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Objective: To identify patients at risk for biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer (PCa) after radical prostatectomy (RP) with intra‐operative whole‐mount frozen section (FS) of the prostate. Material and Methods: We examined differences in BCR between patients with initial negative surgical margins at FS, patients with final negative surgical margins with initial positive margins at FS without residual PCa after secondary tumour resection, and patients with final negative surgical margins with initially positive margins at FS with residual PCa in the secondary tumour resection specimen. Institutional data of 883 consecutive patients undergoing RP were collected. Intra‐operative whole‐mount FS was routinely used to check for margin status and, if necessary, to resect more periprostatic tissue in order to achieve negative margins. Patients with lymph node‐positive disease or final positive surgical margins were excluded from the analysis. Kaplan−Meier curves and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses adjusting for clinical covariates were employed to examine differences in biochemical recurrence‐free survival (BRFS) according to the resection status mentioned above. Results: The median follow‐up was 22.4 months. The 1‐ and 2‐year BRFS rates in patients with (81.0% and 72.9%, respectively; P = 0.001) and without residual PCa (90.3% and 82.3%, respectively; P = 0.033) after secondary tumour resection were significantly lower compared to patients with initial R0 status (93.4% and 90.9%, respectively). On multivariable Cox regression only residual PCa in the secondary tumour resection was associated with a higher risk of BCR compared to initial R0 status (hazard ratio 1.99, 95% confidence interval 1.01–3.92; P = 0.046). Conclusion: Despite being classified as having a negative surgical margin, patients with residual PCa in the secondary tumour resection specimen face a high risk of BCR. These findings warrant closer post‐RP surveillance of this particular subgroup. Further research of this high‐risk subset of patients should focus on examining whether these patients benefit from early salvage therapy and how resection status impacts oncological outcomes in the changing landscape of PCa treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To examine the impact of Salvage lymph node dissection (SLND) on bladder function and oncological outcome in hormone naïve patients with nodal recurrence of prostate cancer (PCa) after radical prostatectomy (RP). Methods: In a prospective study between October 2015 and November 2016, 20 patients underwent transperitoneal SLND for nodal recurrence of PCa after RP at our institution. Standardized urodynamics were performed pre‐ and postoperatively after 6 weeks, 3, and 6 to 12 months. Prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels were used to monitor the oncological outcome. Perioperative outcomes encompassed, among others, type of complications after surgery classified to Clavien‐Dindo. Results: The proportion of patients with neurogenic bladder dysfunction was postoperative at 6 weeks, 3, and 6 to 12 months 78.5%, 70%, and 45.5%, respectively. Compared to preoperative urodynamics, follow‐ups revealed a statistical significant cleavage of bladder wall compliance until six to twelve months after SLND (34.5 vs 22 mL/cmH2O, P = 0.044). Referring to the oncological outcome all patients experienced a PSA progression, 10 patients (50%) within 11 weeks after surgery. Overall, four patients (20%) suffered from a postoperative complication after SLND, which comprises Clavien grade I‐IIIa. Conclusions: Transperitoneal SLND, as a treatment option for patients with nodal recurrence of PCa after RP reveals additional potential pitfalls than previously reported. Urodynamics reveal a significant impact of SLND on postoperative functional bladder dysfunctions. Therefore, informed consent prior to SLND should include the risk of persistent low compliance bladder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The fusion of multiparametric resonance imaging and ultrasound has been proven capable of detecting prostate cancer in different biopsy settings. The addition of real-time elastography promises to increase the precision of the outcome of targeted biopsies. We investigated whether real-time elastography improves magnetic resonance imaging/transrectal ultrasound fusion targeted biopsy in patients after previous negative biopsies. Materials and Methods Prospectively 121 men underwent 3T magnetic resonance imaging. Using magnetic resonance imaging/real-time elastography fusion every suspicious lesion was characterized according to its tissue density and sampled by 2 fusion guided targeted biopsies. Additionally, all patients underwent 12-core systematic biopsy. The detection rate of clinically significant and insignificant cancers was compared between targeted und systematic biopsies. The accuracy to predict high grade prostate cancer was evaluated for with the PI-RADS scoring system and compared to the magnetic resonance imaging/real-time elastography fusion score. Results Overall prostate cancer was detected in 52 patients (43%). Targeted fusion guided biopsy revealed prostate cancer in 32 men (26.4%) and systematic biopsy in 46 (38%). The proportion of clinically significant cancers was higher for targeted biopsy (90.6%) compared to systematic biopsy (73.9%). The detection rate per core was higher for targeted biopsies (14.7%) compared to systematic biopsies (6.5%, p <0.001). The prediction of biopsy result according to magnetic resonance imaging/real-time elastography fusion was better (AUC 0.86) than magnetic resonance imaging alone (AUC 0.79). Sensitivity and specificity for magnetic resonance imaging/real-time elastography fusion was 77.8% and 77.3% vs 74.1% and 62.9% for magnetic resonance imaging. Conclusions Magnetic resonance imaging/transrectal ultrasound fusion enhances the likelihood of detecting clinically significant cancers in a repeat biopsy setting. Adding real-time elastography to magnetic resonance imaging supports the characterization of cancer suspicious lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We prospectively assessed whether a combined approach of real-time elastography and contrast enhanced ultrasound would improve prostate cancer visualization. Material and Methods: Between June 2011 and January 2012, 100 patients with biopsy proven prostate cancer underwent preoperative transrectal multiparametric ultrasound combining real-time elastography and contrast enhanced ultrasound. After initial elastographic screening for suspicious lesions, defined as blue areas with decreased tissue strain, each lesion was allocated to the corresponding prostate sector. The target lesion was defined as the largest cancer suspicious area. Perfusion was monitored after intravenous injection of contrast agent. Target lesions were examined for hypoperfusion, normoperfusion or hyperperfusion. Imaging results were correlated with final pathological evaluation on whole mount slides after radical prostatectomy. Results: Of 100 patients 86 were eligible for final analysis. Real-time elastography detected prostate cancer with 49% sensitivity and 73.6% specificity. Histopathology confirmed malignancy in 56 of the 86 target lesions (65.1%). Of these 56 lesions 52 (92.9%) showed suspicious perfusion, including hypoperfusion in 48.2% and hyperperfusion in 48.2%, while only 4 (7.1%) showed normal perfusion patterns (p = 0.001). The multiparametric approach decreased the false-positive value of real-time elastography alone from 34.9% to 10.3% and improved the positive predictive value of cancer detection from 65.1% to 89.7%. Conclusions: Perfusion patterns of prostate cancer suspicious elastographic lesions are heterogeneous. However, the combined approach of real-time elastography and contrast enhanced ultrasound in this pilot study significantly decreased false-positive results and improved the positive predictive value of correctly identifying histopathological cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Type - Prognosis (case series) Level of Evidence 4 What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Prostate cancer characterisation, based on laboratory findings, clinical examination and histopathological cancer features that are used to define selection criteria for AS, is not ideal. Consequently, a panel of strict or more lenient criteria to select patients for AS have been published. Studies investigating the relationship between pretreatment variables and final pathology have been done in the past showing the risk of cancer misclassification for some criteria. No study has presented an overview of cancer selection using a panel of 16 currently used AS criteria that is presented in the present study. In an exactly defined cohort after radical prostatectomy, each set of criteria was used as a diagnostic test to separate between patients with more favourable (pT2, no Gleason upgrade between biopsy grading and final pathology) and unfavourable cancer features (pT3, pN+, Gleason upgrade). To the best of our knowledge a comparison of test quality criteria for AS criteria given by sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and likelihood ratio has not yet been reported. Moreover, we showed that tumour characterisation, by a formally sufficient 12-core biopsy, in the present dataset harboured a risk of ≈20% that unfavourable cancer features were missed regardless of whether strict or more lenient selection criteria for AS were chosen. OBJECTIVE To evaluate final histopathological features among men diagnosed with prostate cancer eligible for low-risk (LR) or active surveillance (AS) criteria., PATIENTS AND METHODS Retrospective application of 16 definitions for AS or LR prostate cancer to a contemporary (January 2008 to March 2011) open retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP) series of 1745 patients., Exclusion criteria: neoadjuvant hormones, radiotherapy, inadequate histopathological reports, <10 biopsy cores., Report on the number of men with insignificant tumours (defined as: ≤pT2, Gleason score ≤6, tumour volume <0.5 mL) and men who had unfavourable tumour characteristics on final pathology (defined as: extracapsular extension or seminal vesicle invasion or lymph node metastasis or Gleason upgrading)., Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) were calculated., RESULTS Eligibility of patients in the final study cohort ( n= 1070) varied from 5.1% to 92.7% depending on the AS or LR criteria used., Final pathology revealed 77 insignificant cancers and 578 patients who had unfavourable histopathological criteria., The detection rate for insignificant cancers on final pathology was variable ranging from 7.8% to 28.3% depending on the AS- or LR-prediction tool used; unfavourable tumour characteristics were found in up to 33.5% on final pathology., The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 8.5-97.9%, 24.7-97.8%, 67.7-89.1% and 45.3-78.2%, respectively., The likelihood ratio to correctly identify a patient with LR disease on final pathology ranged from 1.3 to 8., CONCLUSIONS AS or LR criteria have a significant risk of cancer misclassification., Better prediction tools are needed to improve these criteria., Re-biopsy might improve safety and should be considered more frequently in patients who opt for AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We determined the frequency and distribution of metastases to pelvic lymph nodes in a contemporary American radical prostatectomy series. Materials and Methods: In 642 consecutive patients with clinically localized prostate cancer treated by a single surgeon between 2002 and 2009 pelvic lymph nodes were removed and submitted to the pathologist in separate packets (external iliac, obturator and hypogastric). We assessed the total number of nodes and the number with metastases in each packet. Results: Complete pathological information was available for 427 patients, who had a median of 16 lymph nodes removed. Of the patients 35 (8.2%) had lymph node metastases, including 1.7% with low, 8.6% with intermediate and 23.9% with high risk cancer. Of those with nodal metastases 24 (69%) had positive lymph nodes in only 1 of the 3 areas, including the external iliac in 4 (11%), the obturator in 9 (26%) and the hypogastric in 11 (31%). Only 37% of the patients had positive nodes only in the external iliac area above the obturator nerve while 60% and 49% had at least 1 positive node in the obturator and the hypogastric area, respectively. Of the patients 80% had only 1 (49%) or 2 (31%) positive nodes. Conclusions: In contemporary American patients with clinically localized prostate cancer lymph node metastases were found more often and frequently exclusively in the obturator and hypogastric areas than in the external iliac area. Pelvic lymph node dissection limited to the external iliac area above the obturator nerve would identify and remove lymph node metastases in only a third of the patients with positive nodes found at full pelvic lymph node dissection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We evaluated whether real-time elastography guided biopsy improves prostate cancer detection compared to conventional systematic gray scale ultrasound guidance. Materials and Methods: A total of 353 consecutive patients suspicious for prostate cancer were prospectively randomized for real-time elastography (178) or gray scale ultrasound (175). Each patient enrolled in the study underwent a 10-core prostate biopsy. Six lateral prostate sectors (base, mid, apex) were scanned for cancer suspicious areas, defined as stiffer blue lesions using real-time elastography and hypoechoic lesions using gray scale ultrasound. Suspicious areas were sampled by a single targeted biopsy and considered representative of a defined prostate sector. If real-time elastography or gray scale ultrasound did not visualize a suspicious area in a sector, the biopsy core was taken systematically. Imaging findings were correlated with histopathological reports. Real-time elastography and gray scale ultrasound cases were compared in terms of cancer detection rate and imaging guidance accuracy. Results: Characteristics of patients undergoing real-time elastography and gray scale ultrasound, including age, prostate specific antigen, prostate volume and digital rectal examination, were not significantly different (p >0.05). Prostate cancer was detected in 160 of 353 patients (45.3%). The prostate cancer detection rate was significantly higher in patients who underwent biopsy with the real-time elastography guided approach compared to the gray scale ultrasound guided biopsy at 51.1% (91 of 178) vs 39.4% (69 of 175) (p = 0.027). Overall sensitivity and specificity to detect prostate cancer was 60.8% and 68.4% for real-time elastography vs 15% and 92.3% for gray scale ultrasound, respectively. Conclusions: Sensitivity to visualize and detect prostate cancer improved using real-time elastography in addition to gray scale ultrasound during prostate biopsy. Overall sensitivity did not reach levels to omit a systematic biopsy approach. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The impact of unfavorable pelvic anatomy on the likelihood of having a nerve sparing radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) and the potential correlation between pelvic dimensions and recovery of erectile function (EF) after RRP have not been previously evaluated. To determine the impact of different pelvic bony and soft tissue dimensions as well as apical prostate depth on the likelihood of performing bilateral nerve sparing and on recovery of EF after RP. Between November 2001 and June 2007, 644 potent men undergoing RRP had preoperative MRI where pelvimetry was performed with bilateral nerve sparing in 504 men. Outcomes including varying degrees of recovery of EF (level 1: normal; level 2: partial erections routinely sufficient for intercourse; level 3: partial erections occasionally sufficient for intercourse) were assessed. Median follow-up was 44.1 (interquartile range: 29.2, 65.3) months. We evaluated independent predictors of performing a bilateral nerve sparing procedure and of recovery of EF using multivariable Cox proportional hazards methods. Likelihood of performing bilateral nerve sparing as well as recovery of EF after RRP. Patients with higher clinical stage and biopsy Gleason score are less likely to undergo bilateral nerve sparing. Surgeon is also a factor in the likelihood of having bilateral nerve sparing RRP. On multivariate Cox regression analysis, factors predictive of recovery of EF were age, pretreatment erectile function, surgeon, and modified Charlson score. None of the pelvimetric dimensions were significant predictors of any degree of recovery of EF. However, the study is limited by its retrospective nature and by being based on MRI evaluations useful for cancer staging rather than anatomical evaluation of pelvimetric dimensions. We did not find unfavorable pelvic anatomy to impact the likelihood of performing a nerve sparing procedure or to be predictive of any degree of recovery of EF after RRP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Type - Diagnostic (exploratory cohort) Level of Evidence 2b What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Current studies evaluating real-time elastography in patients prior to radical prostatectomy reported sensitivities between 57% and 100% for detection of prostate cancer. This is the first prospective study comparing the findings of real-time elastography and conventional gray-scale ultrasound with final pathology. A significant improvement for cancer detection as well as detection of extra capsular is shown by adding the attributes of tissue elasticity to current gray-scale imaging. OBJECTIVE • To evaluate whether transrectal real-time elastography (RTE) improves the detection of intraprostatic prostate cancer (PCa) lesions and extracapsular extension (ECE) compared with conventional grey-scale ultrasonography (GSU). PATIENTS AND METHODS • In total, 229 patients with biopsy-proven PCa were prospectively screened for cancer-suspicious areas and ECE using GSU and RTE. • The largest tumour focus detected by RTE was defined as the index lesion. • The prostate gland was stratified into six sectors on GSU and RTE, which were compared with histopathological whole mount sections after radical prostatectomy. RESULTS • Histopathologically, PCa was confirmed in 894 out of 1374 (61.8%) evaluated sectors and ECE was identified in 47 (21%) patients. • Of these 894 sectors, RTE correctly detected 594 (66.4%) and GSU 215 (24.0%) cancer suspicious lesions. • Sensitivity was 51% and specificity 72% using RTE compared to 18% and 90% for GSU. • RTE identified the largest side specific tumour focus in 68% of patients. • ECE was identified with a sensitivity of 38% and specificity of 96% using RTE compared to 15% and 97% using GSU. CONCLUSIONS • Compared with GSU, RTE provides a statistically significant improvement in detection of PCa lesions and ECE. • RTE enhances GSU, although improvement is still needed to achieve a clinically meaningful sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Salvage lymph node dissection (SLND) is still a questionable treatment approach for patients with nodal recurrence of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy. We assessed the oncological benefit after SLND in hormone-naïve patients as well as the diagnostic accuracy of preoperative prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) scanning.Material and Methods: The study relied on retrospective collected data of 43 hormone-naïve men who received transperitoneal SLND between February 2011 and March 2017 at our institution. The oncological outcome for each patient was observed by serum prostate-specific antigen testing. Postoperative complications within 30 and 90 days were assessed according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. The accuracy of PSMA PET/CT was characterized by calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values.Results: Overall 8 patients (18.6%) had a complete biochemical response 40 days after SLND. The median time from SLND to biochemical recurrence was 2 months. Adjuvant treatment encompassing radiotherapy, androgen deprivation therapy, or a combination of both, was administrated in 62.8%. According to the Clavien-Dindo classification, no high-grade complications were observed. Sensitivity and specificity for PSMA PET/CT were respectively 32% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 17.21-51.59) and 91.74% (95% CI: 85.45-95.45). Calculated positive predictive values (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) of PSMA PET/CT were 44.44% (95% CI: 25.98-64.58) and 86.72% (95% CI: 83.23-89.57).Conclusions: For most hormone-naïve men with a nodal recurrence of prostate cancer transperitoneal SLND is neither an appropriate treatment to cure nor an option to delay the need for salvage hormone manipulation. PSMA PET/CT scans in hormone-naïve patients are currently too imprecise to diagnose metastatic sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]