Feasibility and Outcomes of Same-Day Discharge Following Multi-Port Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy.

Introduction Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) provides much quicker recovery for men than open prostatectomy. In most centers, discharge is planned the morning after surgery. However, after several years, we observed that no routine intervention was required for a majority of men over the first evening. Here, we detail our institution's outcomes for multiport RARP (MP-RARP) with same-day discharge (SDD). Methods After excluding patients with single-port RARP (n=25) and overnight stays (n=30), data from 224 patients (n=224/279, 88.2%) who underwent MP-RARP from May 2021 to September 2023 were collected. All patients were placed on an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocol and were given instructions regarding SDD. Patients were considered as SDD if they were discharged on the day of surgery. Data regarding messages and phone calls to healthcare providers, urology clinic, and emergency department visits were recorded for analysis in the week post-surgery. Results The mean (±SD) operative time was 142.5 ± 25.2 minutes, with a mean (±SD) console time of 95.1 ± 25.6 minutes. The median (IQR) estimated blood loss was 50 (50 - 100) mL, and the mean (±SD) length of hospitalization was 163.2 ± 64.6 minutes. No intraoperative complications occurred in this cohort. The median (IQR) patient-reported pain score at one hour after surgery was 3.5 (0 - 7), compared to 2 (0 - 4) at discharge. Of the 145 (64.7%) patients who reported their postoperative pain management, only 50 (34.4%) endorsed using opioids, and of those, 8 (16%) were known chronic opioid users. In the week following surgery, 14 (6.3%) patients had unplanned visits to the healthcare facility. Additionally, 56 (25%) of patients contacted the clinic regarding the postoperative course during the same timeframe. Conclusions SDD after RARP is predictable and safe. SDD helps reduce the costs associated with inpatient stays without compromising surgical outcomes for patients.

Propensity Score Matching Analysis of Differential Outcomes in Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate vs. Robotic-Assisted Simple Prostatectomy.

Background & Objectives: Patients with bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) due to massive prostate enlargement have several surgical treatment options, such as robot-assisted simple prostatectomy (RASP) and holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP). Postoperative outcomes may differ between those undergoing RASP and HoLEP. RASP has been associated with a lower incidence of transient stress urinary incontinence (SUI), while HoLEP allows for shorter catheterization times. Here, we report on our experience with both surgical modalities. Methods: Data were collected from prospectively maintained databases for 37 RASP patients and 181 HoLEP patients treated from July 2021 to November 2023. To control for selection bias, propensity score matching (PSM) was utilized based on age and prostate size. We compared patients' preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative outcomes both before and after applying PSM. Results: Before the PSM, the median prostate size was significantly lower in the HoLEP group (p < 0.001). The HoLEP group also had significantly shorter operative times (p ≤ 0.001) and lower weights of resected adenoma (p ≤ 0.001). After the PSM of 31 RASP and 31 HoLEP patients, all baseline patient characteristics were comparable. No significant differences were observed in operation time (p = 0.140) or in the weight of resected adenoma (p = 0.394) between the modalities. The median (IQR) length of catheterization was significantly shorter in the HoLEP group (1 [1-4] days) compared to the RASP group (7 [7-8] days), in both pre- and post-matching analyses (p ≤ 0.001 for both), reflecting the standard of practice. In contrast, in both pre- and post-PSM analyses, the average hospital stay was significantly shorter in the RASP cohort, as same-day discharge is standard in our center, whereas the HoLEP cohort required overnight stays due to routine continuous bladder irrigation before discharge (p < 0.001 for all). Notably, the SUI rates and American Urological Association (AUA) symptom scores were comparable at 3 months within both matched and unmatched cohorts (pre-PSM: p = 0.668, p = 0.083; post-PSM: p = 1, p = 0.152, respectively). Conclusions: Our comparative analysis indicates that both RASP and HoLEP yield similar outcomes, including SUI rates, at 3 months. While HoLEP provided shorter durations of postoperative catheterization, RASP offered shorter hospital stays.

A New Era for PET/CT: Applications in Non-Tumorous Renal Pathologies.

Non-tumorous kidney diseases include a variety of conditions affecting both the structure and function of the kidneys, thereby causing a range of health-related problems. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has emerged as a potential diagnostic tool, offering a multifaceted approach to evaluating non-tumorous kidney diseases. Its clinical significance extends beyond its conventional role in cancer imaging, enabling a comprehensive assessment of renal structure and function. This review explores the diverse applications of PET/CT imaging in the evaluation of non-cancerous kidney diseases. It examines PET/CT's role in assessing acute kidney injuries, including acute pyelonephritis and other forms of nephritis, as well as chronic conditions such as immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis and chronic kidney disease. Additionally, the review delves into PET/CT's utility in evaluating complications in renal transplant recipients, identifying renal histiocytosis and detecting renal amyloidosis. The current review aims to promote further research and technological advancements to popularize PET/CT's clinical utility in diagnosing and treating non-tumorous kidney diseases.

Factors affecting the non-publication of clinical trials of prevalent urological cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Clinical trials (CTs) are critical in understanding and managing cancer. However, despite being completed, CT results are often unpublished, compromising the ability to glean useful information from them. This study aimed to evaluate factors influencing the non-publication of urological oncology clinical trials. METHODOLOGY: We conducted a comprehensive search of ClinicalTrials.gov to identify CTs focused on urological cancers completed between 2000 and 2020. We used the National Clinical Trial (NCT) identifier number to check whether the trial was published. RESULTS: 9,145 oncology CTs were conducted between 2000 and 2020, of which 8.39% (n = 767) focused on urological cancers, and 47.2% (n = 362) of these trials remained unpublished. Univariable analysis revealed that trials with a sample size of less than 50 and phase 4 were significantly associated with non-publication p < 0.001. In contrast, trials involving triple masking, a higher number of agents, and those conducted in High-Income Countries were associated with a higher likelihood of publication p < 0.05. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that trials enrolling more than 50 patients and employing three or more agents, along with triple and quadruple masking, had higher odds of being published (OR = 1.62; 95%CI (1.22-2.16), 1.89; 95%CI (1.10-3.27), 3.04; 95%CI (1.44-6.44), 5.62; 95%CI (1.72-18.37), and 5.41; 95%CI (1.76-16.67), p < 0.05, respectively). However, trials conducted in low-middle-income Countries had lower odds of publication (OR = 0.26; 95%CI (0.08-0.87), p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: We found that almost one-half (47.2%) of all completed urologic oncology clinical trials are not published in a PubMed-indexed journal. This non-publication rate represents a significant loss of scientific knowledge and progress. We identified several key variables including sample size.

Bibliometric analysis of focal therapy in prostate cancer research.

Introduction: The use of focal therapies for prostate cancer (PCa) has soared, as it controls disease and is associated with minimal side effects. Bibliometric analysis examines the global research landscape on any topic to identify gaps in the research and areas for improvement and prioritize future research efforts. This study aims to examine the research outputs and trends and collaboration landscape in the field of focal therapy for PCa on a global scale. Methods: We searched Medline, PubMed and Scopus for peer-reviewed publications on our research topic using controlled keywords. Search results were limited to the period between 1980 and 2022, screened for duplicates and then included in our study based on prespecified eligibility criteria. The Bibliometrix Package was used for comprehensive science mapping analysis of co-authorship, co-citation and co-occurrence analysis of countries, institutions, authors, references and keywords in this field. Results: This analysis included 2578 research articles. The annual scientific production increased from one article in 1982 to 143 in 2022 (13.21%). The average citation per year was incrementally increasing, and these documents were cited around 32.52 times. The documents included in this analysis were published in 633 sources. The international collaboration index was 22.7. In total, 6280 author keywords were identified. The most used keywords were 'prostate cancer', 'focal therapy', 'prostate' and 'photodynamic therapy'. Conclusion: This bibliometric analysis has provided a comprehensive review of focal therapy in PCa research, highlighting both the significant growth in the field and the existing gaps that require further exploration. The study points to the need for more diverse international collaboration and exploration of various treatment modalities within the context of focal therapy.

MRI-based radiomic features of the urinary bladder wall identify patients with moderate-to-severe international prostate symptom score.

BACKGROUND: The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) is a patient-reported measurement to assess the lower urinary tract symptoms of bladder outlet obstruction. Bladder outlet obstruction induces molecular and morphological alterations in the urothelium, suburothelium, detrusor smooth muscle cells, detrusor extracellular matrix, and nerves. We sought to analyze MRI-based radiomics features of the urinary bladder wall and their association with IPSS. METHOD: In this retrospective study, 87 patients who had pelvic MRI scans were identified. A biomarker discovery approach based on the optimal biomarker (OBM) method was used to extract features of the bladder wall from MR images, including morphological, intensity-based, and texture-based features, along with clinical variables. Mathematical models were created using subsets of features and evaluated based on their ability to discriminate between low and moderate-to-severe IPSS (less than 8 vs. equal to or greater than 8). RESULTS: Of the 7,666 features per patient, four highest-ranking optimal features were derived (all texture-based features), which provided a classification accuracy of 0.80 with a sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.81, 0.81, and 0.87, respectively. CONCLUSION: A highly independent set of urinary bladder wall features derived from MRI scans were able to discriminate between patients with low vs. moderate-to-severe IPSS with accuracy of 80%. Such differences in MRI-based properties of the bladder wall in patients with varying IPSS's might reflect differences in underlying molecular and morphological alterations that occur in the setting of chronic bladder outlet obstruction.

Long-term survival following adrenalectomy for secondary adrenal tumors: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Secondary adrenal tumors (SATs) are uncommon, and the benefits of adrenalectomy for SATs have not been well-established. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to assess the survival benefits of adrenalectomy for SATs. METHOD: ology: A systematic literature search was performed (1990-2022). The inclusion criteria included a known primary tumor with confirmed adrenal metastasis in patients who underwent adrenalectomy. The primary outcome was the overall survival (OS). RESULTS: A total of 26 studies were included, with 2279 patients. The average age at the time of diagnosis was 61.1 years. Lung cancer was the most common primary tumor. The average time from primary tumor diagnosis to identification of adrenal metastasis was 17 months. The median OS was 35.2 months. One, three, and five-year OS were 79.7 â€‹%, 49.1 â€‹%, and 37.9 â€‹%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results of this review provide insight into the long-term survival of patients with SATs who underwent adrenalectomy. The study highlights the need for further research to identify the risk factors that play a role in the outcome of adrenalectomy in patients with SATs.

Regional versus general anaesthesia in percutaneous nephrolithotomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Several studies have compared the safety and effectiveness of general and regional anaesthesia in percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). This study aimed to compare the perioperative and postoperative outcomes of general anaesthesia and regional anaesthesia for patients undergoing PCNL. Material and methods: For relevant articles, three electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, were searched from their inception until March 2023. A meta-analysis has been reported in line with PRISMA 2020 and AMSTAR Guidelines. The risk ratio (RR) and mean difference (MD) were applied for the comparison of dichotomous and continuous variables with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: The final cohort analysis, comprised 3871 cases of PCNL, (2154 regional anaesthesia and 1717 general anaesthesia). Compared to general anaesthesia, the regional anaesthesia group had a significantly shorter length of stay (MD = -0.34 days, 95% CI -0.56 to -0.12, p = 0.002), lower postoperative nausea and vomiting rates (RR = 0.16, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.80, p = 0.026), lower complications grade III-V rates (RR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.88, p = 0.004), and lower postoperative visual analogue pain score (VAS) at 1 hour (MD = -3.5, 95% CI -4.1 to -2.9, p <0.001). There were no significant differences in other outcomes between the two groups. Conclusions: Our results show that PCNL under regional anaesthesia is safe and feasible, with comparable results to those done under general anaesthesia. While patient selection is important, counselling and decision-making for these procedures must go hand in hand to achieve the best clinical outcome.

From Diabetes to Oncology: Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonist's Dual Role in Prostate Cancer.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), an incretin hormone renowned for its role in post-meal blood sugar regulation and glucose-dependent insulin secretion, has gained attention as a novel treatment for diabetes through GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1-RA). Despite their efficacy, concerns have been raised regarding the potential associations between GLP-1-RA and certain malignancies, including medullary thyroid cancer. However, evidence of its association with prostate cancer (PCa) remains inconclusive. This review delves into the intricate relationship between GLP-1-RA and PCa, exploring the mechanisms through which GLP-1-Rs may impact PCa cells. We discuss the potential pathways involving cAMP, ERK, AMPK, mTOR, and P27. Furthermore, we underscore the imperative for additional research to elucidate the impact of GLP-1-RA treatment on PCa progression, patient outcomes, and potential interactions with existing therapies. Translational studies and clinical trials are crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the role of GLP-1-RA in PCa management.

Gender inequality in genitourinary malignancies clinical trials leadership.

BACKGROUND: Over the past 2 decades, there has been a growing interest in the significance of gender roles in healthcare and several efforts and initiatives have focused on increasing female representation in the medical field. Clinical trials play a very important role in shaping medical practice; moreover, the leaders of clinical trials often represent the upper echelon of researchers in any designated field. Presently, there is no data regarding women's representation in urological oncology clinical trials leadership. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the extent of female representation in leading urological clinical trials. METHODOLOGY: To thoroughly examine the representation of females as principal investigators (PIs) in urological cancer clinical trials between 2000 and 2020, we conducted a comprehensive search of completed trials focused on kidney, prostate, and bladder cancer on ClinicalTrials.gov. We extracted relevant information regarding the PIs and analyzed the data using univariate analyses to identify any significant differences between male and female PIs. RESULTS: A total of 9145 cancer clinical trials were conducted over the last 2 decades, and 11.3% (n = 1033) of them were urological cancer clinical trials. We were able to obtain detailed information about the principal investigators (PI) in 79.0% (n = 816) of the clinical trials, and we found that 16.8% (n = 137) of them were led by female investigators. Upon evaluating the characteristics of the PIs, female PIs had a significantly lower median age and median total citations as compared to male PIs (55.0 vs 59.0 and 5333 vs 7902; p-value < 0.001 and 0.006, respectively). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the termination rate, publication rate, funding source, cancer type, and the subject of conducting the clinical trials between male and female PIs. CONCLUSION: Between 2000 and 2020, only 16.8% of urological cancer clinical trials were led by a female PI, perhaps reflective of a low percentage of senior female researchers in the fields of urology, oncology and radiation oncology. Universities, research institutes and funding agencies should work to improve mentorship, representation and opportunities for female investigators to encourage more involvement for female researchers in these clinical trials.

Quantification and molecular correlates of tertiary lymphoid structures in primary prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To morphologically describe tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in prostatectomy specimens and correlate them with clinical and transcriptomic features. METHODOLOGY: A total of 72 consecutive cases of entirely submitted radical prostatectomy (RP) patients tested with the Decipher Genomic Classifier were included in the study. Images were manually annotated using QuPath tools to denote tumor regions and each cluster of TLS. Clusters of lymphocytes that were surrounded on all four sides by tumor were defined as intra-tumor TLS (IT-TLS). Clusters of lymphocytes at the leading edge of carcinoma with either the prostatic pseudocapsule or benign parenchyma at one end were defined as peri-tumor TLS (PT-TLS). A classification algorithm to distinguish lymphocytes from non-lymphocytic cells using a supervised machine learning model was used. The associations between TLS formation and 265 gene expression-based signatures were examined. RESULTS: The magnitude of total TLS correlations with primary tumor gene expression signatures was moderate (~0.35-0.5) with several HLA, T-cell and B-cell Cluster signatures, showing positive correlation with various metrics for quantification of TLS. On the other hand, immune suppressive signatures (Treg, MDSC) were negatively correlated. While signatures for macrophages, NK cells and other immune cell types were uncorrelated for the most part. PT-TLS was associated with MHC signatures while IT TLS correlated with MHC and T-cell signatures. CONCLUSIONS: Clusters of inflammatory cells in the RP specimen can be divided spatially into PT TLS and IT-TLS, each with its unique molecular correlates of tumor immune microenvironment. The presence of TLS is positively correlated with MHC signatures, T- cell and B-cell cluster signatures but, negatively correlated with immune suppressive signatures. A subset of prostate cancer demonstrate a robust inflammatory response, and warrant further characterization in larger cohorts.

Understanding the Termination of Urologic Cancer Clinical Trials: Insights and Challenges.

PURPOSE: Clinical trials are valuable evidence for managing urologic malignancies. Early termination of clinical trials is associated with a waste of resources and may substantially affect patient care. We sought to study the termination rate of urologic cancer clinical trials and identify factors associated with trial termination. METHODS: A cross-sectional search of ClinicalTrials.gov identified completed and terminated kidney, prostate, and bladder cancer clinical trials started. Trials were assessed for reasons for termination. Multivariable analyses were conducted to determine the significant factors associated with the termination. RESULTS: Between 2000 and 2020, 9,145 oncology clinical trials were conducted, of which 11.30% (n = 1,033) were urologic cancer clinical trials. Of the urologic cancer clinical trials, 25.38% (n = 265) were terminated, with low patient accrual being the most common reason for termination, 52.9% (n = 127). Multivariable analysis showed that only the university funding source odds ratio (OR) of 2.20 (95% CI, 1.45 to 3.32), single-center studies OR of 2.11 (95% CI, 1.59 to 2.81), and sample size of <50 were significant predictors of clinical trial termination OR of 5.26 (95% CI, 3.85 to 7.69); all P values are <.001. CONCLUSION: The termination rate of urologic cancer clinical trials was 25%, with low accrual being the most frequently reported reason. Trials funded by a university, single-center trials, and small trials (sample size <50) were associated with early termination. A better understanding of these factors might help researchers, funding agencies, and other stakeholders prioritize resource allocations for multicenter trials that aim to recruit a sufficient number of patients.

Cerebral and Muscular Metastases From Prostate Adenocarcinoma Initially Depicted by 177 Lu-PSMA SPECT/CT.

ABSTRACT: Cerebral and muscular metastases from prostatic adenocarcinoma occur rarely. Patients who develop such metastatic pattern exhibit noticeable symptoms. Herein, we present a 68-year-old man diagnosed with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer. The patient received multiple 177 Lu-PSMA cycles. After the last cycle, a posttreatment SPECT/CT suggested disease progression with uncommon metastatic pattern in the right temporal brain lobe and muscles. 68 Ga-PSMA PET/CT and brain MRI confirmed these findings. Surprisingly, the patient remained asymptomatic up until the conclusion of the follow-up, which lasted for 3 months. This case emphasizes the importance of posttreatment scintigraphic imaging when other biomarkers are inconclusive.

Who Are the Mentors of the Future Endourologist? An Analysis of Endourological Society Program Directors.

Introduction: Surgical training programs are pivotal in shaping skilled and compassionate surgeons, with mentors playing a crucial role in instilling clinical competence and essential attributes. This study aims to describe the characteristics of the program directors of Endourological Society-accredited fellowship programs. Methodology: The Endourological Society's website was used to identify program directors. The following data points were extracted: year of graduation from medical school, year of completing residency, if they had attended fellowship training or held additional degrees such as (PhD, MS, MBA, MSc, etc.), and number of publications on Scopus. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: A total of 84 fellowship programs and 115 program directors were identified. Geographically, 77.4% (n = 65) were in North America, 8.3% (n = 7) in Asia, 8.3% (n = 7) in the Middle East, 3.6% (n = 3) in Europe, and 2.4% (n = 2) in South America. Of the 115 program directors, 94.8% were male, and only 5.2% were female. Program directors graduated medical school with a median year of 1998 (1966-2015). Eighty percent attended fellowship programs, and 19.1% held additional degrees (PhD, MS, MBA, MSc, etc.). The median number of publications was 79 (4-1963), with a median citation of 1607 (1-43,565). The median H-index was 23 (range: 1-110). Conclusion: Most program directors of Endourological Society-accredited fellowship programs are fellowship-trained and a notable number held a second degree. However, a pronounced gender disparity is observed, with limited female representation among program directors. This assessment contributes valuable insights into the urology and endourology mentorship, emphasizing the need for broader diversity and inclusivity in leadership roles.

Single-Port vs Multiport Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Several centers have reported their experience with single-port robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (SP-RAPN); however, it is uncertain if utilization of this platform represents an improvement in outcomes compared to multiport robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (MP-RAPN). To evaluate this, we performed a meta-analysis to compare the perioperative, oncological, and functional outcomes between SP-RAPN and MP-RAPN. Methods: For relevant articles, three electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, were searched from their inception until January 1, 2023. A meta-analysis has been reported in line with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 and assessing the methodological quality of systematic reviews (AMSTAR) guidelines. The odds ratio (OR) and weighted mean difference (MD) were applied for the comparison of dichotomous and continuous variables with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Of the 374 retrieved abstracts, 29 underwent full-text review, and 8 studies were included in the final analysis, comprising a total cohort of 1007 cases of RAPN (453 SP-RAPN cases and 554 MP-RAPN cases). Compared to MP-RAPN, the SP-RAPN group had a significantly longer ischemia time (MD = 4.6 minutes, 95% CI 2.8 to 6.3, p < 0.001), less estimated blood loss (MD = -12.4 mL, 95% CI -24.6 to -0.3, p = 0.045), higher blood transfusion rate (OR = 2.97, 95% CI 1.33 to 6.65, p = 0.008), and higher postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at 6 months (MD = 4.9 mL/min, 95% CI 0.2 to 9.7, p = 0.04). There was no significant difference in other outcomes between the two approaches, including the intraoperative complication, overall postoperative complication, minor postoperative complication (Clavien-Dindo I - II), major postoperative complication (Clavien-Dindo III-V), conversion to radical nephrectomy, pain score on day #1, pain score on discharge, morphine milligram equivalent usage, hospital stay, positive surgical margins, and postoperative eGFR. Conclusions: SP-RAPN represents an emerging technique using a novel platform. Initial studies have demonstrated that SP-RAPN is a safe and feasible approach to performing partial nephrectomy, although with inferior outcomes for ischemia time and blood transfusion rates. Further studies will be necessary to define the best usage of SP-RAPN within the surgeon's armamentarium.

Global Research Output of Lutetium-177 PSMA in Prostate Cancer: Bibliometric and Altmetric Analyses.

AIM: The integration of innovative radio-pharmaceutical agents targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) within nuclear medicine has transformed prostate cancer detection and management. This study aims to investigate the present landscape of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA in prostate cancer, elucidating trends, global contributions, scholarly outlets, institutions, and thematic concentrations with an aim to inform forthcoming research endeavors. METHODS: We systematically probed the Scopus repository for relevant [177Lu]Lu-PSMA literature. An assessment of bibliometric and altmetric data was carried out. Finally, we assessed the correlation between the altmetric attention scores and the number of citations for the retrieved data. RESULTS: Spanning January 2015 to July 2023, the study encompassed 466 articles concerning [177Lu]Lu-PSMA therapy for prostate cancer. Predominant citation accolades gravitated towards metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer investigations and assessments of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA therapy's safety and efficacy. Further research encompassed adverse effects linked to [177Lu]Lu-PSMA intervention, including xerostomia, thrombocytopenia, anemia, and fatigue. Germany emerged as the primary academic contributor, with The Journal of Nuclear Medicine dominating publications (n = 55). A moderate significant correlation was detected between the number of citations and altmetric attention scores . CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the growing interest and advancements in the utilization of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA therapy in prostate cancer and offer a comprehensive global perspective on future research directions.

Assessing Decision Regret in Patients with Same-Day Discharge Pathway After Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy.

Introduction: After the introduction of same-day discharge (SDD) pathways for various surgeries, these pathways have demonstrated comparable complication rates and a reduced overall cost of care. Outpatient robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is introduced in high-volume centers; however, patients' perspectives on the SDD RARP protocol are not well understood. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire consisting of 24 questions, including the Likert Decisional Regret Scale, was distributed to patients who underwent RARP at our center. The overall decision regret score was calculated as described in the literature. We used 15 as a cutoff point for differentiating between high- and low-regret rates. Median and interquartile range were determined for non-normally distributed variables, while mean ± standard deviation was calculated for continuous data. Results: Of the 72 patients who completed the questionnaire, 65.7% (n = 44) of patients felt no regret about their decision of choosing the SDD RARP protocol and 90.3% (n = 65) of men stated that they would have made the same decision. At the same time, 97.1% (n = 68) of patients would also recommend this procedure to others. The median decisional regret score of the cohort (n = 67) was 0 (0-10). Fifty-four of 67 (80.6%) patients were in the low-regret score group, while 13 (19.4%) were in the high-regret group. Patients in the high-regret group were more likely to have low household income (<$30,000 a year) and they experienced postoperative pain more frequently compared with patients in the lower regret group (7.7% vs 1.9%, p = 0.626, and 61.5% vs 38.9%, p = 0.212, respectively). Conclusions: Most patients expressed low regret about choosing the SDD pathway for RARP, underscoring the importance of thorough explanation of the procedure and discharge process to enhance patient experience. However, a subset of patients did express regret, possibly due to an interplay of patient- and procedure-related factors.

MRI-Based Radiomics Analysis of Levator Ani Muscle for Predicting Urine Incontinence after Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy.

BACKGROUND: The exact role of the levator ani (LA) muscle in male continence remains unclear, and so this study aims to shed light on the topic by characterizing MRI-derived radiomic features of LA muscle and their association with postoperative incontinence in men undergoing prostatectomy. METHOD: In this retrospective study, 140 patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) for prostate cancer using preoperative MRI were identified. A biomarker discovery approach based on the optimal biomarker (OBM) method was used to extract features from MRI images, including morphological, intensity-based, and texture-based features of the LA muscle, along with clinical variables. Mathematical models were created using subsets of features and were evaluated based on their ability to predict continence outcomes. RESULTS: Univariate analysis showed that the best discriminators between continent and incontinent patients were patients age and features related to LA muscle texture. The proposed feature selection approach found that the best classifier used six features: age, LA muscle texture properties, and the ratio between LA size descriptors. This configuration produced a classification accuracy of 0.84 with a sensitivity of 0.90, specificity of 0.75, and an area under the ROC curve of 0.89. CONCLUSION: This study found that certain patient factors, such as increased age and specific texture properties of the LA muscle, can increase the odds of incontinence after RARP. The results showed that the proposed approach was highly effective and could distinguish and predict continents from incontinent patients with high accuracy.

Periprostatic Adipose Tissue MRI Radiomics-Derived Features Associated with Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer.

Background: Altered systemic and cellular lipid metabolism plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer (PCa). In this study, we aimed to characterize T1-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived radiomic parameters of periprostatic adipose tissue (PPAT) associated with clinically significant PCa (Gleason score ≥7 [3 + 4]) in a cohort of men who underwent robot-assisted prostatectomy. Methods: Preoperative MRI scans of 98 patients were identified. The volume of interest was defined by identifying an annular shell-like region on each MRI slice to include all surgically resectable visceral adipose tissue. An optimal biomarker method was used to identify features from 7631 intensity- and texture-based properties that maximized the classification of patients into clinically significant PCa and indolent tumors at the final pathology analysis. Results: Six highest ranked optimal features were derived, which demonstrated a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of association with the presence of clinically significant PCa, and area under a receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.95, 0.39 0.82, and 0.82, respectively. Conclusion: A highly independent set of PPAT features derived from MRI scans that predict patients with clinically significant PCa was developed and tested. With future external validation, these features may provide a more precise scientific basis for deciding to omit biopsies in patients with borderline prostate-specific antigen kinetics and multiparametric MRI readings and help in the decision of enrolling patients into active surveillance.

Quality and reliability of YouTube videos in Arabic as a source of patient information on prostate cancer.

Background: Prostate cancer remains a major public health challenge in the Arab world with few population-based screening programmes, a high incidence of advanced disease at diagnosis, and limited patient access to sub-specialist care. A large number of patients diagnosed with prostate cancer use the (World Wide Web) internet to learn more about the disease and treatment options; however, material in the Arabic language is scarce. This study aims to objectively assess the quality and reliability of the information on YouTube™, which is the most globally used video platform, pertaining to prostate cancer videos published in Arabic. Methods: A total of 100 videos were identified by searching specific keywords in Arabic (Prostate cancer, prostate cancer treatment and prostate). Retrieved videos were analysed and categorised into four groups according to content as useful, misleading, personal experience, or irrelevant. Useful videos were assessed using the global quality scale (GQS) as a validated measure of quality, which is graded on a 5-point Likert scale, with 1 representing poor quality and 5 representing excellent quality. The modified DISCERN tool was used as a measure of reliability. The tool has a potential total score of 5 points, with higher scores indicating higher reliability. Results: Most of the speakers in these videos identified themselves as health workers (77%). Only 8% of the videos sources were hospital or medical organisations. Of the 100 retrieved videos, 86% were found to have useful content, while 14% were found to be misleading or irrelevant. The median GQS score of the useful videos was 4 (IQR: 4-5), while the median modified DISCERN tool was 4 (IQR: 3-4). Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first in-depth study to objectively assess the quality and reliability of information pertaining to prostate cancer in the Arabic language on YouTube™. More efforts are needed to improve the quality of prostate cancer educational materials and videos in the Arabic language on YouTube™. Patient focus groups are planned as the next step to address the information gap for patients with prostate cancer in the Arabic language.