An atypical presentation of renal mass associated with BAP-1 tumor predisposition syndrome: Case report and review of literature.

BCRA-associated protein-1 (BAP-1) mutation has been associated with the development of a familiar syndrome that predisposes to tumors with a higher incidence than in general population, including melanoma and renal carcinoma. We report a 47-year-old woman diagnosed with a BAPoma (melanocytic tumor characterized by the loss of BAP-1). Due to her extensive family history with multiple neoplasms, a FDG PET-CT was performed. Consequently, she was diagnosed with an atypical renal mass, which is rarely linked to this syndrome. We review and discuss the available literature on the screening, diagnosis and treatment of renal tumors associated with BAP-1 tumor predisposition syndrome.

Endarterectomy, Stenting, or Medical Treatment for Symptomatic Carotid Near-Occlusion: Results from CAOS, a Multicenter Registry Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The treatment of symptomatic carotid near-occlusion is controversial. Our aim was to analyze the results of carotid endarterectomy and carotid artery stent placement in patients with symptomatic carotid near-occlusion and to identify factors related to technical failure, periprocedural complications, and restenosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, prospective nonrandomized study. Patients with angiography-confirmed carotid near-occlusion were included. We assessed the revascularization rate and periprocedural stroke or death. Twenty-four-month clinical and carotid imaging follow-up was performed, and rates of carotid restenosis or occlusion, ipsilateral stroke, and mortality were analyzed. Carotid artery stent placement, carotid endarterectomy, and medical treatment were compared. RESULTS: One hundred forty-one patients were included. Forty-four carotid artery stent placement and 23 carotid endarterectomy procedures were performed within 6 months after the event. Complete revascularization was achieved in 83.6%, 81.8% in the carotid artery stent placement group and 87% with carotid endarterectomy (P = .360). Periprocedural stroke or death occurred in 6% (carotid artery stent placement = 2.3%; carotid endarterectomy = 13%; P = .077) and was not related to revascularization failure. The carotid restenosis or occlusion rate was 8.3% (5% restenosis, 3.3% occlusion); with carotid artery stent placement it was 10.5%; and with carotid endarterectomy it was 4.5% (P = .419). The 24-month cumulative rate of ipsilateral stroke was 4.8% in the carotid artery stent placement group, 17.4% for carotid endarterectomy, and 13.1% for medical treatment (P = .223). Mortality was 12%, 4.5%, and 5.6%, respectively (P = .422). Revascularization failure and restenosis occurred more frequently in patients with full collapse compared with patients without full collapse (33.3% versus 5.6%, P = .009; 21.4% versus 2.9%, P = .032, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Carotid artery stent placement and carotid endarterectomy are associated with high rates of failure and periprocedural stroke. Carotid near-occlusion with full collapse appears to be associated with an increased risk of technical failure and restenosis. Carotid near-occlusion revascularization does not seem to reduce the risk of stroke at follow-up compared with medical treatment.

Ultrasonographic and hemodynamic characteristics of patients with symptomatic carotid near-occlusion: results from a multicenter registry study.

PURPOSE: The ultrasonographic and hemodynamic features of patients with carotid near-occlusion (CNO) are still not well known. Our aim was to describe the ultrasonographic and hemodynamic characteristics of a cohort of patients with CNO. METHODS: A prospective, observational, nationwide, and multicenter study was conducted from January/2010 to May/2016. Patients with digital subtraction angiography (DSA)-confirmed CNO were included. We collected information on clinical and demographic characteristics, carotid and transcranial ultrasonography and DSA findings, presence of full-collapse, collateral circulation, and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR). RESULTS: One hundred thirty-five patients were analyzed. Ultrasonographic and DSA diagnosis of CNO were concordant in only 44%. This disagreement was related to the presence/absence of full-collapse: 45% of patients with CNO with full-collapse were classified as a complete carotid occlusion, and 40% with a CNO without full-collapse were interpreted as severe stenosis (p < 0.001). Mean velocities (mV) and pulsatility indexes (PIs) were significantly lower in the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery compared with the contralateral (43 cm/s vs 58 cm/s, p < 0.001; 0.80 vs 1.00, p < 0.001). Collateral circulation was identified in 92% of patients, with the anterior communicating artery (73%) being the most frequent. CVR was decreased or exhausted in 66% of cases and was more frequent in patients with a poor or absent collateral network compared with patients with ≥ 2 collateral arteries (82% vs 56%, p = 0.051). CONCLUSION: The accuracy of carotid ultrasonography in the diagnosis of CNO seems to be limited, with significant discrepancies with DSA. Decreased ipsilateral mV, PI, and CVR suggest a hemodynamic compromise in patients with CNO.

Results of the spanish section of the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC). Update after 21 years of follow-up. / Resultados de la rama española del Estudio Randomizado Europeo de Screening del Cáncer de Próstata (ERSPC). Actualización tras 21 años de seguimiento.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The objective of the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) is to assess whether prostate cancer (PCa) screening leads to an improvement of cancer-specific survival. This multicenter study (eight European countries) has recruited more than 180,000 asymptomatic men. After a follow-up period of 16 years, it has been shown that PSA screening reduces PCa mortality by 20%, and that it does not affect all-cause mortality. This article provides updated the results of the Spanish arm of the ERSPC after 21 years of follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study invited 18,612 men (aged 45 - 70) of the Spanish section (Getafe and Parla, Madrid) to participate. They were randomly assigned to the intervention arm (serum PSA-based screening) and to the control arm (follow-up without intervention). The diagnoses of PCa were recorded, as well as the PCa-specific and all-cause mortality rates. A comparison between the survival curves of both arms of the study and detailed analysis of the causes of death were performed. RESULTS: The study finally included 4,276 men (2,415 intervention arm, 1,861 control arm). The median age, serum PSA and follow-up time were 57 years, 0.9 ng/ml and 21.1 years, respectively. There were 285 cases with PCa diagnosis, 188 (7.8%) from the intervention arm and 97 (5.2%) from the control arm (p<,001). A total of 216 (75.8%) presented organ-confined disease. There were 994 deaths were recorded; 544 (22.5%) in the intervention arm and 450 (24.2%) in the control arm. No significant differences were detected between the arms of the study in terms of cancer-specific (p=.768) or all-cause (p=.192) mortality rates. The main cause of death was malignant tumors (492 patients, 49.5% of overall mortality), and the most frequent sites were lung and bronchus (29.5%), colon and rectum (14.8%), and hematologic (9.8%). Only 20 patients (0.4% of the patients recruited) died from PCa, with no significant difference between study arms. CONCLUSIONS: In this update of the results of the Spanish section of the ERSPC study after 21 years of follow-up, we have not detected a benefit of PCa screening in terms of overall and cancer-specific survival.

The risk of recurrent stroke at 24 months in patients with symptomatic carotid near-occlusion: results from CAOS, a multicentre registry study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The risk of recurrent stroke amongst patients with symptomatic carotid near-occlusion (SCNO) has not been clearly established, and its management remains controversial. The aim was to define the 24-month risk of recurrent stroke and to analyse the effect of the different treatment modalities (medical treatment and revascularization) in a population of patients with SCNO. METHODS: A multicentre, nationwide, prospective study from January 2010 to May 2016 was performed. Patients with angiography-confirmed SCNO were included. The primary end-point was ipsilateral ischaemic stroke including periprocedural events within 24 months following the presenting event. Revascularization results and periprocedural complications, ipsilateral transient ischaemic attack, disabling or fatal stroke, and mortality were also noted. RESULTS: The study population comprised 141 patients from 17 Spanish centres. Seventy patients (49.6%) were treated by revascularization (carotid stenting in 47, endarterectomy in 23). Complete revascularization was achieved in 58 patients (83%). Periprocedural stroke or death occurred in 5.7%. The 24-month cumulative incidence of the primary end-point was 11.1% (95% confidence interval 5.8-16.4; n = 15), 12% in the medical treatment group and 10.2% in the revascularization group, log-rank P = 0.817. The cumulative rates of ipsilateral ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack, disabling or fatal stroke, and mortality, were 17%, 4.5% and 7.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of ipsilateral ischaemic stroke in patients with SCNO seems to be lower than the known rate associated with severe carotid stenosis without near-occlusion. The potential benefit of revascularization in the prevention of stroke in patients with SCNO may be influenced by the effectiveness and safety of the procedure.

THE ROMANIAN VERSION OF THE THYROID-RELATED PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES THYPRO AND THYPRO-39. TRANSLATION AND ASSESSMENT OF RELIABILITY AND CROSS-CULTURAL VALIDITY.

BACKGROUND: ThyPRO is a recently developed thyroid-specific quality of life (QoL) questionnaire applicable to patients with benign thyroid disorders(BTD). The aim of the present study was to translate ThyPRO and ThyPRO-39 into Romanian, and to evaluate reliability and cross-cultural validity. METHODS: Standard methodology for translation and linguistic validation of patient-reported outcomes (PRO) was applied. The questionnaire was completed by 130 patients with benign thyroid diseases seen at Department of Endocrinology in the Emergency County Hospital, Tîrgu Mures, Romania, between October 2015 and March 2016. Internal reliability of the Romanian version of the ThyPRO (ThyPROro) scales was assessed for multi-item scales using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. An efficient method for testing cross-cultural validity is analysis of differential item functioning (DIF). Uniform DIF between the Romanian and the original Danish sample was investigated using ordinal logistic regression. The translation process proceeded without difficulties, and any disagreements were revised by one of the developers and the language coordinator. RESULTS: Internal reliability for ThyPRO was satisfactory. Cronbach`s alpha coefficients for the 13 scales ranged from 0.78 to 0.93 for the ThyPROro and 0.78 to 0.87 for the ThyPROro-39. In the 85-item ThyPRO, nine instances of DIF were found. Most were minor, explaining <3% of the variation in scale score, but DIF in positively worded items were larger, with explained variance (R2's) around 10-15%. CONCLUSION: The ThyPROro questionnaire is ready for assessment of health-related quality of life in Romanian patients with benign thyroid diseases.

[Acute symmetrical lesions in the basal ganglia within the context of uremia]. / Lesiones agudas simetricas de ganglios basales en el contexto de una uremia.

TITLE: Lesiones agudas simetricas de ganglios basales en el contexto de una uremia.

[Relation between preoperative prognostic Onodera's Index and postsurgery complications in the R0 gastric carcinoma resection]. / Relación entre el índice de Onodera pre-operatorio y las complicaciones post-cirugía R0 en el cáncer de estómago.

BACKGROUND: It has been postulated in the Asian literature that a low prognostic nutritional index (OI) could be associated with a higher rate of complications following radical gastric cancer surgery, but there is a lack of data concerning western countries. The aim is to analyze the relationship between a low preoperative OI and the frequency and severity of surgical complications in R0 gastric cancer resection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the present article, 124 cases of gastric cancer with R0 resection were reviewed. An OI <45 was considered pathologically low. The complication rate was compared between both groups: OI <45 vs OI =45. A multivariate analysis was performed adjusting for: age > 68 years, ASA score, preoperative hemoglobin level <12 g/dL, pTNM stage, administration of neoadyuvant therapy and type of gastrectomy. The relationship between a PNI<45 and the severity of complications graded according to the Clavien-Dindo classification was determined. RESULTS: We registered mild complications in 11.3% of cases, severe complications in 9.7% and a mortality rate of 2.4%. Patients with a OI <45 showed a higher complication rate: 37.7% versus 12.7% [odds ratio (OR) = 4.17; CI95% = (1.71 - 10.20 p = 0.001)], confirmed by multivariate analysis: [OR = 4.17; CI95% = (1.54 - 11.30); p = 0.005]. Patients with OI <45 had more severe complication-exitus: 20.8% versus 5.6% [OR = 4.39; CI95% = (1.31 - 14.68); p = 0.011]. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed that patients with a low preoperative OI show a higher independent risk of complications after a R0 gastric cancer resection in a western country as well. Complications, in these cases with OI <45, registered a significantly higher severity grade.

EXPRESSION OF MENIN IN THE HUMAN THYROID GLAND.

INTRODUCTION: The expression of menin in the thyroid gland has long been debated. Animal models with targeted inactivation of menin in the thyroid gland have shown that its inactivation might play a role in the progression to a more aggressive type of cancer. Human studies are conflicting, some have identified mutations in the MEN1 gene in a sub-type of oncocytic thyroid carcinomas, while others have not identified a higher prevalence of thyroid cancer in MEN1 patients. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the immunohistochemical expression of menin in different types of thyroid carcinomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 48 thyroid tumours (12 papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC), 6 anaplastic thyroid carcinomas (ATC), 12 poorly differentiated thyroid carcinomas (PDTC), 5 medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTC), 5 oncocytic follicular carcinomas (OC), 3 oncocytic adenomas (OA) and 5 goiters (G)) were tested for nuclear expression of menin using an anti-menin antibody. The expression was considered positive, negative or decreased. RESULTS: The expression of menin was positive, identical to normal tissue, in 39 cases (81.25%). The expression was decreased (n=8) or absent (n=1) in 9 tumours (18.75% - 2 PTC, 5 PDTC, 2 OC) accounting for 42% (5/12) of the PDTC and 40% (2/5) of the OC. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that the expression of menin is generally preserved in human thyroid carcinomas, but it can be decreased or absent in certain types of thyroid cancer. Further molecular studies are needed to evaluate to potential of menin protein in tumorigenesis.

[Predictive pre-treatment value of the Prognostic Nutritional Index on survival in gastric carcinoma]. / Valor predictivo pre-tratamiento del Índice Pronóstico Nutricional sobre la supervivencia del carcinoma gástrico.

BACKGROUND: The Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) combines the values of circulating lymphocytes and serum albumin and, in the Asian literature; it has been related with the prognosis following R0 resection of gastric cancer. No results are available in Western countries. We study the possible independent prognostic value, at the moment of the tumour's diagnosis, of PNI on survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We review 234 consecutive gastric carcinomas, calculating global survival and tumour-specific survival. We considered pre-treatment PNI values of < 40 to be pathological. We carried out a univariate and multivariate analysis of cases of survival according to PNI, including the following adjustment variables: age > 70 years, ASA anaesthetic at the time of diagnosis, size of the neoplasia > 5cm, macroscopic type, undifferentiated degree and TNM clinical stage through echoendoscopy and/or CAT. RESULTS: The univariate analysis registered greater global and specific survival in cases with PNI ≥ 40 versus PNI < 40: [HR = 2.28; CI 95% = (1.60-3.26); p< 0.001] and [HR = 2.35; CI 95% = (1.63-3.39); p< 0.001], respectively. The multivariate analysis confirmed a better independent prognosis in cases with OI ≥ 40: global survival: [HR = 1.48; CI 95% = (1.02-2.16); p = 0.040], specific survival: [HR = 1.51; CI 95% = (1.03-2.23); p = 0.036]. CONCLUSIONS: At the moment of diagnosis of gastric cancer and including all registered cases, a PNI ≥ 40 is accompanied by a signifi-cantly greater global and tumour-specific survival. In our series, this better prognosis is independent of the patient's age group, his/her ASA classification, the size and degree of differentiation of the neoplasia and its TNM clinical stage.

Predictors of urethral stricture recurrence after endoscopic urethrotomy. / Factores predictivos de recidiva de estenosis uretral tras uretrotomía endoscópica.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to analyse the clinical-demographic variables of the series and the predictors of urethral stricture recurrence after endoscopic urethrotomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 67 patients who underwent Sachse endoscopic urethrotomy between June 2006 and September 2014. Those patients who had previously undergone endoscopic urethrotomy or urethroplasty were excluded. The other patients who presented urethral stricture were included. We analysed age, weight, smoking habit, and cardiovascular risk factors, as well as the number, location, length and aetiology of the strictures, previous urethrotomies, vesical catheter duration and postsurgical dilatations. A univariate and multivariate analysis was conducted using the chi-squared test or Fisher's test and logistic regression to identify the variables related to recurrence. RESULTS: Thirty-seven percent of the patients had a relapse. The majority of the patients were older than 60 years (56.7%), obese (74.6%), nonsmokers (88%) and had no cardiovascular factors (56.7%). The majority of the strictures were single (94%), <1cm (82%), bulbar urethral (64.2%), iatrogenic (67.2%) and with no prior urethrotomy (89.6%). The majority of the patients carried a vesical catheter for <15 days (85.1%) and did not undergo postsurgical dilatation (65.7%). Only the length of the stricture was an independent risk factor for recurrence (P=.025; relative risk, 5.7; 95% CI 1.21-26.41). CONCLUSIONS: In the treatment of urethral strictures through endoscopic urethrotomy, a stricture length >1cm is the only factor that predicts an increase in the risk of recurrence. We found no clinical or demographic factors that caused an increase in the incidence of recurrence. Similarly, technical factors such as increasing the bladder catheterisation time and urethral dilatations did not change the course of the disease. Their routine use is therefore unnecessary.

Cavernoplasty with oral mucosa graft for the surgical treatment of Peyronie's disease. / Cavernoplastia con injerto de mucosa oral para el tratamiento quirúrgico de la enfermedad de La Peyronie.

BACKGROUND: Peyronie's disease is a disorder of the tunica albuginea and causes penile curvature, requiring surgical correction when the deformity impedes penetration. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the short-term results (penile length, angle of curvature and erectile function) of treating Peyronie's disease in 10 patients through cavernoplasty with oral mucosa graft. Essentially, the treatment included the incision of the fibrotic plaque with electrical scalpel and the subsequent coating of the cavernous defect using a patch of oral mucosa. At month 6, we measured the penile length and curvature and recorded the erectile function using the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) questionnaire. Finally, the patients were asked "Would you undergo the same operation again?". RESULTS: The mean age was 53.4 years. The average and median follow-up was 22.7 months and 24 months, respectively. The mean preoperative curvature was 68.5° (50°-90°), the mean penile length was 11.2cm (9-15) and the mean IIEF-5 score was 16.1 (8-25). The mean postoperative penile length was 10.7cm, and the mean IIEF-5 score was 18.9. The differences between the preoperative and postoperative values were not statistically significant (P=ns). One patient developed erectile dysfunction. In all cases, the residual curvature was <20°. Nine patients (90%) stated that they would undergo the same operation. CONCLUSIONS: The short-term results suggest that cavernoplasty with oral mucosa graft can be an alternative to traditional grafts for surgically correcting Peyronie's disease.

Rotation of the corpora cavernosa for the treatment of congenital penile curvature.

INTRODUCTION: Congenital penile curvature (CPC) is caused by a disorder in the embryonic development of the urethra and corpora cavernosa. The condition causes difficulty for penetration, requiring surgical correction when it prevents intercourse. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We present the cases of 2 men in their 40s who had ventral curvature greater than 60° of 2 years of evolution, with maintained erections. The patients underwent surgery for rotation of the corpora cavernosa. After the complete denudation of the penis, athermal release of the neurovascular bundle of the penis from the ventral side to the dorsal was performed. Once the curvature was verified using artificial erection, an incision was performed in the tunica albuginea of both corpora cavernosa, continuously suturing both internal and external margins with resorbable monofilament. The rectification of the curvature was then checked, and the mucocutaneous plane was reconstructed. RESULTS: The surgical time was 120minutes and there were no intraoperative complications. Both patients were discharged 24h after the surgery. At 1 week, the patients experienced spontaneous night-time erections and were able to maintain sexual relations 1 month after the surgery. At 6 months, the residual curvature was less than 20°, the penile shortening was less than 1 centimeter and the International Index of Erectile Function-5 was 25 for both cases. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery for rotation of the corpora cavernosa helps correct CPC without significant penile shortening or erectile dysfunction. In our opinion, the procedure is an appropriate treatment for patients with CPC but requires studies with long-term follow-up in order to consider it the technique of choice.

[Prognostic value of Onodera's index in colorectal cancer survival]. / Valor pronóstico del índice de Onodera en la supervivencia del cáncer colorrectal.

BACKGROUND: Onodera's prognostic nutritional index (OPNI), which is calculated using total lymphocyte count and serum albumin level, has been used as a marker of nutritional status, with its potential prognostic value in colorectal cancer having recently been postulated in Japan and China. There is still no data on the predictive value of OPNI in a Western population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A consecutive case series of 207 patients scheduled for colorectal cancer resection with curative intent was reviewed. Pre-treatment OPNI was calculated using the formula: [10 x serum albumin (g/dl) + 0.005 x lymphocytes/mm²]. OPNI values under 40 were considered low. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed on survival curves, comparing cases with OPNI values less than, equal to or greater than 40 (Cox model, stepwise), in the overall series and in pTNM stage II. RESULTS: The median for clinical follow-up was 81 months (interquartile range 60-96). Twenty-six patients (12.6%) had a low OPNI (≤ 40). In the multivariate analysis, patients with low OPNI showed less favourable survival curves, both in the overall series: [p <0.001; HR = 3.16; 95% CI = 1.67-5.94] and in the 78 cases in pTNM stage II: [p <0.004; HR = 4.36; 95% CI = 1.61-11.76]. CONCLUSIONS: A low pre-treatment OPNI (<40) has an independent, unfavourable predictive value on survival in European patients with resected colorectal cancer, both in the overall series and in pTNM stage II.

Predicting factors for recurrence in low-grade Ta primary bladder tumours.

OBJECTIVES: Ta bladder tumors constitute 53% of primary bladder neoplasms, 70% of them being low-grade (G1). These tumors present a 15- 38% chance of recurrence during the first year. The aim of this paper is to identify the predicting factors of the first recurrence in a series of TaG1 primary bladder tumors. METHODS: We have retrospectively analyzed patients who were diagnosed with TaG1 primary bladder tumor by transurethral resection between 2004 and 2012. We established their tumor grade and pathological stage according to the WHO's classification guides for 1973 and 2004 as well as 2009's TNM. Those patients who were diagnosed before 2009 did not receive any adjuvant treatment. Those who were diagnosed later on received 40 mg of endovesical Mitomycin C during their immediate post operative period as their only treatment. We define recurrence as the presence of tumor after the first cystoscopy and relapse-free survival (RFS) as the period of time (in months) until the first recurrence appeared. Follow up constitutes the period of time (in months) until the last check-up or first recurrence. We also analyzed different variables: age, gender, smoking habits, muscular representation in the sample, size of the tumor (> or < 1 cm), multiple or single tumors and adjuvant treatment. The survival analysis was performed by the Kaplan-Meier method, using the long-rank test to evaluate the differences between groups. RESULTS: 68 patients were included in the study (73.5% men, 75% smokers). The average age was 61.9 years (the median being 58.5). Average follow up was 33.2 months (median 28.4). 35.3% of patients experienced recurrence. Average RFS was 19.2 ± 12.7 months (median 13.5). The majority of tumors were of a single nature (77.9%), with a size of less than 1 cm (55.9%) and with muscle representation (52.9%). 57.4% of patients did not receive adjuvant treatment. Only the absence of adjuvant treatment was associated with recurrence in uni and multivariate analysis (p<0,001), with a relative risk of 17,5 IC95% (7,6-30,2). CONCLUSION: The absence of adjuvant therapy with Mitomycin C is the only factor that, in a statistically significant way, increases the risk of recurrence, regardless of demographic factors and the characteristics of the tumor.

Predictive postoperative model for biochemical recurrence in patients with localized prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy as monotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the post-prostatectomy prognostic factors of biochemical recurrence (BCR) and develop a predictive model for BCR based on predictive pathological variables after radical prostatectomy (RP). METHODS: We retrospectively analysed patients with clinically localised prostate cancer treated with RP as monotherapy with a minimum follow up period of 12 months. We considered BCR to be the persistence or elevation of PSA levels after RP of> 0,4 ng/ml, and rising in the following determination. We performed uni-and multivariate analysis, using the logistic regression test to determine the variables associated with BCR. We developed a mathematical model to estimate BCR, based on the variables identified, with a logistic function equation and then designed an Excel spreadsheet to apply it. Calibration and discrimination were performed by way of a Hosmer-Lemeshow test and an ROC curve. RESULTS: 693 patients were included. Average age was 63.5 years and average follow up was 88.5 months. BCR was observed in 218 patients. The average time to BCR was 35.5 months, and 90% of the cases occurred in the first 7 years. In the multivariate analysis, the PSA, Gleason Score (GS) = 7(4+3), pathological stage pT3b and affectation of the surgical margin (SM) were identified as independent prognostic pathological variables related to BCR (p〈0,001). The above four variables were included into the equation of the model. Specificity and sensitivity were 90.6% and 50.2%. Its predictive capacity was 80.5% (CI 95% 76,80 -84.3). CONCLUSIONS: PSA, GS = 7(4+3), pathological stage pT3b and PSM were found to be the independent prognostic pathological variables related to BCR-free survival. The predictive model developed permits BCR risk estimation with a reliability of 80.5%

Diffusion weighted imaging with background body signal suppression / T2 image fusion in magnetic resonance mammography for breast cancer diagnosis.

INTRODUCTION: Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Mammography (DCE-MRM) represents the most sensitive examination for breast cancer (BC) diagnosis. However literature data reports very inhomogeneous specificity. The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical efficiency of a new MRM technique - diffusion weighted imaging with background body signal suppression T2 image fusion in BC diagnosis, compared to DCE-MRM. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 50 consecutive DCE-MRM examinations with DWIBS sequence from the archives of the Department of Radiology, Lyon Sud Hospital, (02.2010- 02.2011), summing up to 64 breast lesions. Fusions were created using the Osirix software from the DWIBS images (b=1000 s mm2) and their T2 correspondents. Interpretation was performed using an adapted BI-RADS system. The final histopathological examination or a minimum 6-months follow-up served as gold standard. RESULTS: Out of the 64 examined breast lesions, 35(54.7%) were classified as malignant by DCE-MRM and 24(37.5%) cases by DWIBS T2, respectively. Thus the DWIBS T2 fusion had a Sensitivity of 62.5%(95%CI:35.4-84.8) and a Specificity of 70.8%(95%CI:55.9-83.3) while DCE-MRM had a higher Sensitivity: 87.5%(95%CI:61.6-98.4) but a lower Specificity: 56.2%(95%CI:41.1-70.5). CONCLUSION: DWIBS T2 fusion is an innovative MRM technique, with a specificity superior to DCE-MRM, showing a large potential for improving the clinical efficiency of classical MRM.

Endoscopic localization of colorectal cancer: study of its accuracy and possible error factors.

INTRODUCTION: accurate preoperative localization of colorectal cancer (CRC) is very important, with a wide range of published error rates. AIMS: to determine accuracy of endoscopic localization of CRC in comparison with preoperative computed tomography (CT). To analyse variables that could be associated with a wrong endoscopic localization. PATIENTS AND METHODS: endoscopic and CT localization of a series of CRC without previous surgery were reviewed. We studied the concordance between endoscopic and radiologic localization against operative findings comparing accuracy of endoscopy and CT. We analysed the frequency of wrong endoscopic diagnoses with regard to a series of patient, endoscopy and tumor variables. RESULTS: two hundred thirty seven CRC in 223 patients were studied. Concordance with surgical localization was: colonoscopy = 0.87 and CT = 0.69. Endoscopic localization accuracy was:91.1%; CT: 76.2%: p = 0.00001; OR = 3.22 (1.82-5.72). Obstructive cancer presented a higher rate of wrong localization: 18 vs. 5.7% in non-obstructive tumors (p = 0.0034; OR = 3.65 (1.35-9.96). Endoscopic localization mistakes varied depending on tumor location, being more frequent in descending colon: 36.3%, p = 0.014; OR = 6.23 (1.38-26.87) and cecum: 23.1%, p = 0.007; OR = 3.92 (1.20-12.43). CONCLUSIONS: endoscopic accuracy for CRC localization was very high and significantly better than CT accuracy. Obstructive tumor and those located in the descending colon or cecum wereassociated with a significant increase of the error risk of CRC endoscopic localization.