication rates in patients operated on by surgeons of intermediate (17-76 MIRPs) and high SE (a parts per thousand yen77 MIRPs) relative to surgeons of low SE (a parts per thousand currency sign16 MIRPs). Similarly, transfusion rates were 80 and 83% lower for the same groups. Our study is the first to indicate that high SE reduces MIRP complication and transfusion rates. Despite this observation, even in the most contemporary study year, most MIRP surgeons (82%) were in the low AC tertile and contributed to as many as 32% of all MIRPs. These findings should be considered at informed consent.

The adherence rate to National Cancer Institute (NCI) recommendations regarding inguinal lymph nodes dissection (ILND) in high grade T1 (G3T1) and T2-4 squamous cell carcinoma of the penis (SCCP) is not known. We assessed ILND rates in a North American cohort. The 17 registries of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database included 868 patients with SCCP, diagnosed between 1988 and 2006. Analyses consisted of univariable and multivariable logistic regression models. Overall, 27.6% of patients underwent an ILND. ILND rates were directly proportional with T stage: 19.0%, 30.5%, 30.6%, and 32.6% for, respectively, G3T1, T2, T3, and T4 SCCP (chi-square trend, P = 0.01). ILND rates also increased over time and were 19.3, 27.3, 30.7, and 30.8% for respectively, 1988–1995, 1996–2000, 2001–2003, and 2004–2006 periods (chi-square trend, P = 0.03). Finally, ILND rates decreased with patient age and were 42.6, 33.2, 24.7, and 7.3% for, respectively, patients aged ≤57, 58–68, 69–78 and ≥79 years of age (chi-square trend, P