[How quickly can a complex stone be treated in percutaneous mini-nephrolithotomy?] / À quelle vitesse peut-on traiter un calcul complexe en mini-percutané ?

OBJECTIVES: Knowing the treatment's time of a complex stone is important for operating programming. It depends on the installation time, renal access time and the rate of fragmentation. The main objective of the study is to calculate the processing speed of complex stones by the percutaneous mini-nephrolithotomy (mini-NLPC) technique. POPULATION AND METHODS: A prospective single-center study was carried out between November 2019 and October 2020. Patients treated with mini-NLPC and with a result without fragment were included. The stone volume was measured using 3D reconstruction software and the operating time was differentiated into installation time, renal access time and fragmentation time. RESULTS: Of the 36 patients treated by the percutaneous technique, 20 patients were included. The median 3D volume of the stones was 4145 mm3 (2211-6998). The median duration of the intervention time was 104.5min (80-125). The fragmentation speed was 48.2 mm3min-1 (30.2-62.5) taking into account the total duration of the intervention and 110.4 mm3min-1 (85.3-126.5) in taking into account only the duration of fragmentation. CONCLUSION: The fragmentation speed for complex stones was 48.2 mm3min-1 (30.2-62.5) taking into account all the different operating times. It would be interesting to compare these results with that of ureteroscopy with the same methodology. LEVEL OF PROOF: C.

European Association of Urology Section of Urolithiasis and International Alliance of Urolithiasis Joint Consensus on Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy.

CONTEXT: Although percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) has been performed for decades and has gone through many refinements, there are still concerns regarding its more widespread utilization because of the long learning curve and the potential risk of severe complications. Many technical details are not included in the guidelines because of their nature and research protocol. OBJECTIVE: To achieve an expert consensus viewpoint on PCNL indications, preoperative patient preparation, surgical strategy, management and prevention of severe complications, postoperative management, and follow-up. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: An international panel of experts from the Urolithiasis Section of the European Association of Urology, International Alliance of Urolithiasis, and other urology associations was enrolled, and a prospectively conducted study, incorporating literature review, discussion on research gaps (RGs), and questionnaires and following data analysis, was performed to reach a consensus on PCNL. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: The expert panel consisted of 36 specialists in PCNL from 20 countries all around the world. A consensus on PCNL was developed. The expert panel was not as large as expected, and the discussion on RGs did not bring in more supportive evidence in the present consensus. CONCLUSIONS: Adequate preoperative preparation, especially elimination of urinary tract infection prior to PCNL, accurate puncture with guidance of fluoroscopy and/or ultrasonography or a combination, keeping a low intrarenal pressure, and shortening of operation time during PCNL are important technical requirements to ensure safety and efficiency in PCNL. PATIENT SUMMARY: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) has been a well-established procedure for the management of upper urinary tract stones. However, according to an expert panel consensus, core technical aspects, as well as the urologist's experience, are critical to the safety and effectiveness of PCNL.

Comparison of the iliac, vaginal and umbilical graft extraction in robot-assisted laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy.

PURPOSE: To compare different extractions routes for robot-assisted living donor nephrectomy in terms of post-operative pain and renal function recovery. METHODS: Live donor kidney transplantation data from our institution were reviewed from November 2011 to March 2017. Postoperative pain was estimated using cumulative painkillers consumption. Variables were compared between the 3 groups with ANOVA for continuous data, χ2 test for categorial data. A survival analysis with Kaplan-Meier curve assessing time to transplant recipient nadir was performed to compare the renal function recovery. RESULTS: Sixty-three RLDN were performed (23 iliac, 23 vaginal and 17 umbilical extractions). There was no significant difference between the three groups in terms of operative time, blood lost, warm ischemia time, cumulative painkiller consumption and renal function recovery time. Postoperative complications for Umbilical, Vaginal and Iliac were, respectively, of 0, 3 and 1. No major difference was found between the 3 groups beside a slightly longer hospital stay in the iliac group. CONCLUSION: Iliac incision might impact post-operative pain with a moderate but significant longer hospital stay. Vaginal extraction is an option when cosmetic outcomes present a real demand. The three options appeared to be safe and should be discussed with the patient in regard of the surgeon experience.

Extraperitoneal Robot-Assisted Vesicourethral Reconstruction to Manage Anastomotic Stricture Following Radical Prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the feasibility of robot-assisted vesicourethral reconstruction. Vesicourethral anastomotic stricture following radical prostatectomy is a real challenge for reconstructive surgery when facing several endoscopic management failures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a case series of robot-assisted vesicourethral reconstruction for anastomotic stricture failing endoscopic management. The procedure was performed with an extraperitoneal approach. The fibrotic anastomotic region was resected and a new vesicourethral running suture was performed with well-vascularized tissue. Bladder catheter was removed after 7 days. RESULTS: Six procedures were performed from April 2013 to May 2018 at our department. One patient had a robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at our department; the 5 others were referred from other institutions after receiving open prostatectomies. Three patients had salvage radiation therapy before reconstruction. Mean age was of 73.8 years (68-82). There was no peroperative complication. Mean operative time was of 108 minutes (60-180)], with a mean estimated blood loss of 130 mL (50-300). After surgery, 3 patients presented recurrences managed endoscopically without recurrence after 3, 5, and 11 months. Three patients presented incontinence treated with artificial sphincter implantation. One patient had no residual symptom after 5 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Robot-assisted vesicourethral reconstruction is a safe procedure. It is an option to consider when facing recurring anastomotic stricture following radical prostatectomy. It is an alternative to the perineal approach and an option before urinary diversion. Patients should be informed of the risks of incontinence and recurrence before surgery especially if they had radiation therapy.

Daily Green Tea Infusions in Hypercalciuric Renal Stone Patients: No Evidence for Increased Stone Risk Factors or Oxalate-Dependent Stones.

Green tea is widely used as a ''healthy'' beverage due to its high level of antioxidant polyphenol compounds. However tea is also known to contain significant amount of oxalate. The objective was to determine, in a cross-sectional observational study among a population of 273 hypercalciuric stone-formers referred to our center for metabolic evaluation, whether daily green tea drinkers (n = 41) experienced increased stone risk factors (especially for oxalate) compared to non-drinkers. Stone risk factors and stone composition were analyzed according to green tea status and sex. In 24-h urine collection, the comparison between green tea drinkers and non-drinkers showed no difference for stone risk factors such as urine oxalate, calcium, urate, citrate, and pH. In females, the prevalence of calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD) and calcium phosphate stones, assessed by infrared analysis (IRS) was similar between green tea drinkers and non-drinkers, whereas prevalence of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) stones was strikingly decreased in green tea drinkers (0% vs. 42%, p = 0.04), with data in accordance with a decreased oxalate supersaturation index. In males, stone composition and supersaturation indexes were similar between the two groups. Our data show no evidence for increased stone risk factors or oxalate-dependent stones in daily green tea drinkers.

Life-threatening complications after ureteroscopy for urinary stones: survey and systematic literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Retrograde ureteroscopy (URS) has become a common procedure for the management of urinary stones. Although its efficacy and safety are well known, the literature about major complications is still poor. This study highlighted some cases of life-threatening complications after semi-rigid ureteroscopy (s-URS) or flexible ureteroscopy (f-URS). EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Experienced endourologists (more than 75 cases/year in the last 3 years) we enrolled, and a survey was performed asking to review their series and report the cases encumbered by major complications (Clavien-Dindo IIIb-IV grade). A literature search was also conducted in the Medline (PubMed) and Cochrane Libraries databases in July, 2016 to identify all studies reporting the presence of major complications in patients underwent URS procedures. A PubMed search was performed using the following key words in combination: "kidney injury," "ureteroscopy," "nephrectomy," "life-threatening," "urinary stones," "complications." EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Eleven urologists reported on 12 major complications (4 after s-URS, 8 after f-URS). Eight patients developed a kidney injury, 1 an arteriovenous fistula, 2 a ureter avulsion and 1 acute sepsis. Six patients underwent open nephrectomy, two surgical repair, one open pyeloplasty, one coil artery embolization and two superselective artery embolization. CONCLUSIONS: Guidelines and clinical practice give useful recommendations about intraoperative safety and prevention of life-threatening events. The careful postoperative observation and the surgical active treatment of this complications play a key role in reducing morbidity, kidney loss and mortality. This study encourages a strict and active care of patients, supports a routine reporting of complications, and highlights the need for systematic use of standardized classification systems.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy: technique.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is considered to be the first line of treatment for large renal stones. Though PCNL comes with higher morbidity, its efficacy is unbeaten by other minimally invasive modalities. However, potential complications, such as bleeding, occur. Improved skills and modifications of the procedure may reduce the probability of adverse outcomes. This article discusses the current trends and standards in PCNL technique with special focus on all important steps as positioning, access, instruments, dilation, disintegration, and exit, including outcomes, complication management, and training modalities.

Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy with a Remote Controlled Robot.

PURPOSE: Robotics in surgery is a recent innovation. This technology offers a number of attractive features in laparoscopy. It overcomes the difficulties with fixed port sites by restoring all 6 degrees of freedom at the instrument tips, provides new possibilities for miniaturization of surgical tasks and allows remote controlled surgery. We investigated the applicability of remote controlled robotic surgery to laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our previous experience with laparoscopic prostatectomy served as a basis for adapting robotic surgery to this procedure. A surgeon at a different location who activated the tele-manipulators of the da Vinci∗ robotic system performed all steps of the intervention. A scrub nurse and second surgeon who stood at patient side had limited roles to port and instrument placement, exposure of the operative field, assistance in hemostasis and removal of the operative specimen. Our patient was a 63-year-old man presenting with a T1c tumor discovered on 1 positive sextant biopsy with a 3+3 Gleason score and 7 ng./ml. preoperative serum prostate specific antigen. RESULTS: The robot provided an ergonomic surgical environment and remarkable dexterity enhancement. Operating time was 420 minutes, and the hospital stay lasted 4 days. The bladder catheter was removed 3 days postoperatively, and 1 week later the patient was fully continent. Pathological examination showed a pT3a tumor with negative margins. CONCLUSIONS: Robotically assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy is feasible. This new technology enhances surgical dexterity. Further developments in this field may have new applications in laparoscopic tele-surgery.

International Prostate Symptom Score is a predictive factor of lower urinary tract symptoms after radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of radical prostatectomy on lower urinary tract symptoms by using the International Prostate Symptom Score and International Prostate Symptom Score quality of life. METHODS: The present prospective study comprised 804 patients having localized prostate cancer who underwent radical prostatectomy. International Prostate Symptom Score and International Prostate Symptom Score quality of life were recorded preoperatively, and at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months. Two study groups were considered: group 1 included patients with International Prostate Symptom Score ≤7 (mild) and group 2 included patients with International Prostate Symptom Score ≥8 (moderate to severe). Student's t-test and logistic regression were carried out to detect a predictive factor of International Prostate Symptom Score ≤7 at 24 months. RESULTS: The mean International Prostate Symptom Score was 5.58 ± 6.6, 11.12 ± 7.1 and 7.62 ± 6 at baseline, 1 month and 3 months, respectively (P <0.0001). The mean quality of life score showed the same evolution with a significant difference at 1 and 3 months. The mean International Prostate Symptom Score was initially 1.57 ± 1.9 in group 1 and 13.51 ± 5.5 in group 2 (P <0.0001), evolving to 3.41 ± 3.1 and 7.69 ± 5.8 at 24 months (P <0.0001), respectively. The mean quality of life score was significantly different between the groups initially, and at 6 and 12 months with P <0.0001, P = 0.005 and P = 0.02, respectively. The multivariate logistic regression showed that age, prostate volume and preoperative International Prostate Symptom Score were independent predictive factors of International Prostate Symptom Score ≤7 at 24 months (P <0.0001). In group 2, 47 patients (17%) had an International Prostate Symptom Score ≥8 at 24 months, 15 of them (32%) having a QoL score ≥3. CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows the beneficial impact of radical prostatectomy on lower urinary tract symptoms. However, a proportion of patients with a baseline International Prostate Symptom Score ≥8 maintain the same score at 24 months, with worsening in quality of life score in one-third of them.

Location, extent, and multifocality of positive surgical margins for biochemical recurrence prediction after radical prostatectomy.

PURPOSE: To study the prognostic value of extent, number, and location of positive surgical margins (PSM). METHODS: A total of 1,504 consecutive adjuvant treatment naive and node-negative radical prostatectomy men were included in a prospective database including extent, number, and location of PSM. Mean follow-up was 33 months. Endpoint was biochemical progression-free (bPFS) survival. The impact of margin status and characteristics was assessed in time-dependent analyses using Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier methods. RESULTS: PSM was reported in 26.7 % of patients. The predominant PSM locations were apex and posterior locations. Median PSM length was 4.0 mm. The 2-year bPFS was 73.7 % in PSM patients as compared to 93.0 % in NSM patients (p < 0.001). The rate and extent of PSM increased significantly with pathologic stage (p < 0.001). The extent of PSM length was linearly correlated with bPFS (p = 0.017, coefficient: -0.122). In univariable analysis, extent and number of PSM were significantly linked to outcomes. None of PSM subclassifications significantly influenced the bPFS rates in the subgroup of pT2 disease patients. Conversely, stratification by PSM location (apex vs. other locations, p = 0.008), by PSM number (p = 0.006), and by PSM length (p < 0.001) showed significant differences in pT3-4 cancer patients. In that subgroup, PSM length also added to bPFS prediction using PSM status only in multivariable models (p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: PSM subclassifications do not improve the biochemical recurrence prediction in organ-confined disease. In non-organ-confined disease, PSM length (≥3 mm), multifocality (≥3 sites), and apical location are significantly linked to poorer outcomes and could justify a more aggressive adjuvant treatment approach.

Comparisons of the perioperative, functional, and oncologic outcomes after robot-assisted versus pure extraperitoneal laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

BACKGROUND: In spite of the increasing use of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RALP) worldwide, no level 1 evidence-based benefit favouring RALP versus pure laparoscopic approaches has been demonstrated in extraperitoneal laparoscopic procedures. OBJECTIVE: To compare the operative, functional, and oncologic outcomes between pure laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) and RALP. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: From 2001 to 2011, 2386 extraperitoneal LRPs were performed consecutively in cases of localised prostate cancers. INTERVENTION: A total of 1377 LRPs and 1009 RALPs were performed using an extraperitoneal approach. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Patient demographics, surgical parameters, pathologic features, and functional outcomes were collected into a prospective database and compared between LRP and RALP. Biochemical recurrence-free survival was tested using the Kaplan-Meier method. Mean follow-up was 39 and 15.4 mo in the LRP and RALP groups, respectively. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Shorter durations of operative time and of hospital stay were reported in the RALP group compared with the LRP group (p<0.001) even beyond the 100 first cases. Mean blood loss was significantly lower in the RALP group (p<0.001). The overall rate and the severity of the complications did not differ between the two groups. In pT2 disease, lower rates of positive margins were reported in the RALP group (p=0.030; odds ratio [OR]: 0.396) in multivariable analyses. The surgical approach did not affect the continence recovery. Robot assistance was independently predictive for potency recovery (p=0.045; OR: 5.9). Survival analyses showed an equal oncologic control between the two groups. Limitations were the lack of randomisation and the short-term follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic assistance using an extraperitoneal approach offers better results than pure laparoscopy in terms of operative time, blood loss, and hospital stay. The robotic approach independently improves the potency recovery but not the continence recovery. When strict indications of nerve-sparing techniques are respected, RALP gives better results than LRP in terms of surgical margins in pathologically organ-confined disease. Longer follow-up is justified to reach conclusions on oncologic outcomes.

Long-term impact of positive surgical margins on biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy: ten years of follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: Positive surgical margins (PSMs) in men undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) for prostate cancer are associated with an increased risk of biochemical recurrence. This study evaluated the long-term (>10 year) impact of PSMs on biochemical recurrence after RP in adjuvant treatment-naïve pT2-pT4 N0 men and determined predictors of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) failure. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The institutional registry of 1276 patients who underwent RP at Henri Mondor Hospital from 1988 to 2001 was reviewed, identifying 403 patients with regular follow-up at the time of analysis. The study included 108 patients with PSMs who did not receive neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy before PSA relapse. Median follow-up was 12.2 years. PSA failure was defined by a PSA rising by more than 0.2 ng/ml and biochemical recurrence-free survival (RFS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to analyse clinicopathological variables associated with biochemical recurrence. RESULTS: Biochemical recurrence 10 years after RP was 33.5% for patients regardless of the margin status. The 10-year biochemical RFS was 73% in men with negative margins compared to 49% in the case of PSM (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, margin status was a significantly predictive for PSA failure (hazard ratio 1.46, p = 0.04). After stratification by pathological stage, margin status was significantly predictive for biochemical RFS in pT2 (p < 0.001) and pT3a (p < 0.001), whereas the impact of PSM did not reach significance in pT3b (p = 0.16). CONCLUSIONS: After 10-year follow-up, PSMs remain an independent risk factor of biochemical RFS after RP with less relevant impact in pT3b disease. Randomized prospective trials are needed to determine the place of adjuvant versus delayed radiotherapy.

Acute bacterial prostatitis after transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy: epidemiological, bacteria and treatment patterns from a 4-year prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the incidence, and clinical and bacterial features of iatrogenic prostatitis within 1 month after transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy for detection of prostate cancer. METHODS: From January 2006 to December 2009, 3000 patients underwent a 21-core transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy at Henri Mondor Hospital (Créteil, France) and were prospectively followed. All patients had a fluoroquinolone antimicrobial prophylaxis for 7 days. The primary study end-point was to evaluate the incidence of iatrogenic acute prostatitis within 1 month after the biopsy. The secondary end-point was to analyze the clinical and the bacterial features of the prostatitis. RESULTS: Overall, 20 patients of the entire study population (0.67%) had an acute bacterial prostatitis within 2.90 ± 1.77 days (range 1-7 days) after the transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy. The groups of patients with (n = 20) and without (n = 2980) infection were similar in terms of age, prostate-specific antigen level and prostate volume. Escherichia coli was the only isolated bacteria. The subsequent tests for antibiotic susceptibility showed a 95% resistance for fluroquinolone and amoxicillin. Resistance to amoxiclav, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, third generation cephalosporin and amikacin was 70%, 70%, 25% and 5% respectively. No resistance to imipenem was reported. They were all admitted for treatment without the need of intensive care unit referral. Complete recovery was achieved after 21.4 ± 7 days of antibiotic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: A fluroquinolone-based regimen still represents an appropriate prophylaxis protocol to minimize the risk of acute prostatitis secondary to prostate biopsy. Patients should be provided the appropriate care soon after the onset of the symptoms. An intravenous third generation cephalosporin or imipenem-based therapy seem to provide satisfying results.

Patient selection and pathological outcomes using currently available active surveillance criteria.

OBJECTIVES: To establish the rate of higher risk criteria in various definitions of an active surveillance population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Over a period of 10 years, 1161 patients were diagnosed with prostate cancer and underwent radical prostatectomy at our institution. Statistical analysis was performed comparing the rates of upgrading, extracapsular extension, seminal vesical involvment and unfavourable disease (Gleason score upgrading >6 and/or T3 disease) for six groups of patients eligible for the University of Toronto, Royal Marsden, John Hopkins, University of California San Francisco, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Prospective Randomized International Active Surveillance. RESULTS: Active surveillance protocols including patients with biopsy Gleason score 3+4 (Royal Marsden) had significantly higher rates of extracapsular extension (P = 0.009), upgrading to pathological Gleason >3+4 (P = 0.004) and unfavourable disease (P = 0.001) compared to the most stringent John Hopkins criteria. Unfavourable disease was found in more than 40% of patients in all series with no significant difference between the Gleason 6 protocols. Biochemical recurrence-free survival at 5 and 10 years was 76.7% and 63.3% for the entire cohort. Positive margins (P < 0.001), pT3 tumours (P = 0.006) and unfavourable disease (P < 0.001) were significant predictors of biochemical recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Active surveillance in patients with Gleason 3+4 presents a risk of missing unfavourable disease and should be limited to older patients with comorbidities. The differences in inclusion criteria between Gleason 6 protocols did not have a significant impact on the pathological results.

Analysis of outcomes after radical prostatectomy in patients eligible for active surveillance (PRIAS).

OBJECTIVE: To identify the risk of failure of active surveillance (AS) in men who had the Prostate Cancer Research International: Active Surveillance (PRIAS) criteria and had undergone radical prostatectomy (RP), by studying as primary endpoints the risk of unfavourable disease in RP specimens (stage >T2 and/or Gleason score >6) and of biochemical progression after RP. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We assessed 626 patients who had the PRIAS criteria for AS defined as T1c/T2, PSA level of ≤10 ng/mL, PSA density (PSAD) of <0.2 ng/mL per mL, Gleason score of <7, and one or two positive biopsies. All patients underwent immediate RP at our department between January 1991 and December 2010. Multivariate logistic regression was used to test factors correlated with the risk of unfavourable prostate cancer. The risk of progression was tested using multivariate Cox regression models. Biochemical recurrence-free survival (BFS) was established using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Pathological study of RP specimens showed upstaging (>T2) in 129 patients (20.6%), upgrading (Gleason score >6) in 281 (44.9%) and unfavourable disease in 312 patients (50%). There was a statistically non-significant trend for BFS at P = 0.06. Predictors of favourable tumours were age <65 years (P = 0.005), one vs two positive biopsies (P = 0.01) and a biopsy core number >12 (P = 0.005). Preoperative factors predicting disease progression were a PSAD of >0.15 ng/mL(2) (P = 0.008) and biopsy core number of ≤12 (P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Even with stringent AS criteria, the rate of unfavourable disease remains high. Predictive factors of unfavourable disease and biochemical progression should be considered when including patients in AS protocols.

A switch from GnRH agonist to GnRH antagonist in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients leads to a low response rate on PSA.

PURPOSE: At the time of castration resistance, it is recommended to realize hormonal manipulations before chemotherapy. We evaluated the impact of a switch from GnRH agonist to antagonist in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer on PSA and testosterone levels at 3 months. METHODS: Retrospectively, 17 patients from 5 different centers undergoing androgen deprivation therapy and presenting rising PSA confirmed on 3 blood samples 2 weeks apart and despite a castrate testosterone level (<0.5 ng/ml) were reviewed. Antiandrogen withdrawal syndrome had been tested before the switch. Degarelix was administered as followed: 240 mg for the first injection and then 80 mg every month, subcutaneously. We evaluated the PSA and testosterone level variation 3 months after the switch. Patients who experienced a variation in PSA of less than 10% compared to the baseline or who had a more than 10% PSA decrease were defined as responders. RESULTS: Mean PSA level at the switch was 34.3 ± 50.3 ng/ml, with a mean testosterone level of 0.21 ± 0.13 ng/ml. Three months after the switch, mean PSA level was 59.9 ± 81.6 ng/ml (P = 0.061), with a mean testosterone level of 0.19 ± 0.08 ng/ml (P = 0.086). At 3 months, 4 patients (23%) responded to therapy. Thirteen patients (77%) experienced a rise in PSA of more than 10% compared to baseline; 41% of patients decreased their testosterone level. The limitations of this study are its retrospective nature and the limited number of patients. CONCLUSION: Switch from an agonist to an antagonist of GnRH has a limited impact on PSA at 3 months in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients.

Urinary tract infections and post-operative fever in percutaneous nephrolithotomy.

PURPOSE: To review the incidence of UTIs, post-operative fever, and risk factors for post-operative fever in PCNL patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2007 and 2009, consecutive PCNL patients were enrolled from 96 centers participating in the PCNL Global Study. Only data from patients with pre-operative urine samples and who received antibiotic prophylaxis were included. Pre-operative bladder urine culture and post-operative fever (>38.5°C) were assessed. Relationship between various patient and operative factors and occurrence of post-operative fever was assessed using logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Eight hundred and sixty-five (16.2%) patients had a positive urine culture; Escherichia coli was the most common micro-organism found in urine of the 350 patients (6.5%). Of the patients with negative pre-operative urine cultures, 8.8% developed a fever post-PCNL, in contrast to 18.2% of patients with positive urine cultures. Fever developed more often among the patients whose urine cultures consisted of Gram-negative micro-organisms (19.4-23.8%) versus those with Gram-positive micro-organisms (9.7-14.5%). Multivariate analysis indicated that a positive urine culture (odds ratio [OR] = 2.12, CI [1.69-2.65]), staghorn calculus (OR = 1.59, CI [1.28-1.96]), pre-operative nephrostomy (OR = 1.61, CI [1.19-2.17]), lower patient age (OR for each year of 0.99, CI [0.99-1.00]), and diabetes (OR = 1.38, CI [1.05-1.81]) all increased the risk of post-operative fever. Limitations include the use of fever as a predictor of systemic infection. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 10% of PCNL-treated patients developed fever in the post-operative period despite receiving antibiotic prophylaxis. Risk of post-operative fever increased in the presence of a positive urine bacterial culture, diabetes, staghorn calculi, and a pre-operative nephrostomy.

Contemporary pathologic characteristics and oncologic outcomes of prostate cancers missed by 6- and 12-core biopsy and diagnosed with a 21-core biopsy protocol.

PURPOSE: To assess the pathological and the oncologic outcomes of the prostate cancer (PCa) missed by 6- and 12-core biopsy protocols by using a reference 21-core scheme. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2001 and 2009, all patients who had PCa detected in an initial 21-core TRUS biopsy scheme and were treated by a radical prostatectomy (RP) were included. Patients were sorted in 3 groups according to the diagnosis site: sextant (6 first cores; group 1), peripheral zone (12 first cores; group 2) or midline/transitional zone (after 21 cores; group 3). Demographics, pathological features in biopsy and RP specimens and follow-up after RP were analyzed. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) was studied in the 3 groups. RESULTS: During the study period, 443 patients were included. Among them, 67, 23.7 and 9.2% were, respectively, diagnosed in groups 1, 2 and 3. Among PCa diagnosed in midline/transition zone cores, 42% were intermediate or high risk. Unfavorable disease was more frequently reported in group 1 in terms of extraprostatic extension (P = 0.001), high Gleason score (P = 0.001) and progression (P = 0.001). No significant difference was observed between groups 2 and 3 in terms of pathological features in RP specimens and oncologic outcome. The 5-year PFS was 89.7% and not significantly different in patients diagnosed with a 12-core scheme compared to those diagnosed only with 21-core scheme (P = 0.332). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings emphasize that PCa diagnosed only in a 21-core protocol is at least as aggressive as PCa detected in a 12-core scheme. This study invalidates the widespread idea sustaining that cancers diagnosed by more than 12 biopsies are less aggressive.

External validation of extranodal extension and lymph node density as predictors of survival in node-positive bladder cancer after radical cystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Prognostic factors in pathologic node-positive patients after radical cystectomy are debated. Extranodal extension (ENE) and lymph node density (LND) are strong predictors of survival. The aim of this study was to assess factors predictive of survival and to evaluate the prognostic significance of the tumor, node, metastasis staging system (TNM) nodal classification in a retrospective cohort of node-positive bladder cancers after radical cystectomy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 75 patients with node-positive bladder cancer after radical cystectomy. Node pathological examination was performed by two experienced uropathologists. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify factors predictive of progression. RESULTS: The median number of removed lymph node was 18 (range 3-49). The median number of positive lymph nodes was 3 (range 1-35). Overall progression-free and cancer-specific survival were 5 and 12 %. In multivariate analysis, ENE, LND with a 20 % cutoff, and adjuvant chemotherapy were independent predictors of progression-free survival (p = 0.007, 0.006, <0.0001). Neither the 2002 nor the 2009 TNM nodal classification was associated with recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: ENE and LND are strong predictors of clinical outcome in patients with node-positive bladder cancer treated by cystectomy. The actual TNM classification could probably be improved using these criteria, allowing better prognostic classification of node-positive bladder cancer after radical cystectomy.