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Purpose: We compared success rates of 3 surgical techniques (holmium laser enucleation of the prostate [HoLEP], transurethral resection of the prostate [TURP], and photoselective laser vaporization prostatectomy [PVP]) for treatment of benign prostatic obstruction (BPO). We aimed to identify preoperative clinical variables and urodynamic parameters that predict surgical success.Methods: A total of 483 patients who underwent surgical treatment for BPO at Samsung Medical Center between 2006 and 2017 were retrospectively analyzed; of these 361, 81, and 41 patients underwent HoLEP, TURP, and PVP, respectively. Prostate-specific antigen, prostate volume, urodynamic parameters, and International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS)/quality of life (QoL) index were evaluated preoperatively; uroflowmetry, postvoid residual urine, and IPSS/QoL index were measured 6 months postoperatively. Surgical success was defined based on IPSS, maximum flow rate, and QoL index and predictive factors were identified using multiple logistic regression analyses.Results: Success rates of HoLEP, TURP, and PVP were 67.6%, 65.4%, and 34.1%, respectively, and the HoLEP and TURP groups were not significantly different. Regression analysis revealed prostate volume ≥50 mL and bladder outlet obstruction index (BOOI) ≥40 to be independent factors predicting HoLEP success. Only high preoperative QoL could predict the success of TURP, whereas other urodynamic parameters remained unrelated.Conclusions: Patients treated with HoLEP and TURP displayed equivalent efficacies, but PVP was relatively less efficient than both. Preoperative variables of prostate volume ≥50 mL and BOOI ≥40 were independent predictive factors for the success of HoLEP but not of TURP.

Jiwoong Yu, Youngjun Boo, Minyong Kang, Hyun Hwan Sung, Byong Chang Jeong, Seongil Seo, Seong soo Jeon, Hyunmoo Lee, Hwang Gyun Jeon Department of Urology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of KoreaCorrespondence: Hwang Gyun JeonDepartment of Urology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 81 Irwon-Ro, Gangnam-Gu, Seoul, 06351, Republic of KoreaTel +82-2-2148-9599Fax +82-2-3410-6992Email hwanggyun.jeon@samsung.comPurpose: We evaluated the negative predictive value (NPV) of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) in detecting clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) according to biopsy setting and prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) using transperineal template-guided saturation prostate biopsy (TPB) as the reference standard.Methods: A total of 161 patients with biopsy histories and negative pre-biopsy mpMRI (Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2 scores of less than 3) participated in the study. TPB was performed on the following indications: “prior negative biopsy” in patients with persistent suspicion of prostate cancer (n = 91) or “confirmatory biopsy” in patients who were candidates for active surveillance (n = 70). The csPCa was defined as a Gleason score of 3 + 4 or greater. We calculated the NPV of mpMRI in detecting csPCa according to biopsy history and prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) and conducted a logistic regression analysis to determine the clinical predicator for the absence of csPCa.Results: The detection rate of csPCa was 5.5% in the prior negative biopsy group and 14.3% in the confirmatory biopsy group (P = 0.057). None of the variables in the logistic regression models including PSAD < 0.15 ng/mL/cc and prior negative biopsy could predict the absence of csPCa. The NPV of mpMRI in detecting csPCa in patients with a prior negative biopsy worsen from 94.5% to 93.3% when combined with PSAD < 0.15 ng/mL/cc.Conclusion: Patients with negative mpMRI findings may not omit repeat biopsy even if their prior biopsy histories are negative and PSADs are < 0.15 ng/mL/cc.Keywords: early detection of cancer, prostatic neoplasm, prostate-specific antigen density, magnetic resonance imaging, negative predictive value, transperineal prostate biopsy

We aimed to evaluate the detection rates of prostate cancer (PCa) and clinically significant PCa (csPCa) using magnetic resonance imaging-targeted biopsy (MRI-TBx) in men with low prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels (2.5–4.0 ng/mL). Clinicopathologic data of 5502 men with PSA levels of 2.5–10.0 ng/mL who underwent transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy (TRUS-Bx) or MRI-TBx were reviewed. Participants were divided into four groups: LP-T [low PSA (2.5–4.0 ng/mL) and TRUS-Bx, n = 2018], LP-M (low PSA and MRI-TBx, n = 186), HP-T [high PSA (4.0–10.0 ng/mL) and TRUS-Bx, n = 2953], and HP-M (high PSA and MRI-TBx, n = 345). The detection rates of PCa and csPCa between groups were compared, and association of biopsy modality with detection of PCa and csPCa in men with low PSA levels were analyzed. The detection rates of PCa (20.0% vs. 38.2%; P P P = 0.263) and csPCa (32.3% vs. 39.4%; P = 0.103) between the LP-M and HP-M groups. Multivariate analyses revealed that using MRI-TBx could predict the detection of csPCa (odds ratio 2.872; 95% confidence interval 1.996‒4.132; P

Jiwoong Yu, Chung Un Lee, Minyong Kang, Hwang Gyun Jeon, Byong Chang Jeong, Seong Il Seo, Seong Soo Jeon, Hyun Moo Lee, Hyun Hwan Sung Department of Urology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea Purpose: We investigated to determine if there is an increased rate of urothelial carcinoma (UC) in kidney transplant (KT) recipients and to compare oncological outcomes of UC in KT recipients with non-KT patients.Patients and methods: Among 2,186 patients who underwent KT in our institute, nine patients developed UC after KT in our center. Age-standardized rates (ASRs) were calculated to compare incidence rates of UC between KT patients and the general population. Additional five patients who underwent KT at other hospitals and received UC treatment at our center were included, thus a total of 14 KT patients were compared with non-KT patients in the aspect of the treatment outcomes of bladder cancer and upper urinary tract UC (UTUC) by using generalized estimating equation (GEE).Results: The ASRs of bladder cancer and UTUC in KT recipients were 25.5 and 129.5 times higher than that of the general population. Although there was no difference in bladder cancer-specific survival rates (P-value 0.1186), however, progression rates of bladder cancer were significantly higher in KT recipients with a relative risk of 10.53 (P-value 0.0481). There was no significant difference in UTUC recurrence, progression, and specific survival rate (P-values 0.8915, 0.8806, and 0.8116, respectively).Conclusion: Incidence of UC was much higher in KT recipients than the general population. Treatment outcomes for UC in KT recipients were not inferior to those of non-KT patients, except for the progression of bladder cancer. Special attention should be paid to screening and treatment of UC in KT recipients. Keywords: urothelial carcinoma, kidney transplantation, bladder cancer, upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma

Wan Song,1 Ji Woong Yu,2 Byong Chang Jeong,2 Seong Il Seo,2 Seong Soo Jeon,2 Hyun Moo Lee,2 Han Yong Choi,3 Eun-Suk Kang,4 Hwang Gyun Jeon2 1Department of Urology, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; 2Department of Urology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; 3Department of Urology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; 4Department of Laboratory Medicine and Genetics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Purpose: To investigate the clinical usefulness of natural killer cell activity (NKA) for detection of prostate cancer (PCa) and prediction of Gleason grade. Patients and methods: We prospectively enrolled 221 patients who underwent transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy for suspected PCa due to elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) >2.5ng/mL or abnormal findings on digital rectal examination (n=146), or who were diagnosed with PCa (n=75) between 2016 and 2017. The NKA was compared according to PCa and Gleason grade. Correlation analysis was used to evaluate associations among NKA, PCa, and Gleason grade, and expressed using distribution dot plots. The absolute risk and relative risk of PCa, and odds ratios at different cut-off values of NKA were calculated. Results: Of the total 221 patients, PCa was identified in 135 (61.9%) patients. When patients were divided according to PCa, there was no significant difference in NKA (1,267.6 vs 1,198.9pg/mL, P=0.491). Furthermore, in 135 patients with PCa, the NKA was not significantly different according to Gleason grade (P=0.893). These results were not changed when confined to the patients with PSA between 2.5 and 10.0ng/mL (P=0.654 and P=0.672, respectively). In addition, there was no significant difference in the risk of PCa at different cut-off values of NKA. Conclusion: These results indicate that NKA does not appear to be very useful for detection of PCa and prediction of Gleason grade. Further large multi-institutional studies are required to verify the role of NKA in PCa detection and Gleason grade prediction. Keywords: immunosurveillance, natural killer cell activity, prostate cancer, Gleason score

Summary Objective To describe our experience with pneumovesicoscopic bladder tumor resection in a young boy whose urethra was too small to use a resectoscope. Methods An 11-year-old boy presented with gross hematuria. The patient was found to have a 2 cm-sized bladder tumor on ultrasound. The patient’s urethra was too small to use a pediatric resectoscope, making it impossible to perform a transurethral resection of the bladder tumor. Therefore, pneumovesicoscopic bladder tumor resection was performed. En-bloc resection was performed successfully using 3 mm laparoscopic instruments, and the tumor was safely retrieved within an endo-bag made with a surgical glove. Results On postoperative day 1, the Foley catheter was removed and the patient was discharged. The pathology report described bladder papillary urothelial carcinoma, grade II/III without lamina propria invasion. The patient underwent follow-up with ultrasonography and urine cytology every three to six months. There was no recurrence for 21 months after surgery. Conclusion This video demonstrates a pneumovesicoscopic approach for the treatment of bladder tumor in a young patient whose urethra was too small to use a resectoscope. Pneumovesicoscopic bladder tumor resection is technically feasible and safe.

Background To evaluate the strategy for detection of prostate cancer (PCa) with low prostate specific antigen (PSA) level (2.5–4.0 ng/mL), prostate biopsy patients with low PSA were assessed. We evaluated the risk of low PSA PCa and the strategy for screening low-PSA patients. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the patients who underwent prostate biopsy with low PSA level. Baseline characteristics, PSA level before prostate biopsy, prostate volume, prostate specific antigen density (PSAD), and pathological data were assessed. Results Among the 1986 patients, 24.97% were diagnosed with PCa. The PSAD was 0.12 ± 0.04 ng/mL2 in the PCa-diagnosed group and 0.10 ± 0.04 ng/mL2 in non-cancer-diagnosed group (P < 0.001). Of the 496 patients diagnosed with PCa, 302 (60.89%) were in the intermediate- or high-risk group. PSAD was 0.13 ± 0.04 ng/mL2 in the intermediate- or high-risk group and 0.11 ± 0.03 ng/mL2 in the very low- and low-risk group (P < 0.001). Of 330 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy, 85.15% were diagnosed as having significant cancer. There was significant correlation between PSAD and PCa (r = 0.294, P < 0.001). PSAD with a specificity of 80.00% of a clinically significant cancer diagnosis was assessed at 0.1226 ng/mL2. Conclusion The PCa detection rate in the low-PSA group was not lower than that of previous studies of patients with PSA from 4.0 to 10.0 ng/mL. Further, it may be helpful to define a strategy for PCa detection using PSAD in the low-PSA group., Graphical Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES:To compare and analyze surgical, oncological and functional outcomes of transperitoneal robotic partial nephrectomy (TRPN) and retroperitoneal RPN (RRPN).METHODS:Out of ...

Purpose: Active surveillance is now the treatment of choice in men with low risk prostate cancer. Although there is no consensus on which patients are eligible for active surveillance, prostate specific antigen above 10 ng/ml is generally excluded. In an attempt to determine the validity of using a prostate specific antigen cutoff of 10 ng/ml to counsel men considering active surveillance we analyzed a multi-institution database to determine the pathological outcome in men with prostate specific antigen greater than 10 ng/ml but histologically favorable risk prostate cancer.Materials and Methods: We queried a prospectively maintained database of men with histologically favorable risk prostate cancer who underwent radical prostatectomy between 2003 and 2015. The cohort was categorized into 3 groups based on prostate specific antigen level, including low—less than 10 ng/ml, intermediate—10 or greater to less than 20 and high—20 or greater. Associations of prostate specific antigen group with adverse patholo...

Purpose To investigate germline and somatic mutation profiles in Korean patients with prostate cancer using liquid biopsy and solid tissue testing and to evaluate the prognostic value of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in predicting castration resistance in patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). Materials and Methods Plasma samples from 56 prostate cancer patients were subjected to next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify germline mutations and ctDNA analysis using liquid biopsy to detect somatic mutations. Additionally, paired solid cancer tissues from 18 patients were subject to NGS to detect somatic mutations. The clinical parameters and ctDNA profiles of patients with mHSPC were analyzed to evaluate the prognostic value of ctDNA mutations with respect to predicting castration resistance using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Results Germline mutations occurred in 3.6% of the patients in this cohort, with mutations identified in RAD50 (1.8%) and BRCA1 (1.8%). Somatic mutations detected by liquid biopsy and solid tissue testing were common in TP53 (12.5%), PIK3CA (3.6%), and TMPRSS2-ERG (3.6%). Of the 18 patients with paired tissue testing, two patients had at least one identical somatic mutation in both the liquid biopsy and solid tissue testing. In patients with mHSPC, the presence of ctDNA mutations could independently predict the castration resistance development (hazard ratio, 13.048; 95% confidential interval, 1.109–153.505; p=0.041). Conclusions Korean patients with prostate cancer showed a relatively low germline mutation rate compared to other ethnicities. The ctDNA mutations detected by liquid biopsy can predict the development of castration resistance in patients with mHSPC., Graphical Abstract

Background Pathological features of prostate cancer in Korean men were analyzed to determine whether identification of tumor volume, Gleason score (GS), focality, and location using radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens can provide useful information for the application of focal therapy (hemiablation). Methods From January 2016 to December 2017, 913 patients who underwent RP at a single center were selected for analysis. Patients with prostate-specific antigen levels > 15 ng/mL or those who had received hormone therapy prior to surgery were excluded. Preoperative data and the number, volume, location, and GS of each tumor were recorded. Results Overall, 762 RP specimens were examined, and 1448 tumors were identified. The majority of the cases were multifocal (60.5%) and bilateral (82%) in nature. Among the 686 secondary tumors, 250 (36.4%) had a GS ≥7 and 122 (17.8%) had a tumor volume ≥ 0.5 mL. Among the 435 bilateral multifocal cases, secondary tumors on the lobes contralateral to the largest tumor were significant by volume (≥0.5 mL) in 91 (20.9%) cases and by grade (GS ≥7) in 179 (41.1%) cases. There were 102 (23.4%) tumors with a small tumor volume (

To evaluate focal therapy (hemiablation) eligibility in men undergoing prostate biopsy and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) with reference to histopathology from radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens. Subjects were selected among 810 men who underwent prostate biopsy, mpMRI, and RP from January 2016 to December 2017. Hemiablation eligibility criteria were biopsy-proven unilateral cancer, prostate-specific antigen ≤ 15 ng/ml, and Gleason score (GS) ≤ 3 + 4. Evidence of non-organ-confined disease or Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System score ≥ 4 on the contralateral lobe on mpMRI was classified as ineligible for hemiablation. Of the 810, data for 185 who met the screening criteria were compared to final pathology findings. Significant cancer at RP was defined as any of the following: (1) GS 6 with tumor volume ≥ 0.5 ml; (2) GS ≥ 3 + 4; or (3) the presence of advanced stage (≥ pT3). Among the 185 candidates for hemiablation, 62 (33.5%) had unilateral cancer on final RP histopathology. Among the 123 bilateral cancers, 50 (27%) were organ confined and had GS ≤ 3 + 4 = 7 and bilateral multifocal tumor in which the index tumor was confined to one lobe and the secondary tumor in the contralateral lobe had tumor volume

OBJECTIVES To examine the prognostic role of the pretreatment aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase or De Ritis ratio in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma receiving first-line systemic tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy. METHODS We retrospectively searched the medical records of 579 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who visited Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, from January 2001 through August 2016. After excluding 210 patients, we analyzed 360 patients who received first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy. Cancer-specific survival and overall survival were defined as the primary and secondary end-points, respectively. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to identify independent prognosticators of survival outcomes. RESULTS The overall population was divided into two groups according to the pretreatment De Ritis ratio as an optimal cut-off value of 1.2, which was determined by a time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Patients with a higher pretreatment De Ritis ratio (≥1.2) had worse cancer-specific survival and overall survival outcomes, compared with those with a lower De Ritis ratio (

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Active surveillance (AS) is now the preferred treatment of choice in men with a low-risk prostate cancer. Although there is no consensus on patients who are eligible for AS, PSA above 10 ng/mL is generally excluded. In an attempt to determine the validity of using PSA cutoff of 10 in counseling men considering AS, we have analyzed a multi-institution database to determine the pathologic outcome in men with PSA greater than 10 but have a histologically favorable-risk prostate cancer. METHODS: Prospectively maintained database on men with histologically favorable risk prostate cancer but underwent radical prostatectomy between 2003 and 2015 were queried from three institutions. The cohort was categorized into three groups based on PSA levels: Low PSA (LP) (

Appropriate patient selection for active surveillance is challenging.Our study of 217 patients demonstrated that the preoperative absolute neutrophil and lymphocyte counts were better predictors of aggressive oncologic features than were the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in the assessment of low-risk prostate cancer patients. Our findings suggest that routine hematologic workup could be used to further stratify low-risk prostate cancer patients.The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has emerged as a ubiquitous prognostic biomarker in cancer-related inflammation, specifically in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (PCa). We evaluated the clinical utility of the preoperative NLR, absolute neutrophil count (ANC), and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) as a risk stratification tool for patients with low-risk PCa.We identified 217 low-risk PCa patients with preoperative hematologic data who had met the criteria for active surveillance but had undergone robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at our institution from 2006 to 2015. Logistic regression models were constructed to determine whether the baseline NLR, ANC, and ALC were associated with upstaging, upgrading, and biochemical recurrence (BCR). Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method.On multivariate analysis, a higher prostate-specific antigen level (odds ratio [OR], 1.554; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.148-2.104), a greater number of positive cores (OR, 2.098; 95% CI, 1.043-2.104), and a higher ALC (OR, 4.311; 95% CI, 1.258-14.770) were associated with upstaging. More importantly, the 5-year biochemical recurrence-free survival was significantly lower in the high ANC group (ANC4.0 × 10(9)/L) compared with that of the low ANC group (P = .011). The NLR was not associated with upstaging, upgrading, or BCR in our study cohort (P = .368, P = .573, and P = .504, respectively). The only significant association with upgrading was patient age (OR, 1.106; 95% CI, 1.043-1.173).NLR was not useful in predicting adverse pathologic outcomes in our patients with low-risk PCa. However, relative neutrophilia and lymphocytosis might indicate an early manifestation of harboring a more aggressive PCa.