Do PHI and PHI density improve detection of clinically significant prostate cancer only in the PSA gray zone?

OBJECTIVES: Prostate health index (PHI) is a predictive biomarker of positive prostate biopsy. The majority of evidence refers to its use in the PSA gray zone (4-10 ng/mL) and negative digital rectal exam (DRE). We aim to evaluate and compare the predictive accuracy of PHI and PHI density (PHId) with PSA, percentage of free PSA and PSA density, in a wider range of patients for the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa). METHODS: Multicenter prospective study that included patients suspicious of harboring prostate cancer. Non-probabilistic convenience sampling, where men who attended the urology consultation were tested for PHI before prostate biopsy. To evaluate and compare diagnostic accuracy AUC and decision curve analysis (DCA) were calculated. All these procedures were performed for the overall sample and the following subsamples: PSA < 4 ng/ml; PSA 4-10 ng/ml; PSA 4-10 ng/ml plus negative DRE and PSA > 10 ng/ml. RESULTS: Among the 559 men included, 194 (34.7%) were diagnosed of csPCa. PHI and PHId outperfomed PSA in all subgroups. PHI best diagnostic performance was found in PSA 4-10 ng/ml with negative DRE (sensitivity 93.33, NPV 96.04). Regarding AUC, significant differences were found between PHId and PSA in the subgroup of PSA 4-10 ng/ml, whatever DRE status. In DCA, PHI density shows the highest net benefit. CONCLUSIONS: PHI and PHId outperfom PSA in csPCa detection, not only in the PSA grey zone with negative DRE, but also in a wider range of PSA values. There is an urgent need of prospective studies to established a validated threshold and its incorporation in risk calculators.

The Urinary Transcriptome as a Source of Biomarkers for Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common cancer of men and is typically slow-growing and asymptomatic. The use of blood PSA as a screening method has greatly improved PCa diagnosis, but high levels of false positives has raised much interest in alternative biomarkers. We used next-generation sequencing (NGS) to elucidate the urinary transcriptome of whole urine collected from high-stage and low-stage PCa patients as well as from patients with the confounding diagnosis of benign hyperplasia (BPH). We identified and validated five differentially expressed protein-coding genes (FTH1 BRPF1, OSBP, PHC3, and UACA) in an independent validation cohort of small-volume (1 mL) centrifuged urine (n = 94) and non-centrifuged urine (n = 84) by droplet digital (dd)PCR. These biomarkers were able to discriminate between BPH and PCa patients and healthy controls using either centrifuged or non-centrifuged whole urine samples, suggesting that the urinary transcriptome is a valuable source of non-invasive biomarkers for PCa that warrants further investigation.

[Radiofrequency ablation of renal cell carcinoma]. / Ablación del cáncer renal por radiofrecuencia.

INTRODUCTION: The standard treatment of small renal masses is partial nephrectomy, which has showed similar oncologic results when compared with radical nephrectomy. Recently, ablative techniques, including radiofrequency and cryotherapy ablation, has been developed, with the purpose of minimizing adverse effects of standard surgical excision. In this article we review the technique of radiofrequency ablation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For this review we conducted a search in the Medline database using the terms "renal radiofrequency ablation". RESULTS: The different currently marketed systems for the delivery of radiofrequency energy are examined. The different techniques of delivery (open, laparoscopic and percutaneous) are described; we observe a trend towards the use of the percutaneous method. Among the published clinical studies there are series of patients with midterm follow-up (3 years) that show oncologic outcomes similar to traditional resection techniques, with fewer complications. CONCLUSIONS: Renal tumor radiofrequency ablation has proved an effective therapy with minimal complications. However, it should be used only in selected patients until longer follow-up studies are available.

Age-dependent depletion of human skin-derived progenitor cells.

A major unanswered question in autologous cell therapy is the appropriate timing for cell isolation. Many of the putative target diseases arise with old age and previous evidence, mainly from animal models, suggests that the stem/progenitor cell pool decreases steadily with age. Studies with human cells have been generally hampered to date by poor sample availability. In recent years, several laboratories have reported on the existence, both in rodents and humans, of skin-derived precursor (SKP) cells with the capacity to generate neural and mesodermal progenies. This easily obtainable multipotent cell population has raised expectations for their potential use in cell therapy of neurodegeneration. However, we still lack a clear understanding of the spatiotemporal abundance and phenotype of human SKPs. Here we show an analysis of human SKP abundance and in vitro differentiation potential, by using SKPs isolated from four distinct anatomic sites (abdomen, breast, foreskin, and scalp) from 102 healthy subjects aged 8 months to 85 years. Human SKP abundance and differentiation potential decrease sharply with age, being extremely difficult to isolate, expand, and differentiate when obtained from the elderly. Our data suggest preserving human SKP cell banks early in life would be desirable for use in clinical protocols in the aging population.

[Manoeuvres to perform a completely laparoscopic nephroureterectomy]. / Maniobras para realizar la nefroureterectomia totalmente por via laparoscopica.

OBJECTIVES: We describe a series of surgical manoeuvres to perform a completely laparoscopic nephroureterectomy. METHODS/RESULTS: We set the patient in the lateral position. The trocars are placed in a rhombus shape, with an accessory trocar for liver retraction on the right side. Once the parietal peritoneum is open the ureter and gonadal vein are localized. We clip and section the gonadal vein. The renal pedicle is localized and dissected. We divide separately the renal artery and vein. We complete the dissection of the kidney. We start the caudal dissection of the ureter from the iliac vessels level down to the pelvis. We clip the ureter. Due to the trocar deployment we reach a point in which ureteral dissection becomes difficult. Then we perform 3 manoeuvres: 1) We change the camera from the lower trocar to the right side one. 2) We move the monitor to the feet of the patient. 3) The surgeon moves to the other side of the patient to work with the superior and inferior trocars. We introduce a retractor through the remaining trocar. With these changes the ureter is in line with the camera and we may have a good access to the pelvis, making the distal dissection of the ureter easier. The dissection ends when the classic image of tent of the vesicoureteral junction is seen. The bladder patch is resected and the bladder is sutured closed with a continuous suture. The specimen is bagged and extracted opening the orifice of the iliac fossa trocar. CONCLUSIONS: With this technique, a completely laparoscopic nephroureterectomy may be performed following the oncological principles of open surgery.