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Background:Owing to the scarcity of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UUT-UC) it is often necessary for investigators to pool data. A patient-specific survival nomogram based on such data is needed to predict cancer-specific survival (CSS) post nephroureterectomy (NU). Herein, we propose and validate a nomogram to predict CSS post NU.Patients and methods:Twenty-one French institutions contributed data on 1120 patients treated with NU for UUT-UC. A total of 667 had full data for nomogram development. Study population was divided into the nomogram development cohort (397) and external validation cohort (270). Cox proportional hazards regression models were used for univariate and multivariate analyses and to build a nomogram. A reduced model selection was performed using a backward step-down selection process, and Harrell's concordance index (c-index) was used for quantifying the nomogram accuracy. Internal validation was performed by bootstrapping and the reduced nomogram model was calibrated.Results:Of the 397 patients in the nomogram development cohort, 91 (22.9%) died during follow-up, of which 66 (72.5%) died as a consequence of UUT-UC. The actuarial CSS probability at 5 years was 0.76 (95% CI, 71.62-80.94). On multivariate analysis, T stage (P<0.0001), N status (P=0.014), grade (P=0.026), age (P=0.005) and location (P=0.022) were associated with CSS. The reduced nomogram model had an accuracy of 0.78. We propose a nomogram to predict 3 and 5-year CSS post NU for UUT-UC.Conclusion:We have devised and validated an accurate nomogram (78%), superior to any single clinical variable or current model, for predicting 5-year CSS post NU for UUT-UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Prior to the publication of the recommendations of the French Association of Urology (AFU) on vasectomy, we conducted a survey to assess current practices and required training interventions in France regarding vasectomy., Method: An invitation with a link to a 38-item questionnaire on MonkeySurvey was sent in November 2022 to the 1760 urologist members of the AFU., Results: A total of 352 (20%) urologists completed the survey. Among the participants, 20% reported refusing the surgery to patients aged 25 to 30 years old and 17% if they had no children, respectively. Three quarters of participants mentioned systematically performing a scrotal exam at the time of the pre-vasectomy consultation. Forty-one percent of respondents reported systematically performing vasectomy under general anesthesia. While 56% of participants mentioned performing a minimally invasive technique for exposing the vas, 70% said they were willing to learn the no-scalpel technique for this purpose. The most frequently reported occlusion techniques combine excision of a vas segment and ligation of both ends of the divided vas. Only 26% reported performing fascial interposition and 4% using the "open end" technique. A post-vasectomy semen analysis showing less than 100,000 non-motile sperm per millilitre makes only 38% of respondents recommending stopping other contraceptive methods. Half of the respondents considered that current reimbursement fee structure for the procedure restrains the development of this clinical activity., Conclusion: Our survey suggests that vasectomy practice and services in France do not meet the international standards. We identified the clinical and organizational changes needed to improve practices and access to vasectomy services in France., Level of Evidence: Grade 3., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Introduction: We evaluated the effect of the presence of a double J stent on the efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in the treatment of lumbar ureteral stones., Material and Methods: Between January 2007 and February 2012, we performed a retrospective cohort study. Forty-four patients were treated by ESWL for lumbar ureteral stones and included into two groups for the analysis: group 1, non-stented (n = 27) and group 2, stented patients (n = 17). Treatment efficacy was evaluated by abdominal X-ray or CT-scan at 1 month. Stone-free patients and those with a residual stone ≤4 mm were considered to be cured., Results: Mean stone size and density in groups 1 and 2 were 8.2mm/831HU, and 9.7 mm/986HU respectively. Both groups were comparable for age, BMI, stone size and density, number, and power of ESWL shots given. The success rates in groups 1 and 2 where 81.5% and 47.1%, respectively (p = 0.017). There was no difference between the groups for stones measuring 8 mm or less (p = 0.574). For stones >8 mm, the success rates were respectively 76% and 22.2% for groups 1 and 2 (p = 0.030). Logistic regression analysis revealed a higher failure rate when a double J stent was associated with a stone >8 mm (p = 0.033)., Conclusions: The presence of a double J stent affects the efficacy of ESWL in the treatment of lumbar ureteral stones. This effect is significant for stones >8 mm. Ureteroscopy should be considered as the first-line treatment in such patients.

Adenosine and inosine are both key intracellular energy substrates for nucleotide synthesis by salvage pathways, especially during ischemic stress conditions. Additionally they both possess cell protective and cell repair properties. The objective of this study is to detect potential advantages of the combination of adenosine and inosine versus each drug alone, in terms of ventricular function, infarct size reduction and angiogenesis. Myocardial ischemia was created in rodents and treated with adenosine, inosine or their combination. Results of experiments showed that the combination of both drugs significantly reduced infarct size and improved myocardial angiogenesis and ventricular function. The two compounds, while chemically similar, use different intracellular pathways, allowing for complementary biological activities without overlapping. The drug combination at specific 1 : 5 adenosine : inosine dose ratio demonstrated positive cardiologic effects, deserving further evaluation as an adjunct to reperfusion techniques during and after acute coronary syndrome. The association of adenosine and inosine may contribute to reduce myocardial infarction morbidity and mortality rates.

Purpose: The diagnosis of localized prostate cancer is difficult due to a lack of cancer-specific biomarkers. Many patients require repeat prostate biopsies to diagnose the disease. We investigated whether aberrant promoter hypermethylation in prostatic fluid could reliably detect prostate cancer., Experimental Design: Urine samples were collected after prostate massage from 95 patients with localized prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy (63 pT(1), 31 pT(2), and 1 pT(3)) and from 38 control patients. Ten genes (GSTP1, RASSF1a, ECDH1, APC, DAPK, MGMT, p14, p16, RARbeta2, and TIMP3) were investigated using quantitative real-time methylation-specific PCR. Receiver operator curves were generated., Results: The frequency of gene methylation ranged from 6.3% (p14) to 83.2% (GSTP1) in prostate cancer patients. At least one gene was hypermethylated in 93% of cancer patients. The specificity of methylation was 0.74. Methylation was significantly more frequent (P < 0.05) in cancer than control patients for all genes except p14 and p16. According to receiver operator curve analysis, the four-gene combination of GSTP1 (0.86), RASSF1a (0.85), RARbeta2 (0.80), and APC (0.74) best discriminated malignant from nonmalignant cases. The sensitivity and accuracy of this four-gene set were 86% and 89%, respectively., Conclusions: The presence of aberrant methylation in urinary cells obtained after prostate massage is significantly associated with prostate cancer. A panel of four genes could stratify patients into low and high risk of having prostate cancer and optimize the need for repeat prostatic biopsies.