Minimally invasive surgery and its impact on 30-day postoperative complications, unplanned readmissions and mortality.

BACKGROUND: A critical appraisal of the benefits of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is needed, but is lacking. This study examined the associations between MIS and 30-day postoperative outcomes including complications graded according to the Clavien-Dindo classification, unplanned readmissions, hospital stay and mortality for five common surgical procedures. METHODS: Patients undergoing appendicectomy, colectomy, inguinal hernia repair, hysterectomy and prostatectomy were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Non-parsimonious propensity score methods were used to construct procedure-specific matched-pair cohorts that reduced baseline differences between patients who underwent MIS and those who did not. Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons was applied and P < 0·006 was considered significant. RESULTS: Of the 532 287 patients identified, 53·8 per cent underwent MIS. Propensity score matching yielded an overall sample of 327 736 patients (appendicectomy 46 688, colectomy 152 114, inguinal hernia repair 59 066, hysterectomy 59 066, prostatectomy 10 802). Within the procedure-specific matched pairs, MIS was associated with significantly lower odds of Clavien-Dindo grade I-II, III and IV complications (P ≤ 0·004), unplanned readmissions (P < 0·001) and reduced hospital stay (P < 0·001) in four of the five procedures studied, with the exception of inguinal hernia repair. The odds of death were lower in patients undergoing MIS colectomy (P < 0·001), hysterectomy (P = 0·002) and appendicectomy (P = 0·002). CONCLUSION: MIS was associated with significantly fewer 30-day postoperative complications, unplanned readmissions and deaths, as well as shorter hospital stay, in patients undergoing colectomy, prostatectomy, hysterectomy or appendicectomy. No benefits were noted for inguinal hernia repair.

Functional outcomes of clinically high-risk prostate cancer patients treated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: a multi-institutional analysis.

BACKGROUND: To ascertain 3-year urinary continence (UC) and sexual function (SF) recovery following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) for clinically high-risk prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: Retrospective analyses of a prospectively maintained database for 769 patients with D'Amico high-risk PCa undergoing RARP at two tertiary care centers in the United States and Europe between 2001 and 2014. The association between time since RARP and recovery of UC (defined as 0 pad/one safety liner per day) and SF (defined as sexual health inventory for men (SHIM) score ⩾17) was tested in separate preoperative and post-operative Cox-proportional hazards regression models. Sensitivity analyses were conducted using continence 0 pad per day and erection sufficient for intercourse as end points for UC and SF recovery, respectively. RESULTS: Mean age of the cohort was 62.3 years, and 62.1% harbored ⩾PT3a disease. Nerve sparing (unilateral or bilateral) RARP was performed in 87.7% of patients. Kaplan-Meier estimates of UC recovery at 12, 24 and 36 months after surgery was 85.2%, 89.1% and 91.2%, respectively, while 33.8, 52.3 and 69.0% of preoperatively potent men (preoperative SHIM ⩾17; n=548; 71.3%) recovered SF. Similar results were noted in sensitivity analyses. Patient age and year of surgery were associated with UC and SF recovery; additionally, preoperative SHIM score, degree of nerve sparing, pT3b-T4 disease and surgical margins were associated with SF recovery over the period of observation. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with D'Amico high-risk PCa treated with RARP may continue to recover UC and SF beyond 12 months of surgery and show promising outcomes at 3-year follow-up. Appropriate patient selection and counseling may aid in setting realistic expectations for functional recovery post RARP.

Utilization of pelvic lymph node dissection in patients undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy in India versus the United States - A Vattikuti Collective Quality Initiative database analysis.

BACKGROUND: The utilization and extent of pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) varies depending on the disease and practice patterns. AIMS: This study compares practice patterns in utilization of PLND between Indian and United States (US) practices. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: We focused on 415 patients (204 India; 211 US) prostate cancer patients treated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, between 2015 and 2016, within the Vattikuti Collective Quality Initiative database. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Utilization of PLND and number of nodes removed were evaluated for the entire cohort, and after stratifying for Country of treatment and D'Amico risk groups. Logistic regression tested the relationship between PLND and country of treatment, after adjusting for disease risk. RESULTS: Indian patients had a higher risk distribution (D'Amico high-risk 53.4% in India vs. 27% in the US; P< 0.001) compared to their US counterparts. Overall, 193/204 (94.6%) Indian patients underwent PLND versus 181/211 (85.8%) US patients (P = 0.003). When stratified based on disease risk, PLND was performed more frequently in Indian patients with low-risk disease (81.0% vs. 41.4%,P= 0.008), but not in those with intermediate and high-risk disease. On multivariable analysis, Indian patients had a 2.57-fold higher probability of undergoing PLND than their US counterparts (P = 0.02). The analysis of the number of lymph nodes removed showed similar trends. CONCLUSIONS: Indian patients are more likely to undergo PLND than US patients. This is, especially true for patients with low-risk disease, who are unlikely to benefit from this procedure. Efforts should focus on optimizing the utilization of PLND, and deliver it only when there is clinical indication.

Decipher correlation patterns post prostatectomy: initial experience from 2 342 prospective patients.

BACKGROUND: Currently, there are multiple commercially available RNA-based biomarkers that are Medicare approved and suggested for use by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. There is uncertainty as to which patients benefit from genomic testing and for whom these tests should be ordered. Here, we examined the correlation patterns of Decipher assay to understand the relationship between the Decipher and patient tumor characteristics. METHODS: De-identified Decipher test results (including Decipher risk scores and clinicopathologic data) from 2 342 consecutive radical prostatectomy (RP) patients tested between January and September 2015 were analyzed. For clinical testing, tumor specimen from the highest Gleason grade was sampled using a 1.5 mm tissue punch. Decipher scores were calculated based on a previously locked model. Correlations between Decipher score and clinicopathologic variables were computed using Spearman's rank correlation. Mixed-effect linear models were used to study the association of practice type and Decipher score. The significance level was 0.05 for all tests. RESULTS: Decipher score had a positive correlation with pathologic Gleason score (PGS; r=0.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.34-0.41), pathologic T-stage (r=0.31, 95% CI 0.28-0.35), CAPRA-S (r=0.32, 95% CI 0.28-0.37) and patient age (r=0.09, 95% CI 0.05-0.13). Decipher reclassified 52%, 76% and 40% of patients in CAPRA-S low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups, respectively. We detected a 28% incidence of high-risk disease through the Decipher score in pT2 patients and 7% low risk in pT3b/pT4, PGS 8-10 patients. There was no significant difference in the Decipher score between patients from community centers and those from academic centers (P=0.82). CONCLUSIONS: Although Decipher correlated with baseline tumor characteristics for over 2 000 patients, there was significant reclassification of tumor aggressiveness as compared to clinical parameters alone. Utilization of the Decipher genomic classifier can have major implications in assessment of postoperative risk that may impact physician-patient decision making and ultimately patient management.

Efficacy of post-operative radiation in a prostatectomy cohort adjusted for clinical and genomic risk.

BACKGROUND: To date, there have been no published trials examining the impact of salvage radiation therapy (SRT) in the post-operative setting for prostate cancer (PCa). We conducted a retrospective, comparative study of post-operative radiation following radical prostatectomy (RP) for men with pT3 disease or positive margins (adverse pathological features, APF). METHODS: 422 PCa men treated at four institutions with RP and having APF were analyzed with a primary end point of metastasis. Adjuvant radiation treatment (ART, n=111), minimal residual disease (MRD) SRT (n=70) and SRT (n=83) were defined by PSA levels of <0.2, 0.2-0.49 and ⩾0.5 ng ml(-1), respectively, before radiation therapy (RT) initiation. Remaining 157 men who did not receive additional therapy before metastasis formed the no RT arm. Clinical-genomic risk was assessed by Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment Post-Surgical (CAPRA-S) and Decipher. Cox regression was used to evaluate the impact of treatment on outcome. RESULTS: During the study follow-up, 37 men developed metastasis with a median follow-up of 8 years. Both CAPRA-S and Decipher had independent predictive value on multivariable analysis for metastasis (P<0.05). Adjusting for clinical-genomic risk, SRT and no RT had hazard ratios of 4.31 (95% confidence interval, 1.20-15.47) and 5.42 (95% confidence interval, 1.59-18.44) for metastasis compared with ART, respectively. No significant difference was observed between MRD-SRT and ART (P=0.28). Men with low-to-intermediate CAPRA-S and low Decipher value have a low rate of metastatic events regardless of treatment selection. In contrast, men with high CAPRA-S and Decipher benefit from ART, however the cumulative incidence of metastasis remains high. CONCLUSIONS: The decision as to the timing and need for additional local therapy following RP is nuanced and requires providers and patients to balance risks of morbidity with improved oncological outcomes. Post-RP treatment can be safely avoided for men who are low risk by clinical-genomic risk, whereas those at high risk should favor enrollment in clinical trials.

Determinants of long-term survival of patients with locally advanced prostate cancer: the role of extensive pelvic lymph node dissection.

BACKGROUND: The therapeutic effect of pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) during radical prostatectomy (RP) due to prostate cancer (PCa) is still under debate. We aimed at assessing the impact of more extensive PLND on cancer-specific mortality (CSM) in patients treated with surgery for locally advanced PCa. METHODS: We examined data of 1586 pT3-T4 PCa patients treated with RP and extended PLND between 1987 and 2012 at a tertiary referral care center. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses tested the relationship between the number of nodes removed and CSM rate, after adjusting for potential confounders. Survival estimates were based on the multivariable models. RESULTS: The average number of nodes removed was 19 (median: 17; interquartile range: 11-23). Mean and median follow-up were 80 and 72 months, respectively. At multivariable analyses, Gleason score 8-10 (hazard ratio (HR): 2.5) and a higher number of positive nodes (HR: 1.06) were independently associated with higher CSM rate (all P<0.05). Conversely, higher number of removed LNs (HR: 0.94) and adjuvant radiotherapy (HR: 0.54) were independent predictors of lower CSM rates (all P⩽0.03). CONCLUSIONS: In pT3-T4 PCa patients, removal of a higher number of LNs during RP was associated with higher cancer-specific survival rates. This supports the role of more extensive PLNDs in this patient group. Further prospective studies are needed to validate our findings.

Medical androgen deprivation therapy and increased non-cancer mortality in non-metastatic prostate cancer patients aged ≥66 years.

PURPOSE: To examine the potential relationship between androgen deprivation therapy and other-cause mortality (OCM) in patients with prostate cancer treated with medical primary-androgen deprivation therapy, prostatectomy, or radiation. METHODS: A total of 137,524 patients with non-metastatic PCa treated between 1995 and 2009 within the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Medicare-linked database were included. Cox-regression analysis tested the association of ADT with OCM. A 40-item comorbidity score was used for adjustment. RESULTS: Overall, 9.3% of patients harbored stage III-IV disease, and 57.7% of patients received ADT. The mean duration of ADT exposure was 22.9 months (median: 9.1; IQR: 2.8-31.5). Mean and median follow-up were 66.9, and 60.4 months, respectively. At 10 years, overall-OCM rate was 36.5%; it was 30.6% in patients treated without ADT vs. 40.1% in patients treated with ADT (p < 0.001). In multivariable-analysis, ADT was associated with an increased risk of OCM (Hazard-ratio [HR]: 1.11, 95% Confidence-interval [95% CI]: 1.08-1.13). Patients with no comorbidity (10-year OCM excess risk: 9%) were more subject to harm from ADT than patients with high comorbidity (10-year OCM excess risk: 4.7%). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with PCa, treatment with medical ADT may increase the risk of mortality due to causes other than PCa. Whether this is a simple association or a cause-effect relationship is unknown and warrants further study in prospective studies.

Differential effect on survival of pelvic lymph node dissection at radical cystectomy for muscle invasive bladder cancer.

PURPOSE: To compare long-term cancer outcomes after radical cystectomy (RC) alone or RC with pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) according to different age and comorbidities categories. METHODS: Using the SEER-Medicare dataset, 3314 patients diagnosed with urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder and treated with RC alone or RC with PLND were identified. After propensity score matching to reduce potential selection bias, all cause mortality (ACM)-free and cancer specific mortality (CSM)-free survival rates were estimated. Multivariable regression models (MVA) addressed the effect of PLND on ACM and CSM. Subgroups analyses according to age and comorbidities were performed. RESULTS: After matching, 688 and 688 patients treated with RC alone or RC with PLND remained. The 5-year ACM-free survival rate was 36 after RC alone and 45% after RC with PLND (p < 0001). In MVA, PLND exerted a protective effect on ACM (HR 0.77, p < 0.001). The 5-year CSM-free survival rate was 54 after RC alone and 65% after RC with PLND (p < 0.001). In MVA, PLND exerted a protective effect on CSM (HR 0.71, p < 0.001). Similar results were observed in younger (age ≤75) and healthier (CCI = 0) patients, where PLND exerted a protective effect on ACM (HR 0.64, p = 0.001) and CSM (HR 0.65, p = 0.01). Conversely, in older (age >75) and sicker (CCI ≥1) patients, PLND was not associated with ACM (HR 0.98, p = 0.8) or CSM (HR 1.01, p = 0.9). CONCLUSIONS: RC with PLND is associated with improved all cause and cancer specific survival in younger and healthier RC candidates but not in older and sicker patients.

Clinical nodal staging scores for prostate cancer: a proposal for preoperative risk assessment.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic lymph node dissection in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy for clinically localised prostate cancer is not without morbidity and its therapeutical benefit is still a matter of debate. The objective of this study was to develop a model that allows preoperative determination of the minimum number of lymph nodes needed to be removed at radical prostatectomy to ensure true nodal status. METHODS: We analysed data from 4770 patients treated with radical prostatectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection between 2000 and 2011 from eight academic centres. For external validation of our model, we used data from a cohort of 3595 patients who underwent an anatomically defined extended pelvic lymph node dissection. We estimated the sensitivity of pathological nodal staging using a beta-binomial model and developed a novel clinical (preoperative) nodal staging score (cNSS), which represents the probability that a patient has lymph node metastasis as a function of the number of examined nodes. RESULTS: In the development and validation cohorts, the probability of missing a positive lymph node decreases with increase in the number of nodes examined. A 90% cNSS can be achieved in the development and validation cohorts by examining 1-6 nodes in cT1 and 6-8 nodes in cT2 tumours. With 11 nodes examined, patients in the development and validation cohorts achieved a cNSS of 90% and 80% with cT3 tumours, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic lymph node dissection is the only reliable technique to ensure accurate nodal staging in patients treated with radical prostatectomy for clinically localised prostate cancer. The minimum number of examined lymph nodes needed for accurate nodal staging may be predictable, being strongly dependent on prostate cancer characteristics at diagnosis.

The effect of age at diagnosis on prostate cancer mortality: a grade-for-grade and stage-for-stage analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of advancing age on cancer-specific mortality (CSM) after radical prostatectomy (RP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Overall, 205,551 patients with PCa diagnosed between 1988 and 2009 within the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database were included in the study. Patients were stratified according to age at diagnosis: ≤ 50, 51-60, 61-70, and ≥ 71 years. The 15-year cumulative incidence CSM rates were computed. Competing-risks regression models were performed to test the effect of age on CSM in the entire cohort, and for each grade (Gleason score 2-4, 5-7, and 8-10) and stage (pT2, pT3a, and pT3b) sub-cohorts. RESULTS: Advancing age was associated with higher 15-year CSM rates (2.3 vs. 3.4 vs. 4.6 vs. 6.3% for patients aged ≤ 50 vs. 51-60 vs. 61-70 vs. ≥ 71 years, respectively; P < 0.001). In multivariable analyses, age at diagnosis was a significant predictor of CSM. This relationship was also observed in sub-analyses focusing on patients with Gleason score 5-7, and/or pT2 disease (all P ≤ 0.05). Conversely, age failed to reach the independent predictor status in men with Gleason score 2-4, 8-10, pT3a, and/or pT3b disease. CONCLUSIONS: Advancing age increases the risk of CSM. However, when considering patients affected by more aggressive disease, age was not significantly associated with higher risk of dying from PCa. In high-risk patients, tumor characteristics rather than age should be considered when making treatment decisions.

Preoperative erectile function is the only predictor of the use of a high number of phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors after bilateral nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy.

It is well known that the administration of phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors (PDE5-Is) may improve erectile function (EF) recovery after bilateral nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy (BNSRP). The aim of our study was to identify predictors of the use of a high number of PDE5-Is (one or more per week) after surgery among 184 patients taking proerectile medications on demand. At a mean follow-up of 22.7 months, 116 patients (63%) recovered EF. Overall, EF recovery rates at 1- and 2- year follow-up were 47.3% and 65.4%, respectively. Overall, 43 (23.4%) patients used one or more PDE5-Is per week. Preoperative EF was the only predictor of the use of one or more PDE5-Is per week after BNSRP. This held true even after adjusting our analyses for age at surgery, body mass index and EF at 1 month after surgery. Particularly, patients fully potent before surgery had roughly 2.1-fold higher probability of using one or more pills per week compared with their counterparts with some degree of preoperative erectile dysfunction (ED; odds ratio: 2.16; 95% confidence interval: 1.03-4.37). In conclusion, preoperative EF represents the only determinant of the use of a higher number of PDE5-Is after surgery. Patients with better preoperative EF might represent individuals more motivated to achieve satisfactory sexual function after surgery. These observations should provide physicians with better preoperative patient counseling and management of postoperative ED.

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy leads to survival benefit only in patients with high-risk prostate cancer: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: During the last years, there has been a rapid adoption of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in patients with prostate cancer (PCa), despite the lack of randomized trials evaluating its effectiveness. The aim of our study was to evaluate the survival benefit associated with IMRT in patients with PCa. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Overall, 42 483 patients with PCa treated with IMRT or initial observation between 2001 and 2007 within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare were evaluated. Patients in both treatment arms were matched using propensity-score methodology. After propensity-score matching, 19 064 patients remained in our analyses. Eight-year cancer-specific mortality (CSM) rates were estimated, and the number needed to treat (NNT) was calculated. Competing risks regression analyses tested the relationship between treatment type and CSM. RESULTS: Overall, the 8-year CSM rates were 3.4% and 4.1% for patients treated with IMRT versus initial observation, respectively (P < 0.001). The corresponding 8-year NNT was 142. In patients with low/intermediate-risk disease, IMRT was not associated with lower CSM rates compared with observation (P = 0.7). In patients with high-risk disease, the 8-year CSM rates for IMRT versus observation were 5.8% versus 10.5%, respectively (P < 0.001). The corresponding NNT was 21. When high-risk patients were stratified according to age (<73 versus ≥73), and Charlson comorbidity index (≤1 versus >1) the 8-year CSM rates for IMRT versus observation were 4.3% versus 9.4% and 6.9% versus 11.9% and 5.3% versus 11.4% and 6.1% versus 10.1%, respectively (all Ps < 0.001). The corresponding NNTs were 19, 21, 16, and 25, respectively. In multivariate analyses, the protective effect of IMRT was more evident in high-risk patients with younger age and lower comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: IMRT leads to a survival advantage only in patients with high-risk disease. Conversely, patients with low/intermediate-risk disease did not benefit from IMRT at 8-year follow-up.

The impact of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy on the use and extent of pelvic lymph node dissection in the "post-dissemination" period.

INTRODUCTION: Previous series during the dissemination era of minimally invasive techniques for treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) showed a declining use of pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND). The aim of our study was to re-assess the impact of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) on the utilization rate of PLND and its extent in the post-dissemination period. METHODS: Relying on the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Medicare-linked database, 5804 patients with non-metastatic PCa undergoing open radical prostatectomy (ORP) or RARP between years 2008 and 2009 were identified. Uni- and multivariable logistic regression analyses tested the relationship between surgical approach (RARP vs. ORP) and: 1 - the rate of PLND (pNx vs. pN0-1); and 2 - the extent of PLND (limited vs. extended). RESULTS: Overall, 3357 (57.8%) patients underwent a PLND. The proportion of patients treated with PLND was significantly higher among ORP vs. RARP patients: 71.2 vs. 48.6%, respectively (P < 0.001). In addition, the median number of lymph nodes removed was significantly higher for patients treated with ORP vs. RARP: 5 vs. 4, respectively (P < 0.001). In multivariable analyses, ORP was associated with 2.7- and 1.3-fold higher odds of undergoing PLND and of receiving an extended PLND compared to RARP, respectively (both P ≤ 0.001). Stratified analyses according to disease risk classifications revealed similar trends. CONCLUSIONS: In the post-dissemination era, RARP remains associated with a decreased use of PLND and suboptimum extent. Efforts should be made to improve guideline adherence in performing a PLND whenever indicated according to tumor aggressiveness, despite surgical approach.

Long-term survival in patients with germ cell testicular cancer: a population-based competing-risks regression analysis.

BACKGROUNDS: Incidence of secondary malignancies and cardiovascular diseases among testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) survivors is higher compared to the general population. We sought to describe the rates of other-cancer (OCM), non-cancer related (NCRM), and cancer-specific mortality (CSM) among men with TGCT. METHODS: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, 31,330 patients with a primary diagnosis of TGCT between 1973 and 2009 were identified. The primary endpoints comprised of 15-year CSM, OCM, and NCRM rates. Survival rates were stratified according to histology (seminoma vs. non-seminoma), median age (<34 vs. ≥34 years old), and disease stage (localized vs. regional vs. distant). Competing-risks Poisson regression methodologies were performed. RESULTS: For seminoma patients, the rates of CSM at 15 years increased with advancing stage (0.4-12.6%; P < 0.001), but varies little with age. In contrast, the rates of OCM (0.4-7.9%) and NCRM (2.9-8.9%) at 15 years increased with advancing stage and age (all P < 0.001). For non-seminoma patients, the 15-year CSM rates increased with advancing stage and age (1.9-24.4%; all P < 0.001). For the same time point, the rates of OCM (0.3-11.4%) and NCRM (2.4-8.0%) also increased with age and stage (all P ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of dying from secondary malignancies or other causes significantly increases with advancing stage and age at diagnosis among TGCT survivors. Such information can help provide patients and physicians with better screening strategies, follow-up protocols, and mental preparedness for such undesirable effects.

Extended pelvic lymph node dissection in prostate cancer: a 20-year audit in a single center.

BACKGROUND: We set to assess the impact of stage migration in prostate cancer (PCa) on the evolution of the pN1 rate and tumor characteristics in pN1 patients over the last two decades. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated 5274 PCa patients treated with radical prostatectomy and anatomically extended pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND) between 1990 and 2010. Year-per-year trends of clinical and pathological characteristics were examined. Logistic regression analyses addressed predictors of pN1. RESULTS: The median number of lymph nodes (LNs) removed was 16.0. Overall, the pN1 rate was 13.8% and it decreased from 26.1% to 15.6% between 1990 and 2010 (P < 0.001). For the same period, the pN1 rate changed from 0% to 3% in the low-risk PCa, from 20% to 7% in the intermediate-risk PCa, and from 33% to 44% in the high-risk PCa (P ≤ 0.01). In pN1 patients, pre-operative cancer characteristics and the median number of positive LNs (three in 1990 versus two in 2010) did not significantly change overtime (all P ≥ 0.1). Year of surgery was not an independent predictor of pN1 (all P ≥ 0.06). CONCLUSION: Based on ePLND outcomes, contemporary patients with intermediate- and high-risk PCa's still harbor a significant LNI risk. In consequence, stage migration does not justify omitting or limiting the extent of PLND in these individuals.

Clinical and diagnostic assessment for therapeutic decisions in prostate cancer.

Due to the heterogeneity of prostate cancer (PCa) outcomes, there is a need for individualized treatment plans based on clinical and cancer characteristics. Recent advances in sophisticated imaging modalities have improved the ability to stratify patients according to their risk of PCa diagnosis and progression. This, in turn, has positively influenced the clinical decision making process. However, there is also an overuse of diagnostic imaging in the evaluation of PCa patients. Baseline diagnostic and re-staging evaluations need to be indeed personalized, in order to maximize the results and reduce unnecessary, lengthy and costly procedures. The aim of this review was to critically evaluate current international guidelines in order to identify clinical and diagnostic markers that might help clinicians in the selection of the most appropriate imaging approach. For this aim, different imaging modalities were analyzed in patients with newly diagnosed PCa, focusing on local, nodal and distant staging. Every step of staging was taken into consideration based on patient individualized risk, as defined by routinely available clinical variables. Second, different imaging techniques were also reviewed in the context of relapse after primary treatment, highlighting their utility and impact in the clinical decision making process. This review focuses mainly on conventional established imaging techniques, with an eye also to novel approaches that still need to be validated on large patient series.

Predicting the risk of lymph node invasion during radical prostatectomy using the European Association of Urology guideline nomogram: a validation study.

BACKGROUND: The 2011 European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines for prostate cancer recommend a pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) at radical prostatectomy (RP) in all individuals with a nomogram predicted lymph node invasion (LNI) risk of >7%. METHODS: To test the performing characteristics for several thresholds (1-14%) and to examine the overall accuracy and calibration plot of the EAU nomogram at our institution. The study population consisted of 3081 patients treated with RP and PLND limited to the obturator fossa and the external iliac vein between 2008 and 2010 at a single European institution from Germany. More extensive PLNDs were performed at the surgeon's discretion. RESULTS: Overall, 260 patients (9.2%) had LNI. The 7% threshold would have avoided 30% of PLNDs, at the cost of missing 8% of patients with LNI. The use of 8% and 9% threshold would have allowed the avoidance of respectively 39% and 48% of PLNDs, at the cost of missing respectively 12% and 14% of patients with LNI. The accuracy of the LNI nomogram was 78%, and the unadjusted departure from ideal calibration was 5.3%. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed adequate accuracy and calibration of the LNI nomogram. The 7% cut-off may be overly conservative. Better trade-offs between avoided PLNDs and missed LNI cases may be achieved with a limit of 8 or even 9%.

Are Caucasian-European men delaying fatherhood? Results of a 7 year observational study of infertile couples with male factor infertility.

This study was aimed at assessing presence and predictors of a trend towards more advanced paternal age at presentation in a cohort of 1283 Caucasian-European infertile couples with male factor infertility (MFI) over a short time frame. Multivariate linear regression analysis tested the association between predictors [namely, partners' age, length of infertility at first presentation, patients' comorbidities as scored with the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and educational status] and patient's age at presentation. Using anova, patient's age at presentation (F ratio: 2.43; p = 0.024) and patients' educational status (χ(2) trend: 142.38; p < 0.001) significantly increased over time. In contrast, length of infertility at first presentation, CCI and partners' age did not significantly change over time (all p ≥ 0.05). Linear regression analyses showed that CCI, educational status and year of presentation were not correlated with patients' age at presentation (all p ≥ 0.05), whereas partners' age (ß = 0.170; p < 0.001) and length of infertility (ß = 0.123; p = 0.004) were independent predictors of delayed fatherhood. These results showed a significant shift towards advanced paternal age, but a non-significant increase of maternal age at first presentation among Caucasian-European infertile couples with MFI over a short time frame.

Propensity-score matched comparison of complications, blood transfusions, length of stay, and in-hospital mortality between open and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: a national series.

BACKGROUND: To examine the use of open partial nephrectomy (OPN) and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN), as well as intraoperative and postoperative morbidity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample for years 1998-2007. Patients with non-metastatic kidney cancer who underwent OPN or LPN were identified. Propensity-based matching was performed to adjust for potential baseline differences between the two groups. The rates of intraoperative and postoperative complications, blood transfusions, length of stay, and in-hospital mortality were assessed for both procedures. RESULTS: Overall, 7990 (93.9%) and 523 (6.1%) patients underwent OPN and LPN, respectively. Use of LPN increased 19-fold over the study period (P < 0.001). For OPN and LPN respectively, the following rates were recorded: blood transfusions, 9.3 vs. 3.8% (P < 0.001); intraoperative complications, 2.9 vs. 1.5% (P = 0.06); postoperative complications, 15.4 vs. 11.3% (P = 0.01); length of stay ≥5 days, 46.7 vs. 20.8% (P < 0.001); in-hospital mortality, 0.4 vs. 0.4% (P = 0.98). In multivariable logistic regression analyses, LPN patients were less likely to have a blood transfusion (odds ratio [OR]: 0.40, P < 0.001), to experience any postoperative complication (OR: 0.74, P = 0.03), and to be hospitalized for more than 5 days (OR: 0.32, P < 0.001). Post-propensity score matched analyses revealed virtually the same results. CONCLUSIONS: After adjustment for potential selection biases, LPN is associated with fewer adverse outcomes than OPN. However, the current results should be interpreted with caution, given the lack of tumor characteristics. Furthermore, statistical adjustment is not a substitute for a needed randomized trial.