Real-world treatment outcomes of patients with penile cancer in the Kyushu-Okinawa area of Japan in the pre-guideline era.

OBJECTIVES: To understand the real-world outcomes for patients with penile cancer in the Kyushu-Okinawa area before the introduction of practice guidelines in Japan. METHODS: We retrospectively collected medical information on patients with penile squamous cell carcinoma and penile intraepithelial neoplasia at 12 university hospitals and their affiliated hospitals in the Kyushu-Okinawa area from January 2009 to December 2020. Patients with unknown clinical stage were excluded. Patient background characteristics and survival, as well as pretreatment factors involved in survival, were investigated. RESULTS: A total of 196 patients were included. Patients with clinical stage 0, I, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB and IV comprised 9.7, 26.0, 22.4, 2.6, 10.7, 14.3 and 14.3%, respectively. The median follow-up was 26 months, and the mean 5-year overall survival and cancer-specific survival rates were 74.3 and 79.8%, respectively. On univariate analysis, tumor diameter ≥ 30 mm, penile shaft tumor, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≥ 1, cT ≥ 3, cN ≥ 2 and cM1 were associated with significantly poorer cancer-specific survival. On multivariate analysis, pretreatment factors of cN ≥ 2 (hazard ratio, 32.5; 95% confidence interval, 5.08-208; P = 0.0002), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≥ 1 (4.42; 1.79-10.9; P = 0.0012) and cT ≥ 3 (3.34; 1.11-10.1; P = 0.0319) were identified as independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed basic data for future penile cancer treatment and research, including survival rates according to clinical stages, and identified cN ≥ 2, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≥ 1 and cT ≥ 3 at initial diagnosis as independent prognostic factors. Evidence for penile cancer in Japan is particularly scarce, and future large-scale prospective studies are warranted.

Final efficacy and safety results and biomarker analysis of a phase 2 study of cabozantinib in Japanese patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Cabozantinib was established as the standard of care for the treatment of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) whose disease had progressed after vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (VEGFR-TKI) therapy in the global randomized trial METEOR. A phase 2 study was conducted to bridge the findings in METEOR to Japanese patients. Here, we report a biomarker analysis and update the efficacy and safety results of cabozantinib treatment. METHODS: Japanese patients with RCC who received at least one prior VEGFR-TKI were enrolled and received cabozantinib 60 mg orally once daily. The primary endpoint was objective response rate. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival, overall survival, and safety. Exploratory analyses included the relationship between plasma protein hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) levels and treatment responses. RESULTS: In total, 35 patients were enrolled. The median treatment duration was 58.3 (range 5.1-131.4) weeks. The objective response rate was 25.7% (90% confidence interval [CI] 14.1-40.6). Kaplan-Meier estimate of median progression-free survival was 11.1 months (95% CI 7.4-18.4). The estimated progression-free survival proportion was 73.1% (95% CI 54.6-85.0) at 6 months. Median overall survival was not reached. Adverse events were consistent with those in METEOR and the safety profile was acceptable. Nonresponders to cabozantinib showed relatively higher HGF levels than responders at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Updated analyses demonstrate the long-term efficacy and safety of cabozantinib in Japanese patients with advanced RCC after at least one VEGFR-TKI therapy. Responders tended to show lower baseline HGF levels ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03339219.

Prognostic value of programmed death-ligand 1 status in Japanese patients with renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) positivity is associated with poor prognosis in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Because the prognostic impact and effect of confounding factors are less known, we investigated the prognostic significance of PD-L1 expression in Japanese patients with recurrent/metastatic RCC who started systemic therapy in 2010-2015. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective study recruited patients from 29 Japanese study sites who had prior systemic therapy for RCC (November 2018 to April 2019) and stored formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded primary lesion samples. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS) by PD-L1 expression. Secondary outcomes included OS in subgroups and duration of first- and second-line therapies by PD-L1 expression. OS distributions were estimated using Kaplan-Meier methodology. RESULTS: PD-L1 expression (on immune cells [IC] ≥ 1%) was observed in 315/770 (40.9%) patients. PD-L1 positivity was more prevalent in patients with poor risk per both Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center [MSKCC] and International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium, and high-risk pathological features (higher clinical stage, nuclear grade and sarcomatoid features). Median OS for PD-L1-positive patients was 30.9 months (95% CI 25.5-35.7) versus 37.5 months (95% CI 34.0-42.6) for PD-L1-negative patients (HR 1.04 [90% CI 0.89-1.22, p = 0.65]; stratified by MSKCC risk and liver metastases). Propensity score weight (PSW)-adjusted OS was similar between PD-L1-positive and -negative patients (median 34.4 versus 31.5 months; estimated PSW-adjusted HR 0.986). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests PD-L1 status was not an independent prognostic factor in recurrent/metastatic RCC during the study period because PD-L1 positivity was associated with poor prognostic factors, especially MSKCC risk status.

Genome-wide association study of genetic variations associated with treatment failure after intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) instillation is a key therapy to manage non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). However, intravesical BCG therapy fails in approximately half of the patients, leading to recurrence and progression. We aimed to reveal the genetic variations associated with treatment failure after intravesical BCG therapy for NMIBC. This study included 91 Japanese patients treated with BCG instillation for NMIBC. Genomic DNA was obtained from patient whole-blood samples, and a genome-wide association study and genotyping for target regions were performed. The association between genetic variation and treatment failure was analyzed by genome-wide association in 44 patients as the discovery cohort. As a validation study, candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were examined among 47 patients in another cohort. The genome-wide association study indicated 19 candidate SNPs (rs1607282, rs7825442, rs1319325, rs3738088, rs4250, rs11894207, rs161448, rs2764326, rs2814707, rs3787194, rs58081719, rs3095966, rs73520681, rs16877113, rs16887173, rs10269584, rs11772249, rs118137814, and rs61094339) associated with BCG failure. Following the cumulative analysis of candidate SNPs, 2-gene (rs73520681 and rs61094339) and 4-gene (rs4250, rs11894207, rs73520681, and rs61094339) models successfully predicted treatment failure after intravesical BCG therapy. This study showed that several SNPs were possibly associated with outcome after intravesical BCG therapy in a Japanese population with NMIBC. The cumulative models of these SNPs may have value in clinical applications, although this should be confirmed in future studies.

Surgical Navigation Improves Renal Parenchyma Volume Preservation in Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy: A Propensity Score Matched Comparative Analysis.

PURPOSE: We investigated the relationship between the surgical navigation system and postoperative parenchyma preservation volume, and assessed the feasibility of image guided surgery in robot-assisted partial nephrectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We developed surgical navigation with registration between real-time endoscopic images using 3-dimensional virtual reality models for robot-assisted partial nephrectomy. Surgical outcomes of 44 (nonsurgical navigation group) and 102 (surgical navigation group) patients between June 2013 and December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. To adjust for potential baseline confounders propensity score matching (1:1) was performed. Renal parenchymal preservation rate and extraparenchymal volume with a tumor including functional and oncological outcomes ("trifecta" defined as warm ischemia time of less than 25 minutes, no complications and negative surgical margins; "pentafecta" defined as trifecta plus greater than 90% preservation of estimated glomerular filtration rate at 12 months postoperatively and chronic kidney disease up staging) were evaluated using volumetric analysis and compared. RESULTS: After matching, 42 patients were allocated to each group. No significant differences in baseline characteristics; complications; and intraoperative, trifecta and pentafecta outcomes were observed between the 2 groups. Pathological T stages were significantly different between the groups (T1a/T1b/T2a or more 25/10/7 in the nonsurgical navigation group vs 35/7/0 in the surgical navigation group, p=0.003). Extraparenchymal volumes and parenchyma volume preservation rates were significantly higher in the surgical navigation group (21.4 vs 17.2 ml, p=0.041 and 83.5% vs 90.0%, p=0.042, respectively). Surgical navigation was positively associated with improved parenchyma preservation volume (p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical navigation preserves renal parenchyma in robot-assisted partial nephrectomy and may contribute to improvement in postoperative renal function.

Difficulty in differential diagnosis for renal cancer with microscopic papillary architecture: overlapped pathological features among papillary renal cell carcinoma (RCC), mutinous tubular and spindle cell carcinoma, and unclassified RCC. Lessons from a Japanese multicenter study.

OBJECTIVES: In our multicenter study evaluating metastatic papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC), 29% of tumors diagnosed as PRCC in collaborative institutes were finally diagnosed as other RCCs under central review. In those tumors, mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinoma (MTSCC) was the leading histology, followed by unclassified RCC (ucRCC). We focused on those patients with MTSCC or ucRCC. METHODS: We reviewed the processes for the pathological diagnoses of nine tumors and reviewed their clinical features. RESULTS: All of the MTSCCs and ucRCCs were positive for AMACR, which is frequently positive in PRCC. Mucin was demonstrated in 80% of the MTSCCs, and its presence is important for their diagnoses. One MTSCC was diagnosed as a mucin-poor variant. The presence of spindle cells with low-grade nuclei was suggestive of MTSCC, but the diagnosis of high-grade MTSCC was difficult. Four tumors were diagnosed as ucRCC by histological and immunohistochemical findings. Three of the four tumors were suspicious of ucRCC in the initial review due to atypical findings as PRCC. Sunitinib and interferon-α were effective for one MTSCC patient who survived for >5 years. Two MTSCC patients who were Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center poor risk had unfavorable prognoses. One patient with mucin-poor MTSCC had an indolent clinical course. Two of four ucRCC patients showed durable stable disease with targeted agents (TAs) and survived >3 years. CONCLUSION: Some MTSCC metastases progressed very slowly and poor-risk tumors progressed rapidly. Systemic therapies including TAs showed some efficacies. Some patients who have metastatic ucRCC with microscopic papillary architecture can benefit from TAs.

A multicenter retrospective study of nivolumab monotherapy in previously treated metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients: interim analysis of Japanese real-world data.

BACKGROUND: In a phase III clinical trial, CheckMate 025, treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) with nivolumab demonstrated superior efficacy over everolimus. However, as the clinical trial excluded patients with specific complications and poor performance status (PS), the effectiveness and safety of nivolumab in clinical practice, in which patients with various clinical complications are treated, is unclear. This study explored real-world nivolumab treatment in Japanese mRCC patients. METHODS: This is an interim analysis of a multicenter, non-interventional, medical record review study (minimum follow-up: 9 months). All eligible Japanese mRCC patients who first received nivolumab between February and October 2017 were included; data cut-off was April 2019. We analyzed nivolumab treatment patterns, efficacy (including overall survival, progression-free survival, objective response rate, and duration of response) and safety (including immune-related adverse events). RESULTS: Of 208 evaluable patients, 31.7% received nivolumab as fourth- or later line of treatment. At data cut-off, 26.9% of patients were continuing nivolumab treatment. The major reason for discontinuation was disease progression (n = 100, 65.8%). Median overall survival was not reached; the 12-month survival rate was 75.6%. Median progression-free survival was 7.1 months, the objective response rate was 22.6%, and median duration of response was 13.3 months. Patients who were excluded or limited in number in CheckMate 025, such as those with non-clear cell RCC or poor PS, also received benefits from nivolumab treatment. Immune-related adverse events occurred in 27.4% of patients (grade ≥ 3, 10.1%). CONCLUSION: Nivolumab was effective and well-tolerated in real-world Japanese mRCC patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN000033312.

Cabozantinib in advanced renal cell carcinoma: A phase II, open-label, single-arm study of Japanese patients.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of cabozantinib, through a bridging study to METEOR, in Japanese patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma who had progressed after prior tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy. METHODS: This phase II, open-label, single-arm study (ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT03339219) included adult Japanese patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma and measurable disease who had received one or more tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Patients received cabozantinib 60 mg orally once daily while there was clinical benefit, or until unacceptable toxicity or disease progression. The primary end-point was objective response rate per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1. Secondary end-points included clinical benefit rate (complete or partial response, or ≥8-week stable disease), progression-free survival, overall survival and safety. RESULTS: Of the 35 patients enrolled, 68.6%, 22.9% and 8.6% had previously received one, two and three prior tyrosine kinase inhibitors, respectively. The median duration of cabozantinib exposure was 27.0 weeks (range 5.1-43.0 weeks). The objective response rate was 20.0% (90% confidence interval 9.8-34.3%), and the clinical benefit rate was 85.7% (95% confidence interval 69.7-95.2%). The 6-month estimated progression-free survival was 72.3% (95% confidence interval 53.3-84.6%); the median progression-free survival and overall survival were not reached. All patients reported adverse events, which were manageable by supportive treatment or dose modification; two patients (5.7%) discontinued therapy due to adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that findings from METEOR can be extrapolated, and that cabozantinib 60 mg/day is a viable treatment option in Japanese patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma who had progressed after prior tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy.

Clinical significance of programmed death-1 and programmed death-ligand 1 expression in the tumor microenvironment of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Recently, immunotherapy based on blocking immune checkpoints with programmed death-1 (PD-1) or PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) Abs has been introduced for the treatment of advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), especially tumors resistant to vascular endothelial growth factor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (VEGF-TKIs), but the significance of their expression in the tumor microenvironment is unclear. We investigated these immune checkpoint markers in tumor cells and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIIC) in the tumor microenvironment of 100 untreated and 25 VEGF-TKI-treated primary ccRCC tissues. Upregulated expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 by TIIC, and PD-L1 by tumor cells was associated with the histological grade and unfavorable prognosis of RCC patients. High PD-1 and PD-L1 expression by TIIC was associated with a poorer response to VEGF-TKI, whereas PD-L1 expression by tumor cells did not affect the efficacy of the treatment. Furthermore, increased PD-1-positive TIIC and PD-L1-positive TIIC were observed in tumors treated with VEGF-TKIs compared with those in untreated tumors. Our data suggest that PD-1 and PD-L1 expression by TIIC in the tumor microenvironment is involved in treatment resistance, and that sequential therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors could be a promising therapeutic strategy for ccRCC resistant to VEGF-TKI treatment.

Cigarette smoking augments androgen receptor activity and promotes resistance to antiandrogen therapy.

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking is associated with worse outcomes in prostate cancer, whose growth is dependent on androgen receptor (AR) signaling. We aimed to elucidate the biological effect of cigarette smoking on AR signaling and its clinical influence on oncological outcome. METHODS: Gene expression levels after exposure to tobacco smoke condensate (TSC) were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis in prostate cancer cells. Cellular sensitivities to enzalutamide and docetaxel after TSC exposure were evaluated using a prostate cancer cell proliferation assay. Prognosis was compared between current smokers and nonsmokers when treated with AR-axis-targeting (ARAT) agent enzalutamide and docetaxel. RESULTS: Expression of AR variants as well as prostate-specific antigen was augmented after TSC exposure, which occurred after Akt phosphorylation. These inductions were suppressed by Akt inhibitor LY294002 as well as antioxidant N-acetylcysteine. Consistently, TSC exposure augmented cellular resistance to enzalutamide. In clinical data, cigarette smoking was associated with worse progression-free survival and cancer-specific survival when patients with prostate cancer were treated with ARAT agents but not docetaxel. CONCLUSIONS: It was suggested that cigarette smoking leads to detrimental oncological outcome when prostate cancer patients are treated with ARAT agents through induction of aberrant AR signaling. Accordingly, we recommend that patients with advanced prostate cancer should refrain from cigarette smoking.

Psoas muscle volume is correlated with sexual activity and erectile dysfunction among patients with localised prostate cancer.

Several endocrinological and physical activities orchestrate men's sexual activities. To determine whether body composition calculated by computed tomography measurements is useful for estimating sexual function, we evaluated sexual function of localised prostate cancer patients using the Sexual Health Inventory for Men score, an original questionnaire, and computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The imaging was performed to determine body composition, particularly the psoas muscle. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors affecting sexual activity. The multivariate analysis showed that the volume of the psoas muscle was significantly correlated with sexual activity (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]) (2.507 [1.029-6.109], p = 0.043) and erectile dysfunction (0.261 [0.098-0.692], p = 0.006). We concluded that the psoas muscle is an important predictor of sexual activity and erectile function.

Treatment patterns and outcomes in patients with unresectable or metastatic renal cell carcinoma in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: To clarify treatment patterns and outcomes for patients with unresectable or metastatic renal cell carcinoma in the molecular target therapy era in Japan. METHODS: A multicenter, retrospective medical chart review study was carried out. Patients diagnosed with unresectable or metastatic renal cell carcinoma between January 2012 and August 2015 were enrolled. Data extracted from medical records included treatment duration, grade ≥3 adverse events, reason for discontinuation for each targeted therapy and survival data until August 2016. RESULTS: Of 277 eligible patients, 266, 170 and 77 received first-, second- and third-line systemic treatment, respectively. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors were the most common first-line therapy (72.2%), followed by mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors (14.3%) and cytokines (13.5%). Among 170 patients who received second-line treatment, tyrosine kinase inhibitor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor was the most common sequence (58.8%), followed by tyrosine kinase inhibitor-mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor (14.1%) and cytokine-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (14.1%). With a median follow-up period of 19.8 months, median overall survival was not reached at 48 months. Patients who discontinued first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors in <6 months showed poorer overall survival compared with patients who received first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors for ≥6 months. CONCLUSIONS: The present analysis illustrates the contemporary treatment patterns and prognosis for patients with unresectable or metastatic renal cancer in a real-world setting in Japan. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor represents the most commonly used sequence. Shorter treatment duration of first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors is associated with poorer prognosis, suggesting the need for better treatment options.

Collateral resistance to taxanes in enzalutamide-resistant prostate cancer through aberrant androgen receptor and its variants.

Currently, the optimal sequential use of androgen receptor (AR) axis-targeted agents and taxane chemotherapies remains undetermined. We aimed to elucidate the resistance status between taxanes and enzalutamide, and the functional role of the AR axis. Enzalutamide-resistant 22Rv1 cells showed collateral resistance to taxanes, including docetaxel and cabazitaxel. However, taxane-resistant cells showed no collateral resistance to enzalutamide; taxane-resistant cells expressed comparable protein levels of full-length AR and AR variants. Knockdown of both full-length AR and AR variants rendered cells sensitive to taxanes, whereas knockdown of AR variants sensitized cells to enzalutamide, but not to taxanes. In contrast, overexpression of full-length AR rendered cells resistant to taxanes. Consistently, the prostate-specific antigen response and progression-free survival in docetaxel chemotherapy were worse in cases with prior use of ARAT agents compared with cases without. Collateral resistance to taxanes was evident after obtaining enzalutamide resistance, and aberrant AR signaling might be involved in taxane resistance.

Mineralocorticoid receptor signaling affects therapeutic effect of enzalutamide.

BACKGROUND: Corticosteroids play important roles in prostate cancer therapeutics. However, their role when combined with enzalutamide remains obscure. Then, we aimed to elucidate the functional and clinical impact of corticosteroids on steroid receptors in androgen receptor (AR)-targeting therapy utilizing enzalutamide. METHODS: The therapeutic effect was studied according to concomitant use of corticosteroids in 86 men treated with enzalutamide. The sensitivity to various agents was evaluated using cytotoxicity assays in prostate cancer cells. Gene expression levels were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in prostate cancer cells and tissues. RESULTS: The therapeutic effect of enzalutamide was particularly lessened with concomitant treatment with dexamethasone. Consistently, dexamethasone increased cellular resistance to enzalutamide while prednisolone and aldosterone decreased cellular resistance to enzalutamide in prostate cancer cells. Inversely, mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) knockdown augmented the activity of AR signaling and the cellular resistance to enzalutamide. CONCLUSIONS: MR plays a critical role in resistance to AR-targeting therapies, which may be overcome by activation of MR signaling.

Evaluation of efficacy and safety of sorafenib in kidney cancer patients aged 75 years and older: a propensity score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: The average age of patients diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is increasing, but a limited number of reports have described therapy of tyrosine kinase inhibitor for elderly RCC patients. Hence, we analysed the efficacy and safety of sorafenib in elderly patients aged ≥75 years with advanced RCC. METHODS: Data were extracted from <75-year-old and ≥75-year-old patient groups, matching those demographics considered to affect prognosis. Differences in patients' characteristics, dose modification, adverse events, tumour response, progression-free survival, and renal function (glomerular filtration) were evaluated between the groups. RESULTS: From 2536 and 703 patients aged <75 and ≥75 years, respectively, 397 pairs were matched. Median daily dose was higher and duration of treatment longer in patients <75 years; however, progression-free survival and tumour response were similar in both age groups. Incidence of all adverse events was not significantly different between groups. The proportion of patients discontinuing treatment was higher in patients ≥75 years, but there was no significant difference between groups in the number patients discontinuing due to adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: For patients aged ≥75 years, sorafenib treatment had minimal additional negative impact compared to younger patients and showed similar efficacy and safety without reducing renal function.

The Association of Polymorphisms in the Gene Encoding Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone with Serum Testosterone Level during Androgen Deprivation Therapy and Prognosis of Metastatic Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE: Serum testosterone suppression during androgen deprivation therapy has been reported to affect the efficacy of androgen deprivation therapy. However, the factors impacting hormonal variations during androgen deprivation therapy remain unclear. Therefore, in this study we investigated the significance of missense polymorphisms in the gene encoding GNRH in men treated with primary androgen deprivation therapy for metastatic prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 80 Japanese patients with metastatic prostate cancer with available serum testosterone levels during androgen deprivation therapy. We examined the association of GNRH1 (rs6185, S20W) and GNRH2 (rs6051545, A16V) gene polymorphisms with clinicopathological parameters, including serum testosterone levels during androgen deprivation therapy, as well as prognosis, including progression-free and overall survival. RESULTS: The CT and CT/TT alleles in the GNRH2 gene (rs6051545) were associated with higher serum testosterone during androgen deprivation therapy compared with those of the CC allele. Consequently the CT alleles were associated with a higher risk of progression after adjustment for age and serum testosterone during androgen deprivation therapy (HR 1.73, 95% CI 1.00-3.00, p = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Taken together these findings suggest that rs6051545 (GNRH2) genetic variation may result in inadequate suppression of serum testosterone during androgen deprivation therapy. This may lead to detrimental effects of androgen deprivation therapy on prognosis in men with metastatic prostate cancer.

Serum testosterone before and during androgen-deprivation therapy, and prognosis between cigarette smokers and nonsmokers with metastatic prostate cancer.

Cigarette smoking is suggested to influence androgen milieu, which is closely associated with pathogenesis and prognosis of prostate cancer. In this study, we investigated the association between serum testosterone level before or during androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) as well as prognoses and cigarette smoking status among men with metastatic prostate cancer. Serum testosterone level before ADT in current smokers (n = 6, median [interquartile range, IQR]; 454 ng/ml [426-478 ng/ml]) was significantly higher than that in nonsmokers (n = 26, median [IQR]; 397 ng/ml [312-435 ng/ml]). Serum testosterone level during ADT in current smokers (n = 7, median [IQR]; 7 ng/ml [3-11 ng/ml]) was comparable with that in nonsmokers (n = 55, median [IQR]; 9 ng/ml [3-20 ng/ml]). Progression-free survival and overall survival were comparable between current smokers and nonsmokers when adjusted with serum testosterone level before ADT or during ADT. These results suggest adequate pharmacological effect of ADT, even in current smokers. However, serum testosterone level before ADT was higher in current smokers. Thus, we need to interpret serum testosterone level in current smokers with caution.

Predictive factors of biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy for high-risk prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors of biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy in high-risk patients. METHODS: A total of 191 high-risk prostate cancer patients according to the D'Amico classification treated with radical prostatectomy at a single institution between April 2000 and December 2013 were enrolled. The pathological evaluation including intraductal carcinoma of prostate was reassessed, and the clinical and pathological risk factors of biochemical recurrence were analyzed. RESULTS: The median follow up after radical prostatectomy was 49 months. The 5-year biochemical recurrence-free survival rate after radical prostatectomy in high-risk prostate cancer patients was 41.6%. Initial prostate-specific antigen, pathological Gleason score, seminal vesicle invasion, extraprostatic extension and intraductal carcinoma of the prostate were significantly associated with biochemical recurrence-free survival. The 5-year biochemical recurrence-free survival rates in patients with zero, one, two and three of these risk factors were 92.9%, 70.7%, 38.3% and 28.8%, respectively. In patients with four or more factors, the biochemical recurrence-free survival rate was 6.1% after 18 months. CONCLUSIONS: In D'Amico high-risk patients treated with radical prostatectomy, risk factors for biochemical recurrence can be identified. Patients with fewer risk factors have longer biochemical recurrence-free survival, even among these high-risk cases.

Suppressed Recurrent Bladder Cancer after Androgen Suppression with Androgen Deprivation Therapy or 5α-Reductase Inhibitor.

PURPOSE: We determined whether intravesical recurrence is affected by inhibition of androgen signaling among men with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined the intravesical recurrence rate among men treated with or without androgen suppression therapy by androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer or 5α-reductase inhibitor dutasteride for benign prostatic hyperplasia. RESULTS: We studied 228 men, including 32 with and 196 without androgen suppression therapy. During a median followup of 3.6 and 3.0 years intravesical recurrence developed in 4 (12.5%) and 59 men (30.1%) with and without androgen suppression therapy, respectively. On multivariate analysis multiple tumors (HR 1.82, p = 0.027), a large tumor (HR 2.13, p = 0.043) and ever smoking (HR 2.45, p = 0.020) as well as the presence of androgen suppression therapy (HR 0.36, p = 0.024) were independent risk factors for intravesical recurrence. Notably, tumor progressed to muscle invasive bladder cancer in 6 men (3.1%) without androgen suppression therapy. No man with androgen suppression therapy progressed to muscle invasive bladder cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests the possibility of androgen suppression therapy as prophylaxis for intravesical recurrence of bladder cancer. Further explorations are warranted of the prophylactic effect of androgen suppression therapy on bladder cancer pathogenesis.

The Differential Impact of Body Mass Index and the Feature of Metabolic Syndrome on Oncological Outcomes Following Different Surgical Procedures in Japanese Men with Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the differential impact of body mass index and the feature of metabolic syndrome (MetS; obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia) on biochemical recurrence (BCR) following radical prostatectomy (RP) treatment for prostate cancer using different surgical procedures. METHODS: This study included 283 Japanese patients with clinically localized prostate cancer who were treated with RP between 2008 and 2012. The prognostic significance of overweight and the feature of MetS were analyzed according to surgical procedures. RESULTS: BCR occurred in 68/283 (24.0%) men. Overweight and the feature of MetS were predictors of BCR in patients who had undergone open RP (ORP), but not in those treated with laparoscopic surgery. Multivariate analyses incorporating preoperative and postoperative risk factors revealed that overweight and the feature of MetS were independent BCR risk factors when treated with ORP. CONCLUSIONS: In Japanese men, overweight and the feature of MetS were associated with worse outcomes following RP, particularly ORP, compared with those following laparoscopic surgery. These results suggest that laparoscopic surgery can overcome the surgical challenges associated with abdominal obesity.