Preliminary results with iodine-125 seeds for permanent implantation in patients with localized prostatic cancer.

Since August 1981, a permanent implantation with iodine-125 seeds has been performed in 41 patients with localized prostatic cancer. The seeds are implanted through a suprapubic incision. This gives the opportunity also to perform a diagnostic dissection of the regional lymph nodes. In five patients, the nodes were positive. In 4 out of these 5 patients bone metastases became manifest within one year. Two patients died of disseminated tumor, the first also had a local recurrence. Two other patients died shortly after treatment because of heart failure, while a third patient also died of heart failure, 2 years after implantation. Out of 31 patients with a follow-up period of 6 months or longer, distant metastases were found in four, in 2 followed by a local recurrence in the prostate. We can conclude that the preliminary results of this technique are encouraging with only three local recurrences in 41 patients. The prognostic value of positive lymph nodes was once again established.

Combined hormono/chemotherapy as primary treatment for metastatic prostate cancer: a randomized, multicenter study of orchiectomy alone versus orchiectomy plus estramustine phosphate. The Dutch Estracyt Study Group.

OBJECTIVES: Based on the theory that hormone-resistant cells are present in all metastatic patients, early administration of chemotherapy appears to be logical and its use is supported by experimental studies. Therefore, trials with combined hormonal and cytotoxic treatment as primary therapy should be conducted. In the present trial, the efficacy and tolerance of estramustine phosphate (EMP) as a chemotherapeutic agent in addition to hormonal treatment (orchiectomy) was studied in patients with metastatic and nonmetastatic prostate cancer not previously treated. EMP was chosen because it produces few serious adverse reactions and no cumulative toxicity. METHODS: Four hundred nineteen patients were included in a 1.5-year period starting in January 1989. Patients with locally advanced prostate cancer or with bone metastases were randomized to orchiectomy (O) or orchiectomy followed by EMP (O + E), given until progression. RESULTS: Analysis of the total group showed no significant difference in time to progression between the treatment groups. Because the course of the disease is different in patients with either T4 tumor only or with lymph node metastases only (M0) as compared with patients with bone metastases (M1) and because the number of progressions in the M0 patients was low, corresponding analyses were performed for these subgroups as well. In the M1 patients, there was a tendency for a longer time to progression in the O + E group than in the O group, but there was no indication of a difference between the groups with regard to survival. In the M0 patients, there was no indication of any difference in results between the treatments. Multivariate analysis of prognostic factors showed pain, alkaline phosphatase, metastasis status, and tumor stage to be significant factors. There was a relation between age and drug treatment in that a significant beneficial effect of EMP in terms of prolonged progression-free interval as well as survival was evident in younger patients (aged less than 73 years) with metastatic disease. Tumor stage was also of importance for the drug effect; T0 to T3 patients who received EMP survived longer than those who were treated with orchiectomy only. The most common adverse reaction was nausea in the O + E group, which led to discontinuation of the drug in 7 patients. Cardiovascular problems are not uncommon in this age group, and there was a higher incidence of cardiovascular events, predominantly cardiac failure, in the O + E group, leading to treatment interruption in 16 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that future studies of hormono/chemotherapy should focus on younger patients with bone metastases.

Electrovaporization as a treatment modality for transurethral resection of the prostate: influence of generator type.

OBJECTIVES: To study the influence of the electrosurgical generator on the vaporization efficacy during electrovaporization (EVAP) using different vaporization elements. METHODS: Electrical properties of human prostatic (in vivo) and bovine myocardium (in vitro) tissue were measured under electroresection and electrovaporization conditions. The effective output power of four different generators ("old generation" Force 4 and Force 40 and "new generation" Force 300 and Force FX) was measured at different impedance loads. In vitro, the coagulation and vaporization capabilities of the electrosurgical generators in combination with resection and vaporization elements were studied on homogeneous tissue (bovine myocardium). RESULTS: The electrical impedance of human prostatic tissue and bovine myocardium increases from 400 to 1000 ohms when coagulated. The effective output power of the old generation electrosurgical devices depends strongly on tissue impedance. This implies that working on already coagulated tissue using such devices is not well controlled and not reproducible. By contrast, new generation electrosurgical devices correct for the higher impedance of coagulated tissue, thus delivering constant output power and corresponding tissue effects. CONCLUSIONS: For an effective application of the EVAP technique, the use of a new generation impedance independent electrosurgical unit is highly recommended.

Variation in output power of laser prostatectomy fibers: a need for power measurements.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was the assessment of the quality of side-firing fibers that are being used for laser prostatectomy, either by a laser light transmission measurement or by visual inspection. METHODS: A power meter (Aquarius) was developed to measure the actual power transmitted through a side-firing fiber and delivered to the prostatic tissue. The power measurements were performed under clinical conditions, that is, under water and at relatively high input power. Furthermore, a protocol was developed for visual inspection of the fibers. Eight types of side-firing fibers were measured before use. Before and after a procedure, three fiber types were measured: ProLase II (28 samples), UltraLine (23 samples), and UroLase (44 samples). All these fibers were used in standard treatment protocols. RESULTS: At 60 W the transmission of new fibers (not used) ranged between 49% and 83% when compared to a bare fiber. After use, a large variation was found in transmitted power between different samples of one device. A correlation with total transmitted power was not present. At higher power input, vapor bubbles are generated at the tip of the fibers. Depending on the fiber design, these bubbles have a major impact on the transmission. Only for the UroLase fiber was there a significant correlation between visual inspection and the transmission of used samples at 10, 20, and 40 W. CONCLUSIONS: The transmission strongly varies between fibers and between different samples of one fiber during clinical use. Moreover, the transmission does not correlate with visual inspection. A power measurement during a clinical treatment will contribute to a more controlled procedure and to a better comparison of clinical laser prostatectomy studies.

Sapphire probe laser surgery for localized carcinoma of the penis.

Cancer of the penis is an uncommon disease in the western world, but it causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Discussions have tended to centre around issues of local tumor control and the functional status of the penis after treatment. Since November 1982 we have treated localized squamous cell penile cancer (Tis, T1 and T2, Classification UICC, Geneva 1978) with the Nd-YAG laser. Sixteen patients (3Tis, 5T1 and 8T2 tumors) are included in this study with a follow-up of 4 to 36 months (mean 17 months). Eight out of 16 patients were treated with the sapphire probe exclusively, the other eight patients by scalpel excision followed by laser irradiation. No recurrent tumor was observed in 13 patients, one patient developed a recurrence at a non-treated part of the glans penis after 14 months, one patient showed Tis after 5 months near the treated side and in one patient an incomplete laser resection was followed by partial penectomy after 1 month. Sapphire probe laser excision is a safe procedure leading to a good cosmetic aspect with maintenance of the functional integrity of the penis.

Influence of decay of laser fibers during laser prostatectomy on clinical results.

Three types of sidefiring laser fibers (34 Urolase, 20 Ultraline, and 114 Prolase II) were visually inspected after a laser prostatectomy, and transmission measurements were performed using a power meter (Aquarius). The results were correlated with the clinical outcome. Despite differences in the amount of loss in transmission for the fibers used, we could not establish any significant effect on clinical outcome measures, such as improvement in maximal flow rate or symptom score. The visual aspect of the Urolase fibers was significantly related to the amount of transmission loss, whereas no such relation was found for the other two types of fibers. Prostate size and the total amount of energy delivered by the laser source also did not correlate with the clinical outcome. To determine the relation between the energy absorbed by the prostate and clinical outcome, a large number of patients must be evaluated, and any factor that can be controlled needs to be monitored. For the latter, the power meter as presented here is a useful complementary tool.

[Sexual possibilities following total penis amputation]. / Seksuele mogelijkheden na totale penisamputatie.

A male aged 45 was subjected to total penis amputation because of a penile carcinoma; a perineal urethral stoma was created. The postoperative course was uneventful. One month after the last operation the patient for the first time felt the need for sexual contact, but his wife hesitated. After medical-sexological counselling, the partners achieved satisfactory sexual functioning with the husband occasionally having an orgasm.

[Laser prostatectomy as alternative to transurethral prostate resection in benign prostatic hyperplasia]. / Laserprostatectomie als alternatief voor transurethrale prostaatresectie bij benigne prostaathyperplasie.

OBJECTIVE: Assessment of the results of laser prostatectomy, as a treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). DESIGN: Prospective case control study. SETTING: University Hospital Utrecht, the Netherlands. METHOD: Between February 1992 and May 1993, 54 men with their micturition complaints due to BPH were treated with laser prostatectomy (TULIP system). Results were assessed using the international prostatic symptom score (IPSS), the maximal flow and urodynamic tests. The results were compared retrospectively with results of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP; n = 40): both groups were urodynamically identical. RESULTS: Of the 54 patients, 10 could not be evaluated 6 months after treatment (5 of them underwent TURP or a second laser prostatectomy). In 40 patients complete evaluation including urodynamics before and six months after treatment was possible. A significant decrease in the symptom score from 19.3 (SD: 7.6) to 6.3 (SD: 5.4) and increase of the maximal flow during pressure-flow studies from 9.6 to 15.8 ml per second were observed. The decrease of the voiding pressure at 6 months after TURP in comparison with laser prostatectomy was close to significance (p = 0.05); the other improvements after urodynamics were comparable. CONCLUSION: Laser prostatectomy is a promising new therapy for BPH.

Pelvic exenteration as treatment of recurrent or advanced gynecologic and urologic cancer.

Pelvic exenteration is used as therapeutic option for advanced or recurrent cancer in the pelvis. We determined the complications of and the survival after pelvic exenteration. The study was performed as a retrospective cohort (n = 62) study from January 1, 1989, until January 1, 2000. Descriptive statistics were used. Survival was estimated according to the Kaplan-Meier life table. The operative mortality was 1.6%. Seventy-five percent of the patients had postoperative complications of which ileus and urinary tract infection were the most common. Late complications occurred in 83% of the patients. Recurrent disease was observed in 38% of the women, whereas 50% had died on January 1, 2000. Five-years disease-free and overall survival were 42% (confidence interval [CI] +/- 14%) and 46% (CI +/- 14%), respectively. Elderly patients (> 70 years old) do not experience more complications. Despite considerable morbidity, pelvic exenteration is a therapeutic option for survival, even for patients of 70 years and older.

Extensive urodynamic investigation: interaction among diuresis, detrusor instability, urethral relaxation, incontinence and complaints in women with a history of urge incontinence.

In 72 women with a clinical history of frequency and/or urge incontinence and in whom during filling cystometry nearly no abnormalities were detected, cystometry was repeated not by transurethral filling but under high diuretic conditions (diuresis cystometry). The prevalence and strength of detrusor instability, and the prevalence of incontinence were significantly greater during diuresis cystometry compared to filling cystometry. The experiences of these patients during episodes of instability were similar to those in their own daily environment. Most women with motor urge incontinence on filling or diuresis cystometry are losing urine at detrusor pressures lower than would be expected from urethral closure pressure measurements at rest. Therefore, urethral relaxation may have an important role in the etiology of incontinence. Apparent low amplitude detrusor instability may cause severe incontinence when combined with urethral relaxation. Extensive urodynamic investigations (including diuresis cystometry) will improve the clinical applicability of urodynamics.

The value of symptom score, quality of life score, maximal urinary flow rate, residual volume and prostate size for the diagnosis of obstructive benign prostatic hyperplasia: a urodynamic analysis.

PURPOSE: We investigated which linear combination of scores for symptoms, quality of life, maximum urinary flow rate, residual volume and prostate size best discriminated men with prostatism who do and do not have obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mandatory and recommended tests were performed in 196 men older than 50 years with prostatism. Schäfer's obstruction grade was estimated by urodynamic studies. Relative residual volume was defined as residual volume divided by cystometric capacity (times 100%). Correlation coefficients among the different parameters were estimated. Obstruction grade was correlated with linear weighted combinations of the parameters. RESULTS: Of the men 79% appeared to have obstruction. The formula, prostate size (cm.3) -3 x maximum urinary flow rate (ml. per second) + 1/4 of relative residual volume (%), correlated almost maximally with obstruction grade. Including quality of life score or symptom score in this expression had a negative outcome on the correlation. Calculation of this expression resulted in the bladder outlet obstruction number. In more than 50% of the men the bladder outlet obstruction number was greater than -2 and more than 90% had obstruction. In 25% of all men the bladder outlet obstruction number was greater than 13 and more than 95% had obstruction. CONCLUSIONS: Bladder outlet obstruction number may be calculated with an easy to use expression composed of prostate size, maximum urinary flow and relative residual volume. In 50% of the men with prostatism bladder outlet obstruction number will diagnose obstruction with a reliability of more than 90%.

Cowper's syringocele: symptoms, classification and treatment of an unappreciated problem.

PURPOSE: Cowper's syringocele is a rare deformity in the male urethra that is a distention of the duct of the bulbourethral (Cowper's) gland. We report on 7 cases, review the symptoms and pathophysiology, and propose a simplified classification of this uncommon lesion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 7 cases of Cowper's syringocele diagnosed from 1997 to 1998 at our hospital. RESULTS: Cowper's syringocele was diagnosed in 7 patients 25 to 51 years old with persistent post-void dribbling, frequency, urethral pain, hematuria or sudden urethral discharge. Diagnosis was made with urethrocystoscopy or retrograde urethrogram. Cowper's syringocele may be closed (a distended cyst-like swelling in the wall of the urethra) or open (an opening enabling urine reflux into the syringocele). In 2 patients asymptomatic open syringocele was diagnosed. In 1 patient symptomatic syringocele resolved spontaneously following an infection. In 4 patients open syringocele was treated with transurethral marsupialization because of persistent post-void dribbling. Postoperatively patients were completely symptom-free with a mean followup of 12 months (range 6 to 23). CONCLUSIONS: Cowper's syringocele may be more common than currently realized. Urologists should rule out this possibility in young male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms and persistent post-void dribbling as it can be treated easily.

Analysis and reliability of data from 24-hour frequency-volume charts in men with lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to analyse the data from frequency-volume charts and to study the reliability of these charts in men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS: Males with LUTS due to BPH were consecutively included in the study if they met the criteria of the International Consensus Committee on BPH, voided more than 150 ml during uroflowmetry, residual volume and prostate size were estimated and frequency-volume charts were completed correctly. From the frequency-volume charts, voiding habits and fluid intake were evaluated. RESULTS: 160 patients could be included. Another 28 patients who met all other criteria did not complete the frequency-volume charts correctly. Agreement exists between reported voided volumes in the literature and those found by us. We found a significant correlation (p<0.001) between nycturia and score on symptom question 7, and between diuria and score on symptom question 2 of the AUA symptom index. The difference between results obtained from frequency-volume charts completed during 24 h and those obtained from charts completed during three or more 24-hour periods was negligible with respect to the variation of data at an individual level. CONCLUSION: Frequency-volume charts are reliable in the investigation of patients with LUTS due to BPH. Reporting on frequency-volume charts during just 24 h is sufficient to gain insight into their voiding habits during normal daily life.

Self-expanding stent insertion for urethral strictures: a 10-year follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Urolume endourethral self-expandable metallic stent (American Medical Systems, MI, USA) in treating urethral strictures, based on a follow-up of> 10 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between November 1989 and June 1990, the Urolume stent was inserted into 15 patients (aged 25-77 years) who had recurrent urethral strictures. The mean duration of stricture before stent insertion was 10.9 years. The patients (all men) were followed using a questionnaire and uroflowmetry, and if necessary, retrograde cysto-urethrography and/or urethroscopy and/or X-ray urodynamics. RESULTS: Two failures were caused by excessive tissue proliferation in the stent, which ended in stent removal or a suprapubic catheter. Another two stents were removed because of discomfort or pain. Two patients developed stenosis in the stent after 7 and 9 years. In the final evaluation only two of the 15 patients were satisfied with their stent. The mean maximum urinary flow rate at the last follow-up was 15 mL/s, and half the patients noted 'stent' incontinence. Lower urinary tract infections, urge and stress incontinence, and discomfort with ejaculation, were all symptoms perceived at the last follow-up. CONCLUSION: The long-term results of the Urolume stent in this study weaken the optimistic early results. Only two of the 15 patients were satisfied with their stent.