A pilot study on oral cyclosporine A in association with fulguration for the treatment of interstitial cystitis with Hunner's lesions.

AIMS: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of lesion fulguration in combination with cyclosporine A (CyA) as a maintenance therapy in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) with Hunner's lesion (HL). METHODS: Retrospective observational study of refractory patients with HL treated with daily 1.5 mg/kg or less of oral CyA following lesion fulguration. Pain severity, subjective improvement, urinary symptoms, and adverse events were used to assess long-term treatment efficiency and safety. RESULTS: Among the 22 patients, median follow-up under CyA was 27 months. Patients reported sustained significant reduction compared to pretreatment in pain (0/10 vs. 8/10; p < 0.001), urinary frequency per 24 h (9.5 vs. 20.8; p < 0.001), and nocturia (2.3 vs. 7.6; p < 0.001). Subjective improvement rate (SIR) and patient global impression of improvement were of 90% and 1 ("very much better"), respectively, including four patients who considered themselves cured (SIR: 100%). Three patients needed an additional procedure due to pain relapse. Minor increase in creatinine was observed and three patients developed or worsened their arterial hypertension. CyA dosage was decreased to 1.2 mg/kg or less for long-term relief (n = 8), creatinine increase (n = 5), and neutropenia (n = 1) with subsequent improvement in renal function without symptom deterioration. CONCLUSIONS: Oral CyA seems to allow a sustained long-term relief following HL fulguration by alleviating pain, decreasing urinary symptoms, and procuring great subjective improvement. The daily low dose of 1.5 mg/kg or less appears to have limited adverse events while preventing repeated procedures. Larger trials are warranted.

Functional outcomes of synthetic tape and mesh revision surgeries: a monocentric experience.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Synthetic tapes and meshes used for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) can lead to complications that require additional surgical procedures. The objective of this study was to report the functional outcomes following tape/mesh removal procedures. METHODS: This retrospective study included all consecutive women who underwent a tape/mesh surgical revision in a single tertiary referral center from January 2008 to September 2016. Descriptive statistics were performed to assess outcomes. RESULTS: Overall 140 women, with a mean age of 60.5 (range 35-91) years, had a tape/mesh surgical revision. Patients underwent the following surgeries: tape removal (n = 95/140, 67.9%), tape division (n = 23/140, 16.4%), mesh removal (n = 18/140, 12.9%) and concomitant tape and mesh removal (n = 4/140, 2.9%). Tape removals were mainly performed for voiding symptoms (n = 34/95, 35.8%) and vaginal erosion/extrusion (n = 16/95, 16.8%). Most mesh removals were performed for vaginal erosion/extrusion (n = 9/18, 50.0%). Mean interval between tape/mesh insertion and its surgical revision was 52.1 months (range 5.0 days-16.0 years). Mean follow-up time was 20.4 months (range 6.0 days-7.8 years). Voiding and storage symptoms resolved completely in 37/59 (62.7%) patients and in 14/37 (37.8%) patients, respectively; 42/81 (51.9%) patients with postoperative SUI recurrence or persistence underwent an additional surgical procedure. Among the 18 patients who had a mesh removal, only 1 (5.6%) had POP recurrence. CONCLUSION: Although most symptoms resolved after tape and mesh surgical revisions, patients must be informed that symptoms may persist. Recurrent or persistent SUI or POP may require a subsequent surgical procedure.

Prevalence, management, and prognosis of bladder cancer in patients with neurogenic bladder: A systematic review.

AIM: To perform a systematic review of the literature regarding epidemiology, diagnosis, management and prognosis of bladder cancer in the neuro-urological patient population, in order to serve as a basis for future recommendations and research. METHODS: A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA-Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes Statement. Embase was searched for studies providing data on epidemiology, diagnosis, management and prognosis of bladder cancer in neuro-urological patients. RESULTS: After screening 637 abstracts, 15 studies (13 retrospective and 2 prospective studies) were included in this study. We identified 332 patients (0.3%) who were diagnosed with bladder cancer. This mostly affected mostly men (59.3%) and spinal cord injured patients (98.8%). Mean age at diagnosis was 56.1 years. Bladder cancer occurred after a long period of evolution of the neurological disease (24.9 years). Gross hematuria was the predominating presenting symptom (31.6% of cases). Indwelling urethral or supra-pubic catheters were used in 44.5% of patients. The most frequent histological subtype of bladder cancer was transitional cell carcinoma (53.1%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (33.5%). Muscle-invasive bladder cancer was reported in 67.7% of patients. The mean cancer-specific mortality rate was of 47.1%. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence and high mortality rate of bladder cancer in neuro-urological patients underlines the importance of long-term follow-up in this specific population. This highlights the necessity of further studies in this field.

Long-Term Functional Outcomes of S3 Sacral Neuromodulation for the Treatment of Idiopathic Overactive Bladder.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the long-term functional outcomes of sacral neuromodulation (SNM) in the treatment of refractory idiopathic overactive bladder (IOAB) and to determine predictive factors for success. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To obtain long-term data, all consecutive patients suffering from IOAB and treated by SNM at a single tertiary care center between December 1996 and December 2004 were included. Data regarding patient demographics, past medical, and surgical history, bladder diary, complications as well as device revision and removal rates were collected. Success was defined as an improvement ≥ 50% of any clinical parameter. RESULTS: Overall, 34 patients, with a median age of 57.8 years (IQR 44.8-65.7) were included. Immediately after definitive implantation, 2 (6%) patients were lost to follow-up. After a median follow-up of 9.7 years (IQR 4.7-12.0), SNM was considered successful in 20 (63%) patients. Mean amount of protections used per 24 hours significantly decreased (4.1 preoperatively vs. 1.8 at the last follow-up visit, p = 0.02). Devices were removed in 2 (6%) patients due to pain and lack of efficacy. Twenty-two revision surgeries were performed in 15 (47%) patients. First revision surgery occurred after a mean of 6.2 years (± 3.1). Revision surgeries were mainly performed for end of battery life/device dysfunction (n = 18, 82%). No significant predictor for success was identified. CONCLUSIONS: With a median follow-up time of 9.7 years, this retrospective SNM study reports a 63% efficacy rate (≥ 50% improvement) for the treatment of refractory IOAB. Moreover, it is a well-tolerated and minimally invasive therapy.

Fournier's gangrene: A retrospective analysis of 26 cases in a Canadian hospital and literature review.

We performed a systematic review of all cases of Fournier's Gangrene (FG) at our hospital over a 12-year period. A total of 26 cases were assessed. Our goal was to determine the mortality rate and to identify risk factors associated with FG. We also wanted to examine three potential prognostic factors in relation to patient survival, including the time delay from emergency room admission to surgery, the initial extent of the disease, and the impact of more than one debridement procedure under general anesthesia. The time between emergency room admission and the beginning of surgical debridement was not statistically different between survivors and non-survivors. The extent of surgical debridement was close to the margin of statistical significance (p = 0.07) and can be considered an index of the extent of the disease. FG extending to the thighs or to the abdominal wall carries a worse prognosis. The number of surgical debridement procedures done under anesthesia was statistically different between survivors and non-survivors. Patients were 4.8 times more at risk of dying if they are required to have more than one surgical debridement under general anesthesia. This presumably reflects persistent gangrene following initial surgical debridement, fluid resuscitation, and wide spectrum antibiotic treatment.

Surgical management of symptomatic hydatid liver disease: experience from a Western centre.

BACKGROUND: Hydatid liver cysts are rare in North America. The objective of this study was to determine the optimal surgical management for hydatid liver cysts treated outside endemic areas. METHODS: We reviewed the cases of consecutive patients who underwent management of hydatid liver cysts. Radical liver resections were compared with other types of procedures. Clinical presentation, investigations, perioperative outcomes and longterm follow-up were evaluated. We evaluated disease recurrence using the Kaplan- Meier method. RESULTS: Forty patients underwent surgery for hydatid liver cysts. Most patients had single (68%) right-sided (46%) cysts with a median size of 10 cm. Most (83%) underwent liver resection with or without drainage/marsupialization. Radical liver resection was carried out in 60% (19 major, 5 minor). Additional procedures were required in 50% (biliary fistulization 30%, diaphragmatic fistulization 20% or paracaval location/ fusion 8%). Postoperative complications occurred in 48%. The median follow-up was 39 months. The 3-year recurrence-free survival was significantly different between patients who had radical resection and those who had other procedures (100% v. 71%, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: The surgical management of hydatid liver cysts in North America remains rare and challenging and is frequently associated with fistulizing complications. Excellent long-term outcomes are best achieved using principles of radical liver resection that are familiar to North American surgeons.

CONTEXTE: L'hydatidose (kyste hydatique du foie) est une affection rare en Amérique du Nord. Cette étude visait à déterminer quelle était la meilleure façon de prendre en charge cette maladie à l'extérieur de zones où elle est endémique. MÉTHODES: On a revu les cas de patients consécutifs traités pour des kystes hydatiques du foie. L'ablation radicale du foie a été comparée à d'autres types d'intervention. Le tableau clinique, les examens exploratoires, les résultats périopératoires et le suivi de longue durée ont été évalués. On a aussi évalué la récurrence de la maladie en utilisant la méthode Kaplan­Meier. RÉSULTATS: Quarante patients avaient été opérés pour des kystes hydatiques du foie. La plupart présentaient des kystes simples (68 %) dans le foie droit (46 %), qui mesuraient en moyenne 10 cm de diamètre. La plupart (83 %) avaient subi une résection hépatique avec ou sans drainage ou marsupialisation. Une résection radicale a été pratiquée chez 60 % des patients (19 cas majeurs, 5 cas mineurs). D'autres interventions se sont avérées nécessaires dans 50 % des cas (fistulisation dans les voies biliaires 30 %, fistulisation dans le diaphragme 20 %, localisation paracave ou fusion 8 %). Des complications postopératoires sont survenues dans 48 % des cas. La durée moyenne du suivi a été de 39 mois. On a observé une différence significative entre le taux de survie sans récidive sur 3 ans entre les patients ayant subi une résection radicale et ceux ayant subi une autre intervention (100 % c. 71 %, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: En Amérique du Nord, le traitement chirurgical de l'hydatidose reste rare, difficile et souvent compliqué par une fistulisation. La résection hépatique radicale, que les chirurgiens nord-américains maîtrisent bien, est l'intervention permettant d'obtenir les meilleurs résultats à long terme.

A critical appraisal of systemic treatment options for metastatic non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Current guidelines provide most support for the use of temsirolimus in first line therapy for metastatic non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (nccRCC). However, this recommendation is based on scant level 2a evidence. The objective of this review is to examine the evidence supporting first line temsirolimus use in patients with metastatic nccRCC as well as alternative first line treatment options. Six studies, that assessed the efficacy of five agents qualified for inclusion. Among recognized treatment options for metastatic nccRCC, mean weighted progression free survival values of 7.9 months for temsirolimus vs. 7.3 for sunitinib vs. 8.5 months for sorafenib vs. ≈4.1 months for erlotinib were recorded based on data from 10, 74, 33 and 51 patients respectively. In conclusion, the data supporting first line temsirolimus for metastatic nccRCC are based on a small patient sample. Sunitinib's efficacy is similar to that of temsirolimus but is based on a bigger patient sample that originates from phase II studies.

Fuhrman grade [corrected] has no added value in prediction of mortality after partial or [corrected] radical nephrectomy for chromophobe renal cell carcinoma patients.

Our objective was to test whether Fuhrman grade [corrected] (FG) is applicable in the context of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma patients treated with partial and radical nephrectomy. Patients (n=1862) with chromophobe renal cell carcinoma treated with partial and radical nephrectomy were identified within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (1988-2008). Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses were fitted to predict cancer-specific mortality. Discriminant properties were assessed for the conventional four-tiered FG scheme. Additionally, discrimination of the three-tiered FG scheme (1-2 vs 3 vs 4) and the two-tiered FG scheme (1-2 vs 3-4) was also assessed. The statistical significance of the differences in accuracy estimates was compared using the Mantel-Haenszel test. A total of 65 of the 1862 died of the disease. The overall 5-year cancer-specific mortality-free survival rate was 94.8% (95% confidence interval: 93.5-96.2). In univariable analyses, none of the FG strata were significantly associated with cancer-specific mortality. Furthermore, FG was less informative (63%) than tumor size (72%) and tumor stage (69%), using measures of discrimination in univariable analyses. After accounting for all covariates, prediction of 5-year cancer-specific mortality was 79.0% vs 80.3% accurate, respectively, with vs without the consideration of FG (P=0.01). Similar discrimination estimates were obtained for the modified three-tiered FG scheme (78.5%; P=0.009) and the modified two-tiered FG scheme (79.5%; P=0.02). In conclusion, FG is not an informative predictor of prognosis, defined as cancer-specific mortality, after partial and radical nephrectomy for chromophobe renal cell carcinoma patients.

A contemporary update on rates and management of toxicities of targeted therapies for metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: To provide an updated review of adverse events associated with sunitinib, pazopanib, bevacizumab, temsirolimus, axitinib, everolimus and sorafenib and their management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a PubMed and Cochrane-based review of side effects associated with the seven agents including product monographs to provide an outline of treatment measures aiming to reduce their toxicities. Subject and outcome of interest, design type, sample size, pertinence and quality, and detail of reporting were the indicators of manuscript quality. RESULTS: All targeted therapies cause adverse events. Most adverse events may be prevented or tested before they escalate to severe levels. CONCLUSION: Prevention, early recognition, and prompt management of side effects are of key importance and avoid unnecessary dose reductions, which may undermine treatment efficacy.

A review of integrated staging systems for renal cell carcinoma.

CONTEXT: Several outstanding integrated staging systems (ISSs) have been devised for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). OBJECTIVE: To review the available literature on existing ISSs. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A nonsystematic search was conducted using Medline and PubMed databases. Original articles, review articles, and editorials addressing the development and validation of ISSs in RCC published up to February 2012 were identified. The search was limited to the English language. Keywords included kidney cancer, renal cell carcinoma, nomogram, risk group, prognosis, predictive accuracy, external validation, and discrimination. Links to related articles and cross-reading of citations in related articles were surveyed. All articles with a pertinent level of evidence were included and represent the basis for the current review article. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: In nephrectomy patients, a variety of models have been developed for prediction of recurrence and survival, both in the preoperative and postoperative settings. Several of those models relied on variables that are not routinely available in clinical practice. Not all tools were externally validated. In patients treated with systemic therapy, novel tools that were developed and validated in the targeted therapy era replaced tools devised during the cytokine era. CONCLUSIONS: The development of ISSs for prediction of risk or prognosis in the context of RCC has evolved and improved. In the targeted therapy era, the urologic community should focus on direct comparisons of existing tools with the intent of identifying the optimal ISS for each specific end point.

Radical cystectomy for patients with pT4 urothelial carcinoma in a large population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: • To examine cancer-specific mortality (CSM) in patients with pT4N0₋3 M0 urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder (UCUB) and to compare it to patients with pT3N0₋3 M0, in a population-based cohort treated with radical cystectomy (RC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: • RCs were performed in 5625 pT3-T4b0₋3 M0 patients with UCUB within 17 Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registries between 1988 and 2006. • Univariable and multivariable models tested the effect of pT4a vs pT4b vs pT3 stages on CSM. • Covariates consisted of age, gender, race, lymph node status and SEER registries. • All analyses were repeated in 3635 pN(0) patients. RESULTS: • Of 5625 patients, 2043 (36.3%) had pT4aN0₋3 , 248 (4.4%) had pT4bN0₋3 and 3334 had pT3N0₋3 (59.3%) UCUB. • The 5-year CSM was 57.6% vs 81.7% vs 53.9% for, respectively, pT4aN0₋3 vs pT4bN0₋3 vs pT3N0₋3 patients (all log-rank P= 0.008). • In multivariable analyses the rate of CSM was 2.3-fold higher in pT4b vs pT3 (P < 0.001), 1.1-fold higher in pT4a vs pT3 (P= 0.002) and 2.0-fold higher in pT4a vs pT4b patients. • After restriction to pN0 stage, pT4b patients had a 2.3-fold higher rate of CSM than pT3 patients (P < 0.001) and pT4b patients had a 2.1-fold higher rate of CSM than pT4a patients (P < 0.001). • The CSM rate was the same for pT4a and pT3 patients (P= 0.1). CONCLUSIONS: • Our findings indicate that patients with pT4a UCUB have similar CSM as those with pT3 UCUB. • Consequently, RC should be given equal consideration in patients with pT3 and pT4a UCUB.