[Three Cases of Bilateral Metachronous Testicular Tumors].

We present three cases of bilateral metachronous testicular tumors. The patient in case 1 had a history of left orchiectomy for undescended testis at the age of 19. The pathological findings revealed germ cell neoplasia in situ. Twenty-four years later (age＝43), he was diagnosed with right testicular tumor with lymph node and lung metastasis (stage IIIc). Right orchiectomy was performed, and the pathological finding showed nonseminomatous germ cell tumor. He underwent chemotherapy, followed by lymph node dissection and lung metastasectomy. The patient in case 2 had a history of left orchiectomy for testicular tumor at the age of 41. The pathological finding of the left testis revealed seminoma (stage IA). Nineteen years later (age＝60), he was diagnosed with right testicular tumor and underwent right orchiectomy. Herein, the pathological finding showed seminoma (stage IA). The patient in case 3 had a history of right orchiectomy for testicular tumor at the age of 25. The pathological findings revealed seminoma (stage IS), and he underwent adjuvant radiation of the para-aortic field without subsequent recurrence. Fourteen years later (age＝39), he was diagnosed with left testicular tumor and underwent left orchiectomy. The pathological finding revealed seminoma (stage IB). The patient underwent adjuvant carboplatin monotherapy to prevent recurrence. Due to the long interval between the occurrence of bilateral metachronous testicular tumors (mean＝19 years ; three cases), long-term observation is necessary to detect the possible occurrence of contralateral testicular tumors. Contralateral testicular biopsy might be considered at the time of orchiectomy for unilateral testicular tumor if associated with testicular atrophy and/or a history of undescended testis.

Real-world outcomes of avelumab plus axitinib as first-line therapy in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma in Japan: A multicenter, retrospective, observational study (J-DART).

OBJECTIVES: In the phase 3 JAVELIN Renal 101 trial in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC), objective response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS) were significantly improved in patients treated with first-line avelumab plus axitinib vs sunitinib. Here we evaluate real-world outcomes with first-line avelumab plus axitinib in Japanese patients with aRCC. METHODS: In this multicenter, noninterventional, retrospective study, clinical data from patients with aRCC treated with first-line avelumab plus axitinib between December 2019 and December 2020 in Japan were reviewed. Endpoints included ORR and PFS per investigator assessment, and time to treatment discontinuation (TTD). RESULTS: Data from 48 patients (median age, 69 years) from 12 sites were analyzed. Median follow-up was 10.4 months (range, 2.6-16.5), and median duration of treatment was 7.4 months (range, 0.5-16.5). International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium risk category was favorable, intermediate, or poor in 16.7%, 54.2%, and 29.2% of patients, respectively. The ORR was 48.8% (95% CI, 33.3%-64.5%), including complete response in 3/43 patients (7.0%). Thirteen patients (27.1%) had disease progression or died, and median PFS was 15.3 months (95% CI, 9.7 months - not estimable). At data cutoff, 24 patients (50.0%) were still receiving avelumab plus axitinib, and median TTD was 15.2 months (95% CI, 7.4 months - not estimable). Three patients (6.3%) received high-dose corticosteroid treatment for immune-related adverse events, and 8 (16.7%) received treatment for infusion-related reactions. CONCLUSIONS: We report the first real-world evidence of the effectiveness and tolerability of first-line avelumab plus axitinib in Japanese patients with aRCC. Results were comparable with the JAVELIN Renal 101 trial.

Internet research of utilization of social media in patients with urological disease and their families in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: To survey the utilization of social media (SoMe) in patients with urological disease and their families. METHODS: Among the panel members registered in NEO Marketing Inc. (Tokyo, Japan), 300 people who or whose families were visiting the urological department regularly were included. Study subjects were randomly chosen and surveyed using the questionnaire over the internet. RESULTS: This study included 203 (68%) males and 97 (32%) females. The mean age was 62 (21-85) in males and 49 (22-75) in females. One hundred and ten subjects (37%) had no account for any SoMe. The account holders of YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok were 119 (40%), 117 (39%), 101 (34%), 90 (30%), and 33 (11%), respectively. The proportions of account holders were different depending on gender, age, and platforms. Frequent viewers on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok were 100 (84%), 89 (76%), 63 (62%), 66 (73%), and 24 (73%), respectively. Of 190 who had accounts for any SoMes, 64 (34%) found any information about urological diseases of themselves or their families. Among the all subjects, 162 (54%) thought that they would like to view the medical contents on SoMes submitted by medical societies. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with urological disease and their families in Japan occasionally utilize SoMe to obtain information on their diseases and prefer professional medical information on SoMe. The gender and age of SoMe users and the optimal platform should be considered when posting medical information on SoMe.

[Comparison of Perioperative Outcomes between Open and Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Cystectomy].

We compared the perioperative outcomes of open (ORC) and robot-assisted laparoscopic radical cystectomy (RARC) for patients with bladder cancer. We retrospectively investigated the intraoperative and 90-day postoperative complications of ORC and RARC performed from March 2014 to September 2021 based on the medical records. Perioperative complications were categorized according to the Clavien- Dindo classification. We used the propensity score matching to adjust for the inherent bias of the different patient characteristics at baseline including gender, age, preoperative chemotherapy, and pathological T classification. Surgery time of RARC was significantly shorter than that of ORC, and blood transfusion was significantly less frequent in RARC than in ORC (3% vs 81%, p＜0.01). The rate of overall complications of Grade III/IV was lower in RARC (8%) than in ORC (25%) (P＝0.09). The prevalence of perioperative urinary tract infection, ileus, and abscess/infectious cyst was similar in ORC and RARC. In patients who underwent RARC, the complication rate was similar in extracorporeal and intracorporeal urinary diversion. Compared to ORC, RARC is more beneficial to reduce blood loss and severe complications.

[Treatment Outcome of Ureteral Reconstruction Surgery].

We retrospectively reviewed the surgical outcome of ureteral reconstruction that was performed in Asahikawa Medical University Hospital between 2005 and 2021. A total of 14 patients (3 males, 11 females; 15 ureters) were included in this analysis. The median age was 57 years old. The reason for ureteral reconstruction was ureteral injury or stenosis due to pelvic surgery in 9 patients, transurethral lithotripsy for ureteral stone in 3, ureteral invasion of sigmoid colon cancer in one and ovarian cancer in one. The site of ureteral reconstruction was proximal ureter in 2, middle in 3 and distal in 10. The surgical procedure was ureteroneocystostomy with Boari flap in 8 patients (57%), ureteroureterostomy in 4 (21%), transureteroureterostomy in one (7%), and transureteroureterostomy combined with Boari flap for bilateral ureteral stenosis in the remaining patient (7%). Postoperatively, vesicoureteral reflux, ileus and surgical site infection were observed in 3, 2 and 1 patient, respectively. No patient required nephrostomy or ureteral catheter, or any additional procedure after the surgery. There was no episode of febrile urinary tract infection after the surgery. The mean estimated glomerular filtration rate was, respectivery 75.8 and 78.5 ml/min/1.73 m2 before surgery and at 1-101 months (median of 18) after the surgery. In conclusion, satisfactory outcome was achieved after ureteral reconstruction surgery. We emphasize the importance of selecting the most appropriate procedure for ureteral reconstruction in each patient to prevent renal function deterioration and urinary tract infection.

[Clinical Significance of Preoperative Image Classification Systems in Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy].

Robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RAPN) is being used in Japan as a less invasive procedure. RENAL nephrometry (RN) score, Preoperative Aspects and Dimensions Used for an Anatomical (PADUA) Classification and Simplified PADUA Renal (SPARE) nephrometry system are tumor-specific morphometry scoring systems used for predicting the difficulty of partial nephrectomy. Adherent perinephric fat (APF) is one of the patient-specific factors related to the difficulty of partial nephrectomy. Mayo Adhesive Probability (MAP) score measures the difficulty of partial nephrectomy due to APF. Whether these scoring systems were associated with perioperative outcome of RAPN was retrospectively analyzed in 57 patients who underwent RAPN by two experienced surgeons at our hospital from December 2016 to March 2020. Forty-five patients were male and 12 were female. The right side was resected in 25 and the left side in 32 patients. The approach was transperitoneal in 42 and retroperitoneal in 15 patients. There were significant correlations among RN, PADUA and SPARE scores, while MAP score was independent from the other scores. Warm ischemic time was significantly correlated with RN (r＝0.46, p＜0.001), PADUA (r＝0.45, p＜0.001) and SPARE scores (r＝0.44, p＜0.001). Time for console was significantly correlated with MAP score (r＝0.28, p＝0.035). In conclusion, RN and MAP scores might be useful parameters to predict warm ischemic time and time for console during RAPN, respectively.

[The Clinical Course of α1 Blocker Discontinuation in Patients with LUTS/BPH Receiving Combination Therapy of Dutasteride and α1 Blocker].

We retrospectively investigated the clinical course of α1 blocker discontinuation in patients who had lower urinary tract symptoms with benign prostate hypertrophy (LUTS/BPH) and received combination therapy ofdutasteride and α1 blocker. Among the patients with LUTS/BPH who had been receiving combination therapy, those who wished to reduce the number ofprescribed drugs and discontinue the use of α1 blocker because ofsymptom improvement were recruited in this study. Symptom scores including International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS), parameters ofuroflowmetry and prostate volume (PV) were evaluated at the time of α 1 blocker discontinuation. Twenty-two patients discontinued the use of α 1 blocker. The mean PV at the time of α 1 blocker discontinuation was 43.2 ml, and the mean duration ofcombination therapy was 39.4 months. In 11 (50%) patients, dutasteride monotherapy without α1 blocker was maintained for a mean follow-up of 10.5 months (9-12 months) after α1 blocker discontinuation (Non-resumption group). In the other 11 patients (50%), α1 blocker was resumed because ofthe patient's request to resume the use of α1 blocker (Resumption group). The mean length ofdutasteride monotherapy was 4. 5 months (1-8 months) in the resumption group. Compared with the non-resumption group, IPSS total score and storage sub-score ofIPSS at the time of α1 blocker discontinuation were significantly higher in the resumption group. Based on the ROC curve, IPSS total score <16, IPSS voiding/storage symptom score <7, OABSS <7 and PV 54 ml or more at the time of α1 blocker discontinuation were predictors ofnon-resumption of α1 blocker. These results suggest that if LUTS is controlled by a long-term combination therapy ofdutasteride and α1 blocker and still PV is large enough, α1 blocker can be discontinued.

[Initial Experiences of Dynamic Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (DSNB) in Patients with Penile Cancer].

We present 2 cases of penile cancer in which the inguinal lymph node was not palpable and inguinal lymph node dissection (ILND) could be safely avoided by conducting dynamic sentinel lymph node biopsy (DSNB). The first case was in a 54-year-old man complaining of penile tumor for at least 3 months. We performed partial penectomy and DSNB. The pathological diagnosis was squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), pT2-3. There was no cancer metastasis in sentinel nodes (0/2). There has been no recurrence for 6 years after operation. The second case was 65-year-old man suffering from penile tumor for at least 6 months. We performed partial penectomy and DSNB. The pathological diagnosis was SCC,pT2. There was no cancer metastasis in sentinel nodes (0/3). There has been no recurrence for 1 year after operation. ILND has been recommended for intermediate and high-risk penile cancer even in patients with non-palpable inguinal lymph nodes. However,the complication of ILND is very high. DSNB has the potential to avoid ILND if there is no cancer metastasis in sentinel nodes.

[Relationship between Early Complications after Radical Cystectomy and Psoas Muscle Mass].

Psoas muscle mass index (PMI) is related to sarcopenia. We examined whether PMI is associated with early complications after radical cystectomy. Seventy one male and 29 female patients who were 65 years old or older and who had undergone radical cystectomy at our hospital from April 2005 to March 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Psoas muscle section area was measured manually on preoperative computed tomography (CT) scan and normalized by patient's height. Early postoperative complications of grade 3 or more occurred in 12 male (16.9%) and 5 female (17.2%) patients. PMI was lower in male patients who had early postoperative complications of grade 3 or more than in those without complications (5.61 vs 6.54 cm2 /m2, p=0. 08), although the difference was not statistically significant. There was suggested to be a relationship between early postoperative complications after radical cystectomy and preoperative PMI in elderly male patients.

IMPROVEMENT OF GAMMA-RAY SUBTRACTION PROCEDURE FOR A CURRENT-MODE NEUTRON DETECTOR WITH A PAIR OF 6Li- AND 7Li-GLASS SCINTILLATORS.

A current-mode neutron detector with a pair of 6Li- and 7Li-glass scintillators has been developed to measure high-flux neutrons in a boron neutron capture therapy field. Neutrons are basically measured by subtracting gamma-ray component using current outputs from the 7Li-glass scintillator. In the present study, the difference in the gamma-ray sensitivity between the 6Li- and 7Li-glass scintillators and the neutron sensitivity for the 7Li-glass scintillator due to the 6Li contamination were also considered to improve the gamma-ray subtraction precision. The gamma-ray subtraction procedure was experimentally investigated in thermal neutron fields with 252Cf and 241Am-Be neutron sources, which have different gamma-ray intensities per unit neutron fluence. A linear relation between neutron fluence and current output was obtained for the neutron detector in the two types of thermal neutron fields with different gamma-ray intensities. It was found that the gamma-ray subtraction procedure is useful for current-mode neutron detectors.

[A Case of Adenocarcinoma of the Reconstructed Bladder 45 Years after Ileocystoplasty].

The patient was a 66-year-old man who had undergone ileocystoplasty and right nephrectomy at the age of 21 for the treatment of urinarytract tuberculosis. He had been receiving hemodialysis from the age of 58. Regular computed tomography (CT) examination at the age of 63 revealed a bladder mass, but the transurethral biopsyof the bladder mass did not reveal malignant findings. At the age of 66, his urine cytology indicated a suspicion of malignancy, and bladder tumor was detected by cystoscopy. The patient was referred to our hospital and we performed transurethral resection of the bladder tumor. Pathological diagnosis was papillaryadenocarcinoma. Because left lower ureteral cancer was also suspected byCT scan, we performed left nephroureterectomy and radical cystectomy. Pathological examination revealed adenocarcinoma of the reconstructed bladder. The patient remains free of disease for 1 year and 11 months after the operation. Forty-five cases of bladder cancer after enterocystoplasty have been reported in Japan. There are no guidelines for follow-up protocols after enterocystoplasty. A long-term follow-up is mandatory because of the possibilityof development of bladder malignancylong after the enterocystoplasty.

Long-term symptomatic outcome after transurethral resection of the prostate: A urodynamics-based assessment.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the long-term outcomes of transurethral resection of the prostate. METHODS: We retrospectively collected the data of patients who had undergone transurethral resection of the prostate before December 2010. Patients had been evaluated by urodynamics and the International Prostate Symptom Score preoperatively, and they were re-evaluated by using the International Prostate Symptom Score at the minimum 7 years after transurethral resection of the prostate. Patients who received any treatments to improve voiding symptoms were defined as having a relapse of voiding dysfunction. The Schäfer nomogram was used to assess the degree of obstruction and detrusor contractility. We assessed the change in International Prostate Symptom Score over time depending on obstruction (Schäfer grade 3-6) versus no obstruction (Schäfer grade 0-2), and normal detrusor contractility (strong and normal) versus detrusor underactivity (weak and very weak). Relapse rates of voiding dysfunction were determined using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: A total of 39 patients were included. The mean age at transurethral resection of the prostate was 69.8 years, and the mean observation period after transurethral resection of the prostate was 114 months. During the observation period, eight patients (21%) were categorized as relapse of voiding dysfunction and the mean time to relapse was 4.2 years. Patients categorized as no obstruction or detrusor underactivity had a higher recurrence rate of voiding dysfunction with a statistical significance between those with versus without obstruction. Except for patients with relapse of voiding dysfunction, improvement of the International Prostate Symptom Score was maintained over a period of 10 years after transurethral resection of the prostate. CONCLUSIONS: Favorable long-term symptomatic outcome after transurethral resection of the prostate is likely in patients with urodynamic obstruction. Patients without urodynamic obstruction are likely to have a relapse of voiding symptoms and require additional treatments in the long term.

Improvement in Classification of Tactile Event-Related Potentials using Random-Interval Tasks∗.

The classification accuracy of an event-related potential (ERP) induced by a tactile stimulus is investigated to create a brain-computer interface (BCI). Mechanical tactile stimuli were applied to the left and right index fingers using two piezo actuator probes that were used as a Braille display for the visually impaired. In an experiment, two-class classification was investigated using three kinds of tactile stimulus pattern. The subjects were instructed to pay attention to unusual target stimuli while avoiding other frequent nontarget stimuli. The extracted features were classified using stepwise linear discriminant analysis. As a result, high accuracy was obtained by the task of random intervals compared with the task of constant intervals. It was suggested that the accuracy of the BCI using tactile stimuli is influenced by the concentration on the task.

Differential effects of depot formulations of GnRH agonist leuprorelin and antagonist degarelix on the seminiferous epithelium of the rat testis.

Despite their pharmacologically opposite actions, long-acting depot formulations of both GnRH agonists and antagonists have been clinically applied for treatment of androgen-sensitive prostate cancer. Sustained treatment with GnRH analogues commonly suppresses both the synthesis and release of gonadotropins, leading to depletion of testicular testosterone. To clarify the underlying differences in the effects of GnRH agonists and antagonists on spermatogenesis, we compared histological changes in the seminiferous epithelium after administration of depot formulations of GnRH agonist leuprorelin and antagonist degarelix to male rats. Testicular weight had markedly declined by 28 days after administration of both GnRH analogues, although the testicular weight was decreased more promptly by leuprorelin compared with degarelix. Shortly after administration, massive exfoliation of premature spermatids and anomalous multinucleated giant cells was observed in seminiferous tubules of leuprorelin-treated rats, probably via the initial hyperstimulatory effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis, whereas no discernible changes were found in those of degarelix-treated rats. Long term treatment with both types of GnRH analogues similarly induced a marked reduction in the height of the epithelium and deformation of apical cytoplasm in Sertoli cells, resulting in premature detachment of spermatids from the epithelium. Lipid droplets had accumulated progressively in Sertoli cells, especially in those of degarelix-treated rats. These findings clearly demonstrate the differences in the effects of GnRH agonists and antagonists on the spermatogenic process. This study suggests that an appropriate choice of GnRH analogues is necessary to minimize their adverse effects on spermatogenesis when reproductive functions should be preserved in patients.

Long-term persistence with mirabegron in a real-world clinical setting.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the long-term persistence rate with mirabegron in a real-world clinical setting. METHODS: We retrospectively collected the data of patients who were prescribed mirabegron. We investigated the persistence rate and the reason for the discontinuation. The analysis included patient's age, diagnosis, Overactive Bladder Symptom Score, prostatic volume, the prescription by specialists for lower urinary tract dysfunction, drug-naïve patients, replacement of antimuscarinics or add-on therapy to antimuscarinics. RESULTS: A total of 556 patients were included. Among them, 401 patients (72%) had overactive bladder and the other 155 (28%) were categorized as having other storage symptoms. During the observation period, 170 patients (42%) with overactive bladder discontinued mirabegron. The reasons for discontinuation in patients with overactive bladder included unmet expectation of treatment (45 patients, 26%), any adverse events (38 patients, 22%) or symptom improvement (37 patients, 22%). The persistence or discontinuation was not related with age, Overactive Bladder Symptom Score, prostatic volume or the prescription by specialists, while older male patients tended to continue mirabegron. The 3-year persistence rates in female and male overactive bladder patients were 46% and 51%, respectively, and these were better than those in patients with storage symptoms without urgency. In female overactive bladder patients, the persistence rate with mirabegron used as add-on therapy to antimuscarinics was higher than that in the drug-naïve patients on the Kaplan-Meier curve. CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows a relatively good long-term persistence rate with mirabegron in overactive bladder patients, notwithstanding the retrospective study in an academic hospital. The combined treatment with antimuscarinics could result in a good persistence rate with mirabegron.

Diagnostic Efficacy of Percutaneous Renal Tumor Biopsy - Concomitant Use of Frozen Section to Accurately Diagnose Renal Tumor with Necrosis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of percutaneous renal tumor biopsy. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 23 patients who underwent percutaneous renal tumor biopsy since 2008 at Department of Renal and Urologic Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University Hospital. We examined indications of biopsy, diagnostic concordance rate between urologists, radiologists and biopsy findings, pathological findings and biopsy-related complications. RESULTS: Renal tumor biopsy was performed under ultrasonography guidance in 21 patients and computed tomography guidance in 2. The most frequent indication to perform biopsy was to determine histological subtype of renal cell carcinoma(RCC)before treatment. The second indication was to clarify the nature of renal tumor. Biopsy findings revealed RCC in 17 patients and urothelial carcino- ma(UC)in 6. Diagnostic concordance rate between urologist's diagnosis and biopsy findings was 91%(21/23), which showed the same result between radiologists and biopsy findings. Biopsy-related adverse event included needle tract implantation in 1 patient with UC. Another patient who had central necrosis in the tumor showed insufficient material causing repeat biopsy with frozen section. Except this patient, initial renal tumor biopsy was successful in all patients by concomitant use of frozen section for tumor with central necrosis. The overall diagnostic rate of initial biopsy was 95.7%(22/23). CONCLUSIONS: Despite a small number of patients and a retrospective nature, the present study shows that renal tumor biopsy plays an important role in diagnosis of renal tumor. Concomitant use of frozen section might be considered at the time of renal tumor biopsy in patients with necrotic renal tumor to avoid repeat biopsy. However, we should take into consideration that there are some possible risks of needle tract implantation in cases with UC when we perform percutaneous renal tumor biopsy.

High-Resolution Cortical Dipole Imaging Using Spatial Inverse Filter Based on Filtering Property.

Cortical dipole imaging has been developed to visualize brain electrical activity in high spatial resolution. It is necessary to solve an inverse problem to estimate the cortical dipole distribution from the scalp potentials. In the present study, the accuracy of cortical dipole imaging was improved by focusing on filtering property of the spatial inverse filter. We proposed an inverse filter that optimizes filtering property using a sigmoid function. The ability of the proposed method was compared with the traditional inverse techniques, such as Tikhonov regularization, truncated singular value decomposition (TSVD), and truncated total least squares (TTLS), in a computer simulation. The proposed method was applied to human experimental data of visual evoked potentials. As a result, the estimation accuracy was improved and the localized dipole distribution was obtained with less noise.

Combination of GnRH Antagonist Degarelix and Antiandrogen Is Effective in PSA Reduction and Bone Management in Patients with Prostate Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy of combination treatment of degarelix and antiandrogen in patients with prostate cancer. METHODS: We prospectively investigated the efficacy of combination treatment of degarelix and antiandrogen in 12 patients with treatment-naive prostate cancer. We surveyed PSA, LH, FSH and testosterone at day 3, 7, 14 and 28 during the initial month and thereafter once a month for 1 year. In cases with bone metastasis, we analyzed serum bone markers such as alkaline phosphatase(ALP), bone-type ALP and carboxyterminal telopeptide of type- I collagen once a month. Skeletal related events (SREs) were also monitored. RESULTS: PSA progression free survival was 65%. PSA was reduced from baseline by 80% at day 14 and by 93% at day 28. In all patients serum testosterone immediately reached castrate level at day 3 and was maintained for 1 year without breakthrough escape. Both LH and FSH were reduced to within normal range at day 3. In contrast, all bone markers temporarily increased at day 28, and thereafter decreased. Although 2 patients had suffered from SREs before treatment, there were no SREs after combination treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that combination of degarelix and antiandrogen could lead to favorable PSA reduction and immediate castrate level at an earlier phase. However, further study is needed to compare the difference between degarelix monotherapy and these combinations.

[Successful Management by Immunoglobulin for Sunitinib-Induced Thrombocytopenia in a Patient with Advanced Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma].

An 81-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of a right renal tumor with vena cava thrombus and multiple lung metastases that were detected by computed tomography (CT) scan during evaluation of respiratory discomfort. We started medical treatment with sunitinib at a dose of 50 mg daily in a 2-week-on, 1-week-off schedule after confirming clear cell renal cell carcinoma by tumor biopsy. After 2-week sunitinib treatment, thrombocytopenia continued and platelet count decreased to 1.8×10(9)/l at day 11 after stopping sunitinib. We needed to administer a total of 60 units platelet transfusion because of persistent thrombocytopenia. Bone marrow aspiration did not reveal myelosuppression or carcinoma invasion to bone marrow. Under the clinical diagnosis of drug-induced thrombocytopenia secondary to sunitinib, we started immunoglobulin therapy at day 23 after stopping sunitinib. Platelet count returned to normal 10 days after starting immunoglobulin. The patient developed exacerbating lung metastasis and carcinomatous lymphangiosis during subsequent course and died of renal cell carcinoma 79 days after starting sunitinib. Thrombocytopenia after sunitinib therapy is often encountered but prolonged thrombocytopenia is rare after stopping sunitinib. This case suggests that immunoglobulin therapy is effective for drug-induced prolonged thrombocytopenia through immunological mechanism.

[Clinical Significance of Primary Tumor Resection in Patients with Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma at Initial Presentation].

We retrospectively reviewed 67 patients who presented with metastatic urothelial carcinoma to the Department of Urology, Asahikawa Medical University Hospital between 2000 and 2013. Furthermore, 13 patients with comparatively longer survival (2 years or longer after diagnosis) were analyzed to find any clinical characteristics among these patients. The primary site was the upper tract in 41 patients and bladder in 26. The most frequent metastatic site was regional lymph nodes (49 patients), followed by viscera (36 patients) and distant lymph nodes (17 patients). Primary tumor resections were performed on 83% of the patients with only regional lymph node metastasis, but on only 35% of the patients with distant metastasis. Median overall survival (OS) of patients was 8.5 months in this series. Median OS of patients with only regional lymph node metastasis was 15 months, which was significantly longer than that (8 months) of patients with distant metastasis. Multivariate analysis revealed only regional lymph node metastasis and the number of metastatic sites were significant prognostic factors for OS. We further investigated the clinical characteristics of 13 patients with comparatively longer survival. Other than a small number of metastatic sites (1 or 2) and no distant lymph node metastasis, we could not find any significant characteristics to predict longer prognosis. The present study showed that primary tumor resection did not have a significant benefit on survival in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma at initial presentation. However, primary tumor resection should be considered when there is only regional lymph node metastasis and few metastatic sites.