Robot-assisted vs. open radical cystectomy: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been launched in the last decade to examine the surgical safety and oncological efficacy of robot-assisted (RARC) vs open radical cystectomy (ORC) for patients with bladder cancer. The aim of the study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs to compare the perioperative and oncological outcomes of RARC vs ORC. METHODS: A literature search was conducted through July 2022 using PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were followed to identify eligible studies. The outcomes were intraoperative, postoperative, and oncological outcomes of RARC vs ORC. RESULTS: A total of eight RCTs comprising 1,024 patients met our inclusion criteria. RARC was associated with longer operative time (mean 92.34min, 95% CI 83.83-100.84, p<0.001) and lower blood transfusion rate (Odds ratio [OR] 0.43, 95% CI 0.30-0.61, p<0.001). No differences emerged in terms of 90-day overall (p=0.28) and major (p=0.57) complications, length of stay (p=0.18), bowel recovery (p=0.67), health-related quality of life (p=0.86), disease recurrence (p=0.77) and progression (p=0.49) between the two approaches. The main limitation is represented by the low number of patients included in half of RCTs included. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports that RARC is not inferior to ORC in terms of surgical safety and oncological outcomes. The benefit of RARC in terms of lower blood transfusion rate need to be balanced with the cost related to the procedure.

Management of primary upper urinary tract carcinoma in situ diagnosed by ureteroscopic biopsy: Is bacillus Calmette-Guerin an alternative to nephroureterectomy?

BACKGROUND: Radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) represents the gold standard treatment for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC); however, attempts have been made to treat upper urinary tract CIS (UT-CIS) conservatively. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of patients with primary UT-CIS treated in our center by means of RNU vs. bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) instillations. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients with diagnosis of primary UT-CIS between 1990 and 2018. All patients had histological confirmation of UT-CIS in the absence of other concomitant UTUC. Histological confirmation was obtained by ureteroscopy with multiple biopsies. Patients were treated with BCG instillations, RNU or distal ureterectomy. Clinicopathological features and outcomes were compared between RNU and BCG groups. RESULTS: A total of 28 patients and 29 renal units (RUs) were included. Sixteen (57.1%) patients (17 RUs) received BCG. BCG was administered via nephrostomy tube in 4 patients, with a single-J ureteral stent in 5, and using a Double-J stent in 7. Complete response and persistence or recurrence were detected in ten (58.8%) and seven (41.2%) RUs treated with BCG, respectively. Eight (27.6%) RUs underwent RNU, and 4 (13.8%) Rus distal ureterectomy. No differences were found in recurrence-free survival (p=0.841) and cancer-specific survival (p=0.77) between the RNU and BCG groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although RNU remains the gold standard treatment for UT-CIS, our results confirm that BCG instillations are also effective. Histological confirmation of UT-CIS is mandatory before any treatment.

Indications and histology of 489 orchiectomies analyzed by patient age.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the indications and histology of our series of orchiectomies, analysing the results by patient's age. METHODS: We included the orchiectomies realized in our hospital between 2005 and 2020 in patients older than 18 years. We estimated demographic data, indications, histology and effectiveness of testicular ultrasound by three groups of age. RESULTS: We included 489 orchiectomies, which 364 (74%) belonged to Group A (patients between 18-50 years), 59 (12%) to Group B (50-70 years) and 66 (14%) to Group C (older than 70 years). In Group A, 284 (78%) orchiectomies were indicated due to malignancy suspect. In 91.9% cases (261) malign neoplasm was confirmed at final histology and 253 (89%) were germinal cells. Testicular ultrasound had a positive predictive value (PPV) of 90% in this group. In Group B, 34 (57%) orchiectomies were indicated because of malignancy suspect. At final histologic analysis, 25/34 (73.5%) confirmed malign neoplasm. Ultrasound had a PPV of 68%. In Group C, orchiepididymitis was the main cause of testicular removal with 30 cases (45,5%). From the 20 cases (30.3%) with suspicion of malignancy, only 6 had confirmed malign histology. Testicular ultrasound PPV for malignancy was 31%. CONCLUSION: In patients younger than 70 years the main orchiectomy's indication was suspect of malignancy and in older than 70, testicular inflammation. The germinal neoplasm was the predominant histology in younger than 70 years. In older than that, malignancy was infrequent. The positive predictive value of testicular ultrasound for malignancy decreased with patient's age. In patients older than 50 years proper image diagnosis to assess malignancy should be considered before orchiectomy is done.