Salvage stereotactic body radiation therapy for locally recurrent prostate cancer following primary radiation therapy, are benefits worth toxicity risks?: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Salvage stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for localized prostate cancer recurrence following radiation therapy remains controversial. We performed a systematic review to assess the efficacy and side effect profile of salvage SBRT for locally recurrent prostate cancer to define the role of salvage SBRT in clinical practice. METHODS: A systematic review was carried out using Pubmed (MEDLINE) and Scopus databases. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were satisfied if studies reported on patients with prior radiation therapy for prostate cancer who had subsequently had a local recurrence. Those studies included were quality assessed using the ROBINS-I checklist. RESULTS: Five studies in total met criteria for inclusion and included all reportable outcomes. A total of 265 participants are reported on in total. Median doses for SBRT ranged from 30 to 36 Gy delivered over 5-6 fractions. Recurrence free survival ranged from 40% to 76% at 2 years. Genitourinary toxicity was more prevalent than gastrointestinal toxicities. Grade 2 and 3 genitourinary complication rates ranged from 5% to 22% and 0% to 9%, respectively. Gastrointestinal grade 2 complication rates ranged from 0% to 11% and no grade 3 complications were recorded. DISCUSSION: Salvage SBRT appears to be comparable and potentially superior in some aspects to other salvage therapies, taking into account the limitations in cross-study comparisons. This systematic review serves as one of the first to characterize SBRT as a salvage option for locally recurrent prostate cancer.

Factors influencing breast cancer outcomes in Australia: A systematic review.

PURPOSE: This systematic review evaluates factors influencing breast cancer outcomes for women treated in Australia, facilitating the exploration of disparities in breast cancer outcomes for certain groups of women in Australia. METHOD: A systematic literature search was performed using MEDLINE and Scopus focusing on breast cancer in Australia with outcome measures being breast cancer survival and recurrence with no restrictions on date. Risk of bias was assessed using Cairns Assessment Scale for Observational studies of Risk factors (CASOR). RESULTS: Fifteen quantitative studies were included: two were high quality, 11 were intermediate quality, and two were low quality. Traditional risk factors such as invasive tumour type, larger size, higher grade and stage, lymph node involvement and absence of hormone receptors were found to be associated with breast cancer mortality. Being younger (<40 years old) and older (>70 years old), having more comorbidities, being of lower socioeconomic status, identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, living in more rural areas or having a mastectomy were factors found to be associated with poorer breast cancer outcomes. CONCLUSION: Despite the heterogeneity of the studies, this review identified significant risk factors for breast cancer mortality and recurrence. The use of this data would be most useful in developing evidence-based interventions and in optimising patient care through creation of a prediction model. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42017072857.

Secondary tumours in orthotopic neobladder using isolated gut segment post radical cystectomy for urothelial carcinoma: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Urothelial carcinoma recurrence of an orthotopic neobladder created from bowel segment is a rare occurrence. The usage of bowel segments to create neobladder following cystectomy for urinary diversion is growing yet there still remains a large gap in the literature about recurrence in neobladder. We carry out the first systematic review to outline current details of urothelial cancer recurrences in a neobladder, diagnostic approach, management and long term prognosis. METHOD: We carried out a systematic review searching databases PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus and Web of Science. Only studies reporting on urothelial carcinoma recurrence of the neobladder with or without multi-focal disease were reported. A quality assessment tool was utilized to ensure all studies met quality standards. RESULTS: Fifteen studies were included in the systematic review meeting inclusion criteria. Fourteen of these studies were cases in men where pT3 disease was the most prevalent (29%). The most common symptomology was macroscopic haematuria seen in eight patients (53.33%). Management varied among cases and including adjuvant chemotherapy regimens and surgical interventions consisting of endoscopic resection to robotic neocystectomy and nephroureterectomy. Follow up period for these patients was up to 38 months and 55% of patients did not see a recurrence. CONCLUSION: The nature of recurrence is hypothesised to be due to seeding of urothelial cells into the non-urothelial surfaces compatible for both implantation and growth. We present the first systematic review to report on recurrence rates and details of diagnosis and outcomes of various management regimes for urothelial carcinoma of the neobladder.

Gender diversity in urology scientific meetings: an analysis of the last nine years.

BACKGROUND: The importance of gender diversity is well recognized. Despite promising change in addressing gender disparity, there remains a significant gap in women's representation in urology. Worldwide, a lack of diversity has been observed at scientific meetings. This study analyses the trend in women's representation at the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting (USANZ ASM) over the last nine years. METHOD: We retrospectively collected data from eight conference programs between 2014 and 2022, evaluating the trend in the proportion of women represented in various sections. A difference of proportions test was performed to determine whether a significant change was seen from year to year. RESULTS: A significant increase in women's representation was observed, the most significant increase was evident in the last three years, chairpersons increased from 5.9% to 44.1% (P = 0.003), international speakers from 11.7% to 39.1% (P ≤ 0.001), expert speakers from 19.1% to 42.0% (P = 0.002), and total speakers from 19.5% to 34.7% (P ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study shows that a significant increase in the representation of women at the USANZ ASM has been achieved over the last three years. Unfortunately, this increase in representation has not been mirrored in the number of women trainees and training applicants. Additionally, this increase in representation well exceeds the proportion of women who are USANZ members, and is unevenly distributed across topics. A positive change has been observed, the challenge remains in dealing with unconscious bias and balancing the fine line between inclusivity and tokenism.

Penile strangulation secondary to a plastic bottle neck.

Penile strangulation from a foreign body is a rare presentation to the emergency department. It must be treated as soon as possible as any delay in management can lead to complications such as gangrene and amputation of the penis. There is no superior standard of care as each case needs to be managed individually depending on clinical findings. We present a 40 year old male with a plastic bottle neck strangulating his penis requiring a medical cast saw to successfully free it.

Penile strangulation due to metallic foreign body; A rare case report highlighting effective management strategies for clinicians.

Penile strangulation from a foreign body is a time critical and rare presentation to the emergency department. The rarity of the presentation leads to its management being haphazard by the treating clinicians leading to suboptimal outcomes. We present a 44-year-old male with nine metal rings strangulating his penis and scrotum who failed multiple attempts by the department to free the penis and required an industrial circular saw provided by the fire-brigade to successfully cut the rings. We utilise this rare case of penile strangulation to outline steps health professionals can take to manage this condition in a timely fashion.

Primary Ewing sarcoma of the kidney presenting as haematuria in a pregnant woman - A case report highlighting the diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas of the condition in pregnancy.

Primary Ewing sarcoma of the kidney is an extremely rare yet aggressive tumour. We present a 31-year-old pregnant female who presented to the emergency department with macroscopic haematuria and an ultrasound scan demonstrating a right renal mass. On magnetic resonance imaging, the lesion had features concerning for malignancy. She underwent a radical nephrectomy and was commenced on a personally tailored chemotherapy regime designed to permit healthy delivery of her baby while adequately treating her disease. This highlights an extremely rare differential for a renal mass which should be considered in rapidly growing renal tumours of a young patient.

Robotic assisted partial nephrectomy reduces warm ischemia time and improves renal function acutely compared to the traditional laparoscopic approach; A single surgeon twin centre study.

Herein, we compared peri-operative and post-operative outcomes between robotic-assisted and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. Various reviews of the current literature have detailed the lack of single-surgeon studies in this domain. Our study featured a single surgeon experienced in both approaches to reduce this bias seen in other multi-centre studies. We retrospectively analysed data from two hospitals to compare patient demographics, tumour characteristics, peri-operative and post-operative outcomes of all partial nephrectomies undertaken by a single surgeon with extensive experience in both approaches. Statistical analysis was carried out using GraphPad prism software. Warm ischaemia time was significantly reduced in the robotic arm compared to the laparoscopic group. This translated into an improvement in acute renal function. Length of stay was also significantly reduced. This study highlights some benefits of robotic-assisted in comparison to laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. Further large-scale prospective studies would be valuable in confirming these findings and justifying their usage against their financial cost.

The effect of a sexual abuse history on symptoms and anorectal physiology findings in patients presenting to a colorectal pelvic floor service.

BACKGROUND: Studies report that 12%-23% of patients with functional anorectal disorders have a history of sexual abuse (SA). This article aims to assess whether there is a difference in symptom severity, quality of life or anorectal physiology findings in female patients presenting to a colorectal pelvic floor service with and without a history of sexual abuse. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all female patients attending a single tertiary pelvic floor unit for faecal incontinence or constipation between 2017 and 2019 was performed. Patients were divided into two groups depending on the presence or absence of a volunteered history of sexual abuse. Validated quality of life and symptom severity scores, along with anorectal physiology studies were analysed and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: There were 148 patients included in the study period and 17% reported a history of SA. There was no statistically significant difference in symptom severity, quality of life scores or anorectal physiology studies between those with and without a history of SA. CONCLUSION: In female patients seeking management for defaecatory symptoms, those who have reported a history of SA did not demonstrate any significant difference in symptom severity, quality of life or physiological measures when compared to those without a history of SA.

Right renal mass diagnosed as focal splenosis; a rare differential for a small renal mass highlighting utility of heat damaged Tc-99m RBC scintigraphy to avoid unnecessary surgery.

Small renal masses (SRM) represent a heterogenous group of kidney lesions that are often found incidentally and can represent a diagnostic dilemma. Herein, we report a 55 year old female who presented with a 25mm right renal mass. She had no symptomology or significant medical history but did report undergoing a traumatic splenectomy 30 years prior. Using Tc-99 m heat damaged RBC scintigraphy, the renal mass was confirmed as focal splenosis. Right sided renal splenosis is almost unheard of. Our case illustrates how good clinical history and correct imaging can prevent unnecessary investigations and surgery for a rare differential of SRMs.

Vasitis mimicking an inguinal hernia: A diagnostic dilemma.

Vasitis is a rare disorder characterised by inflammation of the vas deferens. It presents with scrotal or inguinal pain/swelling, mimicking the more commonly occurring conditions such as epididymitis, orchitis, testicular torsion or an incarcerated inguinal hernia. While ultrasound may exclude some of these differential diagnoses, computed tomography (CT) or Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is needed to distinguish vasitis from an incarcerated inguinal hernia. Vasitis is classically treated with antibiotics so proper diagnosis is essential to avoid unnecessary surgery. We present the case of a 20-year-old male with CT diagnosed vasitis, whose condition resolved within six weeks without administering antibiotics.

Benefits of Robotic Assisted vs. Traditional Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy: A Single Surgeon Comparative Study.

PURPOSE: The current study aims to compare peri-operative and post-operative outcomes between robotic assisted vs. laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. Multiple reviews of the current literature have detailed the lack of single surgeon studies in this domain. To limit inter-operator bias, we utilise a single surgeon experienced in both approaches to reduce this bias seen in other multi-centre studies. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We retrospectively compared patient demographics, tumour characteristics, peri-operative and post-operative outcomes of all partial nephrectomies undertaken by a single surgeon between 2014 and 2021 with experience in both laparoscopic and robotic surgery. The Da Vinci surgical system was utilized. Statistical analysis was carried out using GraphPad prism software version 7.03, San Diego, CA, USA. RESULTS: Warm ischemia time was reduced by 2.6 min, length of stay reduced by 1.3 days and acute renal function deterioration was reduced by 55% with all these results being significant with robotic assisted partial nephrectomy compared to laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the benefits of robotic assisted in comparison to laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. Further large-scale prospective studies and cost-benefit analysis of robotic assisted partial nephrectomy would be valuable in confirming these findings and justifying the usage against their financial cost.

Symptomatic giant renal oncocytoma with an incidental papillary adenoma.

Renal oncocytomas are benign, slow-growing tumours accounting for 3-7% of all solid renal neoplasms. These tumours tend to be small, unilateral and asymptomatic and are often discovered incidentally on imaging. Large oncocytomas are rare and can be difficult to distinguish from renal cell carcinoma based off clinical findings or imaging characteristics alone. Papillary adenomas are also benign renal neoplasms but arising from the renal tubular epithelium and almost always located within the cortex. We present a case of a 63-year-old Caucasian male with a large symptomatic renal oncocytoma with an incidental concurrent papillary adenoma.