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Introduction: To compare surgical, oncologic, functional outcomes and complication rate between intracorporeal neobladder (ICNB) and extracorporeal neobladder (ECNB) orthotopic ileal neobladder of robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) in patients with nonmetastatic bladder carcinoma (BC). Materials and Methods: From 2014 to 2019, we prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed 101 patients with nonmetastatic BC treated with RARC and ortothopic neobladder. Chi-squared test estimated differences in proportions of functional and oncologic outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression models (MLRMs) focused on overall, early (30 days from discharge) in ICNB vs ECNB. Results: Of all patients, 57 (56.4%) ICNB and 44 (43.6%) ECNB patients were identified. At least one complication occurred in 75.4% vs 72.7% in ICNB vs ECNB, respectively (p = 0.9). In MLRMs, focusing on complication rate, there was no statistically significant difference between ICNB vs ECNB for overall (p = 0.8), early (p = 0.6), and late complications (p = 0.8). No statistically significant differences were recorded for tumor relapse rate, cancer-specific and other cause mortality. No positive surgical margins were recorded in both groups. Daytime and nighttime continence recovery were 89.4% vs 87.1% (p = 1.0) and 63.8% vs 51.6% (p = 1.0) for ICNB vs ECNB. Potency recovery was 59.1% vs 54.3% (p = 0.5) for ICNB vs ECNB. Conclusions: No statistically significant differences in complication rate (overall, early, or late) were identified, when ICNB and ECNB were compared. Similarly, no statistically significant difference was found in oncologic and functional outcomes.

Purpose: To assess the impact of perioperative chemotherapy on survival in cN+ BCa patients and analyze it according to the pN status. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on639 BCa patients with cTanyN1-3M0 BCa treated with radical cystectomy (RC) and bilateral lymph node dissection (LND) with or without perioperative chemotherapy in ten tertiary referral centers from 1990 to 2017. Selected cN+ patients received induction chemotherapy (IC), whereas adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) was delivered to selected pN+ patients. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to predict overall mortality (OM) after surgery, adjusting for clinicopathological confounders. Kaplan–Meier analyses assessed OM according to the treatment modality. Results: Overall, 356 (56%) patients were treated with surgery alone, 155 (24%) with IC followed by surgery, and 128 (20%) with ACT following surgery. Over a median follow-up of 25months, 316 deaths were recorded. At univariable analysis, patients treated with IC and surgery had lower OM both considering cN+ [hazard ratio (HR) 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49–0.87, p = 0.004] and cN+pN− patients (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.37–0.99, p = 0.05) compared to those treated with surgery alone. cN+pN+ patients treated with ACT experienced lower OM compared to those treated with IC or surgery alone at multivariable analysis (HR 0.40, 95% CI 0.22–0.74, p = 0.003). Conclusion: Patients with cTany cN+ cM0 BCa benefit more in terms of OS when treated with IC followed by RC + LND compared to RC + LND alone, regardless of LNMs at final histopathology examination. More data are needed to assess the role of ACT in the management of cN+ patients.

Objectives: To develop a novel nomogram to identify candidates for active surveillance (AS) that combines clinical, biopsy and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) findings; and to compare its predictive accuracy to, respectively: (i) Prostate Cancer Research International: Active Surveillance (PRIAS) criteria, (ii) Johns Hopkins (JH) criteria, (iii) European Association of Urology (EAU) low-risk classification, and (iv) EAU low-risk or low-volume with International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) Grade Group (GG) 2 classification. Patients and Methods: We selected 1837 patients with ISUP GG1 or GG2 prostate cancer (PCa), treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) between 2012 and 2018. The outcome of interest was the presence of unfavourable disease (i.e., clinically significant PCa [csPCa]) at RP, defined as: ISUP GG (Formula presented.) 3 and/or pathological T stage (pT) ≥3a and/or pathological N stage (pN) 1. First, logistic regression models including PRIAS, JH, EAU low-risk, and EAU low-risk or low-volume ISUP GG2 binary classifications (not eligible vs eligible) were used. Second, a multivariable logistic regression model including age, prostate-specific antigen density (PSA-D), ISUP GG, and the percentage of positive cores (Model 1) was fitted. Third, Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) score (Model 2), extracapsular extension (ECE) score (Model 3) and PI-RADS + ECE score (Model 4) were added to Model 1. Only variables associated with higher csPCa rates in Model 4 were retained in the final simplified Model 5. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration plots and decision curve analyses were used. Results: Of the 1837 patients, 775 (42.2%) had csPCa at RP. Overall, 837 (47.5%), 986 (53.7%), 348 (18.9%), and 209 (11.4%) patients were eligible for AS according to, respectively, the EAU low-risk, EAU low-risk or low-volume ISUP GG2, PRIAS, and JH criteria. The proportion of csPCa amongst the EAU low-risk, EAU low-risk or low-volume ISUP GG2, PRIAS and JH candidates was, respectively 28.5%, 29.3%, 25.6% and 17.2%. Model 4 and Model 5 (in which only PSA-D, ISUP GG, PI-RADS and ECE score were retained) had a greater AUC (0.84), compared to the four proposed AS criteria (all P&nbsp

Purpose of review The role of a re-transurethral resection (TUR) is clearly demonstrated in T1 high-grade nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer. However, its role remains controversial for Ta high-risk tumors and the recent European guidelines stated that the second look procedure could be avoided for these patients despite harboring a high-risk of both disease recurrence and progression. We aimed to evaluate the added benefit on staging, response to bacillus Calmette-Guerin and oncological outcomes of re-TUR in patients with Ta high-grade nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer. Recent findings Overall, we identified 15 studies, including 3912 patients from which 743 harbored Ta high-grade disease. Delay between first and second TUR was ranging from 2 to 12 weeks (median 5.6 weeks). The rate of residual disease was 52.8% (range 17-67%). The rate of overall upstaging to T1 and muscle-invasive disease were 10.9 and 4.7%, respectively. Although there was a trend toward improvement of recurrence-free survival outcomes, no definitive conclusions can be drawn due to the retrospective design of the studies included. Summary Residual tumor is common after initial TUR for Ta high-grade. Re-TUR is useful in reducing the rates of residual disease, may improve staging, response to bacillus Calmette-Guerin and oncological outcomes.

Background Correct identification of variant histologies (VHs) of bladder cancer (BCa) at transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB) could drive the subsequent treatment. Objective To evaluate the concordance in detecting VHs between TURB and radical cystectomy (RC) specimens in BCa patients. Design, setting, and participants We retrospectively analyzed 1881 BCa patients who underwent TURB and subsequent RC at seven tertiary care centers between 1980 and 2018. VHs were classified as sarcomatoid, lymphoepithelioma-like, neuroendocrine, squamous, micropapillary, glandular, adenocarcinoma, nested, and other variants. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Concordance between TURB and RC was defined as the ability to achieve histological subtypes at TURB confirmed at RC specimen, and was expressed according to Cohen’s kappa coefficient. Results and limitations Of the patients, 14.6% and 21% were diagnosed with VH at TURB and RC specimens, respectively. The most common VHs at TURB were squamous, neuroendocrine, and micropapillary carcinoma (5.2%, 1.5%, and 1.5%, respectively). At RC, the most frequent VHs were squamous, micropapillary, and sarcomatoid carcinoma (7.2%, 3.0%, and 2.7%, respectively). The overall concordance in detecting VH was defined as slight concordance (coefficient: 0.18). Moderate concordance was found for neuroendocrine, adenocarcinoma, and squamous carcinoma (coefficient: 0.49, 0.47, and 0.41, respectively). Micropapillary, glandular, and other variants showed slight concordance (coefficient: 0.05, 0.17, and 0.12, respectively), while nested and sarcomatoid carcinoma showed fair concordance (coefficient: 0.32 and 0.26, respectively). Results may be limited by the absence of centralized pathological analysis. Conclusions A non-negligible percentage of patients were diagnosed with VH at both TURB and RC. TURB showed relatively low accuracy, ranging from poor to moderate, in detecting VHs. Our study underlines the need of additional diagnostic tools in order to identify VHs properly at precystectomy time and to improve patient survival outcomes. Patient summary In this report, we underlined the low accuracy of transurethral resection of the bladder in detecting variant histologies and the need for additional diagnostic tools.

Objectives: Adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) is recommended for non-organ-confined bladder cancer (BCa) after radical cystectomy (RC) and pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND), but there are sparse data regarding its specific efficacy in patients with histological variants. The aim of our study was to evaluate the role of ACT on survival outcomes in patients with variant histology in a large multicenter cohort. Materials and methods: We retrospectively evaluated data of 3963 patients with BCa treated with RC and bilateral PLND with curative intent at several institutions between 1999 and 2018. The histological type was classified into six groups: pure urothelial carcinoma (PUC) or squamous, sarcomatoid, micropapillary, glandular and neuroendocrine differentiation. Multivariable competing risk analysis was applied to assess the role of ACT on recurrence and cancer-specific mortality (CSM) in each histological subtype. Results: Of the 3963 patients included in the study, 23% had variant histology at RC specimen and 723 (18%) patients received ACT. ACT was found to be significantly associated with reduced risk of recurrence (sub-hazard ratio [SHR]: 0.55, confidence interval [CI] 0.42–0.71, p < 0.001) and CSM (SHR: 0.58, CI 0.44–0.78, p < 0.001) in the PUC only, while no histological subtype received a significant benefit on survival outcomes (all p > 0.05) from administration of ACT. The limitation of the study includes the retrospective design, the lack of a central pathology review and the number of ACT cycles. Conclusion: In our study, the administration of ACT was associated with improved survival outcomes in PUC only. No histological subtype found a benefit in overall recurrence and CSM from ACT.

Purpose: To develop a novel risk tool that allows the prediction of lymph node invasion (LNI) among patients with prostate cancer (PCa) treated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) and extended pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND). Methods: We retrospectively identified 742 patients treated with RARP + ePLND at a single center between 2012 and 2018. All patients underwent multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) and were diagnosed with targeted biopsies. First, the nomogram published by Briganti et al. was validated in our cohort. Second, three novel multivariable logistic regression models predicting LNI were developed: (1) a complete model fitted with PSA, ISUP grade groups, percentage of positive cores (PCP), extracapsular extension (ECE), and Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) score; (2) a simplified model where ECE score was not included (model 1); and (3) a simplified model where PI-RADS score was not included (model 2). The predictive accuracy of the models was assessed with the receiver operating characteristic-derived area under the curve (AUC). Calibration plots and decision curve analyses were used. Results: Overall, 149 patients (20%) had LNI. In multivariable logistic regression models, PSA (OR: 1.03; P= 0.001), ISUP grade groups (OR: 1.33; P= 0.001), PCP (OR: 1.01; P= 0.01), and ECE score (ECE 4 vs. 3 OR: 2.99; ECE 5 vs. 3 OR: 6.97; P< 0.001) were associated with higher rates of LNI. The AUC of the Briganti et al. model was 74%. Conversely, the AUC of model 1 vs. model 2 vs. complete model was, respectively, 78% vs. 81% vs. 81%. Simplified model 1 (ECE score only) was then chosen as the best performing model. A nomogram to calculate the individual probability of LNI, based on model 1 was created. Setting our cut-off at 5% we missed only 2.6% of LNI patients. Conclusions: We developed a novel nomogram that combines PSA, ISUP grade groups, PCP, and mpMRI-derived ECE score to predict the probability of LNI at final pathology in RARP candidates. The application of a nomogram derived cut-off of 5% allows to avoid a consistent number of ePLND procedures, missing only 2.6% of LNI patients. External validation of our model is needed.

Objectives: To compare oncological outcomes of open (ORNU) and laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy (LRNU) after controlling for preoperative patient-derived factors. Patients and methods: We evaluated a multi-institutional collaborative database composed of 3984 patients diagnosed with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) treated with RNU between 2006 and 2018. To adjust for potential selection bias, propensity score matching adjusted for age, gender and American society Anesthesiology (ASA) score was performed with one ORNU patient matched to one LRNU patient. Uni- and multivariable Cox regression evaluating the risk of overall recurrence, cancer-specific mortality (CSM) and overall mortality (OM) in the overall population and after propensity matching were performed. Results: In total, 3984 patients underwent RNU, of these 3227 (81%) patients were treated with ORNU and 757 (19%) patients with LRNU. Within a median follow-up of 62months, 1276 recurrences, 844 CSMs and 1128 OMs were recorded. On multivariable analyses, the LRNU approach was associated with an increased risk of overall recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–1.54; P =0.02), but on the other hand LRNU was associated with a protective effect on CSM (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.56–0.98; P =0.04). After propensity matching analyses adjusted for age, gender and ASA score, 757 patients treated with LRNU and 757 patients treated with ORNU were available for the analyses. On multivariable Cox regression, LRNU vs ORNU was not associated with any difference in overall recurrence (P =0.08), CSM (P =0.1) or OM (P =0.9). Conclusion: Our present data suggest that even if the type of approach to RNU was associated with different survival outcomes considering the overall population, this difference vanished when adjusted for potential confounders in propensity matching analyses. Therefore, we found that LRNU is not inferior to the ORNU approach for the treatment of UTUC. Abbreviations: ASA: American Society of Anesthesiology; CIS: carcinoma in situ; CSM: cancer-specific mortality; HR: hazard ratio; IQR: interquartile range; LN: lymph node; LNI: lymph node invasion; LVI: lymphovascular invasion; OM: overall mortality; pT: pathological tumour stage; RCT: randomised controlled trial; (L)(O)RNU: (laparoscopic) (open) radical nephroureterectomy; UTUC: upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

Background: Level 1 evidence supports the administration of single postoperative intravesical chemotherapy (pIVC) following radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), in order to decrease intravesical recurrence risk. Objective: The Young Academic Urologist Urothelial Cancer Group aimed to investigate the use of pIVC in daily practice among European colleagues. Design, setting, and participants: An online survey was shared with European Association of Urology Section of Oncological Urology (ESOU) 2017 participants via e-mail. Submissions were accepted from April to June 2017. The topics for 15 questions of this survey included the habit of delivering pIVC, the choice of drug, its dosage, related doubts or concerns, reasons not to perform pIVC, knowledge of the evidence, and surgical preferences for RNU. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: Survey software was used for analyses. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association between surgeons’ experience and caseloads with pIVC utilization. Results and limitations: Overall, 127 responses were collected (11.6%). About half of the participants (47%) regularly administered pIVC following RNU. The drug most commonly utilized was mitomycin (85%); 82% adhered to the standard dosage of 40 mg. Different administration protocols were adopted: ≤48 h (39%), 7–10 postoperative days (35%), >10 d (11%), and intraoperatively (10%). The evidence was supported by prospective randomized clinical trials for only 65% of responders. Among interviewees who did not deliver pIVC, the most commonly reported reasons were lack of supporting data (55%), fear of potential side effects (18%), and organizational hurdles (15%). Conclusions: Our research highlights the limited use of pIVC following RNU for UTUC, raising the question of how the compliance with level 1 evidence in the urological community may be promoted. Patient summary: Level 1 evidence supports the administration of single postoperative intravesical chemotherapy (pIVC) following radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), in order to decrease intravesical recurrence risk. The Young Academic Urologist Urothelial Cancer Group aimed to investigate the use of pIVC in daily practice among European colleagues. Our research highlights the limited use of pIVC (47%) following RNU for UTUC, raising the question of how the compliance with level 1 evidence in the urological community may be promoted., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

To understand the multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) interreader agreement between radiologists of peripheral and academic centers and the possibility to avoid prostate biopsies according to magnetic resonance imaging second opinion.This prospective observational study enrolled 266 patients submitted to mpMRI at nonacademic centers for cancer detection or at active surveillance begin. Images obtained were reviewed by 2 unblinded radiologists with 8 and 5 years' experience on mpMRI, respectively. We recorded Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) v2 categories and management strategy changes after mpMRI rereadings. Interreader agreement was assessed by the Cohen kappa. For mpMRI second opinion, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated.In the original readings, no lesions (ie, PI-RADS 2) were observed in 17 cases (6.5%). Reported index lesion (IL) PI-RADS category was 2 in 23 (8.5%), 3 in 85 (32%), 4 in 98 (37%), and 5 in 13 (5%) men, respectively. It is noteworthy that in 30 examinations (11%), an IL was recognized by radiologists, but a suspicious score was not assigned. According to first reading of mpMRI, initial clinical strategy included performing a targeted (226; 85%) or a systematic biopsy (8; 3%), scheduling the patient to an active surveillance program without repeat biopsy (10; 4%), or monitoring prostate-specific antigen without prostate sampling (22; 8%). The mpMRI rereads did not change IL PI-RADS category in 91 cases (38.5%), although in 20 (8.5%) and 125 (53%) IL PI-RADS was upgraded or downgraded, respectively (κ = 0.23). The clinical management changed in 113 patients (48%) (κ = 0.2). Overall, 102 targeted biopsies (51%) were avoided and 72 men (34.5%) were not submitted to biopsy after mpMRI second opinion. Positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the mpMRI rereading were 58% and 91%, respectively. Major limitations of the study are limited-time follow-up and the lack of a standard of reference for some men, who were not submitted to biopsy according to mpMRI second opinion.There is an important level of discordance between mpMRI reports. According to imaging second opinion, roughly half of targeted biopsies could be avoidable and 34.5% of men could skipped prostate sampling. Prospective randomized trials are needed to confirm our findings.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to systematically review the effects of the adrenoreceptor A1D antagonist naftopidil in the management of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Methods: A structured and comprehensive MEDLINE search was conducted for original articles, reviews, and metanalyses assessing the clinical pharmacology as well as the safety of naftopidil in the treatment of LUTS secondary to BPH. English-language publications dating from 1950 to 2013 were considered. Results: In the considered timeframe, 14 randomized clinical trials (RCT) were reported. Overall, the outcome measures assessed in the various reports included in the present review were changes from baseline in: International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL) score, maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), residual volume (PVR), and adverse effects. Although additional well designed, worldwide, placebo-controlled and randomized studies are necessary to confirm the long-term outcomes of naftopidil pharmacotherapy, current data suggest that naftopidil administration in BPH patients provides comparable improvements in total IPSS, QoL, and urinary symptoms from baseline relative to 0.2 mg/d tamsulosin and 8 mg/d silodosin. However, improvements in Qmax are generally less with naftopidil than with tamsulosin. Reported adverse effects related to naftopidil administration are negligible and usually mild. Conclusion: It remains unknown whether the data reported on naftopidil in the Japanese population are applicable in symptomatic BPH patients from western countries given that: (1) no English-language clinical trials have compared naftopidil to placebo in Western countries; (2) all clinical trials available were carried out in Japan; (3) in the comparative studies with tamsulosin, the dose of this drug was lower than the recommended dose in Western countries; (4) no data from long-term clinical trials evaluating drug safety beyond 18 weeks. © 2014 Informa UK Ltd.

Background Some reports have suggested that nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) may protect against cardiovascular events (CVe) when compared with radical nephrectomy (RN). However, previous studies did not adjust the results for potential selection bias secondary to baseline cardiovascular risk. Objective To test the effect of treatment type (NSS vs RN) on the risk of developing CVe after accounting for individual cardiovascular risk. Design, setting, and participants A multi-institutional collaboration including 1331 patients with a clinical T1a–T1b N0 M0 renal mass and normal renal function before surgery (defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥60ml/min/1.73m 2 ). Intervention RN ( n =462, 34.7%) or NSS ( n =869, 65.3%) between 1987 and 2013. Outcome measurement and statistical analyses CVe was defined as onset during the follow-up period of coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, hypertension, vasculopathy, heart failure, dysrhythmias, or cerebrovascular disease not known before surgery. Cox regression analyses were performed. To adjust for inherent baseline differences among patients, we performed multivariate analyses adjusting for all available characteristics depicting the overall and cardiovascular-specific profile of the patients. Results and limitations When stratifying for treatment type, the proportion of patients who experienced CVe at 1, 5, and 10 yr was 5.5%, 9.9%, and 20.2% for NSS patients compared to 8.7%, 15.6%, and 25.9%, respectively, for RN patients ( p =0.001). In multivariate analyses, patients who underwent NSS showed a significantly lower risk of developing CVe compared with their RN counterparts (hazard ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.34–0.96; p =0.03) after accounting for clinical characteristics and cardiovascular profile. Limitations include the retrospective design of the study because other potential confounders may exist. Conclusions The risk of CVe after renal surgery is not negligible. Patients treated with NSS have roughly half the risk of developing CVe relative to their RN counterparts. After accounting for clinical characteristics, comorbidities, and cardiovascular risk at diagnosis, NSS independently decreases the risk of CVe relative to RN. Patient summary The risk of having a cardiovascular event after renal surgery decreases if a portion of the affected kidney is spared.

Purpose: We performed an analysis of the literature about the optimal prostate biopsy (PBX) scheme in the repeated setting Methods: We performed a clinical and critical literature review by searching Medline Database from January 2005 up to January 2014. Electronic searches were limited to the English language. The keywords were: prostate cancer, prostate biopsy, transrectal ultrasound, transperineal prostate biopsy. Results: The recommended approach in repeated setting is still the extended scheme (EPBx) (12 cores). An approach with more than 12 cores according to the clinical characteristics of the patients may optimize cancer detection. Saturation PBx (> 20 cores) clearly improves cancer detection if clinical suspicion persists after previous negative biopsy. Nevertheless international guidelines do not strongly recommended SPBx in all situations of repeated setting. EPBx or SPBX may be, in the future, substituted by multiparametric MRI-targeted biopsies. Conclusions: Since the scenario in which a PBx is changing, the issue about the number and location of the cores in PBx is still a matter of debate in repeated setting. At present, EPBx are still the gold standard even if SPBx seems to be necessary in many cases. However, random PBx does not represent the approach of the future, but rather imaging targeted biopsy.

Introduction: In surgically treated patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the progression-free survival (PFS) rate may significantly change according to the progression-free postoperative period. To test this hypothesis, we set to evaluate the conditional PFS rate in surgically treated patients with RCC. Methods: We evaluated 1,454 patients with RCC, surgically treated between 1987 and 2010, at a single institution. Cumulative survival estimates were used to generate conditional PFS rates. Separate Cox regression models were fitted to predict clinical-progression risk in patients who were progression free from 1 to 10 years after surgery. Results: During the immediate postoperative period, the 5-year PFS rate was 88%, and it increased to 92%, 94%, and 97% in patients who remained progression free at, respectively, 1, 5, and 10 years after surgery. At multivariable analyses, where patients with stage I disease were considered as a reference, the highest clinical-progression risk was observed at the eighth postoperative year in patients with stage II disease (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.9) and during the immediate postoperative period in patients with stage III to IV disease (HR: 5.5). In comparison with patients with grade I disease, the highest clinical-progression risk was observed at the fourth (as well as eighth) postoperative year in patients with grade II disease (HR: 5.7), sixth postoperative year in patients with grade III disease (HR: 7.2), and during the immediate postoperative period in patients with grade IV disease (HR: 8.5). Conclusions: The postoperative progression-free period has an important effect on the subsequent clinical-progression risk. This aspect should be considered along with tumor characteristics to plan the most cost-effective follow-up scheme for surgically treated patients with RCC. © 2014 Elsevier Inc.

Background Prostate cancer (PCa) patients with lymph node recurrence after radical prostatectomy (RP) are usually managed with androgen-deprivation therapy. Despite the absence of prospective randomized studies, salvage lymph node dissection (LND) has been proposed as an alternative treatment option. Objective To examine long-term outcomes of salvage LND in patients with nodal recurrent PCa documented by 11C-choline positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scan. Design, setting, and participants Overall, 59 patients affected by biochemical recurrence (BCR) with 11C-choline PET/CT scan with pathologic activity treated between 2002 and 2008 were included. Intervention Pelvic and/or retroperitoneal salvage LND. Outcome measurements and statistical analyses Biochemical response (BR) was defined as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) 0.2 ng/ml. Clinical recurrence (CR) was defined as a positive PET/CT scan after salvage LND in the presence of a rising PSA. Kaplan-Meier curves assessed time to BCR, CR, and cancer-specific mortality (CSM). Cox regression analyses were fitted to assess predictors of CR. Results and limitations Median follow-up after salvage LND was 81.1 mo. Overall, 35 patients (59.3%) achieved BR. The 8-yr BCR-free survival rate in patients with complete BR was 23%. Overall, the 8-yr CR- and CSM-free survival rates were 38% and 81%, respectively. In multivariable analyses evaluating preoperative variables, PSA at salvage LND represented the only predictor of CR (p = 0.03). When postoperative variables were considered, BR and the presence of retroperitoneal lymph node metastases were significantly associated with the risk of CR (all p ≤ 0.04). Our study is limited by the lack of a control group. Conclusions Salvage LND may represent a therapeutic option for patients with BCR after RP and nodal pathologic uptake at 11C-choline PET/CT scan. Although most patients progressed to BCR after salvage LND, roughly 40% of them experienced CR-free survival. Patient summary Salvage lymph node dissection may represent a therapeutic option for selected patients with nodal recurrence after radical prostatectomy. Roughly 40% of men did not show any further clinical recurrence at long-term follow-up after surgery.

Introduction. Controversy exists regarding the ideal candidates for penile rehabilitation after bilateral nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy (BNSRP). Aim. To test the effect of penile rehabilitation according to preoperative patient characteristics. Methods. We included 435 consecutive patients treated with BNSRP between 2004 and 2008. Preoperative age, International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) were used to subdivide patients into three groups according to foreseen risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) after surgery: low (age = 26, CCI = 70 or IIEF-EF = 22. Results. No difference in terms of EF recovery was found between patients receiving on-demand vs. daily PDE5-I (P = 0.09) in the overall population. Similarly, comparable efficacy of the two treatment schedules (on-demand vs. chronic) was demonstrated in patients with low and high risk of ED (all P < 0.8). Conversely, daily therapy with PDE5-I showed significantly higher efficacy for the EF recovery rate compared with the on-demand PDE5-I administration schedule in patients with intermediate risk of ED (3-year EF recovery: 74% vs. 52%, respectively; P = 0.02). Conclusion. The ideal candidates for penile rehabilitation after surgery are patients at intermediate risk of ED. Briganti A, Di Trapani E, Abdollah F, Gallina A, Suardi N, Capitanio U, Tutolo M, Passoni N, Salonia A, DiGirolamo V, Colombo R, Guazzoni G, Rigatti P, and Montorsi F. Choosing the best candidates for penile rehabilitation after bilateral nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy. J Sex Med 2012;9:608-617. "Introduction. Controversy exists regarding the ideal candidates for penile rehabilitation after bilateral nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy (BNSRP). Aim. To test the effect of penile rehabilitation according to preoperative patient characteristics. Methods. We included 435 consecutive patients treated with BNSRP between 2004 and 2008. Preoperative age, International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) were used to subdivide patients into three groups according to foreseen risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) after surgery: low (age = 26, CCI = 70 or IIEF-EF = 22. Results. No difference in terms of EF recovery was found between patients receiving on-demand vs. daily PDE5-I (P = 0.09) in the overall population. Similarly, comparable efficacy of the two treatment schedules (on-demand vs. chronic) was demonstrated in patients with low and high risk of ED (all P < 0.8). Conversely, daily therapy with PDE5-I showed significantly higher efficacy for the EF recovery rate compared with the on-demand PDE5-I administration schedule in patients with intermediate risk of ED (3-year EF recovery: 74% vs. 52%, respectively; P = 0.02). Conclusion. The ideal candidates for penile rehabilitation after surgery are patients at intermediate risk of ED. Briganti A, Di Trapani E, Abdollah F, Gallina A, Suardi N, Capitanio U, Tutolo M, Passoni N, Salonia A, DiGirolamo V, Colombo R, Guazzoni G, Rigatti P, and Montorsi F. Choosing the best candidates for penile rehabilitation after bilateral nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy. J Sex Med 2012;9:608-617."