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Objective Despite efforts to improve screening and early detection of prostate cancer (PC), no available biomarker has shown acceptable performance in patients with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) gray zones. We aimed to develop a deep learning-based prediction model with minimized parameters and missing value handling algorithms for PC and clinically significant PC (CSPC). Materials and Methods We retrospectively analyzed data from 18 824 prostate biopsies collected between March 2003 and December 2020 from 2 databases, resulting in 12 739 cases in the PSA gray zone of 2.0–10.0 ng/mL. Dense neural network (DNN) and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) models for PC and CSPC were developed with 5-fold cross-validation. The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) was compared with that of serum PSA, PSA density, free PSA (fPSA) portion, and prostate health index (PHI). Results The AUROC values in the DNN model with the imputation of missing values were 0.739 and 0.708 (PC) and 0.769 and 0.742 (CSPC) in internal and external validation, whereas those of the non-imputed dataset were 0.740 and 0.771 (PC) and 0.807 and 0.771 (CSPC), respectively. The performance of the DNN model was like that of the XGBoost model, but better than all tested clinical biomarkers for both PC and CSPC. The developed DNN model outperformed PHI, serum PSA, and percent-fPSA with or without missing value imputation. Discussion DNN models for missing value imputation can be used to predict PC and CSPC. Further validation in real-life scenarios are need to recommend for actual implementation, but the results from our study support the increasing role of deep learning analytics in the clinical setting. Conclusions A deep learning model for PC and CSPC in PSA gray zones using minimal, routinely used clinical parameter variables and data imputation of missing values was successfully developed and validated.

This study was conducted in order to review the outcomes regarding polygenic risk score (PRS) in prediction of prostate cancer (PCa). With the increasing proficiency of genetic analysis, assessment of PRS for prediction of PCa has been performed in numerous studies. Genetic risk prediction models for PCa that include hundreds to thousands of independent risk-associated variants are under development. For estimation of additive effect of multiple variants, the number of risk alleles carried by an individual is summed, and each variant is weighted according to its estimated effect size for generation of a PRS.Currently, regarding the accuracy of PRS alone, PCa detection rate ranged from 0.56 to 0.67. A higher rate of accuracy of 0.866-0.880 was observed for other models combining PRS with established clinical markers. The results of PRS from Asian populations showed a level of accuracy that is somewhat low compared with values from Western populations (0.63-0.67); however, recent results from Asian cohorts were similar to that of Western counterparts. Here, we review current PRS literature and examine the clinical utility of PRS for prediction of PCa.Emerging data from several studies regarding PRS in PCa could be the solution to adding predictive value to PCa risk estimation. Although commercial markers are available, development of a large-scale, well validated PRS model should be undertaken in the near future, in order to translate hypothetical scenarios to actual clinical practice.

Purpose To develop and evaluate the performance of a polygenic risk score (PRS) constructed in a Korean male population to predict clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa). Materials and Methods Total 2,702 PCa samples and 7,485 controls were used to discover csPCa susceptible single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Males with biopsy-proven or post-radical prostatectomy Gleason score 7 or higher were included for analysis. After genotype imputation for quality control, logistic regression models were applied to test association and calculate effect size. Extracted candidate SNPs were further tested to compare predictive performance according to number of SNPs included in the PRS. The best-fit model was validated in an independent cohort of 311 cases and 822 controls. Results Of the 83 candidate SNPs with significant PCa association reported in previous literature, rs72725879 located in PRNCR1 showed the highest significance for PCa risk (odds ratio, 0.597; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.555–0.641; p=4.3×10-45). Thirty-two SNPs within 26 distinct loci were further selected for PRS construction. Best performance was found with the top 29 SNPs, with AUC found to be 0.700 (95% CI, 0.667–0.734). Males with very-high PRS (above the 95th percentile) had a 4.92-fold increased risk for csPCa. Conclusions Ethnic-specific PRS was developed and validated in Korean males to predict csPCa susceptibility using the largest csPCa sample size in Asia. PRS can be a potential biomarker to predict individual risk. Future multi-ethnic trials are required to further validate our results., Graphical Abstract

Background There are limited data concerning patients treated with sequential bilateral kidney surgery. Current guidelines still lack an optimal surgical sequencing approach. We evaluated renal functional outcomes after sequential partial nephrectomy (PN) and radical nephrectomy (RN) in patients with bilateral renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Methods A propensity score matched cohort of 267 patients (synchronous bilateral RCCs, N = 44 [88 lesions]; metachronous bilateral, N = 45 [90 lesions]; unilateral, N = 178) from two tertiary institutions were retrospectively analyzed. Synchronous bilateral RCCs were defined as diagnosis concomitantly or within 3 months of former tumor. Renal functional outcomes were defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) changes and de novo chronic kidney disease (CKD, stage ≥3) after surgery. Renal functional outcomes and clinical factors predicting de novo CKD were assessed using descriptive statistics and Cox regression analysis. Results In subgroup of bilateral RCCs, patients underwent sequential PN (N = 48), PN followed by RN (N = 8), or RN followed by PN (N = 25). Final postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFRs) were 79.4, 41.4, and 61.2 ml/minute/1.73 m2, respectively (p = 0.003). There were significant differences in eGFR decline from baseline and de novo chronic kidney disease (CKD stage ≥ III) among groups, with PN followed by RN group showing the worst functional outcomes (all p p = 0.016). On multivariate analysis, hypertension (p = 0.010) and surgery sequence (PN followed by RN, p Conclusions The surgery sequence should be prudently determined in bilateral renal tumors. PN followed by RN showed a negative impact on renal functional preservation. Nephron-sparing surgery should be considered for all amenable bilateral RCCs.

To evaluate the risk of concordant cancers in patients with prostate cancer (CaP) and examine whether this risk differed according to family history of CaP.We examined 1,102 patients with CaP , having prospectively acquired pedigrees, and analyzed information regarding multiple primary cancers. The prevalence of concordant cancers was assessed with respect to the family history of CaP . First-degree familial CaP was defined as a positive history of CaP in first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, and offspring). Odds ratios for each concordant cancer in men with first-degree familial CaP were estimated. Clinical characteristics were compared between men with and without concordant cancers.The prevalence of multiple primary cancers in sporadic PCa was 12.0%, similar to that of first-degree familial CaP (13.5%, P = 0.698). Gastrointestinal cancer was the most common concordant cancer (3.6%), followed by colorectal (2.9%), lung (1.5%), urothelial (1.3%), kidney (1.1%), and other cancers. Colorectal cancer was more frequent in first-degree familial CaP than in sporadic disease (6.8 vs. 2.7%, P = 0.045). However, the rates of other concordant cancers were similar between the 2 groups (P range, 0.242-0.963). Compared with sporadic disease, the age-adjusted odds ratio for concordant colorectal cancer in first-degree familial CaP was 2.930 (95% confidence interval, 1.082-7.929). Patients with concordant colorectal cancer had fewer (2.8 vs. 3.9 cores, P = 0.041) and a lower percentage of (23.5 vs. 33.1%, P = 0.030) positive biopsy cores than CaP only patients.A family history of CaP was significantly associated with a risk of concordant colorectal cancer. These findings imply that some CaP shares a genetic pathogenesis with colorectal cancer.

To examine the diagnostic performance of Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System (VIRADS) and to find a quantitative indicator for predicting muscle layer invasion of bladder cancer. 3-T MRI of 82 patients performed before transurethral resection of bladder tumors or radical cystectomy between July 2018 and June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. For one index lesion of each patient, two radiologists independently assigned VIRADS score and measured tumor-wall interface (contact length between tumor and bladder wall) on T2-weighted, diffusion-weighted, and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. Inter-reader agreement was assessed, and logistic regression analysis was performed to find indicators of muscle layer invasion. Comparison of indicators’ diagnostic performance was done with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and generalized linear model analyses. Optimal cutoff point was determined by the Youden index J. Inter-reader agreement was at least substantial for VIRADS categorization (κ 0.77–0.81), and almost perfect for tumor-wall interface (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.88–0.90). Tumor-wall interface (odds ratio [OR] 1.90–2.00) and VIRADS score (OR 8.59–8.89) were independently associated with muscle layer invasion (p ≤ 0.02). For VIRADS, area under the ROC curve (AUROC) was 0.94, and the accuracy was 0.93 at score 3, the optimal threshold for predicting muscle layer invasion. Depending on the MRI sequence, tumor-wall interface showed AUROCs of 0.90–0.92 and accuracy of 0.84–0.90 at suggested thresholds (3 ± 0.3 cm). Tumor-wall interface showed insignificant differences in accuracy compared with VIRADS (p > 0.10), except as measured on diffusion-weighted images (p = 0.01). VIRADS is a good predictor of muscle layer invasion. As an independent quantitative indicator, tumor-wall interface may complement VIRADS to enhance prediction. • Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System (VIRADS) is a promising predictor of muscle invasion of bladder cancer with good reproducibility, as suggested by previous studies. • VIRADS score and the tumor-wall interface (curvilinear contact length between the tumor and the bladder wall) are independent predictors of muscle layer invasion. • As an easy-to-use quantitative indicator, tumor-wall interface is expected to be used as an indicator complementary to VIRADS, a qualitative indicator.

This study aimed to evaluate the oncological outcomes and post-implantation complications of the concurrent androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with I-125 low-dose-rate (LDR)-prostate brachytherapy (sparse implantation technique: SIT) in comparison with the conventional non-ADT using whole gland brachytherapy (CWT). 302 localized prostate cancer (PCa) patients were treated with CWT (implantation dose: 145 Gy) and 215 patients were treated with SIT, which applied reduced implantation dose of 123.5 Gy. SIT group had ADT consisting of bicalutamide 50 mg/day plus 3-month depot (11.25 mg) of leuprolide acetate subcutaneously on the post-implantation day-0. Post-implantation complications and biochemical-recurrence-free-survival (BCRS) were compared between the two groups. After ADT, SIT group had 40.9% patients (40.9%) with prostate volume reduction between 20–30%. At 3-months post-implantation, SIT group presented significantly better IPSS than CWT group (p = 0.038). Both groups showed decrease in IIEF-5 score at 3-months post-implantation, but ST group showed significantly better mean IIEF-5 scores (13.5) than the CWT group (11.1) (p = 0.045). For 3-months post-implantation dosimetry, both groups showed no significant differences regarding D90 (CWT 156 Gy vs. SIT 152 Gy). CWT group had 3 patients with rectal toxicity ≥radiation therapy oncology group (RTOG) grade 2 and 1 patient with urinary toxicity ≥RTOG grade 2 whereas SIT group had no patient with urinary or rectal toxicity ≥RTOG grade 2. Kaplan-Meier analyses showed no significant differences regarding PCSS were observed between the two groups (p = 0.350). The SIT group showed compatible oncological outcomes to the CWT and relatively smaller number of post-implantation complications within low- and intermediate-risk PCa patients.

To evaluate postoperative complications following robot-assisted radical cystectomy in patients diagnosed with bladder cancer and reveal if there are predictors for postoperative complications.Prospectively collected medical records of 730 robot-assisted radical cystectomy patients between 2007/04 and 2019/05 in 13 tertiary referral centers were reviewed. Perioperative outcomes were compared between two groups by postoperative complications (complication vs non-complication). We assessed recurrence-free survival, cancer-specific survival, and overall survival between groups. Regression analyses were implemented to identify factors associated with postoperative complications.Any total and high-grade complication (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥3) rates were 57.8% and 21.1%, respectively. Patients in complication group had significantly higher proportion of diabetes mellitus (P = 0.048), chronic kidney disease (P = 0.011), dyslipidemia (P 0.001), longer operation time (P = 0.001), more estimated blood loss (P = 0.001), and larger intraoperative fluid volume (P 0.001). There was a significant difference in cancer-specific survival (log-rank P = 0.038, median cancer-specific survival: both groups not reached). Dyslipidemia (odds ratio 2.59, P = 0.002) and intraoperative fluid volume (odds ratio 1.0002, P = 0.040) were significantly associated with high-grade postoperative complications. Diabetes mellitus (odds ratio 1.97, P = 0.028), chronic kidney disease (odds ratio 1.89, P = 0.046), dyslipidemia (odds ratio 5.94, P = 0.007), and intraoperative fluid volume (odds ratio 1.0002, P = 0.009) were significantly associated with any postoperative complications.Patients with diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, dyslipidemia, or a relatively large intraoperatively infused fluid volume are more likely to develop postoperative complications. Patients with postoperative complications might have a possibility of lower cancer-specific survival rate.

The prevalence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) varies from 5% to 8.2%, and the risk of infection increases by 5% to 7% per day of primary indwelling. We investigated whether a novel biofilm inhibitory mechanism using an inhibitory silicone urethral catheter (a coated Foley catheter) can reduce CAUTIs compared to conventional non-coated Foley catheters.This study prospectively analyzed the difference in the incidence of CAUTIs in patients who underwent radical cystectomy with an orthotopic neobladder for bladder cancer and received a coated or conventional non-coated catheter. Additionally, differences in bacterial colonization between the groups were analyzed using a catheter-tip bacterial culture test.Eighty-five patients were randomized into the "coated Foley catheter" group (abbreviated as "case" group; 41 patients) and a control group (44 patients). The two groups were identical except for their surgical history. The incidence of CAUTIs 2 weeks after radical cystectomy was 21.95% (case) and 27.27% (control), with no significant difference between the two groups. However, when the catheter was removed 2 weeks after surgery, the catheter tip culture test revealed significant bacterial colonies in 25 (60.98%) and 38 (86.36%) patients in the case and control group, respectively. No catheter-related postoperative side effects were observed in either group.The incidence of CAUTIs in the two groups did not differ according to the catheter material. However, the catheter bacterial culture test showed that bacterial colonization was significantly suppressed on the Bi-Fi Free technology catheter, which comparatively inhibited biofilm formation.

Background We investigated prevalence of familial and hereditary prostate cancer (PCa) in Asian population, and compared clinical characteristics between familial and sporadic disease. Methods Pedigrees of 1102 patients who were treated for PCa were prospectively acquired. Clinical and pathologic characteristics and biochemical recurrence (BCR)-free survival were compared between familial PCa and sporadic PCa in patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP; n = 751). Results The prevalence of familial, first-degree familial, and hereditary PCa was found to be 8.4%, 6.7%, and 0.9%, respectively; similar result was obtained in patients who underwent RP (8.4%, 6.4%, and 0.9%). Patients with familial PCa were significantly younger than those with sporadic PCa (63.3 vs 65.6 years; P = .015). However, preoperative variables (prostate-specific antigen, clinical stage, biopsy Gleason score [GS], and percentage of positive biopsy cores) and postoperative variables (surgical GS, upgrading rate, pathologic stage, and percentage of tumor volume) did not correlate with family history (P range: .114-.982). Kaplan-Meier analysis of 5-year BCR-free survival revealed no significant difference between sporadic (82.7%), familial (89.4%; P = .594), and first-degree familial (87.1%; P = .774) PCa. Analysis of p53, Bcl-2, Ki67, and other immunohistochemistry biomarkers revealed that only increasing p53 expression and first-degree familial PCa approached significance (P = .059). Conclusion The prevalence of familial PCa was somewhat lower in the Asian population than in other ethnic groups. Clinical and pathologic variables and selected histologic biomarker abnormalities were not significantly different in patients with and without a family history of PCa. BCR-free survival following RP was also unaffected by family history.

Background To identify potential prognostic factors among patients with favorable intermediate risk prostate cancer with a biopsy Gleason score 6. Methods From 2003 to 2019, favorable intermediate risk patients who underwent radical prostatectomy were included in this study. All patients were evaluated preoperatively with MRI. Using PI-RADS scores, patients were divided into two groups, and clinic-pathological outcomes were compared. The impact of preoperative factors on significant pathologic Gleason score upgrading (≥ 4 + 3) and biochemical recurrence were assessed via multivariate analysis. Subgroup analysis was performed in patients with PI-RADS ≤ 2. Results Among the 239 patients, 116 (48.5%) were MRI-negative (PI-RADS ≤ 3) and 123 (51.5%) were MRI-positive (PI-RADS > 3). Six patients in the MRI-negative group (5.2%) were characterized as requiring significant pathologic Gleason score upgrading compared with 34 patients (27.6%) in the MRI-positive group (p Conclusions Among the patients with favorable intermediate risk prostate cancer with a biopsy Gleason score 6, preoperative MRI was capable of predicting significant pathologic Gleason score upgrading and biochemical recurrence. Especially, the patients with PI-RADS ≤ 2 and low biopsy tumor length could be a potential candidate to active surveillance.

We evaluated the recurrence after radical and partial nephrectomy in patients with RENAL nephrometry score [RENAL] ≥ 10. A total of 474 patients (radical nephrectomy [RN, n = 236] & partial nephrectomy [PN, n = 238]) in a single tertiary referral institution from December 2003 to December 2019 were assessed. Functional outcomes, defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate changes, relapse pattern, recurrence-free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using propensity score-matched analysis. The predictors of recurrence and survival were assessed by Cox-regression analysis. 44 patients in the RN group and 88 in the PN group were included without significant differences in preoperative clinical factors after matching. The PN patients achieved significantly higher renal function preservation rates (p

OBJECTIVES To investigate the oncological significance of a robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC)-related pentafecta in patients with bladder cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Using the KORARC database, which includes data from 12 centres, data from 730 patients who underwent RARC between April 2007 and May 2019 were prospectively collected and retrospectively analysed. Pentafecta was achieved if patients met all of the following criteria: (i) negative soft tissue surgical margin; (ii) ≥16 lymph nodes removed; (iii) no major complications (Clavien-Dindo grade 3-5) within 90 days; (iv) no clinical recurrence within the first 12 months; and (v) no ureteroenteric stricture. Patients were divided into two groups according to pentafecta attainment, and a comparison of overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) using multivariate Cox proportional analysis was then carried out. RESULTS Of the 730 patients included in this analysis, 208 (28.5%) attained the RARC pentafecta; the remaining 522 (71.5%) did not. The mean age of the patients was 64.67 years, 85.1% were men, 53.6% received a conduit, 37.7% received orthotopic neobladders and the total complication rate was 57.8%. Those who attained the pentafecta received more neobladders (P = 0.039), were more likely to be treated with the intracorporeal technique (P < 0.001), had longer operating times (P = 0.020) and had longer console time (P = 0.021) compared with those who did not attain the pentafecta. Over a mean of 31.1 months of follow-up, the pentafecta attainment group had significantly higher OS and CSS rates compared with the non-attainment group (10-year OS 70.4% vs 58.1%, respectively [P = 0.016]; 10-year CSS 87.8% vs 70.0%, respectively [P = 0.036]). Multivariate analysis showed that the RARC pentafecta was a significant predictor of overall mortality (hazard ratio 0.561; P = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS Patients who attained the RARC pentafecta had significantly better survival outcomes compared with those who did not. These criteria could be used to standardize assessment of the surgical quality of RARC. In the future, a similar study using an independent cohort is warranted to confirm our results.

The objective of this study was to evaluate risk factors for bacillus Calmette–Guerin-induced prostatitis in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer following bacillus Calmette–Guerin therapy. Clinical findings from patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer who underwent multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging before transurethral resection of bladder tumor and post-bacillus Calmette–Guerin therapy from March 2004 to August 2018 were evaluated. The population was grouped into patients with or without newly developed lesions on multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging performed 3 months after bacillus Calmette–Guerin instillation. Patients with prostate-specific antigen levels ≥ 4 ng/mL or prostate cancer were excluded. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to determine the predictors of prostate lesions in patients with prior bacillus Calmette–Guerin exposure. Post bacillus Calmette–Guerin-induced prostatitis was found in 50 of the 194 patients (25.8%). No significant differences were observed between the groups except for prostate volumes (33.8 mL vs. 30.8 mL, P = 0.012) and body mass index (25.2 kg/m2 vs. 24.1 kg/m2, P = 0.044). After bacillus Calmette–Guerin exposure, no significant differences in prostate-specific antigen levels, international prostate symptom scores, or post-voiding residual volume were noted. Multivariable regression analysis showed that body mass index (odds ratio, OR = 1.115, P = 0.038) and prostate volume (OR = 3.080, P = 0.012) were significant predictors of post-bacillus Calmette–Guerin prostate lesions. Body mass index and prostate volume may be clinical predictors of prostate lesions after bacillus Calmette–Guerin exposure. Awareness of potential risk factors for this entity should contribute to the clinical decision-making process for patients following bacillus Calmette–Guerin therapy.

IntroductionCardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with diabetes is the leading cause of death. Finding early biomarkers for detecting asymptomatic patients with CVD can improve survival. Recently, plasma proteomics—targeted selected reaction monitoring/multiple reaction monitoring analyses (MRM)—has emerged as highly specific and sensitive tools compared with classic ELISA methods. The objective was to identify differentially regulated proteins according to the severity of the coronary artery atherosclerosis.Research design and methodsA discovery cohort, a verification cohort and a validation cohort consisted of 18, 53, and 228 subjects, respectively. The grade of coronary artery stenosis was defined as a percentage of luminal stenosis of the major coronary arteries. Participants were divided into six groups, depending on the presence of diabetes and the grade of coronary artery stenosis. Two mass spectrometric approaches were employed: (1) conventional shotgun liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for a discovery and (2) quantitative MRM for verification and validation. An analysis of the covariance was used to examine the biomarkers’ predictivity beyond conventional cardiovascular risks.ResultsA total of 1349 different proteins were identified from a discovery cohort. We selected 52 proteins based on the tandem mass tag quantitative analysis then summarized as follows: chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 7 (CXCL7), apolipoprotein C-II (APOC2), human lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) and dedicator of cytokinesis 2 (DOCK2) in diabetes; CXCL7, APOC2, LBP, complement 4A (C4A), vitamin D-binding protein (VTDB) and laminin β1 subunit in non-diabetes. Analysis of covariance showed that APOC2, DOCK2, CXCL7 and VTDB were upregulated and C4A was downregulated in patients with diabetes showing severe coronary artery stenosis. LBP and VTDB were downregulated in patients without diabetes, showing severe coronary artery stenosis.ConclusionWe identified significant associations between circulating APOC2, C4A, CXCL7, DOCK2, LBP and VTDB levels and the degree of coronary artery stenosis using the MRM technique.

Purpose Robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) optimizes patient recovery and has outcomes comparable with those of open surgery. This study aimed to compare the perioperative and oncologic outcomes of RARC in female and male patients. Materials and Methods A retrospective cohort study of the Korean Robot-Assisted Radical Cystectomy Study Group database from 2007 to 2019 identified 749 patients (111 females and 638 males). Female were matched 1:1 to male by propensity score matching using a logistic regression. We compared perioperative outcomes, oncologic outcomes, and complications between the two groups. Results The female group had comparable perioperative outcomes to the male group in terms of operation time, lymph node yield, positive surgical margin, blood transfusion rate, and hospitalization days. Complication rate and grade were not significantly different between the two groups. The most common complication was infection in female and gastrointestinal complications in male. We compared the 5-year overall, disease-specific, and recurrence-free survival of female and male: 58.2% vs. 68.0% (p=0.495), 75.7% vs. 79.3% (p=0.645), and 40.8% vs. 53.5% (p=0.913), respectively. On multivariable analysis, T stage (>T2), postoperative complications, and positive surgical margin were prognostic factors of poor outcome. Sex was not an independent predictor of the three survivals. Conclusions The current study suggests that RARC in female has comparable perioperative and oncologic outcomes to those in male. The complication rate of RARC in female was comparable to that in male, but the type of complications differed by sex., Graphical Abstract

To evaluate possible benefits and clinical feasibility of retrograde bladder filling method prior to intra-vesical catheter removal after transurethral prostatectomy (TURP) for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).Male patients undergoing TURP for BPH from January 2019 to October 2019 were randomized in a 1:1 ratio into either retrograde filling (RF) or spontaneous voiding (SV) methods at a single institution to determine safety and efficacy of RF (NCT04309032), with surgeons blinded to allocation. Perioperative outcomes including postoperative complications were compared between two groups. Clinician/patients' satisfaction level which was evaluated with postoperative questionnaires were also compared.A total of 56 patients were randomized into two groups and 56 were included in final analysis (28 men in RF group, 26 in SV group). No significant differences in baseline characteristics including age, prostate volume, or perioperative uroflowmetry were observed. However, RF significantly facilitated time to void (67.0±63.2 vs. 144.0±78.7 min; p0.001) and time to discharge (168.4±57.2 vs. 218.9±106.9 min; p=0.046). Immediate postoperative complications were comparable in both methods with no significant difference. Overall patient and medical staff satisfaction showed tolerable and similar response by either procedure.RF method for intra-vesical catheter removal is a safe and satisfactory method that can facilitate early voiding detection and shorten the time to discharge. Further trials are required to further validate our results.

To evaluate the effectiveness of an antibiotic regimen for prostate biopsy by analyzing patients who were hospitalized because of complications after transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy.We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of 10,339 patients who underwent transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy at our institution from May 2003 to April 2017. We excluded patients with low quality data. All patients underwent urine culture before transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy and received intravenous antibiotic agents 30-60 minutes before biopsy. Patients were either given prophylactic quinolone or cephalosporin (second or third generation). Clinicopathologic factors including patient age, antibiotic regimen, number of biopsy cores, body mass index, prostate specific antigen, prostate volume, and infection-related complications that required hospitalization were subsequently analyzed.A total of 9,487 patients were included in the final analysis, of whom 33 patients (0.35%) were hospitalized because of infection-related complications. Infection-related hospitalization rates were lower in patients who received cephalosporin (0.2%) than in patients who received quinolone (1.59%). At our institution, cephalosporin has been used predominantly to prevent post-biopsy infections since February 2013. Only five patients (0.12%) developed infection-related complications of the 3,863 patient who underwent transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy since February 2013. Multivariable analysis revealed that use of second- or third-generation cephalosporin was the only independent predictor of infection-related complications.Implementing an effective antibiotic prophylaxis regimen at our institution by using second- or third-generation cephalosporin could reduce infection-related complications after transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy.

It has not been clearly proved in real practice whether early rehabilitation with phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors starting immediately after radical prostatectomy improves erectile function recovery more effectively than delayed treatment with the same regimen. We performed a prospective randomized trial to identify this.Patients with prostate cancer and an IIEF-5 (International Index of Erectile Function-5) preoperative score of 17 or greater were randomly assigned to receive sildenafil 100 mg regularly twice per week for 3 months immediately after urethral catheter removal as the early group or only 3 months after nerve sparing robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy as the delayed group. The study primary end point was the full erectile function recovery rate, defined as an IIEF-5 score of 17 or greater, during the 12 months.Of the 120 randomized patients the proportion who achieved full recovery was significantly higher during the 12 months in the early group than in the delayed group (β = 0.356, p0.001, generalized estimating equation). After 9 months postoperatively the proportion of patients who achieved full recovery steadily increased to 41.4% at 12 months in the early group while patients in the delayed group showed no further improvement. Thus, full recovery was achieved in only 17.7% of patients at 12 months. Only early sildenafil treatment independently improved full recovery at 12 months (HR 2.943, p = 0.034).Our trial provides clinical data to suggest that earlier rehabilitation with phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors can contribute to the recovery of erectile function after radical prostatectomy in the clinical setting.

Lipid metabolism has been suggested to be associated with clinical outcomes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between preoperative cholesterol level (PCL) and postoperative outcomes of patients with localized RCC.We retrospectively analyzed the data of 5022 patients surgically treated for nonmetastatic RCC. According to the receiver operating curve of PCL for cancer-specific mortality, we stratified the patients into 2 groups by using a cutoff value of 161 mg/dL. The propensity scores for having low PCL were calculated, and the low PCL group was matched with the high PCL group at a 1:2 ratio. The oncological profiles and postoperative survival of patients were compared.A low cholesterol level was significantly associated with adverse pathologic findings, such as higher pathologic stage (P .001) and large tumor size (P = .002). Furthermore, the low cholesterol group showed significantly worse progression-free, cancer-specific, and overall survival (all P values .001) compared with the high cholesterol group. Multivariate analysis exhibited a higher PCL as an independent predictor of better progression-free (P .001), cancer-specific (P = .018), and overall survival (P = .001) after matching. Subgroup analysis according to tumor histology revealed that PCL had a significant relationship with patients' survival in clear cell RCC, but not in non-clear cell RCC.Decreased PCL was significantly associated with worse pathologic outcomes and also inferior postoperative survival in patients with localized RCC; however, those relationships were significant only in clear cell subtypes.

We investigated the surgical efficiency and cutoff criteria to determine whether retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) or supine miniaturized percutaneous nephrolithotomy (MPCNL) is appropriate for managing renal stones with a mean size10 mm.Data of a single session RIRS or supine MPCNL were collected in a prospective, observational study. Change point analysis with a cumulative sum of ordered value of fragmentation efficiency and stone size was used to detect the point at which the statistical properties of a sequence of observation change.A total of 310 RIRS and 66 MPCNL cases were included. No differences in patient characteristics were observed between the groups. Stone burden, fragmentation efficiency, stone distribution, and the presence of staghorn stones were higher in the MPCNL group than the RIRS group. Stone-free rates and complication rates were not different. The fragmentation efficiency increased to 40.4 mL/min, at which the stone size in the RIRS group was 19.1 mm. The efficiency was decreased after the peak point and became the same at the stone size 30 mm with 10 mm in RIRS group. The fragmentation efficiency in the MPCNL group continuously increased until the size of 35.1 mm.RIRS shows the highest efficiency at the maximal diameter of 19.1 mm and volume of 15,000 mm

Although partial nephrectomy (PN) is the standard treatment for localized clinical T1a renal cell carcinoma (RCC), treatment of larger renal tumors is controversial. We evaluated the oncological outcomes and perioperative complications after radical and PN for RCC ≥4cm.We retrospectively analyzed the data of 2,373 patients surgically treated for nonmetastatic RCC with clinical T1b or T2 (≥4cm). The propensity scores for surgery type were calculated, and the partial group was matched to the radical group in a 1:3 ratio. The oncological outcomes were compared using Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariate Cox regression models were used to identify the independent predictors of progression-free, cancer-specific, and overall survival.All differences in preoperative clinical characteristics disappeared after matching. There were no significant differences in progression-free, cancer-specific, or overall survival between the partial and radical groups in the matched cohort. The patients' age, tumor size, cellular grade, and pathologic stage were independent predictors for all 3 survival outcomes. However, early complications (30d postoperative) were significantly more common in the partial group (P0.001). In a subgroup analysis of the patients with clinical T2 stage, there were no significant differences in all 3 survival outcomes.The partial and radical nephrectomy groups had equivalent oncological outcomes. Although the early complication rate was significantly higher after PN, it should be considered as a valuable treatment option even in patients with clinical T1b or higher RCC.

Background The obesity and lipid metabolism were previously proposed to be related with the clinical outcomes of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). We tried to investigate the relationship between preoperative cholesterol level (PCL) and survival outcomes in patients with mRCC. Methods We analysed the data of 244 patients initially treated with cyto-reductive nephrectomy after being diagnosed with mRCC. Patients were stratified into two groups according to the PCL cut-off level of 170 mg/dL. The postoperative survival rates were compared using Kaplan-Meier analysis and the possible predictors of patients’ cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) were tested using multivariate Cox-proportional hazard models. Results The low cholesterol group showed significantly worse postoperative CSS (p = 0.013) and OS (p = 0.009) than the high cholesterol group. On multivariate analysis, low PCL was revealed as an independent predictor of worse CSS (hazard ratio [HR], 2.162; 95% CI, 1.221–3.829; p = 0.008) and OS (HR, 2.013; 95% CI, 1.206–3.361; p = 0.007). Subsequent subgroup analysis showed that these results were maintained in the clear cell subgroup but not in the non-clear cell subgroup. Conclusion Decreased PCL was significantly correlated with worse survival outcomes in patients with mRCC treated with cytoreductive nephrectomy. The underlined mechanism is still uncharted and requires further investigation.

// Jong Jin Oh 1, * , Soo Ji Lee 2, * , Joo-Yeon Hwang 3, * , Dokyoon Kim 4 , Sang Eun Lee 1 , Sung Kyu Hong 1 , Jin-Nyoung Ho 1, 5 , Sungroh Yoon 6 , Joohon Sung 2 , Wun-Jae Kim 7 and Seok-Soo Byun 1 1 Department of Urology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea 2 Complex Disease and Genome Epidemiology Branch, Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea 3 Division of Structural & Functional genomics, Center for Genome Science, Korean National Institute of Health, KCDC, Korea 4 Department of Biomedical and Translational Informatics, Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA, USA 5 Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea 6 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea 7 Department of Urology, Chung Buk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Korea * Authors contributed equally in this work Correspondence to: Seok-Soo Byun, email: ssbyun@snubh.org Wun-Jae Kim, email: wjkim@chungbuk.ac.kr Keywords: prostate, prostate cancer, exome, Korean Received: December 15, 2016 Accepted: February 15, 2017 Published: March 24, 2017 ABSTRACT Purpose: To investigate exome-wide genetic variants associated with prostate cancer (PCa) in Koreans and evaluate the discriminative ability by the genetic risk score (GRS). Patients and methods: We prospectively recruited 1,001 PCa cases from a tertiary hospital and conducted a case-control study including 2,641 healthy men (Stage I). Participants were analyzed using HumanExome BeadChip. For the external validation, additionally enrolled 514 PCa cases and 548 controls (independent cohort) were analyzed for the identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of Stage I (Stage II). The GRS was calculated as a non-weighted sum of the risk allele counts and investigated for accuracy of prediction of PCa. Results: the mean age was 66.3 years, and the median level of prostate specific antigen (PSA) was 9.19 ng/ml in PCa cases. In Stage I, 4 loci containing 5 variants (rs1512268 on 8p21.2; rs1016343 and rs7837688 on 8q24.21; rs7501939 on 17q12, and rs2735839 on 19q13.33) were confirmed to reach exome-wide significance (p

Aims To investigate the effectiveness of a novel personalized extracorporeal biofeedback device (Anykegel) for pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) on the recovery of postprostatectomy urinary incontinence (PPI) after robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP) through a randomized controlled trial. Methods A total of 84 patients who underwent RARP were randomized either to the intervention group (42) (receiving biofeedback-PFMT using a novel device in addition to verbal and written instruction) or to the control group (42). Patients were evaluated 1, 2, and 3 months after surgery. Incontinence severity was measured by the 24-hour pad test. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaire were also assessed. Results The intervention group showed a significantly smaller volume of urine loss at the 1-month follow-up than the control group on a 24-hour pad test (71.0 g vs 120.8 g; P = .028). However, from the 2-month follow-up visit, no significant differences were observed between the two groups. In addition, in the 1-month follow-up data of the IPSS-total score, the intervention group demonstrated significantly favorable changes from baseline with improved scores compared to the control group (0.25 ± 9.15 vs -3.81 ± 8.98; P = .046). Regarding the IIEF-5 score changes, no significant differences were reported throughout the study periods. Conclusions The personalized extracorporeal biofeedback device for PFMT offers a significant positive effect on the recovery of PPI after RARP, especially in the early postoperative period. Furthermore, patients can be offered more convenience through performing the regular exercise at any place with ease.

Background The significance of focal positive margins (FPMs) after radical prostatectomy (RP) is unclear. Our objective was to investigate the prognostic value of FPMs in patients undergoing RP. Materials and Methods The data were analyzed retrospectively for 1733 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer who had undergone RP at our institution from December 2003 to March 2014 without neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy. Positive surgical margins were characterized as FPMs (≤ 3 mm long) or non-FPMs (> 3 mm long). Multivariate analysis of the clinicopathologic factors, including FPMs, was performed with respect to biochemical recurrence (BCR)-free survival. Results Of the 1733 patients, 1260 (72.7%) had negative margins, 114 (6.6%) had a FPM, 218 (12.6%) had a nonfocal single positive margin (NFSPM), and 141 (8.1%) had nonfocal multiple positive margins (NFMPMs). Of the patients with pathologic T2 prostate cancer, 1065 (84.3%) had negative margins, 62 (4.9%) had 1 FPM, 104 (8.2%) had 1 NFSPM, and 33 (2.6%) had NFMPMs. The 5-year BCR-free survival for patients with negative margins and FPMs was 90% and 83.4%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, the presence of a FPM was not a significant prognostic factor for BCR-free survival in all the patients or in the patients with pathologic T2 disease (P = .458 and P = .512, respectively). Conclusions FPMs after RP do not significantly affect BCR-free survival in patients with prostate cancer.

We identify the biochemical outcome according to biopsy Gleason score among patients who are clinical candidate for active surveillance. We found that different adverse pathologic outcomes and biochemical out- comeswereshownaccordingtobiopsypatternalthoughthepatientshavethesamepathologicGS3D4afterRP. Introduction: We identify the biochemical outcome according to biopsy Gleason score (bGS) among patients who are clinical candidate for active surveillance. We found that different adverse pathologic outcomes and biochemical outcomes were shown according to biopsy pattern although the patients have the same pathologic Gleason score (pGS) 3þ4 after RP. Background: To identify the biochemical recurrence rate (BCR) according to a pGS upgrade after radical prostatectomy among men with prostate cancer who are clinical candidates for active surveillance (AS) ac- cording to the Royal Marsden Hospital criteria. Methods: Of the 956 patients with prostate cancer who met the Royal Marsden Hospital criteria for AS underwent radical prostatectomy between January 2006 and June 2014, we enrolled the 830 patients whose pGS was � 3þ4 in analysis. We stratified the patients into 3 groups according to the disparity between the bGS and pGS, as follows: group A (n ¼ 211): bGS 3þ3 to pGS 3þ3; group B (n ¼ 430): bGS 3þ3 to pGS 3þ4; group C (n ¼ 189): bGS 3þ4 to pGS 3þ4. Results: The patients in group C had a higher preoperative prostate- specific antigen level, a higher percentage of positive cores, maximum core involvement (P < .001), and higher postoperative levels of extracapsular extension, seminal vesicle invasion, and positive surgical margins compared with the patients in groups A and B (P < .001, P ¼ .002, and P < .001, for patients in groups C, B, and A, respectively). Group C had a significantly lower BCR-free survival rate compared with groups A and B via Kaplan-Meier, and no difference was observed in the BCR between groups A and B (log rank, P ¼ .475). Conclusion: Although the patients with the same pGS 3þ4 after RP, different adverse outcomes were observed. Because of the significantly different prognosis based on the presence of Gleason pattern 4, patients with this pattern are not suitable for AS.

This study was designed to determine whether perineural invasion (PNI) and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) are independent predictors for biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer (PCa) following radical prostatectomy (RP) in the Asian population. The study population comprised 2394 PCa patients undergoing RP at our institution in Korea. After excluding 360 patients, we compared the baseline characteristics between the groups according to the presence of PNI or LVI and estimated BCR-free survival using the Kaplan–Meier survival. Multivariate Cox regression model was adopted to identify significant predictive factors of BCR following RP. Among 2034 patients, PNI and LVI were detected in 69.3 and 12.4 % patients, respectively. Patients with PNI or LVI had higher rates of advanced biopsy and pathological Gleason score (≥7), and higher proportions of advanced clinical and pathological T stage ≥3, extraprostatic extension, seminal vesicle invasion, and surgical margin positivity. Notably, BCR-free survival was lower in patients with PNI or LVI compared with that in patients without these markers and lower in patients with both markers compared with that in other populations of patients. Moreover, PNI (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.11) and LVI (HR = 1.57) were significant predictors of BCR. The presence of the two markers was associated with a higher risk of BCR (HR = 4.60) compared with the presence of either marker alone (HR = 3.47). PNI and LVI are adverse pathologic parameters and independent predictors for BCR, and the concurrent presence of PNI and LVI resulted in poorer outcomes for BCR in PCa patients who underwent RP.

To investigate the efficacy of tamsulosin monotherapy and tamsulosin with low-dose sildenafil combination therapy on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) following low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy in early prostate cancer patients. From March 2008 to June 2014, of the 212 prostate cancer patients with a Gleason score ≤7 who received LDR brachytherapy, 80 patients with a prostate volume ≤35 g and progressed LUTS following implantation were selected. All 80 patients took tamsulosin 0.4-mg monotherapy until 1 month after implantation. Then, the patients were divided into two groups; 45 patients received tamsulosin 0.4-mg monotherapy, and 35 patients received tamsulosin 0.4-mg plus sildenafil 25-mg combination therapy due to erectile dysfunction. LUTS were compared between the two groups using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), the mean maximum flow rate (Q max) and the pre-implantation post-voiding residual (PVR) volume at 1 and 3 months after implantation. The pre-implantation total IPSS, Q max and PVR for the monotherapy and combination therapy groups were 14.0 ± 6.7, 14.3 ± 3.2 ml/s and 36.3 ± 16.7 ml and 15.3 ± 5.6, 13.7 ± 4.5 ml/s and 39.0 ± 23.4 ml, respectively. At 1 month post-implantation, both groups showed increases in total IPSS and PVR, but no statistically significant differences were observed (P = 0.078, P = 0.23). At 3 months post-implantation, the combination therapy group showed a greater decrease in total IPSS compared with the monotherapy group (P = 0.035), but there were no statistically significant differences in the Q max and PVR between the two groups. Tamsulosin plus low-dose sildenafil combination therapy is a beneficial treatment for post-implantation progression of LUTS.

Background Understanding the tumorigenesis of bilateral cancers occurring in paired organs is essential for treatment planning and follow-up strategies. To the best of our knowledge, only a few studies compared the survival outcomes in patients with unilateral and bilateral renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We aimed to evaluate the survival outcomes of these patients after surgery and perform a further comparison of synchronous and metachronous bilateral RCCs. Materials and Methods We analyzed clinical data from a total of 2169 patients (98.0%) diagnosed with unilateral RCC and 44 patients (2.0%) diagnosed with bilateral RCC including 22 (50.0%) with synchronous (diagnosed concomitantly or within 3 months of the former tumor) and 22 (50.0%) with metachronous RCC at our institution. Comparative analysis of unilateral and bilateral RCC groups was conducted using propensity score matching analysis. Subgroup analysis of bilateral RCC including synchronous and metachronous RCCs was also performed. Results Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed a significantly decreased 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS; 82.6% vs. 94.3%; log rank test, P = .045) in the bilateral RCC group compared with the unilateral group. In subgroup analysis, the metachronous RCC group showed significantly smaller mean pathologic tumor size (P = .011), and more favorable pathologic T stage (P = .036) compared with the synchronous RCC group. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed significantly decreased 5-year RFS in synchronous RCC compared with metachronous RCC (74.7% vs. 92.9%; log rank test, P = .028). Conclusion The bilateral RCC group showed significantly decreased 5-year RFS compared with the unilateral RCC group. Importantly, the synchronous RCC group manifested more adverse features than the metachronous group.

To evaluate the effect of preoperative ureteral stenting duration on the outcomes of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS). We reviewed our database of patients who underwent RIRS between May 2011 and April 2017 at our institution. The patients were divided into three groups according to preoperative ureteral stenting duration: group 1: no stenting, group 2: short preoperative stenting (

To investigate the factors associated with hospital readmission (HR) after retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) among renal stone patients. The study included patients who underwent RIRS from June 2011 to December 2017. Patients who were readmitted due to surgery-related complications were evaluated retrospectively. Patient demographics including age, medical comorbidity, body mass indices, ASA score, perioperative parameters and stone factors were compared with total cohorts. HR was defined as visits to the Emergency Room or unplanned admission within 30 days after discharge. The factors affecting HR rates were analyzed using uni- and multi-variate analyses. A total of 572 patients were enrolled into the study. The mean age was 57.6 ± 14.1 years and the mean stone diameter was 13.4 ± 6.2 mm. The mean complication rate was 6.1% and the median hospitalization time was 2.1 ± 3.4 days. HR occurred in 20 patients (3.5%). Compared to non-admission patients, readmitted patients had a higher rate of bilateral RIRS (20.0% vs 12.2%, p = 0.035), number of stones (4.65 vs 2.2, p = 0.041) and higher stone complexity score (4.15 vs 2.11, p = 0.003). Multivariate analysis showed bilateral RIRS (OR 1.091, p = 0.031) and stone complexity (OR 1.405, p = 0.003) were significant factors to predict re-admission after RIRS. Patients with complex renal stones or those who underwent bilateral RIRS were more likely to have a higher rate of re-admission. Proper perioperative management to prevent complications should be planned based on these predictive factors.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ketorolac, a commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) as patient controlled intravenous infusion analgesia (PCIA) for the patients underwent radical cystectomy (RC) due to bladder cancer regarding post-operational indices of recovery. Total seventy patients who underwent radical cystectomy for the treatment of bladder cancer were included in the study. 35 patients received ketorolac as PCIA (NSAIDS group) and 35 patients had morphine infusion as PCIA (morphine group). Pain intensity, bowel function recovery and length of hospital stay were evaluated. Early postoperative complications were analyzed according to surgical types (robot RC vs. open RC). Demographics were similar between two groups. NSAIDS group showed a significant reduction in postoperative vomiting (p = 0.001), time to flatus (p = 0.028), time to first bowel movement (p = 0.001) and time to first clear liquid diet (p = 0.002) compared with morphine group. No statistically significant differences were observed between two groups regarding length of hospitalization, and postoperative complications. For 48 hours after RC, pain relief was slightly better in morphine group (p

To develop a more precise risk-stratification system by investigating the prognostic impact of tumor growth within fatty tissues surrounding the kidney and/or renal vein. We conducted a retrospective review of the medical records of 211 patients with a pathologic diagnosis of T3aN0M0RCC among 4,483 renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients from February 1988 to December 2015 according to the number of T3a pathologies—extrarenal fat invasion (EFI) and/or renal venous invasion (RVI). During a mean follow-up duration of 38.8 months, the patients with both pathologies (EFI + RVI) had lower recurrence free survival (RFS) rate than those with only a single pathology (p = 0.001). Using multivariable Cox regression analysis, the presence of both factors was shown to be an independent predictor of RFS (HR = 1.964, p = 0.032); cancer specific survival rate was not different among patients with EFI and/or RVI. Patients with pathologic T3aN0M0 RCC presenting with both EFI and RVI were at an increased risk of recurrence following nephrectomy. Therefore, pathologic T3a RCC could be sub-divided into those with favorable and unfavorable disease according to presence of EFI and/or RVI pathologies.

The aim of this study was to determine whether the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a measure of the systemic inflammatory response is associated with the overall prostate cancer detection rate in men who underwent contemporary multi (≥12)-core transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) biopsy. We reviewed the records of 3913 patients with initial prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels ranging from 4 to 10 ng ml−1 who underwent TRUS-guided prostate biopsy between April 2006 and May 2014. NLR was calculated by prebiopsy neutrophil and lymphocyte counts. We excluded patients who had evidence of acute prostatitis, a history of prostate surgery, and any systemic inflammatory disease. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze prostate cancer detection. After adjusting for confounding factors, predictive values were determined according to the receiver operating characteristic-derived area under the curve, both including and excluding the NLR variable. In univariate analyses, NLR was a significant predictor of prostate cancer detection (P < 0.001). In multivariate analyses, a higher NLR was significantly associated with prostate cancer detection after adjusting for other factors (OR = 1.372, P = 0.038). The addition of NLR increased the accuracy from 0.712 to 0.725 (P = 0.005) in the multivariate model for prostate cancer detection. NLR may be a potentially useful clinical marker in the detection of prostate cancer among men with a PSA level in the 4–10 ng ml−1 range. These findings are derived from a retrospective analysis and should be validated in larger populations through prospective studies.

Background. We developed a sliding-loop technique that narrowed both sides of the parenchyma in a porcine model and compared it with the conventional sliding-clip technique. Methods. Three pigs (30-40 kg) were reused following another experiment conducted by the same researchers. Bilateral kidneys were harvested within 30 minutes after euthanasia. Two partial nephrectomies per kidney were performed on opposite surfaces. All kidney defects were of the same size (diameter of 2.5-3 cm with a depth of 1.0-1.5 cm). The sliding-clip technique and sliding-loop technique were performed separately. In the sliding-loop technique, we created a 1-cm loop at the end of a Vicryl and placed a tetrafluoroethylene polymer pledget in front of the knots passing through the needle. The needle then crossed the loop after passing through the renal parenchyma. A Weck clip was placed and slid on one side to tighten the suture. Tightening was controlled with an equivalent force using a digital push-pull gauge. Three stitches were placed at each renorrhaphy site. The distance between repaired renal surfaces was measured at 5 different points (3 suture sites and 2 middle sites between sutures). Results. The results of the 2 techniques were compared by using the independent t test. The mean distance between renal surfaces was significantly narrower in the sliding-loop technique than in the conventional technique (1.80 ± 1.08 mm vs 5.28 ± 2.46 mm, P < .001). Conclusion. In the porcine model, the sliding-loop technique more effectively closed the partial nephrectomy defects compared with the conventional sliding-clip technique.

To clarify differences patients with pathological GS (pGS) 3 + 4 according to biopsy Gleason score (bGS) after radical prostatectomy (RP) among candidates for active surveillance. Between January 2006 and June 2014, 619 patients who met Royal Marsden criteria and had a pGS 3 + 4 after RP were identified. Patients were stratified into two groups according to bGS: Group A (n = 430) with bGS (3 + 3) and Group B (n = 189) with bGS 7 (3 + 4). Pathological outcomes were compared between the two groups, and the impact of bGS on adverse pathological outcomes was analyzed by logistic regression and biochemical recurrence (BCR)-free survival compared by log-rank test and the Cox proportional hazards model. The patients in Group B had a higher rate of extracapsular extension (ECE), seminal vesicle invasion and positive surgical margins than those in Group A (p

We examined the synergistic antitumor effects of cisplatin combined with triptolide in cisplatin resistant T24R2 bladder cancer cells and investigated possible molecular mechanisms.T24R2 cells were treated with cisplatin and/or triptolide. Tumor cell proliferation was determined using cell counting and clonogenic assays. The combination index of the synergism between cisplatin and triptolide was calculated. The cell cycle phase and apoptosis rate were determined by flow cytometry. Apoptosis and cell cycle related protein expression were analyzed by Western blot.The synergistic cytotoxicity effect of cisplatin and triptolide combination treatment was greater than the cytotoxic effect of cisplatin or triptolide alone. Combination treatment also induced cell cycle arrest via cyclin D1 and E1 expression. Apoptosis induced by combination treatment was accompanied by increased expression of caspase-3, 8 and 9, PARP and cytochrome c.Our results suggest that triptolide synergistically enhanced the antitumor effect of cisplatin in cisplatin resistant human bladder cancer cells. Cisplatin and triptolide combination treatment may be effective for advanced bladder cancer.

To evaluate the effect of naftopidil 75 mg once daily for ureteral double-J (DJ) stent-related discomfort after a ureteroscopic procedure using a multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. 100 patients with indwelled retrograde DJ ureteral stents after ureteroscopic stone removal or retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) were randomized 1:1 to receive either placebo or naftopidil during the stenting period. At the time of stent removal, the Ureteral Stent Symptom Questionnaire (USSQ), the International Prostate Symptom Score and the total amount of used analgesics were reported. Of the 92 patients who completed the study, 49 patients were enrolled in the placebo group, and 43 patients in the naftopidil group. USSQ urinary symptom scores (30.90 vs. 29.23, p = 0.299) and USSQ body pain scores (22.28 vs. 19.58, respectively, p = 0.286) were lower in the naftopidil group than in the placebo group, but the difference was not significant. Multivariate analysis showed that the use of a ureteral access sheath during RIRS was the only significant predictor of postoperative DJ-related pain (OR = 2.736, p = 0.031). The use of naftopidil once daily did not significantly reduce DJ ureteral stent-related discomfort. Larger-scaled prospective studies should be conducted to evaluate the effects of naftopidil on DJ stent-related symptoms and surgeries.

Low levels of vitamin D are implicated as a potential risk factor for prostate cancer, and the vitamin D receptor ( VDR ) gene may be important in the onset and progression of prostate cancer. In this study, sequence variants in the VDR gene were investigated in a Korean study cohort to determine whether they are associated with prostate cancer risk. We evaluated the association between 47 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the VDR gene and prostate cancer risk as well as clinical characteristics (prostate-specific antigen level, clinical stage, pathological stage and Gleason score) in Korean men (272 prostate cancer patients and 173 benign prostatic hyperplasia patient who underwent a prostate biopsy, which was negative for malignancy) using unconditional logistic regression. The statistical analysis suggested that two VDR sequence variants (rs2408876 and rs2239182) had a significant association with prostate cancer risk (odds ratio [OR]. 1.41; p = 0.03; OR, 0.73; p = 0.05, respectively). Logistic analyses of the VDR polymorphisms with several prostate cancer related factors showed that several SNPs were significant; nine SNPs to PSA level, three to clinical stage, two to pathological stage, and three SNPs to the Gleason score. The results suggest that some VDR gene polymorphisms in Korean men might not only be associated with prostate cancer risk but also significantly related to prostate cancer-related risk factors such as PSA level, tumor stage, and Gleason score. However, current limitation for small cohort with not-healthy control group might have false positive effects; therefore it should be overcome via further large-scale validating studies.

PurposeTo compare the outcomes of robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) with those of open PN (OPN) in patients with highly complex renal tumors defined as RENAL nephrometry score ≥ 10.Materials and methodsWe analyzed clinical data from a total of 149 patients who underwent OPN or RPN for a highly complex renal mass at our institution between 2003 and 2017. Perioperative data, complication profiles, functional outcomes, pathologic variables, and oncologic outcomes were evaluated in both groups.ResultsThe median (interquartile range, IQR) patient age was 52.0 (42.0-59.0) years, and the median (IQR) follow-up period was 30.0 (7.0-54.0) months. Among the patients, 64 (43.0%) and 85 (57.0%) underwent OPN and RPN, respectively. The RPN group showed higher rates of clinical T1b and ≥ T2 than the OPN group (p = 0.019). There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of intraoperative outcomes such as operation time, estimated blood loss, warm ischemic time, and transfusion. Notably, the RPN group showed significantly shorter length of hospital stay than the OPN group (p < 0.001). Regarding the complication profiles and renal functional outcomes, no significant differences were reported between the groups. The estimated glomerular filtration rate decline from baseline at the last follow-up showed no significant differences between the two groups (p = 0.351). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis also showed no significant differences in survival outcomes between the groups (log-rank test, all p > 0.05).ConclusionsRPN performed in patients with highly complex renal tumors offers perioperative, functional, and oncologic outcomes comparable to those associated with OPN.

Protrusion of the median lobe (PML) is thought to add technical difficulty during robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP). Thus, we quantified PML using preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and evaluated its impact on base surgical margin (BSM) status during RALP. The clinical data of consecutive patients who underwent RALP were retrieved from a prospectively registered database. Of the 655 eligible men, 9 patients were excluded because they did not undergo MRI. PML was measured in a T2-weighted mid-sagittal scan. We performed univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses. The mean PML was 8.3 ± 3.6 mm. The rate of positive surgical margins was 17.3 % (73/423) in pathologic stage T2 and 34.6 % (226/646) in all cases. The BSMs were positive in 10.1 % (66/646) of cases. A logistic regression analysis revealed that PML was significantly correlated with BSM positivity in all cases (odds ratio [OR] 1.080, p = 0.026). In particular, they had a stronger correlation with pathologic stage T3 or higher (OR 1.1143, p = 0.004). PML was an independent predictor of BSM positivity (OR 1.113, p = 0.046) in pathologic stage T3 or higher, as were preoperative prostate-specific antigen, prostate size, and pathologic stage. Cases with 10 mm or higher PML had significantly more BSM positivity than cases with

PURPOSE: To investigate the role of low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy-based multimodal therapy in high-risk prostate cancer (PCa) and analyze its optimal indications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the records of 50 high-risk PCa patients [clinical stage ≥ T2c, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) >20 ng/mL, or biopsy Gleason score ≥ 8] who had undergone 125I LDR brachytherapy since April 2007. We excluded those with a follow-up period

To investigate the prognostic significance of positive surgical margins (PSM)s among patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) for pT2 and pT3a prostate cancer.We reviewed the records of 658 patients who were revealed to have pT2 and pT3a prostate cancer after undergoing RP without neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment. For our analysis, patients were subgrouped as the following: group 1: 406 (61.7%) with negative surgical margins (NSM)s and no extracapsular extension of tumor (ECE); group 2: 99 (15.0%) with PSMs and no ECE; group 3: 63 (9.6%) with NSMs and ECE; and group 4: 90 (13.7%) with PSMs and ECE. The effects of various variables on biochemical recurrence (BCR)-free survival were assessed via uni- and multivariate analyses.During median follow-up of 36 months, group 1 had significantly higher BCR-free survival compared with the other 3 groups (P0.001). However, no significant differences in BCR-free survivals were observed among the group 2, 3, and 4 (all P0.05). In multivariate analysis, PSM (P = 0.009) was observed to be significantly associated with BCR-free survival among groups 1 and 2 combined. Among groups 3 and 4, pathologic Gleason score (P = 0.002), but not PSM (P = 0.668), was the only significant predictor for BCR-free survival in multivariate analysis.According to our results, PSM is significantly associated with biochemical outcome after RP in pT2 prostate cancer. Meanwhile, patients with pT2 tumor and PSM appear to have comparable biochemical outcome compared with those with stage pT3a tumor independent of their marginal status.

The aim of this study is to assess the ability of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to predict prostate volume (PV) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) represented by the international prostate symptom score (IPSS). From January 2001 to December 2011, data were collected from men who first enrolled in the Korean Prostate Health Council Screening Program. Patients with a serum PSA level of >10 ng ml−1 or age 20 ml, >25 ml and >35 ml were 0.722, 0.728 and 0.779, respectively. The AUCs of PSA for predicting IPSS >7, >13 and >19 were 0.548, 0.536 and 0.537, respectively. Serum PSA was a strong predictor of PV in a community-based cohort in a large-scale screening study. Although PSA was also significantly correlated with IPSS, predictive values of PSA for IPSS above the cutoff levels were not excellent. Further investigations are required to elucidate the exact interactions between PSA and LUTS and between PSA and PV in prospective controlled studies. Such studies may suggest how PSA can be used to clinically predict PV and the IPSS.

Background To compare the surgical margin status after open partial nephrectomy (OPN) and robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) performed in patients with T1a renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Methods This was a propensity score-matched study including 702 patients with cT1a RCC treated with partial nephrectomy (PN) between May 2003 and July 2015. Perioperative parameters, including surgical margin width after PN, were compared between two surgical methods. After determining propensity score for tumor size and location, the width of peritumoral surgical margin was investigated. Multivariate logistic analysis to predict peritumoral surgical margin less than 1mm was analyzed. Results The mean width of peritumoral surgical margin was 2.61 ± 2.15 mm in OPN group (n = 385), significantly wider than the 2.29 ± 2.00 mm of RPN group (n = 317) (p = 0.042). The multivariate analysis showed surgical methods was significant factors to narrow surgical margin less than 1mm (p = 0.031). After propensity score matching, the surgical margin width was significantly longer in OPN (2.67 ± 2.14 mm) group than RPN (2.25 ± 2.03 mm) group (p = 0.016). A positive resection margin occurred in 7 (1.8%) patients in the OPN group and 4 (1.3%) in the RPN group. During the median follow-up of 48.3 months, two patients who underwent OPN had tumor bed recurrence. Conclusions RPN may result in a narrower peritumoral surgical margin than OPN. Further investigation on the potential impact of such a phenomenon should be performed in a larger-scale study.

To identify the perioperative and oncological impact of different intervals between biopsy and robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) for localized prostate cancer. All consecutive patients with localized prostate cancer who underwent RALP with primary curative intent in January 2008–July 2014 in a large tertiary hospital were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. The patients were divided into groups according to whether the biopsy–RALP interval was ≤2, ≤4, ≤6, or >6 weeks. Estimated blood loss and operating room time were surrogates for surgical difficulty. Surgical margin status and continence at the 1 year were surrogates for surgical efficacy. Biochemical recurrence (BCR) was defined as two consecutive postoperative prostate serum antigen values of ≥0.2 ng/ml. Of the 1446 enrolled patients, the biopsy–RALP interval was ≤2, ≤4, ≤6, and >6 weeks in 145 (10 %), 728 (50.3 %), 1124 (77.7 %), and 322 (22.3 %) patients, respectively. The >6 week group had a significantly longer mean operation time than the ≤2, ≤4, and ≤6 week groups. The groups did not differ significantly in terms of estimated blood loss or surgical margin status. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that interval did not significantly affect postoperative BCR-free survival. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards model analysis showed that interval duration was not an independent predictor of BCR (≤2 vs. >2 weeks, HR = 0.859, p = 0.474; ≤4 vs. >4 weeks, HR = 1.029, p = 0.842; ≤6 vs. >6 weeks, HR = 0.84, p = 0.368). Performing RALP within 2, 4, or 6 weeks of biopsy does not appear to adversely influence surgical difficulty or efficacy or oncological outcomes.

Objectives To investigate the renal function outcomes and contralateral kidney volume change measured by using a 3-dimensional reconstructive method after open partial nephrectomy (PN) or open radical nephrectomy (RN) according to the endophytic degree of tumors. Materials and Methods We included 214 PN and 220 RN patients. According to the endophytic degree of the tumors, we divided patients into 3 groups. Patients were assessed for renal function and kidney volume change both preoperatively and postoperatively at 6 months. Kidney volume was calculated by using personal computer-based software. Subgroup analyses was performed for tumor >4cm. Results Larger and complex tumors were more frequent in the RN group than PN group. Among patients with exophytic and mild endophytic tumors, the mean postoperative renal function was well preserved in PN group and the mean contralateral kidney volume significantly increased in the RN compared to the PN group (PN, 145.55 to 149.98mL; 3.0% versus RN, 143.93 to 169.64mL;17.9% p=0.006). However, in fully endophytic tumors, compensatory hypertrophy of the contralateral kidney was similar between PN and RN (PN, 138.16 to 159.64mL; 15.5 % versus RN, 138.65 to 168.04mL; 21.2% p=0.416) and renal functional outcomes were similar between both groups. These results were also confirmed in tumors >4cm in size. Conclusions In fully endophytic tumors, especially large tumors, the postoperative renal function and contralateral kidney volume were similar; therefore, we should consider RN preferentially as surgical option for these tumors.

Background Our hypothesis is that the location of the seminal vesicles near the base of the prostate, the more positive cores are detected in the base, the greater the risk of seminal vesicle invasion. Therefore we investigate the clinical outcomes of base dominant prostate cancer (BDPC) in transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) - guided biopsies compared with anteromiddle dominant prostate cancer (AMPC). Methods From November 2003 to June 2014, a total of 990 intermediate and high risk prostate cancer (PCa) patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) were enrolled and stratified into two groups according to proportion of positive cores-BDPC group had >= 33.3% ratio of positive cores from the prostate base among all positive cores and AMPC group < 33.3% in systemic biopsy. Between two groups, we compared the rate of pathologic outcomes and biochemical recurrence (BCR). We performed multivariate logistic regression model to confirm the significance of BDPC to seminal vesicle invasion (SVI) and Cox proportional hazard analysis to BCR. Results Among these 990 PCa patients, the 487 patients in BDPC group had more advanced clinical stage (p< 0.001), a higher biopsy GS (p = 0.002), and a higher rate of extracapsular extension (ECE), SVI and BCR (all p< 0.001) than AMPC group. The patients in BDPC group had poor BCR free survival rate via Kaplan-meier analysis (p< 0.001). The ratio of the base positive cores was a significant predictor to SVI in multivariate analysis (p < 0.001) and significant predictor of BCR in multivariate Cox proportional analysis (hazard ratio: 1.466, p = 0.004). Conclusions BDPC in TRUS-guided prostate biopsies was significantly associated with SVI and BCR after adjusting for other clinical factors. Therefore, BDPC should be considered to be a more aggressive tumor despite an otherwise similar cancer profile.