Morbidity, mortality, and quality assessment following open radical cystectomy in elderly patients with bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Open radical cystectomy (ORC) with pelvic lymph-node dissection (PLND) for bladder cancer (BCa) and urinary diversion is a morbid procedure, and advanced age has been associated with a higher incidence of Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3 complications. AIM: To investigate the association between chronological age, survival outcomes, incidence of perioperative complications, and quality parameters in patients undergoing ORC. METHODS: We reviewed 413 patients who underwent ORC and PLND at a single academic centre between December 2009 and June 2018 for cT2-T4N0M0 BCa. Complete clinical, demographic, and pathological data were collected in the preoperative, preoperative, and postoperative setting. Patients were categorized as ≥ 75 years or < 75 years and statistical analysis was performed accordingly. Besides descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier log-rank test was used. Cox regression univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess any potential predictor of OS and CSS. RESULTS: There were 285 (69%) patients < 75 years and 128 (31%) patients ≥ 75 years old. There was no significant difference between the two age groups neither in terms of distribution of pathological stage nor in terms of overall incidence of postoperative complications. Chronological age was not significantly associated with survival outcomes on multivariate analysis. Finally, the comorbidity index was the only significant risk factor for the incidence of any complications (OR = 0.83, p = 0.002) at multivariate binary logistic regression. CONCLUSION: Open radical cystectomy (ORC) is a feasible and safe procedure in patients with high-risk non-metastatic bladder cancer. Uro-oncologists should consider evaluating elderly patients for surgery according to a thorough geriatric assessment despite chronological age.

Retzius-sparing Robot-assisted Simple Prostatectomy: Perioperative and Short-term Functional Outcomes Assessed via Validated Questionnaires.

Background and objective: Several surgical procedures have been reported for treatment of male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to large benign outlet obstruction (BOO). The diffusion of robotic surgery offers the possibility to perform open simple prostatectomy (SP) with a minimally-invasive approach. Our aim was to report outcomes of the Retzius-sparing robot-assisted SP (RS-RASP) technique. Methods: This was a single centre, prospective study. Patients with LUTS secondary to BOO and a prostate volume of >100 ml underwent RS-RASP performed with a da Vinci surgical system in four-arm configuration for a transperitoneal approach. Data for intraoperative and perioperative complications were collected. Functional outcomes were assessed via validated patient questionnaires. Univariable and multivariable regression analyses were used to identify predictors of complications and achievement of a trifecta composite outcome. Key findings and limitations: The median patient age was 69 yr and the median prostate volume was 150 ml. The median operative time was 175 min, with estimated blood loss of 350 ml. The median in-hospital stay and median catheterisation time were 3 d and 9 d, respectively. Within 90 d, the incidence of complications was 3% for grade 1, 19% for grade 2, and 2% for grade 3 complications. At 7-mo follow-up, statistically significant improvements in International Prostate Symptom Scores (total score and quality of life), International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF) scores, and the maximum flow rate were observed (all p < 0.0001). According to ICIQ-UI SF scores, 20%, 6%, and 3% of the patients had slight, moderate, or severe urinary incontinence (UI), respectively. Urgency UI was experienced by 14% of the patients and stress UI by 10%. Most of the patients with UI reported leakage of a small amount of urine and they did not wear pads. Conclusions: RS-RASP was associated with good perioperative outcomes and a low prevalence of high-grade complications. Significant LUTS relief was achieved, but some patients experienced slight urgency or stress UI at short-term follow-up. Patient summary: We explored a surgical technique called Retzius-sparing robot-assisted simple prostatectomy to treat men with bothersome urinary symptoms caused by a large prostate. The technique led to good results, with minimal bleeding and few complications during surgery. This surgery could be a beneficial choice for patients with stubborn urinary symptoms and a large prostate gland.

Metabolic syndrome and prostate cancer treatment.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been linked with several human cancers. Prostate cancer is the most common neoplasm in male adults and is often treated with radical prostatectomy (RP). Given the complex hormonal and metabolic alteration present in MetS, a possible role in the development and progression of prostate cancer (PCa) has been hypothesized. Several studies have investigated the connections between MetS and the risk of developing prostate cancer, as well as the oncological outcomes of patients who already suffer from PCa and receive a radical treatment. This comprehensive review explores the available evidence dealing with MetS and the oncological and functional results of RP for PCa.