Influence of body mass index on oncological outcomes in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma treated with radical nephroureterectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between body mass index and oncological outcomes in Chinese patients who had undergone radical nephroureterectomy for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma. METHODS: Between August 1998 and October 2009, 236 consecutive Chinese patients underwent radical nephroureterectomy for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (Guangzhou, China). Body mass index data were available for 230 (97.5%) of these patients. All 230 patients were classified into three groups according to the body mass index criteria for Asians, issued by the Asia Cohort Consortium: underweight, body mass index <18.5 kg/m(2) (n = 21, 9.1%); normal weight, body mass index ≥18.5 and <25 kg/m(2) (n = 151, 65.7%); and obesity, body mass index ≥25 kg/m(2), (n = 58, 25.2%). Spearman's rank correlation, Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox proportional hazards regression model were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Being underweight was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.017) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (P = 0.003). Univariate analysis showed recurrence-free survival and cancer-specific survival were significantly worse in underweight patients than in patients with normal weight or obese patients. After adjustments for other clinicopathological variables, multivariate analysis confirmed that recurrence-free survival and cancer-specific survival were significantly worse in underweight patients than in patients with normal weight or obese patients (recurrence-free survival P = 0.014, cancer-specific survival P = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative underweight is an independent predictor of unfavorable recurrence-free survival and cancer-specific survival in Chinese patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma treated by radical nephroureterectomy, whereas obesity is associated with superior recurrence-free survival and cancer-specific survival. Further studies, including a multi-institutional, prospective, Asian cohort study, are required to confirm these findings.

Overexpression of YAP 1 contributes to progressive features and poor prognosis of human urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

BACKGROUND: Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP 1), the nuclear effector of the Hippo pathway, is a key regulator of organ size and a candidate human oncogene in multiple tumors. However, the expression dynamics of YAP 1 in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) and its clinical/prognostic significance are unclear. METHODS: In this study, the methods of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were utilized to investigate mRNA/ protein expression of YAP 1 in UCBs. Spearman's rank correlation, Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox proportional hazards regression model were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Up-regulated expression of YAP 1 mRNA and protein was observed in the majority of UCBs by qRT-PCR and Western blotting, when compared with their paired normal bladder tissues. By IHC, positive expression of YAP 1 was examined in 113/213 (53.1%) of UCBs and in 6/86 (7.0%) of normal bladder specimens tissues. Positive expression of YAP 1 was correlated with poorer differentiation, higher T classification and higher N classification (P < 0.05). In univariate survival analysis, a significant association between positive expression of YAP 1 and shortened patients' survival was found (P < 0.001). In different subsets of UCB patients, YAP 1 expression was also a prognostic indicator in patients with grade 2 (P = 0.005) or grade 3 (P = 0.046) UCB, and in patients in pT1 (P = 0.013), pT2-4 (P = 0.002), pN- (P < 0.001) or pT2-4/pN- (P = 0.004) stage. Importantly, YAP 1 expression (P = 0.003) together with pT and pN status (P< 0.05) provided significant independent prognostic parameters in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide evidences that positive expression of YAP 1 in UCB may be important in the acquisition of an aggressive phenotype, and it is an independent biomarker for poor prognosis of patients with UCB.

The risk factors for the presence of pelvic lymph node metastasis in penile squamous cell carcinoma patients with inguinal lymph node dissection.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate factors in penile squamous cell carcinoma predictive of pelvic lymph node metastasis and survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected and analyzed retrospectively in 146 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of penis who underwent bilateral inguinal lymph node dissection in our center between January 1998 and April 2011. Variables recorded included serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen, primary tumor p53 immunoreactivity, histological grade, pathological tumor stage, lymphatic or vascular invasion, absent/unilateral or bilateral inguinal lymph node involvement, number of metastatic inguinal lymph nodes, presence of extracapsular growth and lymph node density. RESULTS: Seventy patients had inguinal lymph node metastasis (LNM). Of these, 33 (47.1%) had pelvic LNM. Primary tumor strong p53 expression, lymphatic or vascular invasion, involvement of more than two inguinal lymph nodes and 30% or greater lymph node density were significant predictors of pelvic LNM. Primary tumor strong p53 expression (odds ratio [OR] 5.997, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.615-22.275), presence of extracapsular growth (OR 2.209, 95% CI 1.166-4.184), involvement of more than two inguinal lymph nodes (OR 2.494, 95% CI 1.086-5.728) and pelvic lymph node involvement (OR 18.206, 95% CI 6.807-48.696) were independent prognostic factors for overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Primary tumor expression of p53, lymphatic or vascular invasion, number of metastatic inguinal lymph nodes and lymph node density were all predictors of pathologic pelvic lymph node involvement. Patients with pelvic LNM had an adverse prognosis, with a 3-year overall survival rate of approximately 12.1%. Pelvic lymph node dissection should be considered in these cases.

Prognostic significance of tumor location and superficial urothelial bladder carcinoma history in patients with ureteral urothelial carcinoma treated with radical nephroureterectomy.

PURPOSE: To investigate the significance of tumor location and superficial urothelial bladder carcinoma (UBC) history on oncological outcomes in patients treated with radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for ureteral urothelial carcinoma (UC). METHODS: One hundred and thirty-two patients treated with RNU for ureteral UC between January 1999 and July 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. Recurrence probabilities and survival rates were analyzed, stratified by tumor location and superficial UBC history. RESULTS: Comparison of patients with proximal, middle, and distal ureteral UC showed that percentage of bladder recurrence was 13.3, 14.7, and 25.0 %, respectively (P = 0.285); retroperitoneal (tumor bed or lymph node) recurrence was 26.7, 14.7, and 27.9 % (P = 0.319); and contralateral recurrence was 0, 2.9, and 0 % (P = 0.234). Comparison of patients with and without history of superficial UBC revealed that percentage of bladder recurrence was 15.4 and 20.2 %, respectively (P = 0.681); retroperitoneal recurrence was 15.4 and 25.2 % (P = 0.433); and contralateral recurrence was 0 and 0.84 % (P = 0.740). Using multivariable Cox regression analyses, there were no significant differences of recurrence-free survival (RFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) with regard to neither tumor location nor superficial UBC history (RFS: P = 0.282 and 0.762, CSS: P = 0.272 and 0.818, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Tumor location and history of superficial UBC could not be used to predict oncological outcomes of patients who underwent RNU for ureteral UC. Therefore, operative strategies or postoperative surveillance should not be affected by tumor location or history of superficial UBC.

Age-specific effect of gender on upper tract urothelial carcinoma outcomes.

The research is to evaluate the age-specific differential effects of gender on outcomes in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) treated with radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). Between August 1998 and October 2010, we retrospectively reviewed the data from 285 (67.7%) men and 136 (32.3%) women treated with RNU for UTUC at our two institutions. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates the age-specific effect of gender on cancer-specific survival (CSS). Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to address the effect of gender on CSS. No significant sex-related differences were found in age and diagnosis, clinicopathologic features, and treatment (all P values >0.05). Women had a 18.7% increased risk of death from UTUC than men (hazard ratio [HR] 1.187; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.017-1.893; P = 0.021). The survival disadvantage was only present in patients aged 59 years and older (P < 0.001). Conversely, the survival advantage for women was found in women aged 42 to 58 years (P = 0.011) and in the age group <42 years (P = 0.019). On multivariable Cox regression analyses that adjusted for the effects of clinicopathologic features, the female gender was associated with decreased CSS (P = 0.036). In conclusion, the impact of gender on UTUC outcomes after RNU is age-specific. Females who aged 59 years and older experienced worse outcomes than their male counterparts, while women in the age group <42 years and 42-58 years have better outcomes than men. Further research is needed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the age-specific differential effect of gender on UTUC outcomes.

[Total cystectomy and neobladder for women patients with invasive bladder cancer: a report of eight cases].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Although total cystectomy plus neobladder is widely used, with good outcome, to treat men patients with invasive bladder cancer, the experience of treating women patients with the same therapy is limit. This study was designed to investigate the outcome of total cystectomy plus sigmoid neobladder for women patients with invasive bladder cancer. METHODS: Clinical data of 8 women with invasive bladder cancer, who underwent total cystectomy plus sigmoid neobladder from Jan. 2002 to Oct. 2003 in Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University, were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The operations were technically successful in all cases. The mean follow-up was 18 months (ranged 6-24 months). Six patients survived disease-freely;2 developed pelvic metastasis 6 and 12 months after operation respectively. All patients could actively urinate, 4 were continent day and night, 4 were continent at daytime with mild nocturnal incontinence. Mild hydronephrosis was detected in 1 patient 3 months after operation, which disappeared spontaneously 3 months later. Renal function and serum electrolytes were normal in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: Total cystectomy plus sigmoid neobladder could manage invasive bladder cancer in women patients, and the new bladders function well. But night continence in women patients is not as good as that in men patients.