Robotic-assisted radical cystectomy with cutaneous ureterostomies: a contemporary multicenter analysis.

BACKGROUND: Robotic-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) offers decreased blood loss during surgery, shorter hospital length of stay, and lower risk for thromboembolic events without hindering oncological outcomes. Cutaneous ureterostomies (UCS) are a seldom utilized diversion that can be a suitable alternative for a selected group of patients with competing co-morbidities and limited life expectancy. OBJECTIVE: To describe operative and perioperative characteristics as well as oncological outcomes for patients that underwent RARC + UCS. METHODS: Patients that underwent RARC + UCS during 2013-2023 in 3 centers (EU = 2, US = 1) were identified in a prospectively maintained database. Baseline characteristics, pathological, and oncological outcomes were analyzed. Descriptive statistics and survival analysis were performed using R language version 4.3.1. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients were included. The median age was 77 years (IQR 70-80) and the median follow-up time was 11 months (IQR 4-20). Ten patients were ASA 4 (14.5%). Nine patients underwent palliative cystectomy (13%). The median operation time was 241 min (IQR 202-290), and the median hospital stay was 8 days (IQR 6-11). The 30-day complication rate was 55.1% (grade ≥ 3a was 14.4%), and the 30-day readmission rate was 17.4%. Eleven patients developed metastatic recurrence (15.9%), and 14 patients (20.2%) died during the follow-up period. Overall survival at 6, 12, and 24 months was 84%, 81%, and 73%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: RARC + UCS may offer lower complication and readmission rates without the need to perform enteric anastomosis, it can be considered in a selected group of patients with competing co-morbidities, or limited life expectancy. Larger prospective studies are necessary to validate these results.

Induction and maintenance of sequential intravesical gemcitabine/docetaxel for intermediate and high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer with different dosage protocols.

INTRODUCTION: The combination of sequential intravesical gemcitabine and docetaxel (Gem/Doce) chemotherapy has been considered a feasible option for BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) treatment in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), gaining popularity during BCG shortage period. We seek to determine the efficacy of the treatment by comparing Gem/Doce induction alone vs induction with maintenance, and to evaluate the treatment outcomes of two different dosage protocols. METHODS: A bi-center retrospective analysis of consecutive patients treated with Gem/Doce for NMIBC between 2018 and 2023 was performed. Baseline characteristics, risk group stratification (AUA 2020 guidelines), pathological, and surveillance reports were collected. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to detect Recurrence-free survival (RFS). RESULTS: Overall, 83 patients (68 males, 15 females) with a median age of 73 (IQR 66-79), and a median follow-up time of 18 months (IQR 9-25), were included. Forty-one had an intermediate-risk disease (49%) and 42 had a high-risk disease (51%). Thirty-seven patients (45%) had a recurrence; 19 (23%) had a high-grade recurrence. RFS of Gem/Doce induction-only vs induction + maintenance was at 6 months 88% vs 100%, at 12 months 71% vs 97%, at 18 months 57% vs 91%, and at 24 months 31% vs 87%, respectively (log-rank, p < 0.0001). Patients who received 2 g Gemcitabine with Docetaxel had better RFS for all-grade recurrences (log-rank, p = 0.017). However, no difference was found for high-grade recurrences. CONCLUSION: Gem/Doce induction with maintenance resulted in significantly better RFS than induction-only. Combining 2 g gemcitabine with docetaxel resulted in better RFS for all-grade but not for high-grade recurrences. Further prospective trials are necessary to validate our results.

Tumor downstaging as an intermediate endpoint to assess the activity of neoadjuvant systemic therapy in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Achieving a pathologic complete response (pCR) with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) has been associated with improved overall survival (OS). This study was aimed at evaluating the impact of pathologic downstaging (pDS; ie, a pT stage at least 1 stage lower than the pre-NAC cT stage) on the OS of patients with MIBC treated with NAC. METHODS: The Retrospective International Study of Cancers of the Urothelial Tract (RISC) and the National Cancer Database (NCDB) were queried for cT2-4N0M0 patients treated with NAC. A multivariable Cox model including either pDS or pCR was generated. A nested model was built to evaluate the added value of pDS (excluding patients achieving a pCR) to a model including pCR alone. C indices were computed to assess discrimination. NCDB was used for validation. The treatment effect of NAC versus cystectomy alone in achieving pDS was estimated through an inverse probability-weighted regression adjustment. RESULTS: Overall, 189 and 2010 patients from the RISC and NCDB cohorts, respectively, were included; pDS and pCR were achieved by 33% and 35% and by 20% and 15% in RISC and NCDB, respectively. In both data sets, pDS and pCR were associated with better OS and C indices. Adding pDS excluding pCR to the model with pCR fit the data better (likelihood ratio, P = .019 for RISC and P < .001 for NCDB), and it yielded better discrimination (incremental C index, 4.2 for RISC and 1.6 for NCDB). The treatment effect of NAC in achieving pDS was 2.07-fold (P < .001) in comparison with cystectomy alone. CONCLUSIONS: A decrease of at least 1 stage from the cT stage to the pT stage is associated with improved OS in patients with MIBC treated with NAC.

Trends in Regionalization of Care and Mortality For Patients Treated With Radical Cystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Regionalization to higher volume centers has been proposed as a mechanism to improve short-term outcomes following complex surgery. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess trends in regionalization and mortality for patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC). RESEARCH DESIGN: An observational study of patients receiving RC in the United States from 2004 to 2013. SUBJECTS: Data for patients receiving RC were extracted from the National Cancer Database. MEASURES: The primary exposure was hospital volume; low-volume hospitals (LVH) included those with <5 RC/year and high-volume hospitals (HVH) were those with ≥30 RC/year. Trends in the volume were assessed, as were 30- and 90-day mortality. Cochrane-Armitage tests were performed for volume, and propensity score-weighted proportional hazard regression was used to assess mortality. RESULTS: A total of 47,028 RC were performed in 1162 hospitals from 2004 to 2013. The proportion of RC at LVH declined from 29% to 17% (P<0.01), whereas that of HVH increased from 16% to 33% (P<0.01). Unadjusted 30- (P=0.02) and 90-day (P<0.001) mortality decreased, and the absolute decrease was greatest at LVH (4.8% vs. 2.6%, P=0.03), whereas rates for HVH remained stable (1.9% vs. 1.4%, P=0.34). Following risk-adjustment, relative to treatment at HVH, treatment at LVH was associated with increased 30-day (hazard ratio: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.53-1.80) and 90-day mortality (hazard ratio: 1.37, 95% confidence interval: 1.30-1.44). CONCLUSIONS: Regionalization of RC to HVH was observed from 2004 to 2013. Treatment at LVH was associated with 66% and 33% relative increases in hazard of death at 30 and 90 days, respectively. These findings support the selective referral of complex cases to higher volume centers.

Pathological downstaging as a novel endpoint for the development of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether pathological downstaging (pDS) was more informative in predicting overall survival (OS) than pathological complete response (pCR) in patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The National Cancer Database was queried for patients with high-grade cN0M0 disease who had received NAC. pDS was defined as a decrease of at least one stage from cT to pT stage along with pN0, including pCR. A multivariable Cox model predicting OS was generated by fitting alternatively either pDS or pCR, and adjusted for potential confounders. The discrimination of the Cox models for predicting OS was evaluated using Harrell's C-index. The analyses were repeated in patients diagnosed as having cT2-4N0M0 disease. RESULTS: Among 264 patients meeting the inclusion criteria, 72 (27%) and 39 (15%) achieved pDS and pCR, respectively. On multivariable analysis, both pDS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.13, 0.45; P < 0.001) and pCR (HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.18, 0.79; P = 0.01) were associated with OS. The model including pDS achieved better discrimination with respect to the model including pCR: C-index 76.4 vs 72.7, respectively. In the 128 patients diagnosed with cT2-4 disease, both pDS (HR 0.19, 95% CI 0.09, 0.40; P < 0.001) and pCR (HR 0.31, 95% CI 0.11, 0.85; P = 0.023) were confirmed as predictors of OS. The model including pDS was confirmed to discriminate better than the model including pCR: C-index 75 vs 68.9, respectively. CONCLUSION: The study showed that pDS after NAC for UTUC was more informative than pCR when predicting OS. These findings, although requiring prospective validation, can aid in the design of clinical trials seeking to refine the use of chemotherapy and other systemic therapies in this setting.

Non-contrast imaging characteristics of papillary renal cell carcinoma: implications for diagnosis and subtyping.

INTRODUCTION: Current radiographic guidelines suggest unenhanced renal lesions < 20 Hounsfield Units (HU) are overwhelmingly benign, requiring no further evaluation. We evaluate our experience with papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) presenting with low pre-contrast attenuation and the relationship of attenuation with histologic pRCC subtype. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed our institutional kidney cancer database for patients with pT1 or pT2 pRCC between 2003-2017. Tumors were categorized by papillary subtype by expert uropathologists. Preoperative CT images were analyzed at six regional tumor locations. Low, presumably benign, unenhanced median attenuation was defined as ≤ 20 HU. We calculated the frequency of pRCC with low attenuation and assessed the relationship between attenuation and pRCC subtype using logistic regression. RESULTS: Sixty-one patients with evaluable imaging were included. Median tumor size was 6 cm (1.7 cm-15.3 cm) with 39% (n = 24) type-1 and 61% (n = 37) type-2. Half of all pRCC tumors (n = 30) exhibited very low pre-contrast attenuation (< 20 HU), risking misdiagnosis as benign using current guidelines. Of these, 80% (n = 24) were type-2 with significant biological potential. Overall, type-2 tumors demonstrated a lower pre-contrast attenuation than type-1 (median HU: 19.8 (1.5-42.3) versus 29.6 HU (10-45.8), p < 0.01; max HU: 25.3 versus 36.5 HU, p < 0.01). After adjustment, lower pre-contrast HU was an independent predictor of pRCC subtype associated with a 5.5-fold increase of being type-2 (OR = 5.47, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: pRCCs may exhibit very low attenuation on pre-contrast CT. This appears more common among the more aggressive type-2 subtype. These data suggest that low attenuation (< 20 HU) alone on non-contrast CT imaging is insufficient as a single parameter to rule out malignancy.

Effectiveness of Transurethral Resection plus Systemic Chemotherapy as Definitive Treatment for Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer in Population Level Data.

PURPOSE: We investigated the characteristics and outcomes of patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer treated with transurethral resection plus chemotherapy alone in a large observational cohort reflecting the continuum of practice settings in the United States. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2015 we identified 1,538 patients treated with transurethral resection plus multi-agent chemotherapy as definitive treatment of cT2-T4aN0M0 urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. For comparison purposes we included in study 17,866 patients treated with radical cystectomy with or without perioperative chemotherapy. Baseline characteristics were compared between the 2 groups by multivariable logistic regression. Treatment outcomes were assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and a Cox regression model. RESULTS: On multivariate analysis several variables, including patient demography (older age, African American race, prior malignancy and lack of insurance), tumor characteristics (higher cT stage) and facility type (nonacademic facilities and lower radical cystectomy volume) were associated with a higher probability of transurethral resection plus chemotherapy for muscle invasive bladder cancer compared to the standard of care. Two and 5-year survival rates in all patients treated with transurethral resection plus chemotherapy were 49.0% and 32.9%, and in patients with cT2 disease the rates were 52.6% and 36.2%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This large population level cohort of unselected patients shows that long-term survival can be achieved in a subset of patients treated with transurethral resection plus chemotherapy alone for muscle invasive bladder cancer. However, the best candidates for this approach remain to be defined. Ongoing clinical trials are now being launched to evaluate the ability of biomarkers to accurately select patients who could be treated with this bladder sparing strategy.

Predicting Complications Following Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy with the ACS NSQIP® Universal Surgical Risk Calculator.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the predictive value of the ACS NSQIP® (American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program®) surgical risk calculator in a tertiary referral cohort of patients who underwent robot-assisted partial nephrectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We queried our prospectively maintained, multi-institutional database of patients treated with robot-assisted partial nephrectomy and input the preoperative details of 300 randomly selected patients into the calculator. Accuracy of the calculator was assessed by the ROC AUC and the Brier score. RESULTS: The observed rate of any complication in our cohort was 14% while the mean predicted rate of any complication using the calculator was 5.42%. The observed rate of serious complications (Clavien score 3 or greater) was 3.67% compared to the predicted rate of 4.89%. Low AUC and high Brier score were calculated for any complication (0.51 and 0.1272) and serious complications (0.55 and 0.0352, respectively). The calculated AUC was low for all outcomes, including venous thromboembolism (0.67), surgical site infection (0.51) and pneumonia (0.44). CONCLUSIONS: The ACS NSQIP risk calculator poorly predicted and discriminated which patients would experience complications after robot-assisted partial nephrectomy. These findings suggest the need for a more tailored outcome prediction model to better assist urologists risk stratify patients undergoing robot-assisted partial nephrectomy and counsel them on individual surgical risks.

Assessing the relative influence of hospital and surgeon volume on short-term mortality after radical cystectomy.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the relationship between surgeon (SV) and hospital volume (HV) on mortality after radical cystectomy (RC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We queried the National Cancer Database (NCDB) for adult patients undergoing RC between 2010 and 2013. We calculated average volume for each surgeon and hospital. Using propensity-scored weights for combined volume groups with a proportional hazards regression model, we compared the associations between HV and SV with 90-day survival after RC. RESULTS: A total of 19 346 RCs were performed at 927 hospitals by 2 927 surgeons in the period 2010-2013. The median (interquartile range) HV and SV were 12.3 (5.0-35.5) and 4.3 (1.3-12.3) cases, respectively. For HV, 90-day unadjusted mortality was 8.5% in centres with <5 cases/year (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.7-9.3) and 5.6% in those with >30 cases/year (95% CI 5.0-6.2). For SV, 90-day mortality was 8.1% for surgeons with <5 cases/year (95% CI 7.6-8.6) and 4.0% for those with >30 cases/year (95% CI 2.8-5.2; all P < 0.05). The 30-day mortality rate was lowest for the combined HV-SV groups with HV >30, ranging from 1.6% to 2.1%. CONCLUSIONS: In hospitals reporting to the NCDB, volume was associated with improved mortality after RC. These associations appear to be driven by hospital- rather than surgeon-level effects. An elevated SV had a beneficial effect on mortality at the highest-volume hospitals. These findings inform efforts to regionalize complex surgical care and improve quality at community and safety net hospitals.

Robotic-assisted radical cystectomy versus open radical cystectomy for management of bladder cancer: review of literature and randomized trials.

Among the many milestones in the last several decades in the management of muscle-invasive bladder cancer and high-risk nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer including the extension of the standard lymph node dissection and the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, minimally invasive techniques have gained traction as an attractive option for radical cystectomy. Open radical cystectomy is plagued with high rates of perioperative and postoperative morbidity and mortality, and as robotic assistance has demonstrated benefits in other arenas of surgery and urology, the evolution of the approach to radical cystectomy has likewise incorporated robotic assistance. We thus sought to critically review the literature comparing open radical cystectomy with robotic-assisted radical cystectomy. Perioperative and oncologic outcomes as well as cost analyses and health-related quality of life were compared between the two approaches, and identified manuscripts were categorized according to level of evidence.

To clamp or not to clamp? Long-term functional outcomes for elective off-clamp laparoscopic partial nephrectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether elective off-clamp laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) affords long-term renal functional benefit compared with the on-clamp approach. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective review of patients who underwent elective LPN between 2006 and 2011. Patients were followed longitudinally for up to 5 years. In all, 315 patients with radiographic evidence of a solitary renal mass and normal-appearing contralateral kidney underwent elective LPN; 209 were performed on-clamp vs 106 off-clamp. One patient who required conversion from LPN to open PN was excluded from the study. Additionally, four patients in the on-clamp cohort who underwent subsequent radical nephrectomy for local-regional recurrence were excluded from longitudinal functional evaluation after their procedure. The primary objective was to evaluate differences in postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) between hilar clamping groups. Subgroup analyses were performed for patients with clamp times >30 min and those with baseline renal insufficiency (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73m(2) ). Risk of developing worsened or new-onset renal insufficiency was also compared. RESULTS: The mean preoperative eGFR was similar between the on-clamp and off-clamp cohorts (80.7 vs 84.1 mL/min/1.73m(2) , P > 0.05). Univariable and multivariable analyses did not show significant differences in postoperative eGFR between both groups among all-comers, those with clamp times >30 min, and patients with baseline renal insufficiency. Risk of chronic kidney disease was not diminished by the off-clamp approach with up to 5 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Progressive recovery of renal function after hilar clamping in the elective setting eclipses short-term functional benefit achieved with off-clamp LPN by 6 months; there was no significant difference in eGFR or the percentage incidence of chronic kidney disease between the on-clamp and off-clamp cohorts with up to 5 years follow-up. As such, eliminating transient ischaemia during elective LPN does not confer clinical benefit.

Pfannenstiel laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) vs conventional multiport laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To present outcomes of a randomized, patient-blinded controlled trial on Pfannenstiel laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) vs conventional multiport laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients presenting as left kidney donors between January 2009 and November 2011 were randomized to LESS donor nephrectomy (LESS-DN: n = 15) or conventional laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN: n = 14). Patients were blinded to the surgical approach preoperatively and attempts to continue patient blinding postoperatively were made by applying dressings consistent with multiple conventional laparoscopic incisions for all patients. De-identified data related to the operation, peri-operative course and postoperative follow-up were prospectively collected and compared between the two groups with an intention-to-treat analysis. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the groups when comparing operating time, estimated blood loss (EBL), i.v. fluid administration, renal allograft warm ischaemia time (WIT), length of hospital stay (LOS) and total inpatient analgesic requirements. Quantitative pain assessment was not significantly different on postoperative day (POD) #0, however, it was significantly lower in the LESS-DN group, beginning on POD #1 (P < 0.05). The changes in haematocrit and serum creatinine in the two groups were not significantly different, and there were no blood transfusions in either group, nor was there a decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate to <60 mL/min per 1.73 m² of body surface area in any patients. Two patients in the LESS-DN group were converted to conventional LDN, both because of failure to progress effectively. All allografts were functional at the time of transplantation and revascularization, with no cases of hyperacute rejection. CONCLUSIONS: Peri-operative variables including EBL, WIT and LOS were equivalent when comparing Pfannenstiel LESS-DN with conventional LDN. Patient-reported visual analogue pain scale scores were significantly lower in the LESS-DN group beginning on the first postoperative day.

Perioperative outcomes of off-clamp vs complete hilar control laparoscopic partial nephrectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate perioperative and 6-month renal functional outcomes of patients undergoing off-clamp vs complete hilar control laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of 489 patients undergoing LPN was completed. Preoperative imaging assessed tumour characteristics. Patient demographics, perioperative parameters, and postoperative outcomes were documented. Multivariable regression analysis was used to assess factors contributing to changes in postoperative renal function between off-clamp and clamped LPN. RESULTS: In all, 289 LPNs were performed on-clamp and 150 were performed off-clamp. Tumours in the on-clamp group were larger than those in the off-clamp group (mean [range] 3.3 [0.5-13.5] vs 2.7 [0.4-9] cm, P = 0.003). Univariable analysis comparing off-clamp to on-clamp cohorts showed that estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was better preserved in the off-clamp cohort at 6 months (-5.8% vs -11.4%, P = 0.046). Multivariable analysis of the groups showed that estimate blood loss (P = 0.015) and warm ischaemia time (WIT, P < 0.001) were the only significant predictors of decreased eGFR in the postoperative period. Difference in eGFR at 6 months was not significant when WIT was limited to 30 min. The complication rate was greater in the clamped cohort (10% vs 20%, P = 0.012). There was no difference in transfusion rate or positive margin status. CONCLUSIONS: LPN without hilar clamping is feasible, safe and associated with less renal injury as assessed by postoperative GFR in select patients. With experience, it can be applied to complex renal lesions.

The influence of lifestyle changes (diet, exercise and stress reduction) on prostate cancer tumour biology and patient outcomes: A systematic review.

Background: The mostly indolent natural history of prostate cancer (PCa) provides an opportunity for men to explore the benefits of lifestyle interventions. Current evidence suggests appropriate changes in lifestyle including diet, physical activity (PA) and stress reduction with or without dietary supplements may improve both disease outcomes and patient's mental health. Objective: This article aims to review the current evidence on the benefits of all lifestyle programmes for PCa patients including those aimed at reducing obesity and stress, explore their affect on tumour biology and highlight any biomarkers that have clinical utility. Evidence acquisition: Evidence was obtained from PubMed and Web of Science using keywords for each section on the affects of lifestyle interventions on (a) mental health, (b) disease outcomes and (c) biomarkers in PCa patients. PRISMA guidelines were used to gather the evidence for these three sections (15, 44 and 16 publications, respectively). Evidence synthesis: For lifestyle studies focused on mental health, 10/15 demonstrated a positive influence, although for those programmes focused on PA it was 7/8. Similarly for oncological outcomes, 26/44 studies demonstrated a positive influence, although when PA was included or the primary focus, it was 11/13. Complete blood count (CBC)-derived inflammatory biomarkers show promise, as do inflammatory cytokines; however, a deeper understanding of their molecular biology in relation to PCa oncogenesis is required (16 studies reviewed). Conclusions: Making PCa-specific recommendations on lifestyle interventions is difficult on the current evidence. Nevertheless, notwithstanding the heterogeneity of patient populations and interventions, the evidence that dietary changes and PA may improve both mental health and oncological outcomes is compelling, especially for moderate to vigorous PA. The results for dietary supplements are inconsistent, and although some biomarkers show promise, significantly more research is required before they have clinical utility.

Characteristics Contributing to Survival Differences Between Black and White Patients Following Cystectomy.

PURPOSE: Examine patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics effect on the disparity between black and white patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who undergo radical cystectomy (RC). METHODS: 1,286 black patients in the 2004 to 2016 National Cancer Database fit inclusion criteria. A tapered match was performed from 17,374 white patients sequentially matched to the black cohort on demographics (age, gender, insurance, income, education, county, diagnosis year), presentation (demographic variables, stage, grade, tumor size, Charlson score), and treatment (demographic and presentation variables, lymph node count, hospital volume, neoadjuvant chemotherapy [NAC], treatment delay), creating 3 matched cohorts. Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare cohorts. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare 5-year overall survival (OS). RESULTS: 5-year OS rate was 40.4% and 35.6% for unmatched white and black cohorts (P < 0.001), respectively. Following demographics and presentation match, 5-year OS rate for white patients decreased to 39.2% (P = 0.003) and 39.10% (P = 0.019), respectively. After treatment match, 5-year OS rate decreased to 36.7% for white patient (P = 0.32). Following presentation match, 7.2% of black patients vs. 5.8% of white patients had treatment delay, and 10.1% of black patients vs. 11.2% of white patients received NAC. The treatment match resulted in a 0.3% difference between groups for treatment delay and NAC. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis demonstrates that disparity between black and white patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer exists in demographic-, presentation-, and treatment-related variables. Treatment variables may be a large contributing factor to survival disparities. Further research is needed to identify social, biological, and organizational inputs that contribute to these disparities.

Contemporary outcomes of patients undergoing robotic-assisted radical cystectomy: A comparative analysis between intracorporeal ileal conduit and neobladder urinary diversions.

Objective: We aimed to compare perioperative and oncologic outcomes for patients undergoing robotic-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with intracorporeal ileal conduit (IC) and neobladder (NB) urinary diversion. Methods: Patients undergoing RARC with intracorporeal urinary diversion between January 2017 and January 2022 at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA were indexed. Baseline demographics, clinical characteristics, perioperative, and oncologic outcomes were analyzed. Survival was estimated with Kaplan-Meier plots. Results: Of 261 patients (206 [78.9%] male), 190 (72.8%) received IC while 71 (27.2%) received NB diversion. Median age was greater in the IC group (71 [interquartile range, IQR 65-78] years vs. 64 [IQR 59-67] years, p<0.001) and BMI was 26.6 (IQR 23.2-30.4) kg/m2. IC group was more likely to have prior abdominal or pelvic radiation (15.8% vs. 2.8%, p=0.014). American Association of Anesthesiologists scores were comparable between groups. The IC group had a higher proportion of patients with pathological tumor stage 2 (pT2) tumors (34 [17.9%] vs. 10 [14.1%], p=0.008) and pathological node stages pN2-N3 (28 [14.7%] vs. 3 [4.2%], p<0.001). The IC group had less median operative time (272 [IQR 246-306] min vs. 341 [IQR 303-378] min, p<0.001) and estimated blood loss (250 [150-500] mL vs. 325 [200-575] mL, p=0.002). Thirty- and 90-day complication rates were 44.4% and 50.2%, respectively, and comparable between groups. Clavien-Dindo grades 3-5 complications occurred in 27 (10.3%) and 34 (13.0%) patients within 30 and 90 days, respectively, with comparable rates between groups. Median follow-up was 324 (IQR 167-552) days, and comparable between groups. Kaplan-Meier estimate for overall survival at 24 months was 89% for the IC cohort and 93% for the NB cohort (hazard ratio 1.23, 95% confidence interval 1.05-2.42, p=0.02). Kaplan-Meier estimate for recurrence-free survival at 24 months was 74% for IC and 87% for NB (hazard ratio 1.81, 95% confidence interval 0.82-4.04, p=0.10). Conclusion: Patients undergoing intracorporeal IC urinary diversion had higher postoperative cancer stage, increased nodal involvement, similar complications outcomes, decreased overall survival, and similar recurrence-free survival compared to patients undergoing RARC with intracorporeal NB urinary diversion.

Surveillance for Nonmuscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: Identifying the Point of Diminishing Returns.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize first and second recurrence patterns using 26years of cohort-level follow-up and microsimulation modeling. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer in Stockholm County between 1995 and 1996 were included. Clinical, pathological, and longitudinal follow-up data were gathered. Logistic regressions, Kaplan Meier curves, and Cox proportional hazards models were run to generate assumptions for a microsimulation model, simulating first and second recurrence and progression for 10,000 patients. RESULTS: Three hundred eighty-six patients were included: 67.4% were male; >50% were TaLG; and 37.5% were American Urological Association high-risk. Median time to recurrence was 300days. Three patients had missing data. Cohort follow-up has been carried out for 26years. For simulated first-recurrences, low-risk patients recurred at 56.6% over 15years of follow-up, with 2.2% muscle-invasive (MI) progression; intermediate-risk patients recurred at 62.8%, with 4.3% MI progression; high-risk patients recurred at 48.7% over 15years, with MI progression at 14.3%. For second recurrences, 70.7%, 75.7%, and 84.7% of low, medium, and high-risk patients recurred. No patients were seen to have first recurrences after 9years, with low, but notable, rates beyond 5years. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that low-, intermediate-, and high-risk patients without recurrence at 5years may be potentially transitioned to less invasive monitoring.

Development of a predictive model for recurrence-free survival in pTa low-grade bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Data on Ta low-grade (LG) non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) have shown that follow-up cystoscopies are normal in 82% and 67% of patients with single and multiple tumors, respectively. OBJECTIVE: To develop a predictive model associated with recurrence-free survival (RFS) at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months in TaLG cases that consider the patients' risk aversion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from a prospectively maintained database of 202 newly diagnosed TaLG NMIBC patients treated at Scandinavian institutions were used for the analysis. To identify risk groups associated with recurrence, we performed a classification tree analysis. Association between risk groups and RFS was evaluated by Kaplan Meier analysis. A Cox proportional hazard model selected significant risk factors associated with RFS using the variables defining the risk groups. The reported C index for the Cox model was 0.7. The model was internally validated and calibrated using 1000 bootstrapped samples. A nomogram to estimate RFS at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months was generated. The performance of our model was compared to EUA/AUA stratification using a decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: The tree classification found that tumor number, tumor size and age were the most relevant variables associated with recurrence. The patients with the worst RFS were those with multifocal or single, ≥ 4cm tumors. All the relevant variables identified by the classification tree were significantly associated with RFS in the Cox proportional hazard model. DCA analysis showed that our model outperformed EUA/AUA stratification and the treat all/none approaches. CONCLUSION: We developed a predictive model to identify TaLG patients that benefit from less frequent follow-up cystoscopy schedule based on the estimated RFS and personal recurrence risk aversion.

Infections After Adoption of Antibiogram-directed Prophylaxis and Intracorporeal Urinary Diversion for Robot-assisted Radical Cystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) has significantly decreased the morbidity associated with radical cystectomy. However, infectious complications including sepsis, urinary tract (UTIs), wound (WIs), and intra-abdominal (AIs) infections remain common. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether intracorporeal urinary diversion (ICUD) and antibiogram-directed antimicrobial prophylaxis would decrease infections after robotic-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A retrospective analysis was performed of a prospectively maintained database of patients undergoing RARC between 2014 and 2022 at a tertiary care institution, identifying two groups based on adherence to a prospectively implemented modified ERAS protocol for RARC: modified-ERAS-ICUD and antibiogram-directed ampicillin-sulbactam, gentamicin, and fluconazole prophylaxis were utilized (from January 2019 to present time), and unmodified-ERAS-extracorporeal urinary diversion (UD) and guideline-recommended cephalosporin-based prophylaxis regimen were utilized (from November 2014 to June 2018). Patients receiving other prophylaxis regimens were excluded. INTERVENTION: ICUD and antibiogram-directed infectious prophylaxis. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The primary outcome was UTIs within 30 and 90 d postoperatively. The secondary outcomes were WIs, AIs, and sepsis within 30 and 90 d postoperatively, and Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) within 90 d postoperatively. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: A total of 396 patients were studied (modified-ERAS: 258 [65.2%], unmodified-ERAS: 138 [34.8%]). UD via a neobladder was more common in the modified-ERAS cohort; all other intercohort demographic differences were not statistically different. Comparing cohorts, modified-ERAS had significantly reduced rates of 30-d (7.8% vs 15.9%, p = 0.027) and 90-d UTIs (11.2% vs 25.4%, p = 0.001), and 30-d WIs (1.2% vs. 8.7%, p < 0.001); neither group had a WI after 30 d. Rates of AIs, sepsis, and CDI did not differ between groups. On multivariate regression, the modified-ERAS protocol correlated with a reduced risk of UTIs and WIs (all p < 0.01). The primary limitation is the retrospective study design. CONCLUSIONS: Utilization of ICUD and antibiogram-based prophylaxis correlates with significantly decreased UTIs and WIs after RARC. PATIENT SUMMARY: In this study of infections after robotic radical cystectomy for bladder cancer, we found that intracorporeal (performed entirely inside the body) urinary diversion and an institution-specific antibiogram-directed antibiotic prophylaxis regimen led to fewer urinary tract infections and wound infections at our institution.

Clinical evaluation of a novel bipolar radiofrequency ablation system for renal masses.

UNLABELLED: What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? With the advancement of minimally invasive surgery, the management of small renal masses (SRM) has dramatically changed. Ablative technology such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and cryoablation have emerged as viable alternative modalities to extirpative surgery. RFA is one of the most studied and applied energy-based, needle-ablative treatment modalities, with encouraging mid- and long-term oncological outcomes. Monopolar devices have several shortcomings. The electrodes are susceptible to the cooling effect of nearby blood vessels that act as a 'heat sink', limiting the extent of tissue ablation and forming lesions with asymmetric borders and 'skip lesions'. Therefore, it is difficult to monitor and accurately predict the size of ablated lesions. A novel bipolar radiofrequency ablation (BRFA) device has been recently developed to address concerns with monopolar systems (Trod Medical, Paris, France). The BRFA system addresses the limitations of monopolar RFA, in terms of lesion size, targeting, consistency and concerns about cell death in the ablated area. We evaluated the BRFA device in 10 patients undergoing laparoscopic partial or radical nephrectomy. The present study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of a novel BRFA device. A BRFA device can produce a defined reproducible lesion with a precise transition zone to normal tissue. The area of ablated tissue exhibited completely devitalized cells and precise transition zone. With these characteristics, the potential advantages of this new technology during RFA ablation of SRM include less collateral damage and more complete ablation without skip lesions. This has the potential to lower rates of local recurrence and reduce incidence of skin burns. Further follow-up studies are necessary to determine its oncological efficacy. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a novel bipolar radiofrequency ablation (BRFA) system for the destruction of kidney tumours in patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bipolar radiofrequency ablation (BRFA) was used to ablate renal masses in 10 patients undergoing laparoscopic radical or partial nephrectomy. The probe was placed percutaneously and laparoscopically guided into the tumour after routine laparoscopic exposure. The electrical current was continuously adjusted by the generator to overcome disruption from increasing impedance created from desiccated tissue. The specimens were then excised in routine fashion and analysed by a single pathologist. Lesion size and shape, and size of the transition zone to viable tissue were measured via nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) staining. RESULTS: Ablation was successful in all 10 tumours. Mean time to set up and place the probe was between 2 and 4 min. Duration of ablation was 200 s. None of the ablated tissue showed signs of viable cells by histological examination and NADH staining. The mean size of the ablation zone was 6.26 cm(3), with regular borders and a tapered cylindrical shape similar to the shape of the outer coil. The width of the transition zone, or area spanning complete tissue ablation to the first viable cells, ranged from 10 to 60 µm. There were no complications noted due to the ablation. CONCLUSIONS: A BRFA device can produce a defined reproducible lesion with a precise transition zone to normal tissue. The area of ablated tissue exhibited completely devitalized cells and precise transition zone.