Red blood cell transfusions and the survival in patients with cancer undergoing curative surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Allogenic red blood cell transfusions exert a potential detrimental effect on the survival when delivered to cancer patients undergoing surgery with curative intent. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between perioperative allogenic red blood cell transfusions and risk of death as well as relapse after surgery for localized solid tumors. PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and EMBASE were searched from inception to March 2019 for studies reporting the outcome of patients receiving transfusions during radical surgery for non-metastatic cancer. Risk of death and relapse were pooled to provide an adjusted hazard ratio with a 95% confidence interval [hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval {CI})]. Mortality and relapse associated with perioperative transfusion due to cancer surgery were evaluated among participants (n = 123 studies). Overall, RBC transfusions were associated with an increased risk of death [HR = 1.50 (95% CI 1.42-1.57), p < 0.01] and relapse [HR = 1.36 (95% CI 1.26-1.46), p < 0.01]. The survival was reduced even in cancer at early stages [HR = 1.45 (1.36-1.55), p < 0.01]. In cancer patients undergoing surgery, red blood cell transfusions reduced the survival and increased the risk of relapse. Transfusions based on patients' blood management policy should be performed by applying a more restrictive policy, and the planned preoperative administration of iron, if necessary, should be pursued.

Active Surveillance for Low Risk Nonmuscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Confirmatory and Resource Consumption Study from the BIAS Project.

PURPOSE: We investigated predictive factors of failure and performed a resource consumption analysis in patients who underwent active surveillance for nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective observational study monitored patients with a history of pathologically confirmed stage pTa (grade 1-2) or pT1a (grade 2) nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer, and recurrent small size and number of tumors without hematuria and positive urine cytology. The primary end point was the failure rate of active surveillance. Assessment of failure predictive variables and per year direct hospital resource consumption analysis were secondary outcomes. Descriptive statistical analysis and Cox regression with univariable and multivariable analysis were done. RESULTS: Of 625 patients with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer 122 with a total of 146 active surveillance events were included in the protocol. Of the events 59 (40.4%) were deemed to require treatment after entering active surveillance. Median time on active surveillance was 11 months (IQR 5-26). Currently 76 patients (62.3%) remain under observation. On univariable analysis only time from the first transurethral resection to the start of active surveillance seemed to be inversely associated with recurrence-free survival (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98-1.00, p = 0.027). Multivariable analysis also revealed an association with age at active surveillance start (HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.94-1.00, p = 0.031) and the size of the lesion at the first transurethral resection (HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.06-2.27, p = 0.025). The average specific annual resource consumption savings for each avoided transurethral bladder tumor resection was €1,378 for each intervention avoided. CONCLUSIONS: Active surveillance might be a reasonable clinical and cost-effective strategy in patients who present with small, low grade pTa/pT1a recurrent papillary bladder tumors.

Management of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Following First-Line Immune Checkpoint Therapy Failure: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: There is a significant gap in the literature concerning the effective management of second-line therapy for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have received immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Most of the published articles were small multicenter series or phase 2 studies. To our knowledge, a systematic review that comprehensively outlines the range of treatment options available for patients with metastatic RCC who do not respond to first-line ICIs has not yet been conducted. Our aim was to synthesize evidence on second-line therapies for patients with metastatic RCC after initial treatment with ICIs and to offer recommendations on the best treatment regimens based on the current literature. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a search in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library on 29 February 2024, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We selected articles that met the predetermined inclusion criteria (written in English, retrospective observational studies, prospective series, and randomized trials reporting second-line therapy for metastatic RCC after failure of ICI-based therapy). Relevant articles were identified in the reference lists. The main endpoint was the overall response rate (ORR), with the median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) as secondary endpoints. RESULTS: We included 27 studies reporting the outcomes of 1970 patients. Salvage therapies were classified as targeted therapy (VEGFR TKIs) in 18 studies and ICIs in 8 studies. In studies where TKIs were the second line of choice, the pooled ORR was 34% (95% CI: 30.2-38%). In studies where ICIs, alone or in combination with TKIs, were used as second-line therapies, the ORR was 25.7% (95% CI: 15.7-39.2%). In studies where TKIs and ICIs were the second-line choices, the pooled median PFS values were 11.4 months (95% CI: 9.5-13.6 months) and 9.8 months (95% CI: 7.5-12.7 months), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review shows that VEGFR TKIs and ICIs are effective second-line therapies following an initial treatment with anti-PD(L)1 alone or in combination. The treatment choice should be personalized, taking into account the patient's response to first-line ICIs, the site of the disease, the type of first-line combination (with or without VEGFR TKIs), and the patient's overall condition.

Localized prostate cancer in older patients: Radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy versus observation.

INTRODUCTION: This study evaluates the effects of radical prostatectomy (RP) or irradiation on overall survival (OS) and prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) in older patients with localized prostate cancer (PC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive literature review across PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library from inception up to December 2023 to identify studies comparing the outcomes of surgery or radiotherapy (RT) versus observation in patients aged 65 and older with localized PC. We pooled hazard ratios (HRs) for OS and PCSM using random-effects models. RESULTS: Thirteen studies involving 284,066 patients were analyzed. Three were large randomized trials (RCTs) and 10 were retrospective studies. Overall survival with surgery was greater in observational studies (HR = 0.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47-0.59; P < 0.001) than in RCTs (HR = 0.84, 95%CI 0.72-0.98; P = 0.03). Data on PCSM from seven studies also indicated a significant benefit for RP in RCTs (HR = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.3-0.73; P < 0.001) and observational studies (HR = 0.41, 95%CI 0.27-0.62; P < 0.001). Both analyses presented high heterogeneity (I2 = 90%, P < 0.001 and I2 = 65%, P = 0.01). An analysis of patients receiving RT indicated a significant, albeit smaller, OS (n = 7 studies) and PCSM (n = 5 studies) advantage (HR = 0.69; 95% CI: 0.59-0.79; P < 0.001; and HR = 0.60; 95% CI 0.44-0.82; P = 0.001) compared to observation (1 RCT and 8 observational studies). DISCUSSION: The evidence suggests that patients with PC might consider opting for surgery as the main treatment option or, alternatively, for RT, as an alternative to observation, based on their individual medical history, life expectancy, and preferences.

Duration of androgen deprivation with radiotherapy for high-risk or locally advanced prostate cancer: A network meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate various outcomes of different lengths of androgen deprivation therapy in high- and very-high-risk prostate cancer, we conducted a network meta-analysis of randomized trials. The treatment of high-risk PC comprises the use of radical radiotherapy associated with various durations of androgen deprivation therapy, with luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analogues initiated during or immediately before the beginning of radiation. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This study followed the PRISMA extension statement to report network meta-analyses. We systematically searched online databases, including MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, for all randomized trials published up to April 2022. The primary outcomes were overall survival, prostate cancer-specific mortality, and metastasis-free survival. Network meta-analyses were performed under a Bayesian framework using the "gemtc" package (https://gemtc.drugis.org). RESULTS: The network meta-analysis included 12 studies (10 treatments) on overall survival outcomes. None of the arms showed superiority to radiotherapy alone with respect to overall deaths. Nine studies and 10 treatment arms had prostate cancer-specific mortality data. Overall, 36 months of adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy resulted in a better outcome than radiotherapy alone, three months of neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy, or 12 or 24 months of adjuvant androgen reprivation therapy, and it was the better treatment (73%) in terms of cancer mortality. Treatment involving luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analogues for 6 months before and during radiotherapy ranked the highest in reducing distant metastases (42%). CONCLUSIONS: We found that 36 months of adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy after radiotherapy was the optimal duration of endocrine treatment with regard to cancer mortality for high-risk and locally advanced prostate cancer.

Neoadjuvant or adjuvant immunotherapy in bladder cancer: biological opportunity or clinical utility?

In urothelial cancer of the bladder, the introduction of immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors represents progress in the management of the disease's early and advanced stages. In particular, recent studies have implemented these drugs in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant phases to treat muscle-invasive bladder cancer. In some studies, patients received neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors alone (PURE and ABACUS) to treat muscle invasive bladder cancer, whereas other studies provided this therapy to cisplatin-ineligible patients. Furthermore, a large Phase III study (CheckMate 247) compared placebo with adjuvant nivolumab therapy in patients with high-risk urothelial cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery or surgery alone. Despite some uncertain niches (nonbladder, PD-L1-negative tumors, and node-negative resected cancers), certain biological opportunities (exploring new targets, evaluating in vivo pathologic response, focusing on biomarkers for response) and clinical uses (avoiding chemotherapy at all or in frail patients, attaining similar pathologic complete response rates as in cisplatin-based chemotherapy) are valid reasons for incorporating these agents into the therapeutic armamentarium of medical uro-oncologists.

Treating metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma: beyond immunotherapy.

First-line treatment for metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma patients with intermediate and poor-risk features consists of a combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., nivolumab + ipilimumab) or immunotherapy with an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) drug (e.g., axitinib). The subsequent line of therapy should be determined on the basis of previous treatments and approved drugs available, based on the results of randomized clinical trials. Unfortunately, no phase 3 trial has compared the safety and efficacy of drugs after immunotherapy; thus, drug choice is more empirical than evidence-based. As the tumor may still be anti-VEGFR drug-naïve, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for first line treatment (e.g., sunitinib or pazopanib) may be beneficial. Because this is a second-line treatment, patients could also receive axitinib, cabozantinib, or a combination of lenvatinib and everolimus. The treating physician should choose an appropriate treatment according to the patient's age, comorbidities, and tolerability of previous checkpoint inhibitors, among other considerations. Cases of patients with renal cell carcinoma refractory to checkpoint inhibitor treatment are growing, warranting a review of the activity and safety of target therapies after immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy-based combinations versus standard first-line treatment for metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Considering the recent publication of the results of several clinical trials for metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized studies comparing standard first-line VEGFR-targeted therapy to immune checkpoint inhibitors-based combinations for mRCC patients. METHODS: 3960 patients from 5 randomized clinical trials where available for evaluation. RESULT: In the all-comers population, immunotherapy-based combinations were able to decrease the risk of death over the standard of care by 26% (HR 0.74; 95% CI 0.60-0.92; p = 0.006), to decrease the risk of progression by 21% (HR 0.79; 95% CI 0.72-0.86; p < 0.00001), and to increase the relative risk of response by 40% (HR 1.40; 95% CI 1.11-1.77; p = 0.006). For poor/intermediate-risk patients, the risk of death is decreased by 41% and the risk of progression by 27%. CONCLUSIONS: The benefit of immunotherapy-based combinations in mRCC patients is independent from the IMDC risk group, but it is stronger for poor/intermediate-risk patients.

A Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines and Treatment Recommendations for Cancer Care in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has inevitably caused those involved in cancer care to change clinical practice in order to minimize the risk of infection while maintaining cancer treatment as a priority. General advice during the pandemic suggests that most patients continue with ongoing therapies or planned surgeries, while follow-up visits may instead be delayed until the resolution of the outbreak. We conducted a literature search using PubMed to identify articles published in English language that reported on care recommendations for cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic from its inception up to 1st June 2020, using the terms "(cancer or tumor) AND (COVID 19)". Articles were selected for relevance and split into five categories: (1) personal recommendations of single or multiple authors, (2) recommendations of single authoritative centers, (3) recommendations of panels of experts or of multiple regional comprehensive centers, (4) recommendations of multicenter cooperative groups, (5) official guidelines or recommendations of health authorities. Of the 97 included studies, 10 were personal recommendations of single or multiple independent authors, 16 were practice recommendations of single authoritative cancer centers, 35 were recommendations provided by panel of experts or of multiple regional comprehensive centers, 19 were cooperative group position papers, and finally, 17 were official guidelines statements. The COVID-19 pandemic is a global emergency, and has rapidly modified our clinical practice. Delaying unnecessary treatment, minimizing toxicity, and identifying care priorities for surgery, radiotherapy, and systemic therapies must be viewed as basic priorities in the COVID-19 era.

Holmium laser enucleation versus transurethral resection of the prostate: results from a 2-center prospective randomized trial in patients with obstructive benign prostatic hyperplasia.

PURPOSE: To our knowledge we report the first multicenter, prospective, randomized study comparing holmium laser enucleation (HoLEP) and transurethral prostate resection (TURP) for obstructive benign prostatic hyperplasia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January to October 2002, 100 consecutive patients with symptomatic obstructive benign prostatic hyperplasia were randomized at 2 centers to surgical treatment with HoLEP (52 in group 1) or TURP (48 in group 2). Patients in the 2 groups were preoperatively assessed by scoring subjective symptoms questionnaires. Preoperative and perioperative parameters were also evaluated, the latter at 1, 6 and 12 months of followup. RESULTS: At baseline all patients had obstruction (Schäfer grade greater than 2). At the 1, 6 and 12-month followups no statistically significant differences were observed between the 2 groups in terms of urodynamic findings and subjective symptom scoring. In the HoLEP group mean total time in the operating room +/- SD was significantly longer than for TURP (74 +/- 19.5 vs 57 +/- 15 minutes, p <0.05), while catheterization time (31 +/- 13 vs 57.78 +/- 17.5 minutes, p <0.001 and hospital stay (59 +/- 19.9 vs 85.8 +/- 18.9 hours, p <0.001) were significantly shorter in the HoLEP group. Transient stress and urge incontinence were more common in the HoLEP group, although at the 12-month followup results were comparable. The overall complication rate was comparable in the 2 groups. Erectile function was also maintained in the followup period from baseline in each group, as expected. CONCLUSIONS: HoLEP and TURP were equally effective for relieving obstruction and lower urinary tract symptoms. HoLEP was associated with shorter catheterization time and hospital stay. At 1 year of followup complications were similar in the 2 groups.

Prognostic Factors of Overall Survival in Upper Urinary Tract Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Several prognostic factors that influence overall survival after radical nephroureterectomy for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma have been described. We have performed a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis. The clinicopathological factors associated with an increased risk of death were age, multifocality, lymphovascular invasion, pT3-4 stage, pT2 vs

From "gold standard" resection to reproducible "future standard" endoscopic enucleation of the prostate: what we know about anatomical enucleation.

BACKGROUND: Open prostatectomy (OP) and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) have traditionally been the most common surgical approaches for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia causing bladder outlet obstruction and have certainly passed the test of time. In time, many endoscopic surgical procedures have been described as an alternative mini-invasive treatment. Holmium laser enucleation (HoLEP) guaranteed functional outcomes similar to OP and TURP with lower perioperative complication rates for any prostate size. With the development of different kinds of lasers (such as thulium, "green light" and diode) and bipolar energy, the feasibility of endoscopic enucleation using these energies has been explored. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: In this paper, recent techniques to perform true prostate enucleation have been reviewed through a search of PubMed and Web of Science, including articles published in the last 20 years in clinical journals. The review is based on a peer-review process of the authors after a structured data search. Search terms included "Thulium prostate enucleation, THULEP, TmLEP/Tm Yag enucleation" OR "Greenlight enucleation/prostate enucleation/vapo-enucleation/KTP prostate enucleation, PVP prostate enucleation, GreenLep/" OR "bipolar prostate enucleation" OR "HoLEP, Holmium prostate enucleation" OR "monopolar prostate enucleation" OR "Diode prostate enucleation" OR "DiLEP" OR "Eraser prostate enucleation" OR "ELEP". EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Following the example of HoLEP, many techniques have been described in the literature using a variety of energy sources and instruments either in a pure enucleative or a hybrid (mixed) fashion. However, the levels of evidence are too low and follow-up still too short to offer solid recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: HoLEP has become the conceptual and practical paradigm for the wide spread of enucleation thanks to the evidence provided by the literature and excellent outcomes. Higher level of evidence is required to assess efficacy of alternative enucleative techniques.

Cytoreductive Nephrectomy in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated With Targeted Therapies: A Systematic Review With a Meta-Analysis.

Cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) (resection of the primary tumor for debulking purposes) was considered to be an important part of oncological treatment when used with cytokines, and was associated with an overall survival (OS) benefit. However, the role of CN in the targeted therapy era is not well-defined. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the prognostic role of CN performed during the course of advanced disease in patients with mRCC treated with molecular agents. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, the Web of Science, Google Scholar, CINAHL, LILACS, the Cochrane Library, and SCOPUS for studies reporting survival data for participants who underwent CN with targeted therapy (CN+) versus those treated with targeted therapy alone (CN-). In a multivariate analysis, data were aggregated using hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals for OS related to CN+. Twelve studies involving 39,953 patients were identified. In 11 publications with OS data available, the patients treated with CN+ had a reduced risk of death compared with those treated with targeted therapies alone (hazard ratio, 0.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.32-0.64; P < .01; I2 = 99%). Based on these results, CN+ reduces the risk of death in mRCC by more than 50% and should be discussed and included in the therapeutic armamentarium, as it still plays a therapeutic role, even in the post-cytokine era.

Predictive Factors for Reclassification and Relapse in Prostate Cancer Eligible for Active Surveillance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the evidence on the predictors of the upgrading and biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer (PC) in those patients with low-risk disease assigned to active surveillance (AS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: An electronic search of the PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and Embase databases was performed for all reports that included detailed results of multivariate analyses of the predictors of PC reclassification and biochemical relapse during AS. Cumulative analyses of available hazard ratios (HRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals were conducted using the RevMan 5.3 software to assess the potential predictors of PC upgrading and recurrence. Both random-effect model meta-analysis and Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman meta-analysis method were applied to obtain the pooled HR for each covariate. RESULTS: In the 32 articles analyzed, encompassing about 24,236 patients with early-stage PC, the 3 clinicopathological variables significantly associated with histological progression during AS were: prostate-specific antigen-density (HR 2.46; P = .0001); 2 positive cores (HR 1.54; P = .006); and race (HR 2; P = .04). Age, prostate-specific antigen levels, and suspicion on magnetic resonance imaging were not significantly associated with increased risk of progression of PC. CONCLUSION: We identified 3 strong predictors for the upgrading of PC during AS. These should be systematically evaluated to enable patients with low-risk disease to be treated with AS.

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate combined with mechanical morcellation: two years of experience with 196 patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: For 2 years, we followed a cohort of consecutive men who underwent holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) combined with mechanical morcellation to relieve bladder outlet obstruction with the goal of determining the safety, efficacy, and durability of this procedure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 2000 to June 2001, 196 men with symptomatic bladder outlet obstruction were treated with HoLEP at our institution. A pulsed high-power 80 W holmium laser was used, with the enucleated tissue being removed with a transurethral mechanical morcellator. All patients underwent volume evaluation, peak urinary flow rate estimation (Qmax), postvoiding residual urine volume measurement, International Prostate Symptom Score determination, and a single-question quality of life (QoL) score. Immediate and long-term complications were assessed. RESULTS: The total operative time averaged 83.2 +/- 42.5 minutes, and the average resected weight was 36 +/- 26 g. The morcellation efficiency was 2.8 +/- 1.0 g/min. The mean catheter time was 19 +/- 13 hours, and the hospital stay averaged 1.5 +/- 1.0 days. The mean hemoglobin value and serum sodium concentration did not change, and no patient needed a blood transfusion or experienced hyponatremia. With a mean follow-up of 12.6 +/- 4.9 months (range 6-24 months), significant improvement has been seen in all voiding measures, with a 148% increase in Qmax and a 60% improvement in the symptom score at 1 year postoperatively. Overall, 89% of the patients noticed an improvement in QoL. The complications have been irritative urinary symptoms in 23%, bladder mucosal injury in 6.6%, and transient stress incontinence in 7.1%. Eight patients (4.0%) have required reoperation. CONCLUSION: The HoLEP procedure is an efficacious surgical intervention for symptomatic bladder outlet obstruction with minimal associated morbidity. Wider application and technical refinement will allow the surgeon to reduce the operative time and to render mechanical morcellation safer.

Radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy in high-risk prostate cancer: a systematic review and metaanalysis.

BACKGROUND: Radical prostatectomy (RP) is one of the treatment options for localized, high-risk prostate cancer (PC), but it has never been compared with external beam radiotherapy (RT), which is an alternative approach, in a large randomized trial. To compare the outcomes of patients treated with surgery versus RT, we performed a metaanalysis of available studies on this topic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) for randomized or observational studies that investigated overall survival (OS) and PC-specific mortality (PCSM) risks in relation to use of surgery or RT in patients with high-risk PC. Fixed- and random-effect models were fitted to estimate the summary odds ratio (OR). Between-study heterogeneity was tested using χ(2) statistics and measured using the I(2) statistic. Publication bias was evaluated using a funnel plot and Egger regression asymmetry test. RESULTS: Seventeen studies were included (1 randomized and 16 retrospective). RP was associated with improved OS (OR, 0.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38-0.68; P < .00001), PCSM (OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.37-0.85; P = .007), and non-PCSM (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.35-0.8; P = .002) compared with RT. Biochemical relapse-free survival rates were similar to those of RT. CONCLUSION: Overall and cancer-specific mortality rates appear to be better with RP compared with RT in localized, high-risk PC. Surgery is also associated with a 50% decreased risk of non-PCSM compared with RT.

Correlation of pathologic complete response with survival after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in bladder cancer treated with cystectomy: a meta-analysis.

CONTEXT: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy before radical cystectomy (RC) is the preferred initial option for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (BCa). As in rectal and breast cancer, pathologic downstaging is associated with increased overall survival (OS). OBJECTIVE: We conducted a meta-analysis to determine whether pathologic complete response (pCR) (pT0N0M0) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is associated with a better outcome in muscle-invasive BCa. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Collaboration's Central register of controlled trials, and Embase for publications reporting outcomes of patients with and without pCR. All patients underwent neoadjuvant cisplatin-based polychemotherapy and RC. The primary outcome reported as relative risk (RR) was OS. Secondary end points were recurrence-free survival (RFS) and cancer-specific survival other than distant and locoregional RFS. A meta-analysis was performed using the fixed effects model or random effects model. Overall heterogeneity for RFS and OS was assessed with forest plots and the Q test. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: A total of 13 trials were included, for a total of 886 patients analysed after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and RC, without any postoperative treatment. The pCR rate was 28.6%. Patients who achieved pCR in the primary tumour and the lymph nodes presented an RR for OS of 0.45 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36-0.56; p<0.00001). The number needed to treat to prevent 1 death was 3.7 (absolute risk difference: -26%). The summary RR for RFS was 0.19 (95% CI, 0.09-0.39; p<0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with BCa who achieved pCR (pT0N0M0 stage) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy have a better OS and RFS than do patients without pCR.

A review of the recent evidence (2006-2008) for 532-nm photoselective laser vaporisation and holmium laser enucleation of the prostate.

CONTEXT: Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) and 532-nm laser vaporisation of the prostate (with potassium titanyl phosphate [KTP] or lithium borate [LBO]) are promising alternatives to transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and open prostatectomy (OP). OBJECTIVE: To assess safety, efficacy, and durability by analysing the most recent evidence of both techniques, aiming to identify advantages, pitfalls, and unresolved issues. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A Medline search of recently published data (2006-2008) regarding both techniques over the last 2 yr (January 2006 to September 2008) was performed using evidence obtained from randomised trials (level of evidence: 1b), well-designed controlled studies without randomisation (level of evidence: 2a), individual cohort studies (level of evidence: 2b), individual case control studies (level of evidence: 3), and case series (level of evidence: 4). EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: In the last 2 yr, several case-control and cohort studies have demonstrated reproducibility, safety, and efficacy of HoLEP and 80-W KTP laser vaporisation. Four randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were available for HoLEP, two compared with TURP and two compared with OP, with follow-up >24 mo. Results confirmed general efficacy and durability of HoLEP, as compared with both standard techniques. Only two RCTs were available comparing KTP laser vaporisation with TURP with short-term follow-up, and only one RCT was available comparing KTP laser vaporisation with OP. The results confirmed the overall low perioperative morbidity of KTP laser vaporisation, although efficacy was comparable to TURP in the short term, despite a higher reoperation rate. CONCLUSIONS: Although they are at different points of maturation, KTP or LBO laser vaporisation and HoLEP are promising alternatives to both TURP and OP. Sufficient data proves HoLEP's durability for most prostate sizes at long-term follow-up; KTP laser vaporisation needs further evaluation to define the reoperation rate. Increasing the number of quality prospective RCTs with adequate follow-up is mandatory to tailor each technique to the right patient.

Non-hormone-induced mixed epithelial and stromal tumor of kidney in a man: description of a rare case.

Mixed epithelial and stromal tumor of the kidney is a recently recognized category of lesions occurring mostly in adult, middle-age women with a history of hormonal treatment. We present a rare case of a 58-year-old asymptomatic man without a history of hormonal treatment with a tumor characterized by proliferation of multiple cysts lined by single layers of epithelial cells and hypercellular stroma of spindle "ovarian-like" cells. Immunohistochemically, the stromal cells reacted against estrogen and progesterone receptors, vimentin, desmin, and CD34. A follow-up computed tomography scan performed 8 months after surgical enucleation of the lesion showed no signs of recurrence.

Three-year outcome following holmium laser enucleation of the prostate combined with mechanical morcellation in 330 consecutive patients.

OBJECTIVES: A prospective study to assess safety, efficacy, and medium-term durability of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) combined with mechanical morcellation for the treatment of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) due to benign prostate enlargement (BPE). METHODS: Between January 2000 and July 2003, 330 consecutive patients underwent HoLEP at our institution. All patients were pre-operatively assessed with transrectal ultrasound gland volume evaluation, maximum urinary flow rate (Q(max)), international prostate symptoms score (IPSS), and the single-question quality of life (QoL). Intra-, peri-, and postoperative parameters were evaluated and the patients were reassessed at 1-, 3-, 6-, 12-, 18-, 24-, and 36-mo follow-up with the same examinations. RESULTS: Patients' mean age was 66+/-8.1 yr; prostate volume was 62+/-34 cc. Enucleation time was 45.4+/-22.9 min and morcellation time 17.3+/-14 min, whilst resected weight was 40+/-27.5 g. Catheter time was 23+/-14.7h and hospital stay was 48+/-26 h. Mean serum hemoglobin and sodium did not drop significantly from baseline after the procedure (p=013). A significant improvement occurred in Q(max) (25.1+/-10.7 ml/s), IPSS (0.7+/-1.3), and QoL (0.2+/-0.5) at the 3-yr follow-up compared with baseline (p<0.05). Twenty-eight percent of patients complained of irritative urinary symptoms, typically self-limiting after 3 mo; transient stress incontinence was reported in 7.3% of patients. Nine patients (2.7%) had persistent BOO, requiring reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: HoLEP represents an effective and safe surgical intervention. The relief from BOO also proved to be durable after 3-yr follow-up. The present report adds to the evidence that HoLEP could be the standard "size-independent" surgical treatment for symptomatic BPE-related BOO.