Contemporary evaluation of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network prostate cancer risk classification system.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the National Comprehensive Cancer Network prostate cancer guidelines pretreatment risk groups in a contemporary series of patients treated with radical prostatectomy. METHODS: We analyzed our institutional radical prostatectomy database, including all patients with clinically localized disease treated from 2000 to 2010. Using the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, the patients were classified into low-, intermediate-, or high-risk groups. The pathologic outcomes were assessed, and the biochemical recurrence (BCR)-free survival rates were calculated and compared using the log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards analysis. RESULTS: A total of 12 821 men met the inclusion criteria. The pathologic and 10-year BCR-free survival rates differed significantly by risk group (low risk, 92.1%; intermediate risk, 71.0%; and high risk, 38.8%; P < .01). Among the intermediate-risk men, the 10-year BCR-free survival was significantly greater for men assigned to the intermediate-risk group by clinical stage (88.8%) than for those deemed intermediate risk by the Gleason score (73.6%) or prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level (79.5%; P = .01). Likewise, in the high-risk men, a trend was seen toward improved 5-year BCR-free survival for patients with clinical stage T3a tumors (77.8%) compared with those considered high risk because of the Gleason score (53.7%) or PSA level (41.0%; P = .13). On multivariate analysis, clinical stage, Gleason score, and PSA level were all significantly associated with BCR. CONCLUSION: We observed heterogeneous outcomes among patients within the National Comprehensive Cancer Network intermediate- and high-risk groups. The BCR-free survival rates were superior for men with an advanced clinical stage compared with those with an advanced Gleason score or elevated PSA level. This within-group heterogeneity must be considered when choosing the treatment modality and predicting an individual patient's prognosis.

Prostate Risk Index (PRIX) as a new method of risk classification for clinically localized prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is (1) to develop a new method of risk classification for clinically localized prostate cancer; (2) to examine it in terms of compatibility with existing data such as nomograms; and (3) to compare it with existing risk-grouping methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The new grading system introduced here consists of three factors. The first is a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) of 4.1-10.0 ng/ml (score 0), 10.1-20.0 ng/ml (score 1), and >20.0 ng/ml (score 2). The second is a Gleason score (GS) of 6 (score 0), 7 (score 1), and 8-10 (score 2). The third is T classifications (UICC 2002) of T1c-T2a (score 0), T2b-T2c (score 1), and T3a (score 2). The sum of the three scores was named Prostate Risk Index (PRIX). Then, the compatibility of PRIX with the Partin Table, Kattan Nomogram, and Roach's formula was examined. At the same time, PRIX was compared with D'Amico, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), and Seattle classifications. RESULTS: PRIX 0 corresponded to 1-2% of pathologic lymph node involvement (pLN+) according to the Partin Table; PRIX 1 to 3-4%; PRIX 2 to 7-10%; PRIX 3 to 14-18%; PRIX 4 to 24-29%; PRIX 5 to 32-37%; and PRIX 6 to 42%. PRIX well separated the risks with relatively narrow ranges of probability, while D'Amico, NCCN, and Seattle classifications generally gave wide ranges especially for high-risk groups, both in the Partin Table and Kattan Nomogram. Roach's formula sometimes overestimated the risk compared to the Partin Table. CONCLUSION: PRIX fully corresponded to the Partin Table in terms of pLN+, and corresponded to the other nomograms better than any existing risk-grouping method. PRIX may thus function as a prognostic factor or contribute to patient selection in clinically localized prostate cancer.

[Petroleum substances--human health hazards. I. Classification of petroleum substances on the list of dangerous substances and assessment of existing hazards]. / Pochodne ropy naftowej--zagrozenia dla zdrowia czlowieka. I. Klasyfikacja substancji ropopochodnych w wykazie substancji niebezpiecznych a ocena rzeczywistych zagrozen.

Complex products derived from petroleum are widely used as fuels, greases, solvents, and intermediates in many branches of industry. Petroleum exposure-related human health hazards, observed in occupationally exposed people and in the general population, are a serious sanitary problem. Complex and variable composition of individual petroleum products makes the actual assessment of human health hazards difficult. Potential hazards, and resulting classification of individual petroleum substance groups, are discussed in the presented work. This should prove to be helpful to work safety and hygiene services as well as to supervising institutions, mainly the sanitary inspection, in a proper assessment of the hazards, and consequently in taking appropriate preventive actions. In Part I., general issues concerning the hazard assessment and legal aspects of petroleum substances classification are presented. In Part. II., individual groups of petroleum substances are discussed with respect to health hazards, resulting from both physicochemical properties and toxicity, and their classification based on this analysis is suggested.

A model for predicting outcomes in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer and model performance in comparison with other classification systems.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to determine the prognostic factors for differentiated thyroid cancer, and to establish a mathematical prognostic model. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study was conducted in 347 differentiated thyroid cancer patients. Univariate and multivariate prognostic factor analyses were carried out using the Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods. RESULTS: Without adjustment for treatment in the multivariate analysis, age, tumor size, angioinvasion, and distant metastasis were significant predictors of outcomes. The very low-risk, low-risk, high-risk, and very high-risk groups were identified from the logistic regression equation. Overall and event-free survival estimations at 10 years were 100% and 100% for very low-risk patients, 88% and 75% for low-risk patients, 30% and 16% for high-risk patients, and 5% and 0% for very high-risk patients. Inclusion of treatment in the multivariate analysis showed, in addition to other variables, that both total or near total thyroidectomy (versus thyroidectomy less than total and near total thyroidectomy, p = 0.0002; hazard ratio, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.3-0.7) and adjuvant radioactive iodine treatment (versus no treatment with radioactive iodine, p = 0.0001; hazard ratio, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.2-0.8) were associated with a reduced hazard of death in the followup period. By subgroup analysis, total and near total thyroidectomy, along with radioactive iodine, appeared to provide a survival benefit for all patients except those in the very low-risk group. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed mathematical model is satisfactory for predicting outcomes. Total and near total thyroidectomy along with radioactive iodine treatment might provide a survival advantage for differentiated thyroid cancer, except for those with very low risk.