Vesico-urethral anastomosis sampling: a forgotten tool for guiding salvage radiation after radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To review the utility of vesicourethral anastomosis (VUA)-directed biopsy in the setting of biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP) for prostate cancer (PCa) in patients who have undergone evaluation by gallium-68 prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography with computed tomography (68 Ga-PSMA PET/CT). METHODS: We completed a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained dataset from January 2015 to August 2020. Patient demographics were recorded for those who experienced BCR, as defined by a rise in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level to above 0.2 ng/mL, who had a 68 Ga-PSMA PET/CT that did not demonstrate recurrence within the prostate bed, and who subsequently underwent a transperineal ultrasonography (TPUS)-guided biopsy directed at the VUA. Histological reporting of the biopsies was undertaken in order to determine whether the benefits of salvage radiation therapy (SRT) could be justified by the presence of cancer cells. RESULTS: Eighteen patients who had a 68 Ga-PSMA PET/CT and underwent VUA-directed biopsy were identified as having BCR. 68 Ga-PSMA PET/CT scans demonstrated avidity at the VUA in none of the patients, although two out of 18 patients showed avidity in the seminal vesicles and two out of 18 patients showed avidity within regional lymph nodes. Histology from the TPUS-guided, VUA-directed biopsies demonstrated no prostatic tissue in six out of 18 and presence of prostatic tissue in 12 out of 18 of patients, respectively. In 7 out of 18 cases, there was histological evidence of recurrent PCa at the VUA in the absence of a positive 68 Ga-PSMA PET/CT scan. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the potential value of VUA-directed biopsy. We are reminded that a negative 68 Ga-PSMA PET/CT does not exclude local recurrence and that the addition of a VUA-directed biopsy may aid in the decision-making process for patients with BCR following RP, especially when 68 Ga-PSMA PET/CT is locally negative. When the result of both 68 Ga-PSMA PET/CT and VUA-directed biopsy are negative, it should encourage clinicians to share decision-making in regard to undertaking SRT vs continuing BCR surveillance. This may delay the possible side effects associated with SRT, despite its excellent PSA failure-free survival rate.

The role of cystectomy in elderly patients - a multicentre analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Life expectancy in developed countries is continuously increasing. Hence elderly patients are becoming more common in our clinical practice. Currently, one of the greatest challenges of medicine is balancing the life expectancy of elderly patients against aggressive treatments that carry significant risks. OBJECTIVE: To outline the complications and survival in surgical patients 80 years and over undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A review of a radical cystectomy in elderly recorded in four different institutional prospective databases during the period between 1991 and 2014. Clinical and pathologic features, complications and survival were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 111 patients were available. Median (range) age 82.2 (80-89) years. Seventeen women and 94 men. Regarding the ASA score, 6 patients were ASA I, 47 patients were ASA II, 49 patients ASA III and 9 ASA IV. Prior to surgery, 48 patients had hydronephrosis. The median (range) creatinine series was 1.1 (0.71-11.1) ng/dL. In 88 cases an ileal conduit was performed, 17 a cutaneous ureterostomy diversion, 5 neobladders and 1 ureterosigmoidostomy case. The median (range) operative time was 230 (120-420) min and a total of 97 patients required blood transfusion. The median (range) hospital stay was 14 (7-126) days. The early and late complication rates were 50.4% and 32%, respectively. A total of 14 patients (12.6%) required surgical reintervention. Eight patients (7.2%) died in the immediate postoperative period. The readmission rate of the series was 27.2%. The mean follow-up of the series was 18 (0.27-134.73) months. During this period 66 patients died, 52 of them due to the tumor. Twelve month tumour progression free survival was 83.9% for ≤pT1, 70.2% for pT2 and 36% for ≥pT3, respectively. Twelve month cancer specific survival was 85.6% for ≤pT1, 75.1% for pT2 and 42.5% for ≥pT3, respectively. CONCLUSION: Radical cystectomy in elderly population is an aggressive surgical treatment with a significant complication rate, hospital readmission and perioperative mortality rate. Careful selection of patients is essential in order to minimize the complications of this surgery and balance benefits against risks in the elderly population. Tumour progression and cancer specific survival are poor for patients with ≥pT3 disease. Alternatives such as tri-modality therapy need to be considered within a multi-disciplinary approach. More data is required to determine which sub-groups of elderly patients would benefit from a complication, survival and quality of life perspective.

Rare presentation of a clear cell renal cell cancer metastasis to the contralateral testicle: A case report.

Renal cell carcinoma metastases to the testes are a rare occurrence, with less than 50 described in the literature. We describe a man who presented with a metastasis in his contralateral testicle five years after nephrectomy for clear cell renal cell carcinoma, as well as a review of the available literature. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges associated with this presentation.

Dose-escalated radiotherapy to 82 Gy for prostate cancer following insertion of a peri-rectal hydrogel spacer: 3-year outcomes from a phase II trial.

BACKGROUND: Dose-escalation to above 80 Gy during external beam radiotherapy for localised prostate cancer leads to improved oncological outcomes but also substantially increased rectal toxicity. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of escalating the dose to 82 Gy following insertion of a peri-rectal hydrogel spacer (HS) prior to radiotherapy. METHODS: This was a single arm, open-label, prospective study of men with localised prostate cancer who were prescribed a course of intensity modulated radiotherapy escalated to 82 Gy in 2 Gy fractions following insertion of the SpaceOAR™ HS (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, MA). Patients were prescribed a standard course of 78 Gy in 2 Gy fractions where rectal dose constraints could not be met for the 82 Gy plan. The co-primary endpoints were the rate of grade 3 gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) adverse events (CTCAE, v4), and patient-reported quality of life (QoL) (EORTC QLQ-C30 and PR25 modules), up to 37.5 months post-treatment. RESULTS: Seventy patients received treatment on the study, with 64 (91.4%) receiving an 82 Gy treatment course. The median follow-up time post-treatment was 37.4 months. The rate of radiotherapy-related grade 3 GI and GU adverse events was 0% and 2.9%, respectively. There were 2 (2.9%) grade 3 adverse events related to insertion of the HS. Only small and transient declines in QoL were observed; there was no clinically or statistically significant decline in QoL beyond 13.5 months and up to 37.5 months post-treatment, compared to baseline. No late RTOG-defined grade ≥ 2 GI toxicity was observed, with no GI toxicity observed in any patient at 37.5 months post-treatment. Nine (12.9%) patients met criteria for biochemical failure within the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Dose-escalation to 82 Gy, facilitated by use of a hydrogel spacer, is safe and feasible, with minimal toxicity up to 37.5 months post-treatment when compared to rates of rectal toxicity in previous dose-escalation trials up to 80 Gy. Trials with longer follow-up of oncological and functional outcomes are required to robustly demonstrate a sustained widening of the therapeutic window. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12621000056897 , 22/01/2021. Retrospectively registered.

Rare presentation of isolated bilateral testicular myeloid sarcoma: A case report.

Myeloid sarcoma (MS) of the testis is a rare soft tissue tumour which can herald the development of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). The diagnosis of MS requires a high degree of suspicion as appropriate immunohistochemical staining must be performed to yield an early diagnosis. Whilst there is no consensus on treatment on MS involving the testis, most patients undergo orchidectomy and systemic chemotherapy, with or without radiation therapy. Early and aggressive treatment is key to achieving remission. This case report describes a patient with bilateral testicular MS which heralded the development of AML, who underwent induction chemotherapy and achieved remission.

Ductal variant prostate carcinoma is associated with a significantly shorter metastasis-free survival.

BACKGROUND: Ductal adenocarcinoma is an uncommon prostate cancer variant. Previous studies suggest that ductal variant histology may be associated with worse clinical outcomes, but these are difficult to interpret. To address this, we performed an international, multi-institutional study to describe the characteristics of ductal adenocarcinoma, particularly focussing on the effect of presence of ductal variant cancer on metastasis-free survival. METHODS: Patients with ductal variant histology from two institutional databases who underwent radical prostatectomies were identified and compared with an independent acinar adenocarcinoma cohort. After propensity score matching, the effect of the presence of ductal adenocarcinoma on time to biochemical recurrence, initiation of salvage therapy and the development of metastatic disease was determined. Deep whole-exome sequencing was performed for selected cases (n = 8). RESULTS: A total of 202 ductal adenocarcinoma and 2037 acinar adenocarcinoma cases were analysed. Survival analysis after matching demonstrated that patients with ductal variant histology had shorter salvage-free survival (8.1 versus 22.0 months, p = 0.03) and metastasis-free survival (6.7 versus 78.6 months, p < 0.0001). Ductal variant histology was consistently associated with RB1 loss, as well as copy number gains in TAP1, SLC4A2 and EHHADH. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of any ductal variant adenocarcinoma at the time of prostatectomy portends a worse clinical outcome than pure acinar cancers, with significantly shorter times to initiation of salvage therapies and the onset of metastatic disease. These features appear to be driven by uncoupling of chromosomal duplication from cell division, resulting in widespread copy number aberration with specific gain of genes implicated in treatment resistance.

Pan-urethral condylomata acuminata - A primary treatment recommendation based on our experience.

We present a case of a 28 year old man presenting with obstructive urinary tract symptoms and cystoscopic findings of pan-urethral, occlusive condylomata acuminata (urethral genital warts). We describe the in rooms administration process of 5-fluorouracil over an 8 week period with follow up cystoscopy results. Urine flow rates improved early in the treatment course from a maximum flow of 7ml/s to 19ml/s and a post void residual improvement from 311ml to 160ml. Significant volume reduction of the warts was achieved allowing for limited treatment with cold excision to minimise urethral stricture risk in a young man.

Are we failing to consent to an increasingly common complication? Incisional hernias at robotic prostatectomy.

The use of robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) continues to increase in the management of prostate cancer by minimally invasive approach, with shorter convalescence, reduced blood transfusion and improving oncological outcomes when compared to open surgery. There is a growing evidence base that RALP is significantly associated with incisional hernia (IH) at the specimen extraction site compared to open surgery. A series of 186 RALP patients between August 2012 and August 2018 was reviewed, where 1-7 years follow-up had been observed. The study endpoint was IH rate at the supraumbilical specimen extraction site utilized by the surgeon. Incisional hernia rate at specimen extraction site was 8.6% and incidental 1.1% IH rate at a lateral port site (not associated with specimen removal). Average age at operation was 60.9 years old and hernias were diagnosed at a mean of 11.8 months post-surgery. Common demographics in the population suffering from IH were previous abdominal surgery, adhesiolysis, history of smoking and obesity. Supraumbilical extraction site hernias are an underreported complication of RALP which may impact on quality of life and prompt further surgical correction. Patients should be asked for consent regarding the possibility of this complication ensuing.

Robotic prostatectomy following previous major abdominal surgeries resulting from gunshot injury.

Major previous abdominal surgery involving more than one abdominal quadrant may be considered a relative contraindication to robotic assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) due to the potential increased risk of adhesions, bowel injuries, and is often associated with longer operating time and increased blood loss. We describe the use of a mini-laparotomy to allow safe port placement with extensive open and robotic adhesiolysis at the time of RARP with an excellent post-operative recovery, good oncologic and functional outcomes.

A blind spot in urology: Prostate cancer associated retinopathy.

Paraneoplastic syndromes associated with prostate cancer that cause visual disturbances are rare. We present the case of a 71 year old man with a history of adenocarcinoma of the prostate who developed cancer associated retinopathy concomitant with small cell transformation. This represents an unusual paraneoplastic syndrome that may be progressive and irreversible, requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment to preserve visual function and guide further oncological care.

Trends in the surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia in a tertiary hospital.

BACKGROUND: To assess current treatment trends and perioperative outcomes of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) in a tertiary institution. METHODS: We prospectively collected a database of all patients undergoing TURP and PVP for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) at a tertiary hospital between January 2011 and December 2013. Patient characteristics such as length of stay, readmission, anticoagulation status, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score and need for blood transfusion were recorded and analysed. RESULTS: In total, 560 cases were included: 204 (36.4%) underwent TURP and 356 (63.6%) PVP. Patients undergoing PVP had higher ASA scores (P < 0.001) and were more frequently on continuing anticoagulant therapy (P < 0.001). With regards to non-aspirin/asasantin coagulation therapy, 61 (17.1%) patients underwent PVP with their anticoagulants continued while no patients who received TURP continued anticoagulation. Blood transfusion percentages were similar at 1.0% for TURP and 1.7% for PVP but readmission proportions were higher after PVP (32 patients, 9.0%) compared to TURP (10 patients, 4.9%). These differences were attenuated when excluding patients continuing anticoagulation during the procedure. CONCLUSION: At our institution, the use of PVP has been increasing on a year-by-year basis. The results of the current study demonstrated that PVP is safe in patients with increased anaesthetic risk or on active anticoagulation when compared to traditional TURP. While this makes PVP an attractive alternative to TURP in high-risk anticoagulated patients, these patients may have complex post-discharge issues that should be addressed during the informed consent process.

A single institution analysis of low-dose-rate brachytherapy: 5-year reported survival and late toxicity outcomes.

PURPOSE: To report the 5-year biochemical relapse-free survival (BRFS), overall survival (OS), and long-term toxicity outcomes of patients treated with low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy as monotherapy for low- to intermediate-risk prostate cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 2004 and 2011, 371 patients were treated with LDR brachytherapy as monotherapy. Of these, 102 patients (27%) underwent transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) prior to implantation. Follow-up was performed every 3 months for 12 months, then every 6 months over 4 years and included prostate specific antigen evaluation. The biochemical relapse-free survival (BRFS) was defined according to the Phoenix criteria. Acute and late toxicities were documented using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0. The BRFS and OS estimates were calculated using Kaplan-Meier plots. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate outcomes by pre-treatment clinical prognostic factors and radiation dosimetry. RESULTS: The median follow-up of all patients was 5.45 years. The 5-year BRFS and OS rates were 95% and 96%, respectively. The BRFS rates for patients with Gleason score (GS) > 7 and GS ≤ 6 were 96% and 91% respectively (p = 0.06). On univariate analysis, T1 and T2 staging, risk-group classification, and prostate volumes had no impact on survival at 5 years (p > 0.1). Late grade 2 and 3 genitourinary (GU) toxicities were observed in 10% and 5% of patients respectively. Additionally, patients with prior TURP had a greater incidence of late grade 2 or 3 urinary retention (p = 0.001). There were 14 deaths in total; however, none were attributed to prostate cancer. CONCLUSIONS: LDR brachytherapy is an effective treatment option in low- to intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients. We observed low biochemical relapse rates and minimal GU toxicities several years after treatment in patients with or without TURP. However, a small risk of urinary retention was observed in some patients.

Rapid development and recurrence of translocation renal cell carcinoma.

Translocation renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a rare aggressive malignancy in adults. A 40-year-old man presented with painless macroscopic haematuria. Initial investigations of renal ultrasound, CT scan, urine culture and urine cytology were normal. On rigid cystoscopy and pyelo-ureteroscopy, bleeding was seen from a normal-appearing right renal upper pole. An arteriovenous malformation was suspected, and laser cautery was performed. Left renal biopsy was performed due to proteinuria and suggested IgA nephropathy. The patient represented with haematuria and repeat imaging only 17 months after first presentation displayed a 9.8 cm right renal tumour with renal vein thrombus. An upper tract urothelial cancer was suspected, and the patient underwent right nephroureterectomy. Histopathology revealed translocation RCC, completely excised. Ten months postoperatively, metastasis was seen on surveillance imaging and subsequently confirmed on biopsy. The patient was referred for systemic therapy and remains alive 19 months postprocedure.