Real-world evidence of tumor and patient characteristics and survival with avelumab maintenance after chemotherapy for advanced and metastatic urothelial carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Despite the prospective randomized controlled JAVELIN Bladder 100 trial, no real-world evidence exists regarding tumor characteristics, adverse events (AE) and survival of avelumab maintenance (AVM) treated patients with partial/complete response or stable disease after previous platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced/metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC). METHODS: We relied on our institutional database to identify mUC patients who received AVM between 01/2021-12/2023. The main outcomes consisted of overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) and were computed by Kaplan-Meier estimates. Stratification was performed according to PD-L1 status. RESULTS: Overall, 24 AVM patients were identified at a median age of 71 (interquartile range [IQR]: 67-76) years of which 67% were males. Of these, 63%, 21% and 17% received AVM therapy for bladder cancer and upper tract urothelial carcinoma or both, respectively. PD-L1 status was positive in 45% of patients. During AVM treatment, AEs were observed in 33% of patients, however, were limited to ≤2 grade AEs. At a median follow-up of eight (IQR 4-20) months, 71% of patients had progressed under AVM with median PFS of 6.2 months (CI: 3.2-18.2). Median OS was 13.4 (CI: 6.9-not reached [NR]) months. One-year OS after AVM was 52%. In PD-L1 positive patients, median PFS and OS were 6.4 (CI: 2.7 - NR) months and 13.4 (CI: 7.7 months - NR), respectively. CONCLUSION: AVM is associated with moderate AE rates. Despite similarities in baseline characteristics compared to trial-selected JAVELIN Bladder 100 mUC patients, AVM resulted in longer/similar PFS but significantly shorter OS in in real-world setting.

Feasibility of Next-generation Sequencing of Liquid Biopsy (Circulating Tumor DNA) Samples and Tumor Tissue from Patients with Metastatic Prostate Cancer in a Real-world Clinical Setting in Germany.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: With European Medicines Agency approval of PARP inhibitors in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and ongoing trials in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, detection of genetic alterations in BRCA1/2 and other homologous recombination repair genes has gained an important role. Our aim was to investigate the feasibility and comparability of comprehensive next-generation sequencing (NGS) of liquid biopsy (LB; circulating tumor DNA) and tumor tissue (TT) samples in a real-world clinical setting. METHODS: The study cohort consisted of 50 patients with metastatic prostate cancer (mPC) who had TT NGS performed for BRCA1/2 alterations and consent for additional LB NGS. The Oncomine Comprehensive Assay v3 (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA) was used for TT NGS. The Guardant360 83-gene assay (Guardant Health, Palo Alto, CA, USA) was used for LB NGS, including all types of somatic alterations, microsatellite instability, and blood tumor mutational burden. We calculated BRCA1/2 alteration rates and the negative percentage agreement (NPA) and positive percentage agreement (PPA) between TT and LB results. KEY FINDINGS AND LIMITATIONS: TT NGS was successful in 44/50 patients (88%), with pathogenic BRCA1/2 alterations detected in four (9%). LB NGS was successful in all 50 patients (100%), with BRCA1/2 alterations detected in ten (20%). In a subgroup analysis for the 44 patients with successful TT NGS, NPA was 85% and PPA was 50%. The median time between TT sample collection and blood sampling for NGS was 132 wk (IQR 94-186). The limited sample size and differences in the time of NGS assessment are limitations. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: LB NGS resulted in a higher detection rate for BRCA1/2 alterations in comparison to conventional TT NGS (20% vs 9%). Ideally, BRCA1/2 testing should be based on both approaches to identify all patients with mPC eligible for PARP inhibitor therapy. PATIENT SUMMARY: Our study shows that genetic tests for both tumor tissue and blood samples results in higher rates of detection of BRCA1/2 gene alterations in patients with metastatic prostate cancer.

Cardiovascular Disease and Chronic Pulmonary Disease Increase the Risk of Short-Term Major Postoperative Complications after Robotic-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy.

Background and objectives: Certain comorbidities may be associated with a higher risk of complications after robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy. Material and Methods: Relying on a tertiary care database, we identified robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy patients (January 2014-March 2023). Short-term major postoperative complications were defined according to Clavien Dindo as ≥IIIa within 30 days after robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy. Results: Of 1148 patients, the rates of postoperative Clavien Dindo IIIa, Clavien Dindo IIIb, Clavien Dindo IVa, and Clavien Dindo IVb complications were 3.3%, 1.4%, 0.3%, and 0.2%, respectively. Of those, 28 (47%) had lymphoceles, and 8 (13%) had bleeding-associated complications. Patients with cardiovascular disease (8 vs. 4%) or chronic pulmonary disease (13 vs. 5%) were more likely to have complications. In multivariable logistic regression models, cardiovascular disease (odds ratio: 1.78; p = 0.046) and chronic pulmonary disease (odds ratio: 3.29; p = 0.007) remained associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications. Conclusions: Complications after robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy are predominantly manageable without anesthesia. Concomitant cardiovascular disease and chronic pulmonary disease were both associated with a higher risk of postoperative complications.

Differences in Survival of Clear Cell Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma According to Partial vs. Radical Cytoreductive Nephrectomy.

BACKGROUND: It is unknown whether previously reported other-cause mortality (OCM) advantage of partial cytoreductive nephrectomy (PCN) vs. radical cytoreductive nephrectomy (RCN) still applies to contemporary clear cell metastatic renal cell carcinoma (ccmRCC) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We relied on the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database (2004-2019) to identify ccmRCC patients treated with PCN and RCN. Temporal trends of PCN rates within the SEER database were tabulated. After propensity score matching (PSM), cumulative incidence plots depicted 5-year OCM and cancer-specific mortality (CSM) of PCN and RCN patients. Multivariable Cox regression models tested for differences between PCN vs. RCN. RESULTS: Of 5149 study patients, 237 (5%) underwent PCN vs. 4912 (95%) RCN. In the SEER database 2004 to 2019, rates of PCN in ccmRCC patients increased from 3.0% to 8.0% (estimated annual percent change [EAPC]: 3.0%; P = .04). After PSM, 5-year OCM rates were 2.4 vs. 7.5% for respectively PCN vs. RCN patients (P = .036). 5-year CSM rates were 50.8 vs. 53.6% for respectively PCN and RCN patients (P = .57). In multivariable Cox regression models, PCN was associated with lower OCM (Hazard Ratio (HR): 0.39; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.18-0.84; P = .02) but did not affect CSM rates (HR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.76-1.29; P = .96). CONCLUSIONS: We confirm the existence of OCM advantage after PCN vs. RCN in contemporary ccmRCC patients.

[First clinical and oncological experiences with triplet therapy for high-volume metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer]. / Erste klinische und onkologische Erfahrungen mit der Triplet-Therapie beim "high-volume" metastasierten hormonsensiblen Prostatakarzinom.

BACKGROUND: Treatment with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) plus extended hormone therapy (ARTA) is the standard of care for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). Recent data of triplet combination therapies of ADT + ARTA (abiraterone/darolutamide) + docetaxel chemotherapy showed a survival advantage for specific mHSPC patient subgroups. PURPOSE: What treatment response is observed in real-world mHSPC setting using triplet combination therapy and what are the expected side effects? RESULTS: All patients receiving triplet combination therapy of ADT + ARTA (abiraterone/darolutamide) + docetaxel were included in the current study. A total of 14 patients with a median age of 62 years and 10/14 abiraterone or 4/14 darolutamide therapy could be included. The median PSA before initiation of therapy was 77 ng/ml (IQR 44-150). Overall, 86% of patients had a PSA response > 90% and the median PSA nadir was 0.3 ng/ml. Severe adverse events (grade III) during triplet therapy occurred in two patients (35,7%) with respectively febrile neutropenia 7.1% (1/14) and diarrhea with infection 7.1%. Other low grade adverse events (grade I/II) consisted of polyneuropathy (1/14), mucositis (1/14), xerostomia (1/14), weight loss (1/14) and fatigue (3/14) were detected. Chemotherapy was interrupted in one patient due to adverse events. After a median follow-up of ten months (IQR: 7-17), two patients (14.2%) showed progression to castration resistance. CONCLUSION: Triplet therapy shows a very good PSA response in clinical practice. Adverse events during therapy are mainly triggered by classical chemotherapy-known side effects.

Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder: Urgent Call for New Therapies.

BACKGROUND: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the urinary bladder is the most common non-urothelial variant histology. Currently, upfront radical cystectomy is the gold standard for non-metastatic SCC of the bladder. However, several studies have shown that SCC of the bladder is associated with higher aggressiveness and worse survival outcomes, such as progression-free and cancer-specific survival, relative to the urothelial histological subtype. Moreover, metastatic SCC seems to poorly respond to systemic treatments and/or radiotherapy. SUMMARY: This review summarizes the current knowledge and medical evidence regarding local and systematic treatment of mSCC of the bladder, including a case series of four initially locally advanced and later metastatic SCC patients of our tertiary care hospital. KEY MESSAGES: Despite being the second most common variant histology of bladder cancer, current therapies for SCC do not provide satisfactory therapeutic responses.

Comparison of survival outcomes between laparoscopic versus open radical nephroureterectomy in upper tract urothelial cancer patients: Experiences of a tertiary care single center.

Objectives: To test for differences in overall and recurrence-free survival between laparoscopic and open surgical approaches in patients undergoing radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). Materials and methods: We retrospectively identified patients treated for UTUC from 2010 to 2020 from our institutional database. Patients undergoing laparoscopic or open RNU with no suspicion of metastasis (cM0) were for the current study population. Patients with suspected metastases at diagnosis (cM1) or those undergoing other surgical treatments were excluded. Tabulation was performed according to the laparoscopic versus open surgical approach. Kaplan-Meier plots were used to test for differences in overall and recurrence-free survival with regard to the surgical approach. Furthermore, separate Kaplan-Meier plots were used to test the effect of preoperative ureterorenoscopy on overall and recurrence-free survival within the overall study cohort. Results: Of the 59 patients who underwent nephroureterectomy, 29% (n = 17) underwent laparoscopic nephroureterectomy, whereas 71% (n = 42) underwent open nephroureterectomy. Patient and tumor characteristics were comparable between groups (p ≥ 0.2). The median overall survival was 93 and 73 months in the laparoscopic nephroureterectomy group compared to the open nephroureterectomy group (p = 0.5), respectively. The median recurrence-free survival did not differ between open and laparoscopic nephroureterectomies (73 months for both groups; p = 0.9). Furthermore, the median overall and recurrence-free survival rates did not differ between patients treated with and without preoperative ureterorenoscopy. Conclusions: The results of this retrospective, single-center institution showed that overall and recurrence-free survival rates did not differ between patients with UTUC treated with laparoscopic and open RNU. Furthermore, preoperative ureterorenoscopy before RNU was not associated with higher overall or recurrence-free survival rates.

Impact of consensus molecular subtypes on survival with and without adjuvant chemotherapy in muscle-invasive urothelial bladder cancer.

AIMS: Adjuvant chemotherapy after radical cystectomy can reduce the risk of recurrence and death in advanced muscle-invasive urothelial bladder cancer (MIBC). Molecular subtypes have been shown to be associated with survival. However, their predictive value to guide treatment decisions is controversial and data to use subtypes as guidance for adjuvant chemotherapy is sparse. We aimed to assess survival rates based on MIBC consensus molecular subtypes with and without adjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: Gene expression profiles of 143 patients with MIBC undergoing radical cystectomy were determined from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimen to assign consensus molecular subtypes. Expression of programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and immune cell infiltration were determined using multiplex immunofluorescence. Matched-pair analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on overall survival (OS) for molecular subtypes applying Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression survival analyses. RESULTS: Samples were luminal papillary: 9.1% (n=13), luminal non-specified: 6.3% (n=9), luminal unstable: 4.9% (n=7), stroma-rich: 27.9% (n=40), basal/squamous (Ba/Sq): 48.9% (n=70) and neuroendocrine-like (NE-like): 2.8% (n=4). Ba/Sq tumours had the highest concentration of PD-L1+ tumour and immune cells. Patients with luminal subtypes had better OS than those with NE-like (HR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.7, p<0.05) and Ba/Sq (HR 0.5, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.9, p<0.05). No survival benefit with adjuvant chemotherapy was observed for luminal tumours, whereas Ba/Sq had significantly improved survival rates with adjuvant chemotherapy. Retrospective design and sample size are the main limitations. CONCLUSION: Consensus molecular subtypes can be used to stratify patients with MIBC. Luminal tumours have the best prognosis and less benefit when receiving adjuvant chemotherapy compared with Ba/Sq tumours.

Differences in long-term continence rates between prostate cancer patients with extraprostatic vs. organ-confined disease undergoing robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy: An observational studys.

OBJECTIVES: Within the tertiary-case database, the authors tested for differences in long-term continence rates (≥ 12 months) between prostate cancer patients with extraprostatic vs. organ-confined disease who underwent Robotic-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy (RARP). METHOD: In the institutional tertiary-care database the authors identified prostate cancer patients who underwent RARP between 01/2014 and 01/2021. The cohort was divided into two groups based on tumor extension in the final RARP specimen: patients with extraprostatic (pT3/4) vs. organ-confined (pT2) disease. Additionally, the authors conducted subgroup analyses within both the extraprostatic and organ-confined disease groups to compare continence rates before and after the implementation of the new surgical technique, which included Full Functional-Length Urethra preservation (FFLU) and Neurovascular Structure-Adjacent Frozen-Section Examination (NeuroSAFE). Multivariable logistic regression models addressing long-term continence were used. RESULTS: Overall, the authors identified 201 study patients of whom 75 (37 %) exhibited extraprostatic and 126 (63 %) organ-confined disease. There was no significant difference in long-term continence rates between patients with extraprostatic and organ-confined disease (77 vs. 83 %; p = 0.3). Following the implementation of FFLU+ NeuroSAFE, there was an overall improvement in continence from 67 % to 89 % (Δ = 22 %; p < 0.001). No difference in the magnitude of improved continence rates between extraprostatic vs. organ-confined disease was observed (Δ = 22 % vs. Δ = 20 %). In multivariable logistic regression models, no difference between extraprostatic vs. organ-confined disease in long-term continence was observed (Odds Ratio: 0.91; p = 0.85). CONCLUSION: In this tertiary-based institutional study, patients with extraprostatic and organ-confined prostate cancer exhibited comparable long-term continence rates.

Early CRP kinetics to predict long-term efficacy of first-line immune-checkpoint inhibition combination therapies in metastatic renal cell carcinoma: an updated multicentre real-world experience applying different CRP kinetics definitions.

Objectives: Although biomarkers predicting therapy response in first-line metastatic renal carcinoma (mRCC) therapy remain to be defined, C-reactive protein (CRP) kinetics have recently been associated with immunotherapy (IO) response. Here, we aimed to assess the predictive and prognostic power of two contemporary CRP kinetics definitions in a large, real-world first-line mRCC cohort. Methods: Metastatic renal carcinoma patients treated with IO-based first-line therapy within 5 years were retrospectively included in this multicentre study. According to Fukuda et al., patients were defined as 'CRP flare-responder', 'CRP responder' and 'non-CRP responder'; according to Ishihara et al., patients were defined as 'normal', 'normalised' and 'non-normalised' based on their early CRP kinetics. Patient and tumor characteristics were compared, and treatment outcome was measured by overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), including multivariable Cox regression analyses. Results: Out of 316 mRCC patients, 227 (72%) were assigned to CRP groups according to Fukuda. Both CRP flare- (HR [Hazard ratio]: 0.59) and CRP responders (HR: 0.52) had a longer PFS, but not OS, than non-CRP responders. According to Ishihara, 276 (87%) patients were assigned to the respective groups, and both normal and normalised patients had a significantly longer PFS and OS, compared with non-normalised group. Conclusion: Different early CRP kinetics may predict therapy response in first-line mRCC therapy in a large real-world cohort. However, further research regarding the optimal timing and frequency of measurement is needed.

Patient and tumor characteristics of histological subtypes of renal cell carcinoma and its risk of upstaging to ≥pT3.

OBJECTIVE: To explore how histological subtypes impact upstaging to nonorgan confined renal cell carcinoma (≥pT3 RCC) in patients treated with partial/radical nephrectomy for cT1-2 RCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We relied on an institutional tertiary-care database to identify RCC patients treated with partial/radical nephrectomy between January 2002 and December 2021. Patients were stratified according to histological subtype of RCC. Upstaging was defined as any cT1-2 tumor classified as ≥pT3 at final pathology. Uni- and multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to predict upstaging. RESULTS: Of overall 1,020 surgically treated RCC patients, 743 harbored clear-cell (72.8%) vs. 193 (18.9%) papillary vs. 49 (4.8%) chromophobe vs. each 4 (0.4%) collecting duct and sarcomatoid vs. 27 (2.6%) other/mixed pathology of RCC. Median tumor size ranged from 3.0 cm (mixed RCC) to 7.7 cm (sarcomatoid RCC). In total, upstaging rate to ≥pT3 was 22% and ranged from 6.1% (chromophobe RCC) to 75% (collecting duct RCC). In univariable logistic regression models, chromophobe and papillary histological subtypes were significantly associated with lower upstaging of all cT1-2 RCC tumors. After controlling for patient and tumor characteristics in multivariable logistic regression models, papillary RCC independently lowers the risk of upstaging, even in sensitivity analyses for cT1 RCC only. CONCLUSION: Important differences between histological subtypes of RCC exist regarding characteristics such as stage and tumor size at presentation, as well as upstaging to ≥pT3 at final pathology. Specifically, papillary RCC is significantly associated with lower chance of upstaging even after controlling for confounding parameters. The study is limited by missing central pathological/radiographic review and lack of survival analyses.

In-Hospital Venous Thromboembolism and Pulmonary Embolism After Major Urologic Cancer Surgery.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to test for temporal trends of in-hospital venous thromboembolism (VTE) and pulmonary embolism (PE) after major urologic cancer surgery (MUCS). METHODS: In the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database (2010-2019), this study identified non-metastatic radical cystectomy (RC), radical prostatectomy (RP), radical nephrectomy (RN), and partial nephrectomy (PN) patients. Temporal trends of VTE and PE and multivariable logistic regression analyses (MLR) addressing VTE or PE, and mortality with VTE or PE were performed. RESULTS: Of 196,915 patients, 1180 (1.0%) exhibited VTE and 583 (0.3%) exhibited PE. The VTE rates increased from 0.6 to 0.7% (estimated annual percentage change [EAPC] + 4.0%; p = 0.01). Conversely, the PE rates decreased from 0.4 to 0.2% (EAPC - 4.5%; p = 0.01). No difference was observed in mortality with VTE (EAPC - 2.1%; p = 0.7) or with PE (EAPC - 1.2%; p = 0.8). In MLR relative to RP, RC (odds ratio [OR] 5.1), RN (OR 4.5), and PN (OR 3.6) were associated with higher VTE risk (all p < 0.001). Similarly in MLR relative to RP, RC (OR 4.6), RN (OR 3.3), and PN (OR 3.9) were associated with higher PE risk (all p < 0.001). In MLR, the risk of mortality was higher when VTE or PE was present in RC (VTE: OR 3.7, PE: OR  4.8; both p < 0.001) and RN (VTE: OR 5.2, PE: OR  8.3; both p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: RC, RN, and PN predisposes to a higher VTE and PE rates than RP. Moreover, among RC and RN patients with either VTE or PE, mortality is substantially higher than among their VTE or PE-free counterparts.

Real-world evidence of outcomes of oligometastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer patients treated with metastasis-directed therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate characteristics and outcomes of oligometastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) patients undergoing metastases-directed therapy (MDT) with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We relied on an institutional tertiary-care database to identify mHSPC patients who underwent EBRT as MDT between 12/2019 and 12/2022. Main outcomes consisted of progression to metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and overall mortality (OM). Oligometastatic was defined as ≤3 metastases and bone and/or lymph node deposits were treated with conventional doses up to 54 Gy or with hypofractionated stereotactic regimes of median 24 Gy (20-27 Gy). RESULTS: Overall, 37 patients treated with EBRT as MDT were identified. The median follow-up was 13 months. Median age at MDT was 71 years and 84% exhibited ECOG performance status 0. The median baseline PSA at diagnosis was 10 ng/mL. Overall, primary local therapy consisted of radical prostatectomy (65%), followed by external beam radiation therapy to the prostate (11%), focal therapy (8%), and palliative transurethral resection of the prostate (5%). Overall, 32% exhibited de novo oligometastatic mHSPC. Bone metastases were present in 78% versus 19% lymph node metastases versus 3% both. The distribution of targeted oligo-metastases was 62% versus 38% for respectively one metastasis versus more than one metastasis. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) was combined with MDT in 84%. Moreover, 19% received combination therapy with apalutamide/enzalutamide and 12% with abiraterone or docetaxel. The median time to mCRPC was 50 months. In incidence analyses, 13% developed mCRPC after 24 months. OM after 24 months was 15% in mHSPC patients receiving MDT. Significant OM differences were observed after stratification into targeted metastatic burden (<0.05). No high-grade adverse events were recorded during MDT. CONCLUSION: Our real-world data suggest that MDT represents a safe treatment option for well-selected oligometastatic mHSPC patients.

Racial/ethnic disparities in the distribution and effect of type and number of high-risk criteria on mortality in prostate cancer patients treated with radiotherapy.

Objective: To assess differences in the distribution of type and number of D'Amico high-risk criteria (DHRCs) according to race/ethnicity (R/E) and their effect on cancer-specific mortality (CSM) in prostate cancer (PCa) patients treated with external beam radiotherapy (RT). Methods: In the SEER database (2004-2016), we identified 31,002 PCa patients treated with RT with at least one DHRCs, namely PSA >20 ng/dL, biopsy Gleason Grade Group 4-5, and clinical T stage ≥T2c. Competing risks regression (CRR) model tested the association between DHRCs and 5-year CSM in all R/E subgroups. Results: Of 31,002 patients, 20,894 (67%) were Caucasian, 5256 (17%) were African American, 2868 (9.3%) were Hispanic-Latino, and 1984 (6.4%) were Asian. The distributions of individual DHRCs and combinations of two DHRCs differed according to R/E, but not for the combination of three DHRCs. The effect related to the presence of a single DHRC, and combinations of two or three DHRCs on absolute CSM rates was lowest in Asians (1.2-6.8%), followed by in African Americans (2.3-12.2%) and Caucasians (2.3-12.1%), and highest in Hispanic/Latinos (1.7-13.8%). However, the opposite effect was observed in CRR, where hazard ratios were highest in Asians vs. other R/Es: Asians 1.00-2.59 vs. others 0.5-1.83 for one DHRC, Asians 3.4-4.75 vs. others 0.66-3.66 for two DHRCs, and Asians 7.22 vs. others 3.03-4.99 for all three DHRCs. Conclusions: R/E affects the proportions of DHRCs. Moreover, within the four examined R/E groups, the effect of DHRCs on absolute and relative CSM metrics also differed. Therefore, R/E-specific considerations may be warranted in high-risk PCa patients treated with RT.

The association of the type and number of D'Amico high-risk criteria with rates of pathologically non-organ-confined prostate cancer.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the association between the type and number of D'Amico high-risk criteria (DHRCs) with rates of pathologically non-organ-confined (NOC) prostate cancer in patients treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) and pelvic lymphadenectomy (PLND). Material and methods: In the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (2004-2016), we identified 12961 RP and PLDN patients with at least one DHRC. We relied on descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression models. Results: Of 12 961 patients, 6135 (47%) exclusively harboured biopsy Gleason score (GS) 8-10, 3526 (27%) had clinical stage ≥T2c, and 1234 (9.5%) had prostate-specific antigen (PSA) >20 ng/mL. Only 1886 (15%) harboured any combination of 2 DHRCs. Finally, all 3 DHRCs were present in 180 (1.4%) patients. NOC rates increased from 32% for clinical T stage ≥T2c to 49% for either GS 8-10 only or PSA >20 ng/mL only and to 66-68% for any combination of 2 DHRCs, and to 84% for respectively all 3 DHRCs, which resulted in a multivariable logistic regression OR of 1.00, 2.01 (95% CI 1.85-2.19; p <0.001), 4.16 (95% CI 3.69-4.68; p <0.001), and 10.83 (95% CI 7.35-16.52; p <0.001), respectively. Conclusions: Our study indicates a stimulus-response effect according to the type and number of DHRCs. Hence, a formal risk-stratification within high-risk prostate cancer patients should be considered in clinical decision-making.

Optimizing identification of consensus molecular subtypes in muscle-invasive bladder cancer: a comparison of two sequencing methods and gene sets using FFPE specimens.

BACKGROUND: Molecular subtypes predict prognosis in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) and are explored as predictive markers. To provide a common base for molecular subtyping and facilitate clinical applications, a consensus classification has been developed. However, methods to determine consensus molecular subtypes require validation, particularly when FFPE specimens are used. Here, we aimed to evaluate two gene expression analysis methods on FFPE samples and to compare reduced gene sets to classify tumors into molecular subtypes. METHODS: RNA was isolated from FFPE blocks of 15 MIBC patients. Massive analysis of 3' cDNA ends (MACE) and the HTG transcriptome panel (HTP) were used to retrieve gene expression. We used normalized, log2-transformed data to call consensus and TCGA subtypes with the consensusMIBC package for R using all available genes, a 68-gene panel (ESSEN1), and a 48-gene panel (ESSEN2). RESULTS: Fifteen MACE-samples and 14 HTP-samples were available for molecular subtyping. The 14 samples were classified as Ba/Sq in 7 (50%), LumP in 2 (14.3%), LumU in 1 (7.1%), LumNS in 1 (7.1%), stroma-rich in 2 (14.3%) and NE-like in 1 (7.1%) case based on MACE- or HTP-derived transcriptome data. Consensus subtypes were concordant in 71% (10/14) of cases when comparing MACE with HTP data. Four cases with aberrant subtypes had a stroma-rich molecular subtype with either method. The overlap of the molecular consensus subtypes with the reduced ESSEN1 and ESSEN2 panels were 86% and 100%, respectively, with HTP data and 86% with MACE data. CONCLUSION: Determination of consensus molecular subtypes of MIBC from FFPE samples is feasible using various RNA sequencing methods. Inconsistent classification mainly involves the stroma-rich molecular subtype, which may be the consequence of sample heterogeneity with (stroma)-cell sampling bias and highlights the limitations of bulk RNA-based subclassification. Classification is still reliable when analysis is reduced to selected genes.

Impact of Age on Long-Term Urinary Continence after Robotic-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy.

Aim and Objectives: We aimed to test the impact of age on long-term urinary continence (≥12 months) in patients undergoing robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy. Methods and Materials: We relied on an institutional tertiary-care database to identify the patients who underwent robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy between January 2014 and January 2021. Patients were divided into three age groups: age group one (≤60 years), age group two (61-69 years) and age group three (≥70 years). Multivariable logistic regression models tested the differences between the age groups in the analyses addressing long-term urinary continence after robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy. Results: Of the 201 prostate cancer patients treated with robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy, 49 (24%) were assigned to age group one (≤60 years), 93 (46%) to age group two (61-69 years) and 59 (29%) to age group three (≥70 years). The three age groups differed according to long-term urinary continence: 90% vs. 84% vs. 69% for, respectively, age group one vs. two vs. three (p = 0.018). In the multivariable logistic regression, age group one (Odds Ratio (OR) 4.73, 95% CI 1.44-18.65, p = 0.015) and 2 (OR 2.94; 95% CI 1.23-7.29; p = 0.017) were independent predictors for urinary continence, compared to age group three. Conclusion: Younger age, especially ≤60 years, was associated with better urinary continence after robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy. This observation is important at the point of patient education and should be discussed in informed consent.

Comparison of peri- and intraoperative outcomes of open vs robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma: a propensity-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: Partial nephrectomy (PN) is the gold standard surgical treatment for resectable renal cell carcinoma (RCC) tumors. However, the decision whether a robotic (RAPN) or open PN (OPN) approach is chosen is often based on the surgeon's individual experience and preference. To overcome the inherent selection bias when comparing peri- and postoperative outcomes of RAPN vs. OPN, a strict statistical methodology is needed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We relied on an institutional tertiary-care database to identify RCC patients treated with RAPN and OPN between January 2003 and January 2021. Study endpoints were estimated blood loss (EBL), length of stay (LOS), rate of intraoperative and postoperative complications, and trifecta. In the first step of analyses, descriptive statistics and multivariable regression models (MVA) were applied. In the second step of analyses, to validate initial findings, MVA were applied after 2:1 propensity-score matching (PSM). RESULTS: Of 615 RCC patients, 481 (78%) underwent OPN vs 134 (22%) RAPN. RAPN patients were younger and presented with a smaller tumor diameter and lower RENAL-Score sum, respectively. Median EBL was comparable, whereas LOS was shorter in RAPN vs. OPN. Both intraoperative (27 vs 6%) and Clavien-Dindo > 2 complications (11 vs 3%) were higher in OPN (both < 0.05), whereas achievement of trifecta was higher in RAPN (65 vs 54%; p = 0.028). In MVA, RAPN was a significant predictor for shorter LOS, lower rates of intraoperative and postoperative complications as well as higher trifecta rates. After 2:1 PSM with subsequent MVA, RAPN remained a statistical and clinical predictor for lower rates of intraoperative and postoperative complications and higher rates of trifecta achievement but not LOS. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in baseline and outcome characteristics exist between RAPN vs. OPN, probably due to selection bias. However, after applying two sets of statistical analyses, RAPN seems to be associated with more favorable outcomes regarding complications and trifecta rates.