The IDENTIFY study: the investigation and detection of urological neoplasia in patients referred with suspected urinary tract cancer - a multicentre observational study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the contemporary prevalence of urinary tract cancer (bladder cancer, upper tract urothelial cancer [UTUC] and renal cancer) in patients referred to secondary care with haematuria, adjusted for established patient risk markers and geographical variation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was an international multicentre prospective observational study. We included patients aged ≥16 years, referred to secondary care with suspected urinary tract cancer. Patients with a known or previous urological malignancy were excluded. We estimated the prevalence of bladder cancer, UTUC, renal cancer and prostate cancer; stratified by age, type of haematuria, sex, and smoking. We used a multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression to adjust cancer prevalence for age, type of haematuria, sex, smoking, hospitals, and countries. RESULTS: Of the 11 059 patients assessed for eligibility, 10 896 were included from 110 hospitals across 26 countries. The overall adjusted cancer prevalence (n = 2257) was 28.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 22.3-34.1), bladder cancer (n = 1951) 24.7% (95% CI 19.1-30.2), UTUC (n = 128) 1.14% (95% CI 0.77-1.52), renal cancer (n = 107) 1.05% (95% CI 0.80-1.29), and prostate cancer (n = 124) 1.75% (95% CI 1.32-2.18). The odds ratios for patient risk markers in the model for all cancers were: age 1.04 (95% CI 1.03-1.05; P < 0.001), visible haematuria 3.47 (95% CI 2.90-4.15; P < 0.001), male sex 1.30 (95% CI 1.14-1.50; P < 0.001), and smoking 2.70 (95% CI 2.30-3.18; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A better understanding of cancer prevalence across an international population is required to inform clinical guidelines. We are the first to report urinary tract cancer prevalence across an international population in patients referred to secondary care, adjusted for patient risk markers and geographical variation. Bladder cancer was the most prevalent disease. Visible haematuria was the strongest predictor for urinary tract cancer.

Autonomous robots: a new reality in healthcare? A project by European Association of Urology-Young Academic Urologist group.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Artificial intelligence appears as a potential revolution in the general process of medical training, disease diagnosis and treatment. A novel disruptive technology of the 21st century will be 'learner' robots from artificial intelligence systems able to use all the combination of the available knowledge in medical repositories to give the best standard of care. RECENT FINDINGS: The autonomy level of robots depends on three factors: the complexity of the task; the environment in which the robot operates, and the required level of human-robot interaction. Autonomous robots in healthcare may be classified in delivery, nurse, and surgical robots. The increasing capability of robots to perform independent actions and complex tasks raises responsibility and accountability issues in a wide variety of application domains. Ethical analyses of these issues are underway and are mostly oriented toward the development of ethical policies requiring a law frame on robotic autonomous behaviors. SUMMARY: Autonomous robots have the potential to improve current medical practice offering a more secure, reliable, and reproducible medicine. Many advancements are required for these new technologies to be fully integrated. Furthermore, the ethical implications of these technologies are yet to be evaluated.

Penile length and circumference dimensions: A large study in young Italian men.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the size of the penis in flaccidity and in erection of Italian men. A total of 4,685 men living in Italy and who have been visited at the Italian urology operating units were involved in the study between January 2019 and January 2020. Each patient was given details on how to measure their penis (erect length and circumference) in flaccidity and in erection, from the lower base to the distal penile tip. Mean (standard deviation [SD]) flaccid penis length was 9.47 (2.69), mean (SD) flaccid penis circumference was 9.59 (3.08), mean (SD) erect penis length was 16.78 (2.55) and mean (SD) erect penis circumference was 12.03 (3.82). At the linear regression analysis, height was associated with flaccid penis length (ß = 0.04; p-value = .01), and erect penis length was (ß = 0.05; p-value < .01) and erect penis circumference was (ß = 0.06; p-value < .01). Height is proportional to the length of the penis in flaccidity and in erection, and to the circumference in erection. The increase in BMI leads to a reduction in the length of the erect penis, as well as weight gain reduces the length of the flaccid penis.

Prostate Mapping for Cancer Diagnosis: The Madrid Protocol. Transperineal Prostate Biopsies Using Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging Fusion and Micro-Ultrasound Guided Biopsies.

PURPOSE: We assessed the prostate cancer detection accuracy of transperineal prostate biopsy using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging/ultrasound fusion targeted biopsy and micro-ultrasound during the same procedure. Micro-ultrasound is a new high-resolution imaging system that allows real-time targeted biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 194 consecutive patients underwent transperineal prostate biopsies using real-time targeted micro-ultrasound (ExactVu™) and ultrasound fusion targeted biopsy (BiopSee®) in the same procedure, from February 2018 to September 2019. Biopsies were performed using a transperineal needle guide attached to the 29 MHz high-resolution micro-ultrasound transducer. RESULTS: The overall positive rate was 56% (108) for prostate cancer and 42% (81) for clinically significant prostate cancer (Gleason Grade Group greater than 1), and adding micro-ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging detected significantly more clinically significant prostate cancer than systematic biopsy (p <0.001). Micro-ultrasound found 12 of 108 (11%) prostate cancers that were missed by all other techniques and 11 (92%) were clinically significant prostate cancer. PI-RADS® and PRI-MUS™ (Prostate Risk Identification Using Micro-Ultrasound) were strong predictors of clinically significant prostate cancer in a logistic regression model (AUC 0.76). For prostate specific antigen greater than 4 ng/ml, PI-RADS greater than 3, there was an improvement in detection rate between PRI-MUS 4 and PRI-MUS 5 (52% Gleason Grade Group greater than 1 to 92% Gleason Grade Group greater than 1). No fever or clinical infection was observed and 17 (8.7%) patients presented with minor complications (Clavien Dindo I). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study using a transperineal approach for micro-ultrasound guided biopsy and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging fusion biopsy. The results show a high accuracy for prostate cancer and clinically significant prostate cancer diagnosis, without infectious complications. The proposed method should be validated in large randomized clinical trials.

Current status of urology surgical training in Europe: an ESRU-ESU-ESUT collaborative study.

PURPOSE: To determine the current status of surgical training amongst European Urology Residents, including their satisfaction with training and their confidence in performing procedures. METHODS: A 23-item survey was distributed to the 15th European Urology Residents Education Programme (EUREP) 2017 participants. An analysis of demographics, workload, training resources, surgical exposure, surgical caseload, satisfaction and confidence in performing each procedure was performed. RESULTS: A total of 152/350 participants completed the survey (response rate 43%), of which 14% think they perform enough surgeries during their training, and 83% would like to continue training with a fellowship. Confidence in performing procedures without supervision and satisfaction with training was associated with higher surgical caseloads. Confidence in all laparoscopic/robotic procedures (except for laparoscopic/robotic partial nephrectomy) was associated with laparoscopic and robotics training, participation in practical courses and having training resources in hospitals. Satisfaction with surgical training was statistically associated with working ≤  50 h per week, laparoscopic training and having laparoscopic training boxes. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical exposure of European Urology residents for major/minimally invasive procedures, confidence in performing these procedures, and overall satisfaction with training is low. A higher volume of cases, as well as resources for training are associated with higher individual confidence and satisfaction with training.

Gonadal function protects against organ culture-induced vascular damage. Involvement of prostanoids.

Androgen deprivation induces vascular dysfunction in which altered release and action of prostanoids has been extensively studied. On the other hand, the vascular organ-culture system has been reported as a valid model for phenotypic changes that occur in several cardiovascular pathologies. Since there are no studies analyzing the impact of androgenic loss on vascular vulnerability during induced vascular damage, the objective of this study was to analyze the possible preventive role of male sex hormones on the organ culture-induced vascular damage in rat aorta. The link to possible changes in gross structure was also analyzed. For this purpose, fresh and 20 h-cultured aortic arterial segments from intact and orchidectomized rats were used to analyze: (i) the release and vasomotor effect of the thromboxane A2 (TXA2), prostaglandin (PG) E2, PGF2α and PGI2; (ii) the vasodilator response induced by acetylcholine (ACh) as well as the involvement of prostanoids, in particular TXA2, in the ACh-induced response; (iii) the effect of activation of thromboxane/prostaglandin (TP) receptors on the ACh-induced response; and (iv) the vascular structure. The results showed that organ culture: i) increased production of prostanoids; ii) increased prostanoids-induced vasomotor responses; iii) decreased ACh-induced relaxation after incubation with indomethacin, a blocker of cyclooxygenases; iv) increased the ACh-induced relaxation after incubation with the TXA2 synthase inhibitor, furegrelate, more in arteries from orchidectomized rats than in those of intact rats; v) diminished ACh-induced relaxation after U-46619 incubation only in arteries from orchidectomized rats; and vi) preserved the integrity of the different vascular layers. These results showed the protective role of male sex hormones against the induced vascular damage, since a decreased deleterious effect of prostanoids, in particular that of TXA2, was observed in arteries from rats with intact gonadal function.

Telemedicine Usage Among Urologists During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, urology was one of the specialties with the lowest rates of telemedicine and videoconferencing use. Common barriers to the implementation of telemedicine included a lack of technological literacy, concerns with reimbursement, and resistance to changes in the workplace. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic declared in March 2020, the delivery of urological services globally has quickly shifted to telemedicine to account for the mass clinical, procedural, and operative cancellations, inadequate personal protective equipment, and shortage of personnel. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate current telemedicine usage by urologists, urologists' perceptions on the necessity of in-person clinic appointments, the usability of telemedicine, and the current barriers to its implementation. METHODS: We conducted a global, cross-sectional, web-based survey to investigate the use of telemedicine before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Urologists' perceived usability of telemedicine was assessed using a modified Delphi approach to create questions based on a modified version of the validated Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ). For the purposes of this study, telemedicine was defined as video calls only. RESULTS: A total of 620 urologists from 58 different countries and 6 continents participated in the survey. Prior to COVID-19, 15.8% (n=98) of urologists surveyed were using telemedicine in their clinical practices; during the pandemic, that proportion increased to 46.1% (n=283). Of the urologists without telemedicine experience, interest in telemedicine usage increased from 43.7% (n=139) to 80.8% (n=257) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among urologists that used telemedicine during the pandemic, 80.9% (n=244) were interested in continuing to use it in their practice. The three most commonly used platforms were Zoom, Doxy.me, and Epic, and the top three barriers to implementing telemedicine were patients' lack of technological comprehension, patients' lack of access to the required technology, and reimbursement concerns. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to quantify the use, usability, and pervading interest in telemedicine among urologists during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the face of this pandemic, urologists' usage of telemedicine nearly tripled, demonstrating their ability to adopt and adapt telemedicine into their practices, but barriers involving the technology itself are still preventing many from utilizing it despite increasing interest.

A systematic review of irreversible electroporation in localised prostate cancer treatment.

Irreversible electroporation is a treatment option used for focal therapy. In this systematic review, we summarise data on irreversible electroporation outcomes in patients with localised prostate cancer. We performed a literature search in 3 databases and included articles with own data on irreversible electroporation results in patients with localised prostate cancer. Primary outcome was procedure efficacy measured as the absence of cancer in the treatment area on the follow-up biopsy. Secondary outcomes were the absence of prostate cancer recurrence in the treatment area on MRI, out-of-field recurrence, complications and functional outcomes (erectile function and micturition). In-field recurrence rate was 0%-39% and out-field 6.4%-24%. In all studies, PSA level decreased: twice lower than baseline after 4 weeks and by 76% after 2 years. Most of the authors noted sexual and urinary toxicity during the first half year after surgery. However, functional outcomes recovered to baseline after 6 months with mild decrease in sexual function. Complication rates after irreversible electroporation were 0%-1% of Clavien-Dindo III and 5%-20% of Clavien-Dindo I-II. Irreversible electroporation has promise oncological outcomes, rate of post-operative complications and minimal-to-no effects on erectile and urinary function. However, medium and long-term data on cancer-specific and recurrence-free survival are still lacking.

Challenging Diagnosis of a Solitary Retroperitoneal Mass: A Case Report of Castleman's Disease and Review of the Literature.

Castleman's disease (CD) is an uncommon type of lymphoproliferative disorder. Its etiology and prevalence are unclear. The retroperitoneum is a very rare site for presentation of the unicentric variant, where it mimics malignant tumors. A 59-year-old man is referred to the urology outpatient clinic for the study of microhematuria found in a routine analysis. CT scan of the abdomen identified a solid, circumscribed mass, measuring 28 × 30 × 31 mm in the left para-aortic zone, with homogeneous contrast enhancement. Excisional surgery and regional lymphadenectomy were performed via laparoscopy. Postoperative course concurred without incidences. Histological diagnosis confirmed unicentric CD, hyaline-vascular type. CD is a rare entity, and the unicentric type presents as an asymptomatic mass. Retroperitoneum is a rare localization, where initial imaging diagnosis is unclear and surgical resection is the preferred treatment.