Optimizing exercise prescription during breast cancer rehabilitation in women: Analysis of the load-velocity relationship in the box squat exercise.

The aims of this study were to assess (i) the load-velocity relationship during the box squat exercise in women survivors of breast cancer, (ii) which velocity variable (mean velocity [MV], mean propulsive velocity [MPV], or peak velocity [PV]) shows stronger relationship with the relative load (%1RM), and (iii) which regression model (linear [LA] or polynomic [PA]) provides a greater fit for predicting the velocities associated with each %1RM. Nineteen women survivors of breast cancer (age: 53.2 ± 6.9 years, weight: 70.9 ± 13.1 kg, and height: 163.5 ± 7.4 cm) completed an incremental load test up to one-repetition maximum in the box squat exercise. The MV, MPV, and the PV were measured during the concentric phase of each repetition with a linear velocity transducer. These measurements were analyzed by regression models using LA and PA. Strong correlations of MV with %1RM (R2 = 0.903/0.904; the standard error of the estimate (SEE) = 0.05 m.s-1 by LA/PA) and MPV (R2 = 0.900; SEE = 0.06 m.s-1 by LA and PA) were observed. In contrast, PV showed a weaker association with %1RM (R2 = 0.704; SEE = 0.15 m.s-1 by LA and PA). The MV and MPV of 1RM was 0.22 ± 0.04 m·s-1, whereas the PV at 1RM was 0.63 ± 0.18 m.s-1. These findings suggest that the use of MV to prescribe relative loads during resistance training, as well as LA and PA regression models, accurately predicted velocities for each %1RM. Assessing and prescribing resistance exercises during breast cancer rehabilitation can be facilitated through the monitoring of movement velocity.

Improving resistance training prescription through the load-velocity relationship in breast cancer survivors: The case of the leg-press exercise.

The aims of this study were: (i) to analyse the load-velocity relationship in the bilateral leg-press exercise in female breast cancer survivors, (ii) to assess whether mean velocity (MV) or peak velocity (PV) show stronger relationship with the relative load, and (iii) to examine whether linear (LA) or polynomic (PA) adjustment predict the velocities associated with each %1RM with greater precision. Twenty-two female breast cancer survivors (age: 50.2 ± 10.8 years, weight: 69.6 ± 15.2 kg, height: 160.51 ± 5.25 cm) completed an incremental load test until 1RM in the bilateral leg-press exercise. The MV and the PV of the concentric phase were measured in each repetition using a linear velocity transducer, and were analysed by regression models using LA and PA. A very close relationship of MV (R2 = 0.924; p < 0.0001; SEE = 0.08m.s-1 by LA, and R² = 0.952; p < 0.0001; SEE = 0.063 m.s-1 by PA) and PV (R² = 0.928; p < 0.0001; SEE = 0.119 m.s-1 by LA and R² = 0.941; p < 0.0001; SEE = 0.108 m.s-1 by PA) with %1RM were observed. The MV of 1RM was 0.24 ± 0.03 m·s-1, whereas the PV at 1RM was 0.60 ± 0.10 m.s-1. A comprehensive analysis of the bilateral leg-press load-velocity relationship in breast cancer survivors is presented. The results suggest that MV is the most recommendable velocity variable to prescribe the relative load during resistance training, and that the PA presents better accuracy to predict velocities associated with each %1RM, although LA is sufficiently valid to use this model as an alternative to the quadratic model. The implications for resistance training in breast cancer are discussed.Highlights The load-velocity relationship in the bilateral leg-press exercise was described in female breast cancer survivors.The mean velocity is the most recommendable velocity variable to prescribe the relative load during resistance training in this population.The polynomial adjustment presents a better accuracy to predict velocities associated with each %1RM, although the linear adjustment is sufficiently valid as an alternative.This study will likely contribute to improving exercise prescription and monitoring in breast cancer survivors.

Characterization of the perioperative changes of exosomal immune-related cytokines induced by prostatectomy in early-stage prostate cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are relevant in prostate cancer microenvironment collaborating in tumor development. The main tumor marker used in this disease, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), does not provide information related to this tumor microenvironment. Cancer cells secrete exosomes carrying bioactive molecules contributing to MDSCs recruitment and induction. The aim of this study was to characterize the perioperative changes of exosomal cytokines relevant in MDSCs recruitment induced by prostatectomy in prostate cancer patients. METHODS: Blood was drawn from 26 early-stage prostate cancer patients before and after radical prostatectomy and from 16 healthy volunteers. Serum exosomes were separated by precipitation. Cytokines related with MDSC cell recruitment and activation CCL2, CXCL2, CXCL5, CXCL8, CXCL12, MIF, S100A9 and TGF-ß were measured in serum and serum-derived exosomes using immunometric assays. RESULTS: All cytokines were detected both in serum and exosomes, except for CXCL12, which was detected only in serum. Exosomes were enriched specially in MIF, TGF-ß and CXCL2. Presurgical MIF levels in exosomes correlated negatively with serum PSA. Also, presurgical TGF-ß decreased both in serum and exosomes as Gleason score rises. Patients presurgical exosomes had increased CCL2, CXCL5 and TGF-ß levels than exosomes from healthy controls. These differences were not observed when cytokines were analyzed in serum, except for TGF-ß. Cytokine levels of CCL2, CXCL5 decreased in patients' postsurgical exosomes, while TGF-ß further increased. On the contrary, S100A9 levels were lower in patients presurgical exosomes but increased after radical prostatectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Blood exosomal content in cytokines constitute an attractive source to evaluate MDSCs immunomodulators providing additional information related to tumor microenvironment in prostate cancer.

Can low urinary tract symptoms influence postprostatectomy urinary incontinence?

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to analyze what kind of urinary symptoms patients have before receiving treatment by radical prostatectomy (RP), and to evaluate their influence on urinary incontinence (UI). METHODS: Between 2002 and 2012, 758 consecutive patients underwent RP for clinically localized prostate cancer (PCa). Surgery was carried out by open retropubic RP in 545 (73.1%) of patients and laparoscopic RP in 201 (27%) by 5 surgeons who were excluded from data collection and analysis. The following symptoms were collected from the last urological check-ups or pre-operative consultation and classified as: storage symptoms, voiding symptoms, post micturition symptoms, history of acute urinary retention, benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment, history of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). RESULTS: A total of 661 patients were included on analysis: 136 (20.6%) patients reported low urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), 162 (24.5%) were considered incontinent after RP, and 45 (33.1%) of them reported LUTS before surgery. Postprostatectomy urinary incontinence (PPUI) was significantly different in patients with LUTS (117 [22.3%] vs. 45 [33.1%], P=0.009). The presence of any LUTS influence significantly in the appearance of PPUI (OR=1.72 [95% CI: 1.14-2.6), P=0.01). TURP is independently influential in PPUI (OR=6.13 [95% CI: 1.86-20.18], P=0.003). A patient with LUTS before surgery has an increased risk of 70% or even 200% to suffer PPUI and a patient who received treatment by TURP is 6 times at higher risk of PPUI. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, patients with LUTS are likely to present PPUI. History of TURP is influential by itself over PPUI. A good preoperative consultation is important to assess continence status and to create realistic expectations to patients before RP.

Radical prostatectomy. Detailed surgical margins. Prognostic value of multifocal involvement in pT2 (+).

OBJECTIVES: We intend to analyze the prognostic value of positive surgical margins depending on their number and location in pT2 patients. METHODS: We analyze 448 (34.3%) patients with positive surgical margins from a series of 1,310 T1-T2 patients treated with radical prostatectomy between 1989-2012. Of them 164 are pT2 (+). 119 (72.6% ) have unifocal affectation (41 (34.5%) unifocal in right lobe; 35 (29.4%) unifocal in left lobe, 40 (33.6%) unifocal in apex, 3 (2.5% ) unifocal proximal) and 45 (27.4%) multifocal involvement. RESULTS: Unifocal and multifocal pT2(+)patients have not evidenced significant differences in any of the clinicopathologic variables compared. However the BPFS at 5 and 10 years is significantly worse in the multifocal group, (p<0.000) In the BPFS multivariate study of 164 pT2(+ )influential variables are: multifocal involvement (HR: 3.4; 95%IC 1.7-6.9 p<0.000) and PSA (HR: 1.03; 95%IC 1.02-1.05 p<0.000), being PSA >15 ng/ml )HR: 3.7; 95%IC 2.1-6.6 p<0.000 ( the best cut-off point. Risk groups: Using the independent influence variables, the best model (using Cox models ) includes two risk groups: Group 1 (0 variables): They are pT2(+) with unifocal affectation and PSA<15 ng/ml, (63%). Their BPFS are 81±4% and 77±4% (5 and 10 years). Grupo 2 (1-2 variables): They are pT2 (+) with multifocal involvement, PSA> 15 ng/ml or both of them, (37%). Their BPFS are 46±6% and 26±7% (5 and 10 years). The BPFS differs significantly between the two groups (p<0.000). The Group 1 BPFS is similar to the pT2 (-) patients, (p:0.242). The Group 2 BPFS is similar to the pT3(+) patients, (p:0.637). The model explained significantly better the BPFS than any of the individual variables analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: In pT2(+) patients the prognosis is significantly worse in multifocal involvement. In addition two groups of patients can be clearly distinguished from the BPFS point view according to their influential variables. The data suggest that since the prognostic point view the second group is understaged while the first is overstaged.

Differential tumor expression of inhibitor of differentiation-1 in prostate cancer patients with extreme clinical phenotypes and prognostic implications.

BACKGROUND: In the prostate-specific antigen era, potentially indolent prostate tumors are radically treated, causing overtreatment. Molecular prognostic factors might differentiate indolent from aggressive tumors, allowing avoidance of unnecessary treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-two prostate cancer patients (20 organ-confined and 32 metastatic) were selected. All formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded primary biopsies and matched metastases of 15 of them were evaluated for tumor and endothelial cell Id1 protein expression. Seventy-nine additional patients with organ-confined prostate cancer were selected for Id1 mRNA in silico analysis. RESULTS: Among metastatic cancer subjects, 48% of primary tumors and 38% of metastases showed Id1 tumor cell expression, and 79% of primary tumors and 81% of metastases showed endothelial immunoreactivity. In the organ-confined group none of them showed Id1 protein tumor cell expression and 50% displayed endothelial expression. In the metastatic patients group, lower levels of Id1 protein predicted a nonsignificant longer overall survival (13 months vs. 7 months; P = .79). In the in silico analysis, however, lower levels of Id1 mRNA predicted a longer disease-free survival (61 months vs. not-reached; P = .018) and the hazard ratio for progression was 0.451 (P = .022) in favor of patients showing lower levels. CONCLUSION: In our cohort, it seems to be a differential epithelial expression of Id1 protein according to the prognostic features (metastatic/poor prognosis vs. organ-confined/good prognosis). In localized tumors treated with radical prostatectomy, higher Id1 mRNA expression levels might predict a higher hazard ratio for progression and a shorter disease-free survival. Further validation of these results in larger prospective series is warranted.

Immediate renal Doppler ultrasonography findings (<24 h) and its association with graft survival.

PURPOSE: Renal Doppler ultrasonography (DUS) is the gold-standard image test for follow-up after renal transplantation, it is potentially useful to detect renal disease and it could be related with long-term survival. We evaluate whether renal graft survival can be predicted by immediate renal Doppler ultrasonography (IRDUS), defined as ultrasonography carried out in the first 24 h post-surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immediate renal DUS findings (resistance index, hydronephrosis, fluid collection, bruises, and vascularization abnormalities) and their association with graft survival were analyzed in a retrospective observational study of 343 renal allografts. Renal transplantation was done using a standard technique, and DUS was performed 24 h post-transplantation. The association of variables with graft survival was evaluated by Cox univariate and multivariate proportional hazards analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and the log-rank test were used to examine graft survival. RESULTS: The follow-up median was 85 months. On IRDUS, 137 patients (39.9%) had abnormal findings. The best RI cutpoint for the prediction of graft survival was 0.7; therefore, we defined two different groups: RI ≤ 0.7 (n = 247) versus RI > 0.7 (n = 96). Univariate analysis revealed that graft survival was significantly lower in patients with RI > 0.7 (P ≤ 0.001), vascularization abnormalities (P ≤ 0.001) or bruises (P = 0.026). In multivariate analysis, the only factors independently associated with graft survival were RI (odds ratio 2.4; 95% CI 1.4-4.1) and vascularization abnormalities (odds ratio 2.7; 95% CI 1.1-6.5). CONCLUSIONS: IRDUS can be useful, besides being highly useful in the diagnosis of graft primary dysfunction in the transplanted patient also yields information that can help to predict long-term graft survival.

Use of a combination of biomarkers in serum and urine to improve detection of prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To measure a combination of novel molecular biomarkers in urine/blood samples of consecutive patients referring lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) not previously diagnosed, to improve prostate cancer diagnosis. METHODS: Serum and urine samples from 113 men who went consecutively to the Department of Urology of our Institution. Biomarkers analyzed were AMACR and MMP-2 levels, and GSTP1/RASSF1A methylation status, in addition to PSA levels. Sensitivity, specificity, area under the ROC (AUROC) curves, and discriminant function analysis were assessed to determine the diagnostic potential of each variable alone or in combination. RESULTS: Of the patients, 30.08% had PCa and the remaining ones were tumor free. Areas under the ROC (AUROC) curves were as follows: 0.476 for PSA, 0.532 for AMACR, and 0.706 for MMP-2. Sensitivity and specificity for methylation status were 53.3 and 45.9%, respectively. The combination of these biomarkers resulted in an AUROC curve of 0.788, which significantly outperformed AUROC curves for PSA (P = 0.0033) and AMACR (P = 0.0375). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for the combination of biomarkers were 57.1, 96.6, 88.9, and 82.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: We conclude that analysis of this biomarker combination in body fluids improves very significantly the diagnosis of PCa compared to the PSA test.

Anterior compartment prolapse repair with a hybrid biosynthetic mesh implant technique.

The aim of the present study is to assess the safety and feasibility of a new technique for cystocele repair using a hybrid biosynthetic graft fixed by the transobturator approach. This is a retrospective study of 13 women diagnosed with symptomatic anterior compartment prolapse that were in stages II and IV, using Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification score and treated between 2003 and 2006. The surgical procedure was carried out through a vaginal approach, exposing the arcus tendineus and the posterior surface of the obturator foramen from the ischial spine to the inferior pubic ramus bone. The patients were followed-up after 3, 6 and 12 months. The anatomical cure rate was 85% (stage 0), although two patients had a recurrence 8 months after surgery. All patients would repeat the procedure, if necessary. No de novo dyspareunia was observed in these small series. The results suggest that this technique is safe and feasible and is a comprehensive surgical approach for anterior compartment prolapse, without postoperative morbidity.

Androgen receptor mutations are associated with Gleason score in localized prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To study human androgen receptor (hAR) mutations and their relationship to the clinical and pathological characteristics of patients with prostate cancer, as the mechanisms by which tumour cells escape androgen control and grow independently of hormone stimulation are unclear. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In all, 67 radical prostatectomy specimens were sequenced genomically (mean age of the patients, 64 years; median prostate-specific antigen level 15 ng/mL; 34% T1 and 66% T2). Of the 66 patients who had a valid follow-up, 28 (43%) had biochemical progression during the follow-up. RESULTS: There was mutation in the hAR in 11 patients (16%); nine types of different mutations were identified, only one of which was described previously in patients with prostate cancer. Patients with mutated hAR had statistically lower Gleason scores (P = 0.004) than had patients with native hAR. CONCLUSION: hAR mutations have a different effect on the disease course in patients with localized than in those with metastatic prostatic cancer.

Treatment of ureteroarterial fistulae with covered vascular endoprostheses and ureteral occlusion.

BACKGROUND: Ureteroarterial fistulae (UAFs) are a rare entity, often difficult to identify, and associated with a high mortality rate. This fact has been attributed to a delay in diagnosis and treatment. Five conditions that can predispose to the development of this uncommon entity have been described: prior pelvic surgery, prolonged ureteral stenting, radiation therapy, previous vascular surgery and vascular pathology. METHODS: We present 4 patients with UAFs and at least three of the above-mentioned conditions. Ureteral ischemia and subsequent necrosis promote the formation of these fistulae. The constant pulsation of the iliac artery is transmitted to an already compromised ureter containing a stiff intraluminal foreign body, resulting in pressure necrosis, most likely where the ureter crosses the iliac artery. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Cases were managed percutaneously with a combination of the deployment of a covered prosthesis and, when needed, with mechanical occlusion of the ureter. Hematuria stopped in all the patients with no evidence of immediate rebleeding. One patient presented a new episode of vaginal bleeding 13 months after endograft placement and ureteral embolization. Arteriography showed the presence of a hypogastric artery pseudoaneurysm that was occluded using coils. No new bleeding has occurred in this patient 12 months after the second embolization. At present all 4 patients are alive with follow-up periods of 5, 9, 11 and 25 months since the first procedure.