European Association of Urology Guidelines on Urological Infections: Summary of the 2024 Guidelines.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Urological infections significantly impact the wellbeing and quality of life of individuals owing to their widespread occurrence and diverse clinical manifestations. The objective of the guidelines panel was to provide evidence-based guidance on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and male accessory-gland infections, while addressing crucial public health aspects related to infection control and antimicrobial stewardship. METHODS: For the 2024 guidelines on urological infections, new and relevant evidence was identified, collated, and appraised via a structured assessment of the literature. Databases searched included Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Libraries. Recommendations within the guidelines were developed by the panel to prioritise clinically important care decisions. The strength of each recommendation was determined according to a balance between desirable and undesirable consequences of alternative management strategies, the quality of the evidence (including the certainty of estimates), and the nature and variability of patient values and preferences. KEY FINDINGS AND LIMITATIONS: Key recommendations emphasise the importance of a thorough medical history and physical examination for patients with urological infections. The guidelines stress the role of antimicrobial stewardship to combat the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance, providing recommendations for antibiotic selection, dosing, and duration on the basis of the latest evidence. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: This overview of the 2024 EAU guidelines offers valuable insights into managing urological infections and are designed for effective integration into clinical practice. PATIENT SUMMARY: The European Association of Urology has issued an updated guideline on urological infections. The guidelines provide recommendations for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, with a particular focus on minimising antibiotic use because of the increasing global threat of antimicrobial resistance.

The Correlation Between Platelet Count and Survival in Prostate Cancer.

Purpose: A number of studies have confirmed that elevated platelet count accompanying various solid tumours is associated with worse survival. However, only meagre data are available on the relationship between thrombocytosis and survival in prostate cancer. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis on clinical-pathological data accumulated from 316 patients during on average 51 months of follow-up after laparoscopic prostatectomy performed for prostate cancer. We analyzed the relationship between platelet count, risk factors, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and cancer stage with use the Tumor, Node, Metastase system (TNM), as well as surgical margin, and prognosis. Results: Thrombocytosis occurred in only one out of the 316 patients. The multivariate Cox proportional hazard model showed that preoperative PSA, risk group, preoperative haemoglobin level, and surgical margin status were significant, independent predictors of biochemical progression-free survival. By contrast, age at diagnosis and thrombocytosis had no such predictive value. Conclusion: We could not demonstrate an association between elevated platelet count and worse survival in our study population of patients with prostate cancer.

Elevated platelet count as a possible prognostic marker of survival in patients with head and neck tumours / A magasabb vérlemezkeszám mint a fej-nyak tumoros betegek túléléssel kapcsolatos esetleges prognosztikai faktora.

Összefoglaló. Bevezetés: Régóta ismert, hogy a daganatokhoz társuló emelkedett vérlemezkeszám rosszabb túléléssel társul. Fej-nyak tumoros betegek esetében kevés információ áll rendelkezésünkre ezzel az összefüggéssel kapcsolatban. Célkituzés: Vizsgálatunk célja a fej-nyak daganatos betegek prognózisa és a thrombocytosis közötti összefüggés tanulmányozása volt. Módszer: Különféle stádiumú és lokalizációjú, 312, fej-nyak tumoros beteg retrospektív adatait elemeztük. A mutét elotti vérlemezkeszámokat vizsgáltuk, a 300 G/l feletti értéket tekintettük emelkedett thrombocytaszámnak. A vérlemezkeszám és a túlélés közötti kapcsolatot Kaplan-Meier-módszerrel és multivariáns Cox-regresszióval elemeztük. Eredmények: Emelkedett thrombocytaszám mellett szignifikánsan rosszabb túlélést észleltünk (5 éves túlélés: p = 0,007, betegségmentes túlélés: p = 0,192). Ez az összefüggés még akkor is fennállt, amikor multivariáns analízissel nemre, korra, stádiumra, differenciáltsági fokra, lokalizációra, valamint fehér- és vörösvérsejtszámra korrigáltuk az elemzést (5 éves túlélés: p = 0,027). A különféle anatómiai lokalizációkban eltéro mértékben észleltünk 300 G/l feletti vérlemezkeszámot (algarat: 43,6%, sub- és supraglottis: 35,8%, szájüreg: 35,7%, hangszalag: 22,5%, szájgarat: 19%, multiplex: 50%), ez azonban nem befolyásolta szignifikánsan a túlélést (p = 0,603). Következtetés: A daganathoz társuló thrombocytosis összefüggésbe hozható a fej-nyak tumoros betegek rosszabb túlélésével. Az egyes lokalizációkban talált különbözo vérlemezkeszámok nem befolyásolják eltéro mértékben a túlélést. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(17): 676-682. INTRODUCTION: The association between cancer-related thrombocytosis and worse survival has been described with a variety of solid neoplasms. However, only limited data are available on the prognostic significance of elevated platelet count in head and neck tumours. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the correlation between the survival of patients with head and neck cancer and thrombocytosis. METHOD: We conducted an analysis of the data from 312 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma of various stages and locations. Preoperative platelet counts were analysed; elevated platelet count was defined as 300 G/l or higher. The influence of platelet count on survival was calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method as well as with multivariate Cox regression. RESULTS: In patients with excessive thrombocytosis, survival was significantly worse (overall survival: p = 0.007, disease-free survival: p = 0.192). This association remained significant even after adjusting the multivariate analysis for age, gender as well as tumour stage, grade, location, red and white blood cell count (overall survival: p = 0.027). The magnitude of thrombocytosis differed among tumours of different anatomical locations (hypopharynx: 43.6%, sub- and supraglottis: 35.8%, oral cavity: 35.7%, vocal cord: 22.5%, oropharynx: 19%, multiple: 50%), but this did not affect survival significantly (p = 0.603). CONCLUSION: Elevated platelet count may be related to a worse prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients. The impact of thrombocytosis does not vary with the anatomical location of the tumour. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(17): 676-682.

European Association of Urology Position Paper on the Prevention of Infectious Complications Following Prostate Biopsy.

The transperineal approach is preferred to reduce prostate biopsy (PB)-related infections. Fluoroquinolones are suspended for prophylaxis of PB in the European Union; therefore, alternative antibiotics based on local resistance, or targeted prophylaxis, in conjunction with povidone-iodine rectal preparation are recommended for transrectal PB.

The relationship between IL-6 and thrombocytosis accompanying gastrointestinal tumours.

INTRODUCTION: Several reports have stated that thrombocytosis is associated with worse survival and higher rate of metastasis in solid tumours. A study in ovarian tumours implicated IL-6 produced by tumour cells as a key mechanistic factor. AIM: To evaluate the relevance of this paraneoplastic pathway in gastrointestinal cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: After excluding thromboembolic and inflammatory disorders, 161 patients were enrolled who had been operated due to various gastrointestinal cancer at the 1st Department of Surgery at the Semmelweis University between 2015 and 2017. Platelet counts and serum IL-6 levels were determined from preoperative blood samples. Thrombocytosis was defined as the upper limit of normal platelet count, e.g. 400 × 103/µl. RESULTS: A weak but significantly positive correlation was found between elevated platelet counts and serum IL-6 (correlation coefficient: R = 0.214, p = 0.006), which became more pronounced in colon and oesophageal cancer if evaluated in the different tumour types (R = 0.292 and R = 0.419, respectively). However, using a multivariant linear regression model (R 2 = 0.47) corrected with haemoglobin, white blood cell count, and advanced disease stage, the analysis showed no significant correlation between serum IL-6 and platelet counts. CONCLUSIONS: In gastrointestinal cancer our study did not support the paracrine-mediated paraneoplastic pathway described in ovarian tumors. Thrombocytosis showed significant correlation with white blood cells instead of serum IL-6, which implies that the inflammatory process may influence both parameters. Further studies are needed on larger patient cohorts.

Neutrophil-To-Lymphocyte and Platelet-To-Lymphocyte Ratios as Prognostic Markers of Survival in Patients with Head and Neck Tumours-Results of a Retrospective Multicentric Study.

BACKGROUND: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) may be useful for drawing conclusions about the survival of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. METHODS: Clinical data of 156 patients managed for HNSCC at two head and neck surgery centres were analyzed retrospectively. We studied the relationships between survival and PLR as well as NLR. RESULTS: With regards to 5-year survival, the difference between the two groups with PLR values lower or higher than the threshold was statistically significant (p = 0.004), and we found the same for disease-free survival (p = 0.05), and tumour-specific mortality (p = 0.009). Concerning NLR, the difference in tumour-specific survival was statistically significant (p = 0.006). According to the multivariate analysis, NLR values higher than the threshold indicated an enhanced risk for overall as well as for tumour-specific mortality. CONCLUSION: In HNSCC patients, a high NLR may be considered as an independent risk factor for 5-year overall survival.