Saline cleansing can prevent infective complications after transrectal prostate biopsy: A randomized prospective study.

PURPOSE: To discern whether reduced infection rates were attributed to antiseptic solutions or mechanical rectal irrigation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: After receiving ethical approval, the study included patients who underwent transrectal prostate biopsy due to elevated PSA or abnormal digital rectal examination findings, and prostate cancer under active surveillance, at Tepecik Training and Research Hospital between April 2022 and June 2023. Standard antibiotic prophylaxis was administered. Patients were randomized into three equal groups according to the rectal irrigation strategy. RESULTS: Overall complications occurred in 4%. Despite distinct cleaning agents, there was no significant difference in infection rates (p = 0.780) or fever incidence (p = 0.776). Pathological analyses revealed comparable outcomes (p = 0.764). CONCLUSION: The study challenges the prevailing belief that antiseptic solutions are indispensable for infection prevention, as saline demonstrated similar efficacy. Limitations include data gaps from potential external hospital visits and absent rectal microorganism swab culture. While TRUS-PB remains the gold standard, this study suggests that mechanically cleansing the rectal mucosa with saline-a cost-effective, side-effect-free alternative-may be a viable infection prevention method, particularly beneficial for patients with antiseptic allergies. The findings prompt a reconsideration of the necessity of antiseptic solutions in TRUS-PB, offering an alternative approach to mitigate infectious complications.

Oncological Outcomes of Chromophobe Versus Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: Results from A Contemporary Turkish Patient Cohort.

PURPOSE: To compare the oncological outcomes of clear cell RCC (ccRCC), which is common in renal cell carcinomas (RCC), and chromophobic RCC (chRCC), which is less common, and to define the factors affecting survival in the Turkish patient population for both RCC subclassifications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with a pathologically confirmed RCC diagnosis after radical or partial nephrectomy in the Turkish Urooncology Association (TUOA), Urological Cancers Database-Kidney (UroCaD-K), were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with ccRCC and chRCC were included in the study. Primary outcomes of this study are recurrence-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) for each histological subtype. RESULTS: Data from 5300 patients in the TUOA UroCaD-K are reviewed and a total of 2560 patients (2225 in the ccRCC group and 335 in the chRCC group) are included in the final analysis. In the comparison of the groups, tumor size was greater both radiologically and pathologically in chRCC (p=0.019 vs 0.002 respectively). Recurrence-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) rates are worse in ccRCC subgroup. In the evaluation of risk factors; pathological stage, local invasion and Fuhrmann grade were found to be significant for recurrence in ccRCC. Age, body mass index and pathological stage were the risk factors affecting overall mortality (OM). Pathological tumor size was an independent risk factor for recurrence in chRCC, while age was analyzed as the only parameter affecting OM. CONCLUSION: chRCC oncological data and OS, CSS and RFS rates were found to be better than ccRCC in the Turkish patient population.

Predictors of Metastasis in 68GA-Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen Pet-CT in the Primary Staging of Prostate Cancer.

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate factors influencing Gallium 68 Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen Positron Emission Tomography (Ga68 PSMA PET-CT) uptake for primary staging in prostate cancer. Methods: Retrospective analysis was conducted on 499 non-metastatic and 243 de novo metastatic prostate cancer cases undergoing Ga68 PSMA PET-CT. Demographic, clinical, and imaging data were collected and analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression determined independent risk factors for metastasis detection on Ga68 PSMA PET-CT. Results: Metastatic cases showed higher levels of total PSA, PSA density (dPSA) and biopsy ISUP grade group compared to non-metastatic cases. Multivariate analysis identified cT2 stage and dPSA as independent predictors of metastasis detection on Ga68 PSMA PET-CT. Conclusions: Ga68 PSMA PET-CT plays a crucial role in prostate cancer staging, with identified factors such as clinical T stage and dPSA significantly impacting its diagnostic accuracy. These findings underscore the importance of Ga68 PSMA PET-CT in refining clinical staging and guiding treatment decisions for prostate cancer patients.

Comparison of Monopolar Versus Bipolar Repeat Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumours.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of monopolar and bipolar energy sources on efficacy of both techniques and possible complications in bladder cancer patients undergoing repeat Transurethral resection of bladder tumour (re-TURBT). STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of the Study: University of Health Science, Izmir Bozyaka Research and Training Hospital, Turkiye, from 2019 to 2021. METHODOLOGY: Patients undergoing re-TURBT were inducted. Patients with residual tumour at initial TURBT, recurrent bladder cancer and patients with a non-urothelial pathology report in initial TURBT were excluded. The primary outcome was the complication ratio of the TURBT which were obturator reflex, bladder wall perforation, coagulum retention, fever, and TUR syndrome. The secondary outcome was the efficacy of the TURBT procedure, such as complete tumour resection, adequate sampling of deep muscle tissue, and sampling of qualified tissues without any thermal damage. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-three patients were enrolled; 75 patients in re-M-TURBT group and 48 patients in re-B-TURBT group were analysed. Demographic and tumour characteristics, and complication rates according to the Clavien classification, were similar between the two groups (p = 0.302). The catheterisation time was shorter significantly in the bipolar re-TURBT group (median 4 vs. 3 days, respectively, p = 0.025). CONCLUSION: Monopolar and Bipolar energy sources are techniques that can be used safely in re-TURBT in terms of both appropriate pathology sampling (adequate muscle tissue sampling, cautery artifact) and complication (obturator reflex, hyponatraemia, haemoglobin decrease, bleeding) rates. KEY WORDS: Bladder Cancer, Monopolar, Bipolar, TURBT, Obtrator reflex, Complications.

Oncological outcomes of papillary versus clear cell renal cell carcinoma in pT1 and pT2 stage: Results from a contemporary Turkish patient cohort.

OBJECTIVES: To compare overall survival (OS), recurrence free survival (RFS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in the long-term follow-up of T1 and T2 clear-cell-Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC) and papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma (pRCC) patients, as well as to determine the risk factors for recurrence and overall mortality. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Data of patients with kidney tumors obtained from the Urologic Cancer Database - Kidney (UroCaD-K) of Turkish Urooncology Association (TUOA) were evaluated retrospectively. Out of them, patients who had pathological T1-T2 ccRCC and pRCC were included in the study. According to the two histological subtype, recurrence and mortality status, RFS, OS and CSS data were analyzed. RESULTS: RFS, OS and CSS of pRCC and ccRCC were found to be similar. Radiological local invasion was shown to be a risk factor for recurrence in pRCC, and age was the only independent factor affecting overall mortality. CONCLUSIONS: There were no differences in survivals (RFS, OS and CSS) of patients with localized papillary and clear cell RCC. While age was the only factor affecting overall mortality, radiological local invasion was a risk factor for recurrence in papillary RCC.

Laparoscopic surgery experience does not influence oncological and functional results of robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Surgery is one of the treatment alternatives for prostate cancer, and robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) has become the new trend in the past decade. There is no consensus yet for surgeons who will perform RALP whether they need to be trained or experienced in laparoscopy. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the surgeon's laparoscopy experience in the perioperative and postoperative results of RALP patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Patients who underwent RALP were retrospectively screened. The first 20 cases done by surgeons in both groups and 40 cases in total were included in the study. Surgeons with laparoscopy training were designated as group 1, and surgeons without laparoscopy training were designated as group 2. Patient's age, preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value, prostate biopsy pathology, radical prostatectomy pathology, surgical margin positivity, extracapsular extension, and seminal vesicle invasion status, blood transfusion rate, operation time, length of hospital stay, and 1-year follow-up potency and urinary incontinence rates were compared. RESULTS: There was no difference between the two groups in terms of age, preoperative PSA, preoperative biopsy results, blood transfusion rates, operation times, and the length of hospital stay of the patients. When the postoperative oncological and functional results of the patients were examined, there was no difference between the two groups in the prostatectomy pathology (p = 0.895), extracapsular extension (pT3a) (p = 0.519), positive surgical margin (pSM) (p = 0.723), and seminal vesicle invasion (pT3b) (p = 0.756). Potency and urinary incontinence rates were similar in both groups at the end of one year follow-up (p = 0.327, 0.500 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Based on our study, it is clearly seen that regardless of the surgeon's experience of laparoscopy, it can be safely preferred when looking at the oncological and functional results of RALP.

Could urinary kidney injury molecule-1 be a good marker in subclinical acute kidney injury in mild to moderate COVID-19 infection?

PURPOSE: To evaluate urinary kidney injury molecule-1 (uKIM-1), which is a proximal tubule injury biomarker in subclinical acute kidney injury (AKI) that may occur in COVID-19 infection. METHODS: The study included proteinuric (n = 30) and non-proteinuric (n = 30) patients diagnosed with mild/moderate COVID-19 infection between March and September 2020 and healthy individuals as a control group (n = 20). The uKIM-1, serum creatinine, cystatin C, spot urine protein, creatinine, and albumin levels of the patients were evaluated again after an average of 21 days. RESULTS: The median (interquartile range) uKIM-1 level at the time of presentation was 246 (141-347) pg/mL in the proteinuric group, 83 (29-217) pg/mL in the non-proteinuric group, and 55 (21-123) pg/mL in the control group and significantly high in the proteinuric group than the others (p < 0.001). Creatinine and cystatin C were significantly higher in the proteinuric group than in the group without proteinuria, but none of the patients met the KDIGO-AKI criteria. uKIM-1 had a positive correlation with PCR, non-albumin proteinuria, creatinine, cystatin C, CRP, fibrinogen, LDH, and ferritin, and a negative correlation with eGFR and albumin (p < 0.05). In the multivariate regression analysis, non-albumin proteinuria (p = 0.048) and BUN (p = 0.034) were identified as independent factors predicting a high uKIM-1 level. After 21 ± 4 days, proteinuria regressed to normal levels in 20 (67%) patients in the proteinuric group. In addition, the uKIM-1 level, albuminuria, non-albumin proteinuria, and CRP significantly decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support that the kidney is one of the target organs of the COVID-19 and it may cause proximal tubule injury even in patients that do not present with AKI or critical/severe COVID-19 infection.

Effect of rectal mucosa cleansing on acute prostatitis during prostate biopsy: A randomized prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Infectious complications after transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TRUS-PB) can range from asymptomatic bacteriuria and febrile or non-febrile urinary tract infection (UTI) to sepsis. Cleaning of rectal mucosa with topical antiseptics such as povidone iodine or chlorhexidine before the procedure are alternative prophylaxis methods. We aimed to investigate the effects of these two different topical antiseptic agents on infectious complications and their superiority to each other. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted with 200 patients. Rectal mucosa cleansings were performed in 50 patients with povidone iodine and 49 patients with chlorhexidine. The remaining 101 patients did not receive any antiseptic treatment. The results were examined according to the hospital admissions or hospitalization for the first 30 days after the procedure due to UTI, body temperature >38.5°C, sepsis, hematuria, rectal bleeding, and urinary retention. RESULTS: The mean age of study population was 63.3±7.26 years, and the mean prostate specific antigen value was 13.96±29.5 ng/mL. Acute prostatitis occurred in 14 patients (7%), 9 of whom were hospitalized due to sepsis after TRUS-PB. Statistically significant less acute prostatitis was observed in those patients who were treated with topical rectal antisepsis (topical rectal antisepsis 2% vs. no rectal antisepsis 12.1%, p=0.01). Chlorhexidine and povidone iodine were not superior to each other in terms of inhibiting the development of acute prostatitis (chlorhexidine 2% vs. povidone iodine 2%, p=1.00). CONCLUSION: Rectal mucosal cleansing with chlorhexidine or povidone iodine before TRUS-PB prevented the development of sepsis due to acute prostatitis. We recommend that this effective method, which is easy to apply, cheap, reliable, easily tolerated should be used in all prostate biopsy practice.