p53 and Vimentin Double Immunostaining to Differentiate between High-Grade Urothelial Carcinoma Cells and Benign Atypical Cells.

INTRODUCTION: Urine cytology is an indispensable test for detecting high-grade urothelial carcinoma (HGUC); however, the distinction between HGUC cells and morphologically similar benign atypical cells poses clinical challenges. In this study, we performed double immunostaining for p53 and vimentin to establish a diagnostic method to accurately distinguish HGUC cells from benign atypical cells. METHODS: This study included 41 cases of HGUC, 11 of urolithiasis, and 22 of glomerular disease diagnosed histopathologically or clinically. After preparing urine cytology specimens from voided urine samples, p53 immunostaining was performed, and the p53-positive intensity and p53 positivity rate were calculated. Subsequently, vimentin immunostaining was performed on the same specimens to calculate the rate of vimentin positivity. RESULTS: The HGUC cell group had a mean p53-positive intensity of 2.40, a mean p53 positivity rate of 73.2%, and a mean vimentin positivity rate of 5.1%. In contrast, the mean p53-positive intensity, p53 positivity rate, and vimentin positivity rate were 1.63, 36.7%, and 66.2%, respectively, in the benign atypical cell group. There were significant differences between the two groups for each parameter. Moreover, two multiple logistic regression models combining the results of these three parameters exhibited higher sensitivity and specificity than solely assessing the p53-positive intensity, positivity rate, and vimentin positivity rate. CONCLUSION: Since double immunostaining with p53 and vimentin distinguishes HGUC cells from benign atypical cells, it could be to improve the diagnostic accuracy of urine cytology.

Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy with the Hugo™ robot-assisted surgery system: A single-center initial experience in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Recently, various novel robotic systems have been put into clinical use. The aim of the present study was to assess the perioperative outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) using the Hugo™ RAS system, one of brand-new robot-assisted surgical platforms. METHODS: We performed RARP with the Hugo™ RAS system in 13 cases of localized prostate cancer (PCa) between August 2023 and February 2024 at our hospital. The perioperative outcomes of these 13 patients were assessed. RESULTS: The median operative and console times were 197 (interquartile range [IQR], 187-228) and 134 min (IQR, 125-157), respectively. The median docking time was 7 min (IQR, 6-10), and the median estimated blood loss was 150 mL (IQR, 80-250). The vesical catheter was removed on postoperative day 6 in all cases. A positive surgical margin was observed in one patient (7.7%), and none experienced major perioperative complications, defined as Clavien-Dindo classification ≥3. The median postoperative length of stay was 8 days (IQR, 8-8.5). CONCLUSIONS: This was the first study to focus on RARP using the Hugo™ RAS system in Japan. Although further investigations should be conducted to assess the long-term oncological and functional outcomes, the Hugo™ RAS system could provide safe and favorable perioperative outcomes for patients with localized PCa undergoing RARP.

Nuclear long diameter as a new criterion to distinguish high-grade urothelial carcinoma cells from benign reactive cells.

OBJECTIVE: Recently, the nuclear area has attracted attention as a morphological parameter to differentiate high-grade urothelial carcinoma (HGUC) cells from benign reactive cells. The nuclear long diameter (NLD) strongly correlates with the nuclear area and is easy to subjectively estimate. Therefore, this study examined the usefulness of the NLD-to-neutrophil diameter ratio for detecting HGUC cells in urine cytology. METHODS: This study included 29, 26 and 18 patients with HGUC, glomerular disease and urolithiasis respectively. An image analysis system was used to measure the NLD of HGUC and benign reactive cells (reactive renal tubular cells and reactive urothelial cells) and the neutrophil diameter that appeared in the voided urine in these cases. The NLD index was calculated using the NLD-to-neutrophil diameter ratio. We subsequently compared HGUC and benign reactive cells with respect to NLD and NLD indices. In addition, the HGUC cell group and benign reactive cell group were compared by selecting the five cells with the largest NLD and NLD index on each slide. RESULTS: The NLD and NLD indices of HGUC cells were significantly higher than those of benign reactive cells in all cells and in the five cells with the largest NLD and NLD indices. The cut-off value of the NLD index for detecting HGUC cells was 1.25 in all cells and 1.80 in the five cells with the largest NLD index. CONCLUSIONS: The NLD index is a useful parameter that can be introduced into routine microscopic examinations to differentiate HGUC cells from benign reactive cells.

A case of Legionella pneumonia after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

Introduction: Postoperative Legionella pneumonia is very rare. Case presentation: A 71-year-old male patient with prostate cancer (cT2bN0M0) underwent a robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy. On the 5th postoperative day, the patient developed chills and a fever of 39.2°C. Chest radiography revealed decreased permeability in the right middle lung field, leading to the diagnosis of postoperative pneumonia. Antimicrobial therapy was initiated immediately. Blood tests on postoperative day 10 revealed mild liver function abnormalities, electrolyte abnormalities, and a markedly elevated inflammatory response. Legionella pneumonia was suspected based on blood sample results and systemic symptoms, such as diarrhea and nausea. Furthermore, Legionella antigens were detected in the patient's urine, prompting further administration of levofloxacin. The patient's subsequent clinical course was favorable. Conclusion: When bacterial pneumonia fails to respond to antimicrobial therapy and systemic symptoms develop, atypical pneumonia, caused by pathogens such as Legionella pneumophila, should be considered even in cases of postoperative pneumonia.

Older versus younger patients in robot-assisted radical cystectomy with intracorporeal ileal conduit comparing safety and clinical outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of robot-assisted radical cystectomy using an intracorporeal ileal conduit in older compared to younger patients. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 122 patients who underwent robot-assisted radical cystectomy with an intracorporeal ileal conduit at Fujita Health University Hospital and Fujita Health University Okazaki Medical Center between 2012 and 2022. Patients were categorized into two groups: older (age ≥ 75 years; n = 53) and younger (age < 75 years; n = 69). Perioperative outcomes, complications, recurrence-free survival, cancer-specific survival, and overall survival were compared between the cohorts. RESULTS: The groups had no significant differences in perioperative outcomes, such as estimated blood loss, operative time, and blood transfusion rate. However, hospital stay was longer in the older patients than in the younger group (19 vs. 16 days; p < 0.001). The 30-day minor and major complication rates were 33.3% and 13.0%, respectively, for the younger group and 50.9% and 9.4% for the older group (p = 0.11). Urinary tract infection and bowel ileus were the most common complications in both groups. No significant differences were observed in recurrence-free survival, cancer-specific survival, and overall survival between the groups (p = 0.58, p = 0.75, and p = 0.78), and subgroup analysis in ≥cT3 revealed the older group tended to have poorer cancer-specific survival and overall survival (p = 0.07 and p = 0.01). Multivariate analysis indicated that older age was not associated with high-grade complications and cancer-specific survival. CONCLUSIONS: Robot-assisted radical cystectomy with an intracorporeal ileal conduit is a safe and effective treatment option for older patients.

The Role of Lymph Node Dissection in Patients With Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Who Underwent Radical Cystectomy Following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: The interaction between lymph node dissection (LND) during radical cystectomy (RC) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the role of LND in patients undergoing RC after NAC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 259 patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who underwent RC following NAC at Fujita Health University Hospital and Fujita Health University Okazaki Medical Center between 2010 and 2022. Baseline characteristics, pathological outcomes, recurrence-free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) were compared between propensity score (PS)-matched cohorts. RESULTS: PS matching analysis resulted in 94 matched pairs from the adequate (standard or extended template) and inadequate (limited template or unilateral- or no-LND) LND groups. The median number of dissected nodes was significantly higher in the adequate LND group than in the inadequate LND group (19 vs. 5, P < .001). Similarly, a higher pathological node-positive rate (ypN+) was observed in the adequate group than in the inadequate group (18.1% vs. 7.4%, P = .03). The adequate LND group identified more ypN+ with ≤ ypT1 cases than the inadequate group (4 vs. 1). There were no statistically significant differences between the adequate and inadequate groups in RFS (P = .94), CSS (P = .54), and OS (P = .65). Subgroup analysis also showed comparable survival rates, even in patients with ≥ pT3 or cN+ disease. ypN+ was an independent predictor of OS in the Cox regression analysis, while adequate LND and the number of lymph nodes removed (≥10 or ≥15) were not associated with survival. CONCLUSIONS: Although adequate LND did not show a significant therapeutic effect in RC after NAC, adequate LND may have an important diagnostic role in detecting ypN+, which is a robust predictor, and is a useful biomarker to perform appropriate adjuvant immunotherapy especially in ≤ ypT1 cases.

Prognostic Impact of Immune-Related Adverse Events as First-Line Therapy for Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated With Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors can cause various immune-related adverse events (irAEs). This study aimed to evaluate the association between the incidence of irAEs and oncological outcomes of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treated with nivolumab plus ipilimumab as first-line therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data from 69 patients with mRCC treated with nivolumab plus ipilimumab as first-line therapy between September 2018 and September 2021 at 4 institutions. Cox regression analyses were performed to investigate the important factors affecting overall survival (OS) in patients with mRCC treated with nivolumab plus ipilimumab as first-line therapy. RESULTS: During observation with a median follow-up of 9.1 months, the median OS was not reached, while the median progression-free survival was 6.0 months. Patients with irAEs had significantly prolonged OS and progression-free survival than those without irAEs (p = .012 and .002, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that 3 independent factors, including C-reactive protein (CRP), irAEs, and performance status (PS), were significantly associated with OS (p = .04, .02, and .01, respectively). The patients were subsequently divided into 3 groups as follows: group 1, 20 patients with all 3 independent OS predictors; group 2, 18 patients with irAE predictors alone or 2 positive independent OS predictors (irAEs + CRP or irAEs + PS); group 3, 31 patients with 3 negative independent S predictors. OS varied significantly among the 3 groups (p = .004). CONCLUSION: The appearance of irAEs could predict OS in patients with mRCC treated with nivolumab plus ipilimumab as the first-line therapy.

Robot-assisted retroperitoneal lymph node dissection: Initial experience in Japan.

For patients with testicular tumors who need the surgical management, open retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (O-RPLND) is considered the gold standard treatment. However, recently, robot-assisted RPLND (R-RPLND) has gained popularity as a minimally invasive therapy alternative to O-RPLND and laparoscopic RPLND. Here, we report the case of a 32-year-old man presenting with a left testicular teratoma with several enlarged left para-aortic lymph nodes. After the orchiectomy, the patient underwent R-RPLND with an operation time of 279 min, console time of 189 min, bleeding volume of 59 mL, and no significant complications, resulting in a successful outcome. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of R-RPLND in Japan. Based on our experience, R-RPLND may provide safe and effective outcomes; however, further research is required before the widespread implementation of this technique.

Comparing pentafecta outcomes between nerve sparing and non nerve sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy in a propensity score-matched study.

Pentafecta (continence, potency, cancer control, free surgical margins, and no complications) is an important outcome of prostatectomy. Our objective was to assess the pentafecta achievement between nerve-spring and non-nerve-sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) in a large single-center cohort. The study included 1674 patients treated with RARP between August 2009 and November 2022 to assess the clinical outcomes. Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the prognostic significance of RARP for pentafecta achievement, and 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed between the nerve-sparing and non-nerve-sparing to test the validity of the results. Pentafecta definition included continence, which was defined as the use of zero pads; potency, which was defined as the ability to achieve and maintain satisfactory erections or ones firm enough for sexual activity and sexual intercourse. The biochemical recurrence rate was defined as two consecutive PSA levels > 0.2 ng/mL after RARP; 90-day Clavien-Dindo complications ≤ 3a; and a negative surgical pathologic margin. The median follow-up period was 61.3 months (IQR 6-159 months). A multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that pentafecta achievement was significantly associated with nerve-sparing (NS) approach (1188 patients) (OR 4.16; 95% CI 2.51-6.9), p < 0.001), unilateral nerve preservation (983 patients) (OR 3.83; 95% CI 2.31-6.37, p < 0.001) and bilateral nerve preservation (205 patients) (OR 7.43; 95% CI 4.14-13.36, p < 0.001). After propensity matching, pentafecta achievement rates in the NS (476 patients) and non-NS (476 patients) groups were 72 (15.1%) and 19 (4%), respectively. (p < 0.001). NS in RARP offers a superior advantage in pentafecta achievement compared with non-NS RARP. This validation study provides the pentafecta outcome after RARP associated with nerve-sparing in clinical practice.

The usefulness of nuclear area in the diagnosis of high-grade urothelial carcinoma cells in voided urine cytology.

OBJECTIVE: The Paris System for Reporting Urinary Cytology considered the nuclear-to-cytoplasmic (N:C) ratio as the most important cytomorphological feature for detecting high-grade urothelial carcinoma (HGUC) cells. Few quantitative studies have been conducted on other features although quantitative studies on the N:C ratio have been reported. Therefore, this study quantitatively analysed important cytomorphological features in distinguishing benign reactive cells from HGUC cells. METHODS: We analysed 2866 cells from the urine of 52 patients. A digital image analyser was used to quantitatively measure the nuclear area, cell area, N:C ratio, and nuclear roundness for HGUC cells and benign reactive cells. Additionally, the diagnostic value of quantitative cytomorphological criteria in HGUC cells was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS: The area under the curve for the prediction of HGUC cells for all cells and the top five cells was in the following order: nuclear area (0.920 and 0.992, respectively), N:C ratio (0.849 and 0.977), cell area (0.781 and 0.920), and nuclear roundness (0.624 and 0.605). The best cutoff value of the N:C ratio to differentiate HGUC cells from benign reactive cells was 0.438, and using the N:C ratio of 0.702, the positive predictive value obtained was 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicated that nuclear area is a more important cytomorphological criterion than the N:C ratio for HGUC cell detection. Moreover, extracted data of the top five cells were more valuable than the data of all cells, which can be helpful in the routine practice and future criteria definition in urine cytology.

Estimating copy number to determine BRCA2 deletion status and to expect prognosis in localized prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: The significance of BRCA alterations has been implicated in the development of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (PC). The details of the frequency and significance of BRCA alterations in localized PC remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the frequency and clinical significance of BRCA alterations in localized PCs using an in-house next-generation sequencer (NGS) system. METHODS: DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues of surgical specimens from 126 patients with clinically localized PC who underwent radical prostatectomy. The mutation information of 164 cancer genes was analyzed using the PleSSision-Rapid test. Both copy number (CN) variation and loss of heterozygosity of various genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, were estimated and reported. RESULTS: Next-generation sequencer analyses revealed that the BRCA2 CN was decreased in 17 patients (13.5%) and the BRCA1 CN in six (4.8%) patients. NGS-based CN values were shown to be highly correlated with droplet digital PCR-based CN values. Tissue-specific BRCA expression investigated using the Human Protein Atlas showed that the decreased CN of BRCA2, but not BRCA1, is responsible for the decreased BRCA activity in PC. Ten of the 22 patients with decreased BRCA2 CN were presumed to have somatic heterozygous deletion. There were no observed associations between the heterozygous deletion of BRCA2 and various clinicopathological parameters. Furthermore, three of 10 patients developed biochemical recurrence within 3 months after surgery. Multivariate analyses revealed that the initial prostate-specific antigen levels and BRCA2 CN were independent factors for biochemical recurrence. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that a decrease in BRCA2 CN may be used as a biomarker for predicting recurrence after surgery in localized PC. Early screening for somatic alterations in BRCA2 using NGS may help to broadly predict the risk of PC progression.

Robot-assisted radical nephrectomy with inferior vena cava thrombectomy: a case report.

Background: Recently, robot-assisted surgery has been widely used to treat several urological cancers. Robot-assisted radical nephrectomy (RARN) was approved by the health insurance system in April 2022; however, RARN with inferior vena cava tumor thrombectomy (IVCTT) is still challenging. Also, its safety and feasibility have not yet been established owing to lack of literature, especially in Japan. Case Description: We performed RARN with IVCTT in four patients between April 2022 and March 2023 at Fujita Health University Hospital. To reduce the risk of tumor embolism and major hemorrhage, an "IVC-first, kidney-last" robotic technique was developed. The safety and feasibility of RARN with IVCTT were evaluated by assessing the perioperative outcomes. Three women and one man were enrolled in this study. The median age was 72 years, and the tumor was on the right side in all cases. According to the Mayo Clinic thrombus classification, two patients were classified as level I, and the others were classified as level II. The two patients at level I did not undergo presurgical treatments, whereas the others at level II underwent presurgical treatments, which were combinations of tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immune-checkpoint inhibitors. The median operation and console times were 341 and 247 min, respectively. The median bleeding volume was 577 mL, and no complications beyond grade III of the Clavien-Dindo classification were observed. The median length of postoperative hospital stay was 10 days. Conclusions: Although the sample size was relatively small, we demonstrated the safety and feasibility of RARN with IVCTT in the Japanese population.

Functional Outcomes after Selective Clamping in Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy.

This study aimed to assess the risks and benefits of selective clamping in robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN). We retrospectively analyzed 372 patients who had undergone RAPN at our hospital between July 2010 and March 2021. After propensity score matching between the full and selective clamping groups, perioperative outcomes and postoperative preservation ratio of the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were compared at 6 and 12 months of follow-up. After propensity score matching, we evaluated 47 patients from each group. While no significant differences were observed in surgical time, warm ischemia time, or incidence rates of all grades of complications between the two cohorts, the estimated blood loss (EBL) was significantly lower in the full clamping group than in the selective clamping group (30 vs. 60, p = 0.046). However, no significant intergroup differences were observed in the postoperative preservation ratio of eGFR at 6 or 12 months of follow-up (full clamping 94.0% vs. selective clamping 92.7%, p = 0.509, and full clamping 92.0% vs. selective clamping 91.6%, p = 0.476, respectively). Selective clamping resulted in higher EBL rates than did full clamping in RAPN. However, selective clamping provided no renal functional advantage over full clamping in our propensity-score-matched cohort.

Alanine-Serine-Cysteine Transporter 2 Inhibition Suppresses Prostate Cancer Cell Growth In Vitro.

Alanine-serine-cysteine transporter 2 (ASCT2) has been associated with increased levels of metabolism in various malignant tumors. However, its biological significance in the proliferation of prostate cancer (PCa) cells remains under investigation. We used the cBioPortal database to assess the effect of ASCT2 expression on the oncological outcomes of 108 PCa patients. To evaluate the function of ASCT2 in castration-sensitive PCa (CSPC) and castration-resistant PCa (CRPC), LNCaP cells and the ARV7-positive PCa cell line, 22Rv1, were assessed using cell proliferation assays and Western blot analyses. The ASCT2 expression level was associated with biochemical recurrence-free survival after prostatectomy in patients with a Gleason score ≥ 7. In vitro experiments indicated that the growth of LNCaP cells after combination therapy of ASCT2 siRNA and enzalutamide treatment was significantly reduced, compared to that following treatment with enzalutamide alone or ASCT2 siRNA transfection alone (p < 0.01, 0.01, respectively). After ASCT2 inhibition by siRNA transfection, the growth of 22Rv1 cells was significantly suppressed as compared with negative control siRNA via downregulation of ARV7 both in fetal bovine serum and androgen-deprivation conditions (p < 0.01, 0.01, respectively). We demonstrated that ASCT2 inhibition significantly reduced the proliferation rates of both CSPC and CRPC cells in vitro.

Novel Intraoperative Navigation Using Ultra-High-Resolution CT in Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy.

To assess the perioperative and short-term functional outcomes of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) with intraoperative navigation using an ultra-high-resolution computed tomography (UHR-CT) scanner, we retrospectively analyzed 323 patients who underwent RAPN using an UHR-CT or area-detector CT (ADCT). Perioperative outcomes and the postoperative preservation ratio of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were compared. After the propensity score matching, we evaluated 99 patients in each group. Although the median warm ischemia time (WIT) was less than 25 min in both groups, it was significantly shorter in the UHR-CT group than in the ADCT group (15 min vs. 17 min, p = 0.032). Moreover, the estimated blood loss (EBL) was significantly lower in the UHR-CT group than in the ADCT group (33 mL vs. 50 mL, p = 0.028). However, there were no significant intergroup differences in the postoperative preservation ratio of eGFR at 3 or 6 months of follow-up (ADCT 91.8% vs. UHR-CT 93.5%, p = 0.195; and ADCT 91.7% vs. UHR-CT 94.0%, p = 0.160, respectively). Although no differences in short-term renal function were observed in intraoperative navigation for RAPN in this propensity score-matched cohort, this study is the first to demonstrate that UHR-CT resulted in a shorter WIT and lower EBL than ADCT.

Perioperative and long-term functional outcomes of robot-assisted versus open partial nephrectomy: A single-center retrospective study of a Japanese cohort.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the perioperative and long-term functional outcomes between robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) and open partial nephrectomy (OPN) in Japanese patients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 242 patients who underwent either RAPN or OPN between 2007 and 2017 at our hospital. Propensity score matching was carried out between the two groups at a ratio of 1:1. Perioperative outcomes and postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) were compared at one and three years of follow-up. Results: After propensity score matching, we evaluated 39 patients from each group. The ischemia duration of the RAPN group was significantly shorter than that of the OPN group (18 vs. 24, p < 0.001). Moreover, the estimated blood loss (EBL) was significantly lower in the RAPN group than in the OPN group (50 vs. 174, p < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences in the postoperative eGFR between the two groups at one or three years of follow-up (OPN 54.8 vs. RAPN 61.2, p = 0.109, and OPN 54.8 vs. RAPN 55.5, p = 0.262, respectively). Conclusion: RAPN resulted in shorter ischemia durations and lower rates of EBL than did OPN; however, no differences in long-term renal function were observed between RAPN and OPN in our propensity-score matched Japanese cohort.

Risk factors for postoperative ileus after robot-assisted radical cystectomy with intracorporeal urinary diversion.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the risk factors for postoperative ileus in patients who underwent robot-assisted radical cystectomy with intracorporeal urinary diversion. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 78 patients with bladder cancer who underwent robot-assisted radical cystectomy with intracorporeal urinary diversion at Fujita Health University between 2011 and 2021. Baseline characteristics and perioperative outcomes were compared between the cohorts with and without ileus. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for postoperative ileus. RESULTS: Out of the 78 patients included in this study, 20 (25.6%) developed postoperative ileus. The ileus cohort was associated with a significantly lower Geriatric-8 score (P = 0.003) and a higher rate of previous abdominal/pelvic surgery (P = 0.04) compared with those of the nonileus cohort. Significantly longer intestinal tract reconstruction time, hospital stay, time to mobilization, fluid intake, solid intake, flatus, and stool were observed in the ileus cohort. According to the results of the logistic regression analysis, the Geriatric-8 sum (P = 0.009), time to mobilization (P = 0.03), and time to fluid intake (P = 0.004) were independent predictors of postoperative ileus. In the model predicting postoperative ileus, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.716, and the cutoff value of the Geriatric-8 sum was 13. CONCLUSIONS: Early mobilization and fluid intake and low Geriatric-8 scores were significant risk factors for postoperative ileus. Preoperative Geriatric-8 evaluation is a useful tool for predicting postoperative ileus. Comprehensive enhanced recovery after surgery, including key components, may help bowel recovery and prevent subsequent ileus.

Predictors of Secondary Bladder Cancer in Patients with Prostate Cancer Treated with Brachytherapy: A Single-institution Study of a Japanese Cohort.

PURPOSE: The incidence of secondary bladder cancer after treatment for localized prostate cancer (PCa) remains unclear. In this study, PCa cases treated with brachytherapy (BT) were evaluated to assess the incidence of a second malignancy of bladder cancer in a Japanese cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Overall, 969 patients treated with BT at our hospital between July 2006 and January 2019 were included in the study cohort. The incidence and predictors of secondary bladder cancer were also assessed. RESULTS: The incidence of secondary bladder cancer was 1.5% (n = 14). Of the seven factors (age, pretreatment PSA, Gleason score, cTNM stage, prostate volume, total activity, and combined external beam), prostate volume and total activity showed significant differences between the cohorts with and without secondary bladder cancer (P = .03 and P = .001, respectively). Upon comparison of the seven parameters for the 969 patients treated with BT, we found that only the total activity factor was affected by the incidence of secondary bladder cancer in the multivariate analysis (P = .007). CONCLUSION: The incidence of secondary bladder cancer was evaluated after BT for PCa. Total activity was associated with the incidence of secondary bladder cancer in Japanese patients who received BT.

Intra-corporeal robot-assisted versus open radical cystectomy: a propensity score-matched analysis comparing perioperative and long-term survival outcomes and recurrence patterns.

BACKGROUND: To compare perioperative and long-term oncological outcomes and recurrence patterns between robot-assisted radical cystectomy with intra-corporeal urinary diversion (iRARC) and open radical cystectomy (ORC). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 177 bladder cancer patients who received iRARC or ORC at Fujita Health University between 2008 and 2020. Our primary endpoint was long-term oncological outcomes. As a secondary endpoint, we examined perioperative outcomes, complications, and recurrence patterns. These outcome measures were compared between the propensity score (PS)-matched cohorts. RESULTS: PS-matched analysis resulted in 60 matched pairs from iRARC and ORC groups. The iRARC cohort was associated with significantly longer operative time (p = 0.02), lower estimated blood loss (p < 0.001), lower blood transfusion rate (p < 0.001), shorter length of hospital stay (p < 0.001), fewer overall complications (p = 0.03), and lower rate of postoperative ileus (p = 0.02). There was no statistically significant difference between iRARC and ORC in 5-year RFS (p = 0.46), CSS (p = 0.63), and OS (p = 0.71). RFS and CSS were also comparable, even in locally advanced (≥ cT3) disease. Multivariate analysis identified lymphovascular invasion as a robust predictor of RFS, CSS, and OS. The number of recurrence was similar between the groups, while extra-pelvic lymph nodes were more frequent in iRARC than that in ORC (22.7% vs. 7.7%). CONCLUSIONS: iRARC has favorable perioperative outcomes, fewer complications, and comparable long-term survival outcomes, including locally advanced (≥ cT3) disease, compared to that in ORC. Our results need to be validated in prospective randomized clinical trials.

Combined α-methylacyl-CoA racemase inhibition and docetaxel treatment reduce cell proliferation and decrease expression of heat shock protein 27 in androgen receptor-variant-7-positive prostate cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Disease progression in castrate-resistant prostate cancer (PCa) is most commonly driven by the reactivation of androgen receptor (AR) signaling and involves AR splice variants including ARV7. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used the ARV7-positive PCa cell line, 22Rv1, to study the relationship of the PCa marker α-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR), AR, and ARV7 in PCa. RESULTS: Docetaxel addition but not AMACR inhibition decreased the proliferation of 22Rv1 cells. The combination of AMACR inhibition and docetaxel treatment resulted in a maximum reduction of cell proliferation. The Western blotting analysis revealed that both AR and ARV7 expression were significantly decreased with the use of charcoal-stripped serum following AMACR inhibition and docetaxel treatment. AMACR inhibition and docetaxel treatment in the charcoal-stripped serum condition reduced the proliferation of 22Rv1, possibly via the downregulation of the heat shock protein 27. CONCLUSION: Using cell proliferation and Western blot analysis, we demonstrated that AMACR inhibition and docetaxel treatment, under androgen deprivation conditions, significantly reduced the proliferation of ARV7 positive cancer cells and decreased the levels of AR and ARV7 expression, possibly via downregulation of heat shock protein 27.