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Liquid biopsies developed into a range of sensitive technologies aiming to analyze for example, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood, which significantly deepens understanding of the metastatic process. Nevertheless, examination of CTCs is mostly limited to their enumeration and usually only 2–3 markers‐based phenotyping, not offering yet sufficient insight into their biology. In contrast, quantitative analysis of their morphological details might extend our knowledge about dissemination and even improve CTC isolation or label‐free identification methods dependent on their physical features such as size, and deformability. Current study was conducted to describe CTCs' and their size, shape, presence of protrusions, and micronuclei across various types of cancers (lung, n = 29; ovarian, n = 24, breast, n = 54; and prostate, n = 33). Epithelial (pan‐keratins), mesenchymal (vimentin), and two exclusion markers were used to identify CTCs and classify them into four epithelial and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition‐related phenotypes using standardized and throughput method, imaging flow cytometry. The morphological characteristics of CTCs, including their nuclei, such as circularity, the maximum, and minimum diagonal values were determined using an open‐source software QuPath. On average, detected CTCs (n = 1156) were larger, and more irregular in shape compared to leukocytes/endothelial cells (n = 400). Epithelial and mesenchymal CTCs had the largest (median = 18.2 μm) and the smallest diameter (median = 10.4 μm), respectively. In terms of cancer‐specific variations, the largest CTCs were identified in lung cancer, whereas the smallest—in prostate and breast cancers. Epithelial CTCs and those negative for both epithelial and mesenchymal markers exhibited the highest degree of elongation, whereas mesenchymal CTCs were the most irregular in shape. Protrusions and micronuclei were observed extremely rarely within CTCs of breast and prostate cancer (0.6%–0.8% of CTCs). Micronuclei were observed only in epithelial and epithelial‐mesenchymal CTCs. This study underscores the significant variability in the morphological features of CTCs in relation to their phenotypic classification or even the particular organ of origin, potentially influencing for example, size‐dependent CTC isolation methods. It demonstrates for the first time the morphological measurements of CTCs undergoing epithelial‐mesenchymal transition, and some specific morphological details (i.e., protrusions, micronuclei) within CTCs in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-parametric prostate MRI (mpMRI) is crucial for diagnosing, staging, and assessing treatment response in individuals with prostate cancer. Radiologists, through an accurate and standardized interpretation of mpMRI, stratify patients who may benefit from more invasive treatment or exclude patients who may be harmed by overtreatment. The integration of prostate MRI into the diagnostic pathway is anticipated to generate a substantial surge in the demand for high-quality mpMRI, estimated at approximately two million additional prostate MRI scans annually in Europe. In this review we examine the immediate impact on healthcare, particularly focusing on the workload and evolving roles of radiologists and urologists tasked with the interpretation of these reports and consequential decisions regarding prostate biopsies. We investigate important questions that influence how prostate MRI reports are handled. The discussion aims to provide insights into the collaboration needed for effective reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the etiology of urethral stricture disease (USD) in a large series of patients undergoing urethroplasty. Material and methods The multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted at two reconstructive urology referral centers in years 2015–2022. Prior to the surgical intervention, all patients underwent diagnostic procedures including retrograde urethrography and voiding cystourethrography. We collected comprehensive demographic and medical data including the length and location of the stricture. We paid particular attention to identifying the underlying causes of USD in the medical records. Results The study included 949 patients meeting criteria, with a mean age of 53. The primary cause of USD was identified as iatrogenic (404 cases, 42.6%), followed by trauma (210, 22.1%), previous hypospadias repair (122, 12.9%), lichen sclerosus (32, 3.4%), and infections (12, 1.3%). Notably, 169 patients (17.8%) did not have a discernible cause for their USD and were thus classified as idiopathic. Furthermore, it was observed that 66% of idiopathic USD cases were localized in the bulbar urethra. The etiology of USD varied significantly based on its localization (p <0.01). The mean stricture length differed among different causes, with the longest in patients with USD due to lichen sclerosus (41 mm), followed by previous hypospadias repair (35 mm), and iatrogenic causes (29 mm), p <0.001. Conclusions Careful medical history-taking can identify the etiology of urethral stricture in over 80% of patients undergoing urethroplasty. The etiology of the USD impacts its location and length and thus can affect surgical treatment strategy and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The study presents the initial outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomies (RARPs) using the Versius robotic system in a urological centre with no prior robotic surgery experience. Material and methods: A retrospective analysis of 58 RARPs was conducted, including patients' parameters as well as Versius system performance. Results The study involved 58 patients (average age 66.9 years). Median preoperative prostate specific antigen (PSA) was 9.8 ng/ml, with 48% having ISUP grade group = 3 on biopsy and 25.8% showing extraprostatic extension on MRI. Median blood loss was 437 ml, with complications (10.3% Clavien-Dindo grade II and 4 grade III cases). One conversion to open surgery occurred (0.58%). Final pathology revealed 46.5% extraprostatic disease, and 25.8% had positive margins. Post-surgery, 96.5% had undetectable PSA at 6 weeks. Continence rates were 89.7% at 6 weeks, increasing to 91.3% at 12 months. Median catheter duration was 7.9 days, and the hospital stay was 4.5 days. Console time averaged 150.9 minutes, with a median operative time of 213 minutes. The Versius system reported medium priority alarms in 24.1% of operations, including 1266 alarms related to robotic arm clashes and 43 instrument swaps. One bedside unit exchange occurred with no console or robotic system failures. Conclusions The Versius robotic system can be successfully introduced in a urological centre without prior robotic surgery experience. Our setup and operating room positioning are effective, safe, and reproducible. We encountered and resolved surgical and technical challenges. Further follow-up studies are needed to assess the system's performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]