Clinical Implementation and Initial Validation of Respiratory-Gated Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Thoracoabdominal Tumors Under Abdominal Compression Using an Anzai Laser-Based Gating Device With Visual Guidance on an Elekta Linear Accelerator.

We have clinically implemented gated stereotactic body radiotherapy under abdominal compression using an Anzai laser-based gating device with visual guidance in combination with an Elekta linear accelerator. To ensure accuracy, we configured the gating window for each patient by correlating the respiratory curve from the laser sensor and the tumor positions from the 4D computed tomography (CT) images reconstructed with the aid of the respiratory curve. This allowed us to define a patient-specific gating window to keep the tumor displacement below 5 mm from the end-expiration, assuming the reproducibility of the tumor trajectories and the laser-based body surface measurements. Results are summarized as follows: 1) A patient-specific gating window internal target volume (ITV) with a prespecified maximum tumor displacement relative to the end-expiration was obtained by acquiring a 4D CT consisting of 20 phase CT sets and a respiratory curve from the Anzai system. 2) Respiratory hysteresis was managed by setting two different thresholds on the respiratory curve based on the predetermined maximum tumor displacement relative to end-expiration. 3) Abdominal compression increased gating window width, thereby presumably leading to faster gated-beam delivery. 4) Gamma index pass rates in sliding-window gated intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) were superior to those in gated volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). 5) Intrafraction gated cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) demonstrated that the tumor appeared to remain within the gating window ITV during the stereotactic gated sliding-window IMRT. In conclusion, we have successfully implemented gated stereotactic body radiotherapy at our clinic and achieved a favorable clinical validation result. More cases need to be evaluated to increase the validity.

Predictors of postoperative storage symptoms in male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms: A retrospective analysis of prostate surgery for benign prostatic enlargement.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the effects of prostate surgery on storage symptoms in male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) from benign prostatic enlargement (BPE). This study aimed to identify patient characteristics associated with improved, unchanged, and deteriorated post-surgical storage symptoms and to identify the risk factors for non-improvement or deterioration. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 586 prostate surgeries performed between 2016 and 2022 at Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital was conducted on patients with LUTS and at least one storage symptom preoperatively. Patients with active urinary tract infection, prostate/bladder cancer, urethral strictures, or dementia were excluded. The study enrolled 230 patients and assessed storage symptoms using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). RESULTS: Overall, storage symptoms improved, remained unchanged, and deteriorated in 87.0%, 5.7%, and 7.4% of patients, respectively. The patients in the deteriorated group were significantly older, whereas those in the no-change group had smaller prostate volumes. Patient-reported outcome scores (IPSS, IPSS-QoL, and BII) were significantly higher in the improved group. The predictors of non-improvement included low IPSS storage score, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes mellitus. Predictors of deterioration included advanced age and low IPSS storage score. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with severe LUTS showed greater postoperative improvement in storage symptoms. A low IPSS storage score predicted non-improvement and deterioration. Advanced age, low IPSS storage score, and a history of cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus were identified as key predictors. Awareness of these factors may guide preoperative counseling and improve decision-making in prostate surgery, ensuring more personalized and effective treatment strategies.

Predictive factors for the success of trial without catheter for men with urinary retention.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the trial of spontaneous urination without catheter (TWOC) outcomes for men with acute urinary retention, determine successful TWOC predictors, and evaluate the impact of add-on medication therapy on TWOC. METHODS: This retrospective study included men with acute urinary retention and post-void residual (PVR) >250 mL who underwent TWOC between July 2009 and July 2019. Patients were divided into a medicated group who received alpha1 blocker on urinary retention diagnosis and a naïve group who did not. The trial was defined as unsuccessful if the PVR was >150 mL or if the patient experienced difficulty emptying their bladder with abdominal discomfort or pain, and a transurethral catheter was reinserted. RESULTS: Among 576 men with urinary retention, 269 (46.7%) constituted the medicated group and 307 (53.3%) the naïve. The naïve group comprised more elderly patients (P = 0.010) with higher Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (PS) (P = 0.001) and smaller prostate volume (P = 0.028) than the other. In the medicated group, 153 men received additional oral medication before TWOC to increase the success rate. There were significant age differences (P = 0.041) in the medicated group and significant median PS differences (P = 0.010) in the naïve group between the successful and unsuccessful outcomes of TWOC. The multivariate logistic regression model demonstrated that age <80 years in medicated patients (P = 0.042, odds ratio [OR] 1.701) and PS <2 in naïve patients (P = 0.001, OR 2.710) were significant independent predictors of successful TWOC outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study classifying patients with urinary retention according to medication status. Both medicated and naïve groups had different patient backgrounds and TWOC outcome predictors, suggesting a discrepant etiology behind urinary retention. Hence, acute urinary retention management in men should vary based on medication status for male lower urinary tract symptoms when urinary retention is diagnosed.

Predictive factors for the success of trial catheter removal for women with urinary retention.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the outcome, determine the predictors for the success of, and evaluate the efficacy of pharmacokinetic therapy on trial catheter removal for women with urinary retention. METHODS: Inclusion criteria were female patients with acute urinary retention defined as painful, palpable, or percussive bladder, when the patient is unable to pass any urine, accompanied by postvoid residual (PVR) > 250 ml, and who underwent trial catheter removal between July 2009 and July 2019. Before trial catheter removal, alpha-blockers alone or alpha-blockers and parasympathomimetics (bethanechol or distigmine bromide) were used to facilitate spontaneous voiding in some cases. RESULTS: Fifty-nine of 104 (56.7%) women with urinary retention were catheter-free post trial. There was no significant difference between successful and non-successful trials in average age (p = .392), median ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) performance status (p = .374), diabetes mellitus (p = .842), dementia (p = .801), previous history of cerebrovascular events (p = .592), or intrapelvic surgery (p = .800). Oral medications were administered for 39/59 (66.1%) in the success group and 30/45 (66.7%) patients in the non-success groups (p = .598). Serum albumin (3.2 ± 0.7 g/dl and 2.8 ± 0.8 g/dl, p = .039) and total protein values (6.5 ± 0.8 g/dl and 6.0 ± 1.0 g/dl, p = .038) at diagnosis of urinary retention were higher in the success group than the non-success group, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression found that a serum albumin >3 g/dl was an independent predictor of successful trial catheter removal for women with urinary retention (p = .030, odds ratio [OR] 3.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] of OR 1.1-9.9). Age < 70 years old was a likely predictor of successful trial catheter removal (p = .066, OR 4.8, 95% CI of OR 0.9-25.0). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first retrospective study to investigate the predictive factors for successful trial catheter removal in women with urinary retention. A serum albumin value >3 mg/dl at diagnosis of urinary retention was a significant independent predictor of catheter-free status after trial catheter removal, and age < 70 years-old was a possible contributor. There was no evidence that oral medication contributed to catheter-free status.

Short-term efficacy and safety of second generation bipolar transurethral vaporization of the prostate (B-TUVP) for large benign prostate enlargement: Results from a retrospective feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the efficacy and safety of a second-generation bipolar transurethral electro vaporization of the prostate (B-TUVP) with the new oval-shaped electrode for large benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) with prostate volume (PV) ≥100ml. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 100 patients who underwent second-generation B-TUVP with the oval-shaped electrode for male lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS) or urinary retention between July 2018 and July 2020 were enrolled in this study. The patients' characteristics and treatment outcome were retrospectively compared between patients with PV <100ml and ≥100ml. RESULTS: 17/41 (41.5%) cases of PV ≥100ml and 24/59 cases (40.7%) of PV <100ml were catheterised due to urinary retention. The duration of post-operative catheter placement and hospital-stay of PV ≥100ml (3.1±1.3 and 5.6±2.3 days) were not different from PV <100ml (2.7±1.2 and 5.0±2.4 days). In uncatheterised patients (N = 59), post-void residual urine volume (PVR) significantly decreased after surgery in both groups, however, maximum uroflow rate (Qmax) significantly increased after surgery only in PV <100ml but not in PV ≥100ml. Voiding symptoms and patients' QoL derived from International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), IPSS-QoL (IPSS Quality of Life Index) and BPH Impact Index (BII) scores, significantly improved after B-TUVP in both groups. Catheter free status after final B-TUVP among patients with preoperative urinary retention was achieved in 18/24 (75.0%) and 14/17 (82.1%) cases in patient with <100ml and ≥100ml, respectively. There was no significant difference in post-operative Hb after B-TUVP, which was 97.0±5.4% of baseline for PV <100ml and 96.9±6.1% for PV ≥100ml and no TUR syndrome was observed. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study investigating short-term efficacy and safety of second-generation B-TUVP with the oval-shaped electrode on large BPE. B-TUVP appears to be effective and safe for treating moderate-to-severe lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary retention in patients with large BPE.