Tissue-Based Genomic Testing in Prostate Cancer: 10-Year Analysis of National Trends on the Use of Prolaris, Decipher, ProMark, and Oncotype DX.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) management is moving towards patient-tailored strategies. Advances in molecular and genetic profiling of tumor tissues, integrated with clinical risk assessments, provide deeper insights into disease aggressiveness. This study aims to offer a comprehensive overview of the pivotal genomic tests supporting PCa treatment decisions, analyzing-through real-world data-trends in their use and the growth of supporting literature evidence. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted using the extensive PearlDiver™ Mariner database, which contains de-identified patient records, in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes were employed to identify patients diagnosed with PCa during the study period-2011 to 2021. We determined the utilization of primary tissue-based genetic tests (Oncocyte DX®, Prolaris®, Decipher®, and ProMark®) across all patients diagnosed with PCa. Subsequently, within the overall PCa cohort, patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) and received genetic testing postoperatively were identified. The yearly distribution of these tests and the corresponding trends were illustrated with graphs. RESULTS: During the study period, 1,561,203 patients with a PCa diagnosis were recorded. Of these, 20,748 underwent tissue-based genetic testing following diagnosis, representing 1.3% of the total cohort. An increasing trend was observed in the use of all genetic tests. Linear regression analysis showed a statistically significant increase over time in the use of individual tests (all p-values < 0.05). Among the patients who underwent RP, 3076 received genetic analysis following surgery, representing 1.27% of this group. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis indicates a growing trend in the utilization of tissue-based genomic testing for PCa. Nevertheless, they are utilized in less than 2% of PCa patients, whether at initial diagnosis or after surgical treatment. Although it is anticipated that their use may increase as more scientific evidence becomes available, their role requires further elucidation.

Residents and Consultants Have Equal Outcomes When Performing Transrectal Fusion Biopsies: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

The aim of our study was to compare the performance of residents vs. consultants in transrectal fusion prostate biopsies (FUS-PBs), as well as patient-reported comfort. Between January 2021 and October 2022, a consecutive series of patients undergoing FUS-PBs were randomized into two groups: (A) FUS-PBs performed by a consultant; (B) FUS-PBs performed by trained residents (>50 procedures). All patients underwent FUS-PBs with 12 systematic cores and 3/6 target cores. The detection rate and number of positive cores in the target lesion were compared between groups, and the patient's discomfort after the procedure was evaluated using the VAS scale. Overall, 140 patients with a median age of 72 years were enrolled. Overall, 69/140 (49.3%) presented prostate cancer and 53/69 (76.8%) presented a clinically significant cancer (Grade Group ≥ 2). Consultants presented a detection rate of 37/70 (52.9%) and residents a detection rate of 32/70 (45.7%) (p > 0.2); the mean number of positive cores in the index lesion was similar in both groups (1.5 vs. 1.1; p > 0.10). In terms of the patients' experiences, the procedure was well tolerated, with a median VAS score of 2 in both groups, with no statistically significant differences. Residents showed satisfactory outcomes in terms of detection rate, procedural time, and patient comfort when performing prostate biopsies. Residents, after adequate training, can safely perform prostate biopsies.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) in the Detection of Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Systematic Review and Diagnostic Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a diagnostic tool that is gaining popularity for its ability to improve overall diagnostic accuracy in bladder cancer (BC) staging. Our aim is to determine the cumulative diagnostic performance of CEUS in predicting preoperative muscle invasiveness using a comprehensive systematic review and pooled meta-analysis. METHODS: A systematic review until October 2023 was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Patients with BC suspicion were offered CEUS before the transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (TURBT). The diagnostic performance of CEUS was evaluated based on non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) vs. muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) confirmed at the final histopathological examination after TURBT. The outcomes were determined through pooled sensitivity, specificity, pooled positive likelihood ratio (PLR+), negative likelihood ratio (PLR-), and area under the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) along with their respective 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Overall, five studies were included. In these studies, a total of 362 patients underwent CEUS prior to TURBT. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.88 (95% CI: 0.81-0.93) and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.82-0.92), respectively. SROC curve depicted a diagnostic accuracy of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.81-0.98). The pooled PLR+ and PLR- were 7.3 (95% CI: 4.8-11.2) and 0.14 (95% CI: 0.08-0.23), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis indicates that CEUS is highly accurate in the diagnosis and staging for BC. Beyond its accuracy, CEUS offers the advantage of being a cost-effective, safe, and versatile imaging tool.

Quality of information and appropriateness of Open AI outputs for prostate cancer.

Chat-GPT, a natural language processing (NLP) tool created by Open-AI, can potentially be used as a quick source for obtaining information related to prostate cancer. This study aims to analyze the quality and appropriateness of Chat-GPT's responses to inquiries related to prostate cancer compared to those of the European Urology Association's (EAU) 2023 prostate cancer guidelines. Overall, 195 questions were prepared according to the recommendations gathered in the prostate cancer section of the EAU 2023 Guideline. All questions were systematically presented to Chat-GPT's August 3 Version, and two expert urologists independently assessed and assigned scores ranging from 1 to 4 to each response (1: completely correct, 2: correct but inadequate, 3: a mix of correct and misleading information, and 4: completely incorrect). Sub-analysis per chapter and per grade of recommendation were performed. Overall, 195 recommendations were evaluated. Overall, 50/195 (26%) were completely correct, 51/195 (26%) correct but inadequate, 47/195 (24%) a mix of correct and misleading and 47/195 (24%) incorrect. When looking at different chapters Open AI was particularly accurate in answering questions on follow-up and QoL. Worst performance was recorded for the diagnosis and treatment chapters with respectively 19% and 30% of the answers completely incorrect. When looking at the strength of recommendation, no differences in terms of accuracy were recorded when comparing weak and strong recommendations (p > 0,05). Chat-GPT has a poor accuracy when answering questions on the PCa EAU guidelines recommendations. Future studies should assess its performance after adequate training.

Risk of unfavorable outcomes after penile prosthesis implantation - results from a national registry (INSIST-ED).

Like all surgeries, penile prosthesis implantation (PPI) has the potential for both postoperative complications and suboptimal patient satisfaction. In order to assess risk factors for poor satisfaction, we reviewed patients who had been prospectively recruited in a national multi-institutional registry of penile prostheses procedures (INSIST-ED) from 2014 to 20121. Patient baseline characteristics and postoperative complications were recorded. The primary endpoint of this study was unfavorable outcomes after inflatable PPI, defined as significant postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥2) and/or Sexuality with Quality of Life and Sexuality with Penile Prosthesis (QoLSPP) scores below the 10th percentile. A total of 256 patients were included in the study. The median age was 60 years (IQR 56-67). The most common cause of erectile dysfunction (ED) was organic (42.2%), followed by pelvic surgery/radiotherapy (39.8%) and Peyronie's disease (18.0%). Postoperative complications were recorded in 9.6%. High-grade complications (Clavien ≥2) occurred in 4.7%. At 1-year follow-up, the median QoLSPP total score was 71 (IQR 65-76). In all, 14.8% of patients were classified as having experienced unfavorable outcomes because of significant postoperative complications and/or QoLSPP scores below the 10th percentile. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated patient age to be non-linearly associated with the risk of experiencing unfavorable outcomes. A U-shaped correlation showed a lower risk for younger and older patients and a higher risk for middle-aged men. ED etiology and surgical volume were not associated with PPI outcomes. Physicians should, therefore, be aware that middle-aged men may be at higher risk of being unsatisfied following PPI compared to both younger and older patients.

Qualitative Assessment of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Differentiating Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma and Oncocytoma.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess whether clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) can be differentiated from renal oncocytoma (RO) on a contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). METHODS: Between January 2021 and October 2022, we retrospectively queried and analyzed our prospectively maintained dataset. Renal mass features were scrutinized with conventional ultrasound imaging (CUS) and CEUS. All lesions were confirmed by histopathologic diagnoses after nephron-sparing surgery (NSS). A multivariable analysis was performed to identify the potential predictors of ccRCC. The area under the curve (AUC) was depicted in order to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the multivariable model. RESULTS: A total of 126 renal masses, including 103 (81.7%) ccRCC and 23 (18.3%) RO, matched our inclusion criteria. Among these two groups, we found significant differences in terms of enhancement (homogeneous vs. heterogeneous) (p < 0.001), wash-in (fast vs. synchronous/slow) (p = 0.004), wash-out (fast vs. synchronous/slow) (p = 0.001), and rim-like enhancement (p < 0.001). On the multivariate logistic regression, heterogeneous enhancement (OR: 19.37; p = <0.001) and rim-like enhancement (OR: 3.73; p = 0.049) were independent predictors of ccRCC. Finally, these two variables had an AUC of 82.5% and 75.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnostic imaging for presurgical planning is crucial in the choice of either conservative or radical management. CEUS, with its unique features, revealed its usefulness in differentiating ccRCC from RO.

Seeing is Believing: State of the Art Imaging of Bladder Cancer.

Imaging plays an important role in bladder cancer (BCa) diagnostic work-up. Ultrasound achieves an intermediate sensitivity in detecting urinary tract alterations and is considered a suboptimal imaging technique in diagnosis of BCa. CT urography accurately detects BCa in patients presenting with hematuria Multiparametric MRI achieves a very high rate of BCa detection and helps with accurate staging of patients; however, this modality is still not widely supported by international guidelines. The main applications of MRI are local tumor staging and differentiation between non-muscle-invasive BCa and muscle-invasive BCa. These applications led to development of Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS) scoring system. The VI-RADS scoring system was developed in the setting of post-resection of primary bladder tumor and instillation of intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy; however validation of this system in the post-treatment setting showed promising results. The high risk of BCa recurrence leads to its application in the assessment of response to therapy and for disease surveillance after treatment. MRI is rapidly becoming a leading imaging modality in BCa diagnostic workup, assessment of response to therapies and for longitudinal surveillance, and plays an important role in BCa surgical and radiation therapy treatment planning.

Predictive role of node-rads score in patients with prostate cancer candidates for radical prostatectomy with extended lymph node dissection: comparative analysis with validated nomograms.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The Reporting and Data System (RADS) have been used in the attempts to standardize the results of oncological scans in different scenarios, such as lymph nodes, adding configuration criteria to size determination. We analyze the predictive value of preoperative Node-RADS determination at imaging for pelvic lymph node (PLN) involvement in cases of prostate cancer (PC) considered for radical prostatectomy (RP) with extended lymph node dissection (eLND) and we compare it with validate predictive nomograms (MSKCC, Briganti and Gandaglia). METHODS: 150 patients with a histological diagnosis of PC (high risk or intermediate with an estimated risk for pN+ higher than 5% using the Briganti or 7% using the Gandaglia nomogram) submitted for RP with an ePLND from 2018 and 2021 were retrospectively examined. Node-RADS determination was performed in all cases using the preoperative magnetic resonance (MR), performed by a radiologist blinded for pathologic results and compared with the MSKCC, Briganti 2012, Gandaglia 2017 and Gandaglia 2019 nomograms. RESULTS: PLN involvement at final pathology (pN+) was found in 36/150 (24.0%) of cases and the mean percentage of positive LNs in pN+ cases was 15.90 ± 13.40. The mean number of PLNs removed at RP was similar (p = 0.188) between pN0 (23.9 ± 8.0) and pN+ (25.3 ± 8.0) cases. Considering a Node RADS 4-5 positive and a Node RADS 1-2 negative, the PPV was 100% and the NPV was 79.6%. A Node RADS score 4-5 showed a lower sensitivity (0.167 versus 0.972, 1.000, 0.971, 0.960 respectively), a higher specificity (1.000 versus 0.079, 0.096, 0.138, 0.186 respectively) and a similar AUC (0.583 versus 0.591, 0.581, 0.574, 0.597 respectively) when compared to MSKCC, Briganti 2012, Gandaglia 2017 and Gandaglia 2019 nomograms. CONCLUSIONS: Our evaluation suggests that Node RADS score, combining configuration criteria to size determination could improve specificity in terms of pathologic PLN prediction but a very low sensitivity has been also described.

Diagnostic Performance of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in the Evaluation of Small Renal Masses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Ultrasound (US) is a highly sensitive imaging tool in the detection of renal masses. However, the detection rate of small renal masses (SRMs) (<4 cm) is still limited. In this scenario, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a relatively novel, but increasingly utilized, diagnostic modality which aims to increase the overall diagnostic ability in the identification of SRMs. In consequence, we performed a systematic review (SR) and pooled meta-analysis to investigate the diagnostic performance of CEUS in the evaluation of SRMs confirmed by pathology. A SR up to April 2022 was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The diagnostic performance of CEUS was evaluated basing on malignant vs. benign SMRs. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) from eligible studies were pooled, and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves were constructed for each endpoint. Overall, five qualified studies were deemed suitable for this meta-analysis. Finally, diagnostic performance of CEUS showed an accuracy of 0.93 in detecting malignant masses (sensitivity of 0.94, PPV of 0.95, specificity of 0.78, and NPV of 0.73). Taken together, CEUS may represent a promising minimally invasive diagnostic tool for characterization of SMRs, since it allows clinicians to identify malignant lesions.

Arteriovenous fistula after robotic partial nephrectomy: Case report and narrative review.

Arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) of the kidney are uncommon. They may be acquired, idiopathic or arise of congenital arteriovenous malformation. Acquired renal AVF are mostly iatrogenic due to the increasing number of mini-invasive nephron surgery. We report a case of renal AVF in a 65-year-old woman previously treated with left robotic partial nephrectomy (PN), which was successfully treated by endovascular coiling.

Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) in the Evaluation of Renal Masses with Histopathological Validation-Results from a Prospective Single-Center Study.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in characterizing between malignant and benign renal lesions confirmed by histological examination. METHODS: Overall, 110 patients, for a total of 118 renal masses previously identified at CT and MRI underwent CEUS. An expert radiologist evaluated morphological, qualitative and quantitative parameters. Acquired data were analyzed to assess the value of each parameter to differentiate between malignant and benign lesions. RESULTS: Histological results of 118 renal masses showed 88 (75%) malignant lesions and 30 (25%) benign lesions. Among morphological features, inhomogeneous echogenicity was the best predictor of malignancy depicting a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of 76%, 76%, 88% and 57%, respectively. Among qualitative parameters, the most reliable parameter was the presence of pseudo-capsule. Here, sensitivity, specificity, positive PPV and NPV were 85%, 86%, 94% and 71%, respectively. Among quantitative parameters, the most reliable parameters were peak intensity (PI) and the area under the (AUC) with sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV values of 94%, 92%, 96% and 87% and 99%, 92%, 97% and 97%, respectively. Finally, the most reliable parameters were combined to distinguish between benign and malignant lesions. The best combination obtained was restricted to CEUS parameters (PI and AUC). Here, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy rate were 93%, 100%, 100%, 83% and 93%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: CEUS increases the US accuracy to discriminate between benign and malignant renal lesions.

Renal surgery for kidney cancer: is preoperative proteinuria a predictor of functional and survival outcomes after surgery? A systematic review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Proteinuria is considered both a known marker for the severity of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and a robust predictor of future renal function and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in a general population. The urological community has long overlooked proteinuria as a marker of renal function. Recently, the American Urological Association (AUA) clinical practice guideline addressed this issue and suggested introducing proteinuria assessment prior to kidney cancer surgery. The aim of this systematic review was to provide evidence of proteinuria as a predictor of renal function impairment and survival outcomes after kidney surgery for renal tumors. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A systematic search was performed by using three search engines (PubMed, Embase®, and Web of Science) from January 2010 to November 2020. Study selection followed the PRISMA guidelines. After screening, ten articles and abstracts fully compatible with the PICOS were included in this systematic review. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Overall, a total of 11,705 patients who underwent partial nephrectomy (PN) or radical nephrectomy (RN) were analyzed. When used as a binomial variable, proteinuria prior to surgery was detected from 10% to 33% of patients. Relying on both proteinuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in the assessment of renal function yielded up to 33% higher rates of patients with preoperative renal impairment. Moreover, proteinuria increased the risk of long-term renal impairment after PN and RN as well as patients with preoperative proteinuria undergoing PN exhibited a greater risk of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI). Among eligible studies, proteinuria was associated with diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Finally, proteinuria was an independent predictor of overall mortality, but not of cancer-specific mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Proteinuria yields a prognostic power beyond that provided by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) among patients undergoing renal cancer surgery, supporting its introduction in the preoperative assessment of renal function. However, well-designed multicenter prospective studies would be necessary to corroborate these results and provided urological community with high-grade recommendation for clinical practice.

Testis Sparing Surgery of Small Testicular Masses: Retrospective Analysis of a Multicenter Cohort.

PURPOSE: We evaluated possible factors predicting testicular cancer in patients undergoing testis sparing surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the records of all patients who underwent testis sparing surgery for a small testicular mass at a total of 5 centers. All patients with 1 solitary lesion 2 cm or less on preoperative ultrasound were enrolled in the study. Testis sparing surgery consisted of tumor enucleation for frozen section examination. Immediate radical orchiectomy was performed in all cases of malignancy at frozen section examination but otherwise the testes were spared. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed and ROC curves were produced to evaluate preoperative factors predicting testicular cancer. RESULTS: Overall 147 patients were included in the study. No patient had elevated serum tumor markers. Overall 21 of the 147 men (14%) presented with testicular cancer. On multivariate analysis the preoperative ultrasound diameter of the lesion was a predictor of malignancy (OR 6.62, 95% CI 2.26-19.39, p=0.01). On ROC analysis lesion diameter had an AUC of 0.75 (95% CI 0.63-0.86, p=0.01) to predict testicular cancer. At the best cutoff of 0.85 the diameter of the lesion had 81% sensitivity, 58% specificity, 24% positive predictive value and 95% negative predictive value. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms that small testicular masses are often benign and do not always require radical orchiectomy. Preoperative ultrasound can assess lesion size and the smaller the nodule, the less likely that it is malignant. Therefore, we suggest a stepwise approach to small testicular masses, including tumorectomy, frozen section examination and radical orchiectomy or testis sparing surgery according to frozen section examination results.

Testis-sparing surgery for testicular masses: current perspectives.

INTRODUCTION: Males who present with a palpable testis nodule are likely to have malignant germ cell tumor in >90% of cases. Therefore radical orchiectomy remains the standard of care for intratesticular tumors. However, due to the recent developments of high-frequency probes in ultrasonography, the incidence of detecting a small non-palpable testis tumor is higher and higher. These lesions are thought to be benign in more than 60-80% of cases, thus a radical orchiectomy should be considered an overtreatment. In addition to that, radical orchiectomy might cause infertility, psychological issues and endocrine disorders, hence an organ-sparing procedure in such cases should be pursued. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Only fourteen reliable retrospective studies met the inclusion criteria. No prospective randomized trials have appeared in Medline database. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: This review of the current literature has confirmed the safety and efficacy of testicular-sparing surgery in selected patients: 1) monorchid patients; 2) bilateral testis masses; 3) normal patients with a small, non-palpable masses detected with US, as long as the dimension of the lesion is up to 3 cm and not greater that 30% of the total volume of the organ. CONCLUSIONS: According to the literature, testis sparing surgery is a safe and feasible procedure for patients presenting a benign small testis mass. The enthusiasm found in the literature should however be tempered as the small number of patients reported in the studies coupled with the absence of a prospective trial represent important limits that need to be overtaken. Therefore more robust and well-designed studies are needed.

Testicular histopathology, semen analysis and FSH, predictive value of sperm retrieval: supportive counseling in case of reoperation after testicular sperm extraction (TESE).

BACKGROUND: To provide indicators for the likelihood of sperm retrieval in patients undergoing testicular sperm extraction is a major issue in the management of male infertility by TESE. The aim of our study was to determine the impact of different parameters, including testicular histopathology, on sperm retrieval in case of reoperation in patients undergoing testicular sperm extraction. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 486 patients who underwent sperm extraction for intracytoplasmic sperm injection and testicular biopsy. Histology was classified into: normal spermatogenesis; hypospermatogenesis (reduction in the number of normal spermatogenetic cells); maturation arrest (absence of the later stages of spermatogenesis); and Sertoli cell only (absence of germ cells). Semen analysis and serum FSH, LH and testosterone were measured. RESULTS: Four hundred thirty patients had non obstructive azoospermia, 53 severe oligozoospermia and 3 necrozoospermia. There were 307 (63%) successful sperm retrieval. Higher testicular volume, lower levels of FSH, and better histological features were predictive for sperm retrieval. The same parameters and younger age were predictive factors for shorter time for sperm recovery. After multivariable analysis, younger age, better semen parameters, better histological features and lower values of FSH remained predictive for shorter time for sperm retrieval while better semen and histology remained predictive factors for successful sperm retrieval. The predictive capacity of a score obtained by summing the points assigned for selected predictors (1 point for Sertoli cell only, 0.33 points for azoospermia, 0.004 points for each FSH mIU/ml) gave an area under the ROC curve of 0.843. CONCLUSIONS: This model can help the practitioner with counseling infertile men by reliably predicting the chance of obtaining spermatozoa with testicular sperm extraction when a repeat attempt is planned.