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Background/aim: This study aims to compare the success rates of rigid registration (RR) and elastic registration (ER) systems in diagnosing all cancers and clinically significant prostate cancer (csPC) in software-based targeted prostate biopsies (TPBs) by performing matching analysis. Materials and methods: The data of 2061 patients from six centers where software-based TPB is performed were used. All cancer and csPC detection rates of the RR and ER systems were compared following Mahalanobis distance matching with the propensity score caliper method. Logistic regression analysis was applied to identify factors predicting clinically insignificant prostate cancer (ciPC) and csPC diagnoses. Additionally, the International Society of Urological Pathology Grade Group (ISUP GG) upgrade rates of RR and ER systems were compared between biopsy and radical prostatectomy pathologies. Results: The matched sample included 157 RR and 157 ER patients. No statistically significant difference was found between ER and RR in terms of csPC detection rate (28.0% vs. 22.3% respectively, p = 0.242). The detection rate of all cancers by ER compared to RR was found to be significantly higher (54.8% vs. 35.7% respectively p < 0.001,). No statistically significant difference was found between the ER and RR groups regarding pathological upgrade (39.7% vs. 24.2% respectively, p = 0.130). In the logistic regression analysis performed to determine the factors predicting ciPC, decreased prostate volume and ER system use were found to be independent predictive factors. Conclusion: While the detection rate of csPC was similar for the RR and ER systems, the detection rate of all cancers and ciPC was significantly higher with the ER systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To discern whether reduced infection rates were attributed to antiseptic solutions or mechanical rectal irrigation. Patients and Methods: After receiving ethical approval, the study included patients who underwent transrectal prostate biopsy due to elevated PSA or abnormal digital rectal examination findings, and prostate cancer under active surveillance, at Tepecik Training and Research Hospital between April 2022 and June 2023. Standard antibiotic prophylaxis was administered. Patients were randomized into three equal groups according to the rectal irrigation strategy. Results: Overall complications occurred in 4%. Despite distinct cleaning agents, there was no significant difference in infection rates (p = 0.780) or fever incidence (p = 0.776). Pathological analyses revealed comparable outcomes (p = 0.764). Conclusion: The study challenges the prevailing belief that antiseptic solutions are indispensable for infection prevention, as saline demonstrated similar efficacy. Limitations include data gaps from potential external hospital visits and absent rectal microorganism swab culture. While TRUS-PB remains the gold standard, this study suggests that mechanically cleansing the rectal mucosa with saline—a cost-effective, side-effect-free alternative—may be a viable infection prevention method, particularly beneficial for patients with antiseptic allergies. The findings prompt a reconsideration of the necessity of antiseptic solutions in TRUS-PB, offering an alternative approach to mitigate infectious complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to investigate the long-term surveillance outcomes (biochemical recurrance, survival) and adequacy of active surveillance criteria to detect low-risk prostate cancer patients who were eligible for active surveillance but underwent radical prostatectomy. Materials and Methods: Data of patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer between January 2005 and January 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. Upstaging, upgrading, surveillance periods, and survival status of patients with clinical stage T1c and T2a, serum prostate-specific antigen below 10 ng/mL, International Society of Urological Pathology grade 1, number of tumor-positive cores in biopsy 2 and below, tumor percentage in tumor-positive cores 50 and below were inclusion criteria for active surveillance. Results: The study included 606 patients. Of these patients, 184 (30.4%) met the inclusion criteria for active surveillance. Upgrading was detected in 77 (41.8%) patients and upstaging in 29 (15.8%) patients who met the criteria for active surveillance. The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and PSA density values of the patients who met the active surveillance criteria were significantly lower than those of the other patients (p<0.05). The mean surveillance period was 127.6±49.6 (8-227) months, and 123 patients died during this period. Among them, 18 (3%) patients died because of related causes of prostate cancer. None of the patients who met the criteria for active surveillance died because of prostate cancer (p=0.018). Conclusion: No cancer-related deaths were observed in patients who is eligible for active surveillance but underwent radical prostatectomy. This may suggest that active surveillance criteria are suitable for detecting low-risk prostate cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the impact of surgical delay in localized prostate cancer (PCa) on adverse pathological features and oncological outcomes. Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent surgery for localized PCa were included from the Turkish Urooncology Association PCa database. History of previous treatment or active surveillance was considered an exclusion criterion. Patients were divided into two groups according to the time period between the diagnosis and surgery; less than or equal to 90 days (group 1) or longer than 90 days (group 2). Surgical pathology results and oncological outcomes were compared between the groups. Results: In total, 2454 out of 3646 patients were assessed. Pathological findings of radical prostatectomy specimens were similar between the two groups. However, there was slightly more seminal vesicle invasion in the final surgical pathology in group 1 (12.9% vs. 9.3%, respectively p=0.042). The 5-year biochemical recurrence-free survival times were similar across all D'Amico risk categories between the two groups. The regression analysis demonstrated seminal vesicle invasion as the only factor affecting the time to prostate-specific antigen progression in high-risk patients (p<0.001 HR=2.51 confidence interval=1.58-4.45). Conclusion: In conclusion, our results in this large cohort suggest that surgical delay does not cause a deterioration in PCa surgical outcomes, even in high-risk patients. These findings may be helpful for planning limited healthcare resources especially in conditions like the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic where the availability and optimal use of healthcare system resources are crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are interdisciplinary fields of study within the art of music. Technology has become a discipline among the study areas of music. New methods and electronic devices have been developed to record musical works and deliver them to the audience. These technological studies have brought different research approaches on the art of music. Rapid developments in computer technology have accelerated music production and digitalization of music. Electronic hardware has been replaced by software due to its high cost, and software developed by compiling acoustic instrument sounds, as well as software plug-ins that produce synthetic sounds such as synthesizers, have become an effective tool frequently used in music production. Although many Western music instrument sound libraries have been created for the music technology sector, the sound libraries developed for Turkish music instruments are insufficient in terms of quality and quantity. In this study, a sound library of the Turkish musical instrument cümbüş was developed for Native Kontakt 7, a sampler software, and for the electronic key instrument Korg Krome EX. The study consists of the steps of recording the fret sounds and placing the recorded sounds on the keyboard keys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect of the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grade group 4 (GG4) and ISUP GG5 subgroups according to prostate biopsy on biochemical recurrence (BCR). Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) after being diagnosed with GG4 and GG5 prostate cancer according to prostate biopsy and who had follow-up data were retrospectively evaluated. Patient data were obtained from the Urologic Cancer Database-Prostate of the Turkish Urooncology Association. GG4 and GG5 pathologies were evaluated using Gleason subgroups. The effect of clinicopathological parameters on BCR after RP was investigated separately in the GG4 and GG5 patient groups. Results: In GG4, 73 of 188 patients developed BCR. When GG4 patients were evaluated for BCR, only lymphovascular invasion was significant for BCR (p=0.004). In addition, seminal vesicle invasion (SVI) and high ISUP grade according to RP pathology were significant in patients with BCR (p=0.004 and p=0.005). In the follow-up of 145 patients with GG5, 80 patients developed BCR. When GG5 patients were evaluated for BCR, no predictive factor was found for developing BCR. However, surgical margin positivity, extraprostatic extension, and SVI after RP were found to be significant in patients with BCR (p=0.031, p=0.011 and p=0.007). Conclusion: According to our results, the ISUP GG system, which does not include Gleason subgroups, is an appropriate classification system for GG4 and GG5 patients for the prediction of BCR in the Turkish patient population, in parallel with the current literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Diagnoses of variant histopathology (VH) in bladder cancer (BC) are increasing, and although there is a standard treatment algorithm for BC, the guidelines lack a standardized approach for treating VH in BC. We aimed to compare the survival results of the treatment algorithm applied to patients with BC with VH in the first transurethral resection of the bladder (TUR-B) procedure. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively assessed data on patients with VH of BC in the first TUR-B between January 2000 and January 2021. After the first TUR-B, we determined TUR-B+/-BCG, radical cystectomy (RC), and trimodal therapy (TMT) as the three potential treatments for patients according to the initial plans applied by the clinics. Results: A total of 289 patients with VH of BC in the first TUR-B were included in the study. Their mean age was 66.7±10.1 years, and most (246, 85.1%) were male. We found that TMT was associated with lower survival, and BCG administration offered no advantage in terms of overall survival (OS) or cancer specific survival (CSS) among patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). In patients with MIBC, immediate RC provided a significant advantage over other treatment methods in terms of both OS and CSS. Conclusions: There is still no standard treatment for patients with VH of BC. Patients are less likely to survive TMT than other treatment modalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic has shown us that postponing elective surgeries that include nephrectomy due to renal cell carcinomas (RCC) was undertaken by the physicians to use hospital facilities in a balanced way. However, both urologists and patients were concerned about postponements that may increase the risk of progression. To determine the optimal threshold of postponement time-period for surgery (PTP) and according to the clinical T stages in patients who underwent nephrectomy due to RCC, we used the Urologic Cancer Database-Kidney. Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent detailed clinical T stage analysis with admission and surgery dates were included in the study. PTP was calculated using the dates of definitive preoperative diagnosis and surgery date. Recurrence, overall mortality (OM), recurrence-free survival, and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. The effects of PTP on oncological outcome according to tumor diameter and clinical T stages were also evaluated. We also analyzed the optimal cut-offs of PTP based on clinical T stages. Results: Among 3.258 patients, in the evaluation of 2.946 clinically localized patients, PTP and tumor diameter were found to be important predictors of recurrence (p=0.037 and p<0.001). The optimal PTP of 30 days was found to be an important significant threshold time for the T1 stage and 20 days for T2-4 stage tumors. Patients with longer PTP according to the thresholds shown in this study had higher upstaging for clinical T1a, T2a, and T3 stages; higher recurrence rates for T1b and T2b stages; and higher OM for T2a and T3 tumors. The survival have also shown that more than 20 days of PTP affected OSs for clinical-stage T1 (p=0.019), T2 (p=0.021) and T3 (p=0.007) tumors. Conclusions: All patients with tumors, including clinical T1 tumors, had worsening oncological results as the PTP increased (>20-30 days). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, we investigated the correlation between prostate imaging reporting and data scoring system (PIRADS) grades of patients’ prostate lesions detected by multiparametric prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MpMRI) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) values obtained before prostate biopsy and its role in predicting clinically significant cancer in prostatectomy specimens. Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent biopsy and were diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa) because of positive or negative MpMRI were evaluated. Histopathological factors were recorded, and the relationship between the PIRADS grading system and PSA values was analyzed in patients who underwent radical prostatectomy and preoperative MpMRI. PSA cut-off values predicting clinically significant PCa (CSPCa) in MpMRI were calculated. Results: A total of 1,319 patients were included in the study. MR-fusion biopsy was performed in 58% of the patients, and malignant histopathology was detected in 49% of the patients. While 87% of the patients had CSPCa, 13% had clinically insignificant PCa. The sensitivity and specificity of the PSA 4 ng/mL cut-off value were 88.6% and 15.1% in all patient groups, respectively. In predicting CSPCa, sensitivity was 88.9% and specificity was 18.8% for PSA 4 ng/mL cut-off value in MpMRI-negative patients. If PSA >4 ng/mL in MpMRI-negative patients, there is a >45% PCa detection rate in biopsy, but biopsy is more appropriate for PSA >10 ng/mL for CSPCa. In MpMRI-positive patients, if PSA is >2.5 ng/mL, biopsy provides a >50% PCa and >30% CSPCa diagnosis. If there are PIRADS 5 lesions and PSA is >2.5 ng/mL, biopsy has a >70% PCa and >60% CSPCa detection rate. Conclusions: It may be appropriate to consider higher PSA cut-off values (PSA >10 ng/mL) to make a biopsy decision in patients with negative MpMRI, whereas it may be possible to detect CSPCa at lower PSA values in patients with positive MpMRI findings and high PIRADS grade. Keywords: Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging, prostate specific antigen, prostate cancer, prostate biopsy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]