Oncological impact of cystoscopic findings in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between cystoscopic findings and oncological outcomes in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) given that the oncological impact of quantity and quality assessment of tumours with cystoscopy has not been well verified. METHODS: Multiple databases were queried in May 2022 for studies investigating the association of oncological outcomes, such as recurrence-free (RFS), progression-free (PFS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS), with cystoscopic findings, including multiplicity, size, and gross appearance of tumours in patients with NMIBC. RESULTS: Overall, 73 studies comprising 28 139 patients were eligible for the meta-analysis. Tumour multiplicity was associated with worse RFS (pooled hazard ratio [HR] 1.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.48-1.74) and PFS (pooled HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.18-1.76) in NMIBC patients (including both Ta and T1). Tumour size (≥3 cm) was associated with worse RFS (pooled HR 1.97, 95% CI 1.69-2.30) and PFS (pooled HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.52-2.15) in NMIBC patients. In patients with T1 bladder cancer (BCa), tumour multiplicity and size (≥3 cm) were also associated with worse RFS, PFS and CSS. By contrast, among patients treated with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), tumour multiplicity was not associated with worse RFS, and tumour size (≥3 cm) was not associated with worse PFS. Sessile tumours were associated with worse RFS (pooled HR 2.14, 95% CI 1.52-3.01) and PFS (pooled HR 2.17, 95% CI 1.42-3.32) compared to pedunculated tumours. Compared to papillary tumours, solid tumours were associated with worse RFS (pooled HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.25-2.72) and PFS (pooled HR 3.06, 95% CI 2.31-4.07) in NMIBC patients, and CSS in T1 BCa patients (pooled HR 2.32, 95% CI 1.63-3.30). CONCLUSIONS: Cystoscopic findings, including tumour multiplicity, size, and gross appearance, strongly predict oncological outcomes in NMIBC patients. Cystoscopic visual features can help in the decision-making process regarding the timeliness and extent of tumour resection as well as future management such as intravesical therapy.

En Bloc Resection for Bladder Tumors: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Its Differential Effect on Safety, Recurrence and Histopathology.

PURPOSE: En bloc resection for bladder tumors has been developed to overcome shortcomings of conventional transurethral resection of bladder tumors with regard to safety, pathological evaluation and oncologic outcomes. However, the potential benefits and utility compared to conventional transurethral resection of bladder tumors have not been conclusively demonstrated. We aimed to update the current evidence with focus on the pathological benefits of en bloc resection for nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The PubMed®, Web of Science™ and Scopus® databases were searched in August 2021 according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses) statement. Studies were deemed eligible if they compared safety, and pathological and clinical outcomes in patients who underwent en bloc resection with conventional transurethral resection of bladder tumors. RESULTS: Overall, 29 studies comprising 4,484 patients were eligible for this meta-analysis. Among 13 randomized controlled trials, the pooled 12- and 24-month recurrence risk ratios were not statistically different between the 2 surgical techniques (0.96, 95% CI 0.74-1.23 and 0.83, 95% CI 0.55-1.23, respectively). The pooled risk ratio for bladder perforation was 0.13 (95% CI 0.05-0.34) in favor of en bloc resection. In randomized controlled trials, the differential rates of detrusor muscle presence (pooled RR 1.31, 95% CI 1.19-1.43) and of detectable muscularis mucosae (pooled RR 2.69, 95% CI 1.81-3.97) were more likely in patients receiving en bloc resection. Patients who underwent en bloc resection had a lower rate of residual tumor at repeat transurethral resection than those treated with conventional transurethral resection of bladder tumors in 1 randomized controlled trial and 3 observational studies (pooled RR 0.47, 95% CI 0.31-0.71). CONCLUSIONS: En bloc resection for bladder tumors seems to be safer, and to yield superior histopathological information and performance compared to conventional transurethral resection of bladder tumors. Despite the failure to improve the recurrence rate, the more accurate histopathological analysis is likely to improve clinical decision making and care delivery in nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Pretreatment clinical and hematologic prognostic factors of metastatic urothelial carcinoma treated with pembrolizumab: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Pembrolizumab is the standard for the first and second lines in treating metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the value of pretreatment clinical characteristics and hematologic biomarkers for prognosticating response to pembrolizumab in patients with metastatic UC. PUBMED®, Web of Science™, and Scopus® databases were searched for articles published before May 2021 according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses) statement. Studies were deemed eligible if they evaluated overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma treated with pembrolizumab and pretreatment clinical characteristics or laboratory examination. Overall, 13 studies comprising 1311 patients were eligible for the meta-analysis. Several pretreatment patients' demographics and hematologic biomarkers were significantly associated with worse OS as follows: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG-PS) ≥ 2 (Pooled hazard ratio [HR]: 3.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.57-4.09), presence of visceral metastasis (Pooled HR: 1.84, 95% CI 1.42-2.38), presence of liver metastasis (Pooled HR: 4.23, 95% CI 2.18-8.20), higher neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (Pooled HR: 1.29, 95% CI 1.07-1.55) and, higher c-reactive protein (CRP) (Pooled HR: 2.49, 95% CI 1.52-4.07). Metastatic UC patients with poor PS, liver metastasis, higher pretreatment NLR and/or CRP have a worse survival despite pembrolizumab treatment. These findings might help to guide the prognostic tools for clinical decision-making; however, they should be interpreted carefully, owing to limitations regarding the retrospective nature of primary data.

Prognostic Impact of Preoperative Plasma Levels of Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Proteins on Disease Outcomes after Radical Cystectomy.

PURPOSE: We sought to validate the association of plasma levels of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), its soluble receptor (SuPAR) and its inhibitor (PAI-one) with oncologic outcomes in a large cohort of patients treated with radical cystectomy (RC) for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected preoperative blood samples from 1,036 consecutive patients treated with RC for UCB. Plasma specimens were assessed for levels of uPA, SuPAR and PAI-one. Retrospective logistic and Cox regression analyses were performed to assess their correlation with clinical outcomes. The additional clinical net benefit provided by the biomarkers was evaluated using decision curve analysis. RESULTS: Preoperative plasma uPA, SuPAR and PAI-one levels were significantly elevated in patients harboring adverse pathological features. Higher levels of all biomarkers were independently associated with an increased risk of lymph node metastasis; uPA levels were also independently associated with ≥pT3 disease. Preoperative uPA and SuPAR were independently associated with recurrence-free and cancer-specific survival. The addition of these biomarkers to standard pre-treatment and post-treatment models improved the discriminatory power for prediction of lymph node metastasis, ≥pT3 disease, and recurrence-free and cancer-specific survival by a prognostically significant margin. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed that elevated preoperative plasma levels of uPA, SuPAR and PAI-one are associated with features of aggressive disease and worse survival outcomes in patients treated with RC for UCB. These biomarkers hold potential in identifying patients who are likely to benefit from intensified/multimodal therapy. They also demonstrated the ability to improve the discriminatory power of predictive/prognostic models, thus refining personalized clinical decision-making.

Prognostic value of the systemic immune-inflammation index in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

PURPOSE: We assessed the prognostic value of systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) to refine risk stratification of the heterogeneous spectrum of patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) METHODS: In this multi-institutional cohort, preoperative blood-based SII was retrospectively assessed in 1117 patients with NMIBC who underwent transurethral resection of bladder (TURB) between 1996 and 2007. The optimal cut-off value of SII was determined as 580 using the best Youden index. Cox regression analyses were performed. The concordance index (C-index) and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to assess the discrimination of the predictive models. RESULTS: Overall, 309 (28%) patients had high SII. On multivariable analyses, high SII was significantly associated with worse PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.84; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23-2.77; P = 0.003) and CSS (HR 2.53; 95% CI 1.42-4.48; P = 0.001). Subgroup analyses, according to the European Association of Urology guidelines, demonstrated the main prognostic impact of high SII, with regards to PFS (HR 3.39; 95%CI 1.57-7.31; P = 0.002) and CSS (HR 4.93; 95% CI 1.70-14.3; P = 0.005), in patients with intermediate-risk group; addition of SII to the standard predictive model improved its discrimination ability both on C-index (6% and 12%, respectively) and DCA. In exploratory intergroup analyses of patients with intermediate-risk, the improved discrimination ability was retained the prediction of PFS and CSS. CONCLUSION: Preoperative SII seems to identify NMIBC patients who have a worse disease and prognosis. Such easily available and cheap standard biomarkers may help refine the decision-making process regarding adjuvant treatment in patients with intermediate-risk NMIBC.

Role of systemic immune-inflammation index in patients treated with salvage radical prostatectomy.

PURPOSE: To examine the predictive and prognostic value of preoperative Systemic Immune-inflammation Index (SII) in patients with radio-recurrent prostate cancer (PCa) treated with salvage radical prostatectomy (SRP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This multicenter retrospective study included 214 patients with radio-recurrent PCa, treated with SRP between 2007 and 2015. SII was measured preoperatively (neutrophils × platelets/lymphocytes) and the cohort was stratified using optimal cut-off. Uni- and multivariable logistic and Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the predictive and prognostic value of SII as a preoperative biomarker. RESULTS: A total of 81 patients had high preoperative SII (≥ 730). On multivariable logistic regression modeling, high SII was predictive for lymph node metastases (OR 3.32, 95% CI 1.45-7.90, p = 0.005), and non-organ confined disease (OR 2.55, 95% CI 1.33-4.97, p = 0.005). In preoperative regression analysis, high preoperative SII was an independent prognostic factor for cancer-specific survival (CSS; HR 10.7, 95% CI 1.12-103, p = 0.039) and overall survival (OS; HR 8.57, 95% CI 2.70-27.2, p < 0.001). Similarly, in postoperative multivariable models, SII was associated with worse CSS (HR 22.11, 95% CI 1.23-398.12, p = 0.036) and OS (HR 5.98, 95% CI 1.67-21.44, p = 0.006). Notably, the addition of SII to preoperative reference models improved the C-index for the prognosis of CSS (89.5 vs. 80.5) and OS (85.1 vs 77.1). CONCLUSIONS: In radio-recurrent PCa patients, high SII was associated with adverse pathological features at SRP and survival after SRP. Preoperative SII could help identify patients who might benefit from novel imaging modalities, multimodal therapy or a closer posttreatment surveillance.

Intracorporeal versus extracorporeal urinary diversion in robot-assisted radical cystectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess and compare the perioperative and oncological outcomes of intracorporeal (ICUD) and extracorporeal (ECUD) urinary diversion following robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC). A systematic literature search of articles was performed in PubMed®, Web of Science®, and Scopus® databases according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis statement. We included studies that compared patients who underwent RARC with ICUD to those with ECUD. Twelve studies including 3067 patients met the eligibility criteria. There were no significant differences between ICUD and ECUD in overall and major complications, regardless of the period (short-term [≤ 30 days] or mid-term [> 30 days]). Subgroup analyses demonstrated that ICUD performed by high-volume centers exhibited a significantly reduced risk of major complications (short-term: OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.37-0.86, p = 0.008, mid-term: OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.46-0.94, p = 0.02). Patients who underwent ICUD had lower estimated blood loss (MD -102.3 ml, 95% CI - 132.8 to - 71.8, p < 0.00001), less likely to receive blood transfusion rates (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.20-0.62, p = 0.00003); and these findings were consistent in subgroup analyses by low-volume centers (MD-121.6 ml, 95% CI - 160.9 to - 82.3, p < 0.00001 and OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.20-0.62, p = 0.00003, respectively). ICUD had a higher lymph node yield (MD 3.68, 95% CI 0.80-6.56, p = 0.01). Patients receiving ICUD provided comparable complications, superior perioperative outcomes, and similar oncological outcomes compared with ECUD. Centralization of patients may contribute to a reduction of postoperative complications, while maintaining the advantages.

Prognostic value of the pre-operative serum albumin to globulin ratio in patients with non-metastatic prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the potential predictive value of the preoperative serum albumin to globulin ratio (AGR) for oncological outcomes in patients treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) for clinically non-metastatic prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: Pre-operative AGR was assessed in a multi-institutional cohort of 6041 patients treated with RP. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association of the AGR with advanced disease. We performed Cox regression analyses to determine the relationship between AGR and biochemical recurrence (BCR). RESULTS: The optimal cut-off value was determined to be 1.31 according to receiver operating curve analysis. Compared to patients with a higher AGR, those with a lower preoperative AGR had worse BCR-free survival (P < 0.01) in the Kaplan-Meier analysis. Pre- and post-operative multivariable models that adjusted for the effects of established clinicopathologic features, confirmed its independent association with BCR [hazard ratio (HR) 1.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.31-1.75, P < 0.01, HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.34-1.79, P < 0.01, respectively]. However, the addition of AGR to established prognostic models did not improve their discrimination. CONCLUSION: While AGR is significantly associated with BCR, in the present study, the clinical impact of AGR was not large enough to affect patient management. Longer follow-up is necessary to observe the true effect of AGR.

The Prognostic Impact of Intraductal Carcinoma of the Prostate: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the prognostic impact of intraductal carcinoma of the prostate in patients with prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic search was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis statement. We searched PubMed®, Web of Science™, the Cochrane Library and Scopus® up to October 2019. The end points were biochemical recurrence-free, cancer specific and overall survival. RESULTS: We identified 32 studies with 179,766 patients. A total of 31 studies containing 179,721 patients with localized and advanced prostate cancer were eligible for meta-analysis. In localized prostate cancer intraductal disease was associated with adverse outcomes including lower biochemical recurrence-free survival (pooled HR 2.09, 95% CI 1.75-2.50) and cancer specific survival (pooled HR 2.93, 95% CI 2.25-3.81). In advanced prostate cancer overall survival was lower in patients with vs without intraductal disease (pooled HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.43-2.14). Subgroup analysis by specimen type revealed that intraductal carcinoma of the prostate is a significant negative prognostic factor in both biopsies and prostatectomy specimens. Moreover, subgroup analyses based on the histopathological definitions of intraductal carcinoma of the prostate indicated that intraductal disease was significantly associated with lower biochemical recurrence-free, cancer specific and overall survival for almost all definitions. CONCLUSIONS: Intraductal disease is a histopathological feature of biologically and clinically aggressive prostate cancer. It confers worse oncologic outcomes in both localized and advanced prostate cancer, whether assessed in biopsy or prostatectomy specimen. The pathologist should assess for and report on the presence of intraductal disease in all prostate specimens. The urologist and radiation oncologist should consider this adverse feature in their clinical decision making.

Apalutamide, enzalutamide, and darolutamide for non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Management of non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) has undergone a paradigm shift with next-generation androgen receptor inhibitors. However, direct comparative data are not available to inform treatment decisions and/or guideline recommendations. Therefore, we performed network meta-analysis to indirectly compare the efficacy and safety of currently available treatments. Multiple databases were searched for articles published before June 2020. Studies that compared overall and/or metastasis-free and/or prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression-free survival (OS/MFS/PSA-PFS) and/or adverse events (AEs) in nmCRPC patients were considered eligible. Three studies (n = 4117) met our eligibility criteria. Formal network meta-analyses were conducted. For MFS, apalutamide, darolutamide, and enzalutamide were significantly more effective than placebo, and apalutamide emerged as the best option (P score: 0.8809). Apalutamide [hazard ratio (HR): 0.85, 95% credible interval (CrI): 0.77-0.94] and enzalutamide (HR: 0.86, 95% CrI: 0.78-0.95) were both significantly more effective than darolutamide. For PSA-PFS, all three agents were statistically superior to placebo, and apalutamide emerged as the likely preferred option (P score: 1.000). Apalutamide (HR: 0.71, 95% CrI: 0.69-0.74) and enzalutamide (HR: 0.76, 95% CrI: 0.74-0.79) were both significantly more effective than darolutamide. For AEs (including all AEs, grade 3 or grade 4 AEs, grade 5 AEs, and discontinuation rates), darolutamide was the likely best option. Apalutamide and enzalutamide appear to be more efficacious agents for therapy of nmCRPC, while darolutamide appears to have the most favorable tolerability profile. These findings may facilitate individualized treatment strategies and inform future direct comparative trials.

Prognostic value of preoperative hematologic biomarkers in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder treated with radical cystectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the prognostic value of preoperative hematologic biomarkers in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder treated with radical cystectomy. PUBMED, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases were searched in September 2019 according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis statement. Studies were deemed eligible if they compared cancer-specific survival in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder with and without pretreatment laboratoryabnormalities. Formal meta-analyses were performed for this outcome. The systematic review identified 36 studies with 23,632 patients, of these, 32 studies with 22,224 patients were eligible for the meta-analysis. Several preoperative hematologic biomarkers were significantly associated with cancer-specific survival as follows: neutrophil - lymphocyte ratio (pooled hazard ratio [HR]: 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11-1.29), hemoglobin (pooled HR: 0.87, 95% CI 0.82-0.94), C-reactive protein (pooled HR: 1.44, 95% CI 1.26-1.66), De Ritis ratio (pooled HR: 2.18, 95% CI 1.37-3.48), white blood cell count (pooled HR: 1.05, 95% CI 1.02-1.07), and albumin-globulin ratio (pooled HR: 0.26, 95% CI 0.14-0.48). Several pretreatment laboratory abnormalities in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder were associated with cancer-specific mortality. Therefore, it might be useful to incorporate such hematologic biomarkers into prognostic tools for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. However, given the study limitations including heterogeneity and retrospective nature of the primary data, the conclusions should be interpreted with caution.

Bilateral isolated Epididymal Agenesis in a 32 year old man.

Epididymal agenesis is defined as the absence of the epididymis totally or segmentally, unilateral or bilateral, which is secondary to the Wolffian duct malformation (1). Rete testis, epididymis, vas deferens and seminal vesicle are believed to develop from Wolffian ducts.

Primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for clinical stage II seminoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis of safety and oncological effectiveness.

To evaluate the oncological outcomes and safety of primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) in patients with clinical stage (CS) II seminomatous testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT). A literature search using PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library was conducted on July 2023 to identify relevant studies according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The pooled recurrence rate and treatment-related complications were calculated using a random effects model. Overall 8 studies published between 1997 and 2023 including a total of 355 patients were selected for systematic review and meta-analysis with the overall median follow-up of 38 months. The overall and infield recurrence rate were 0.14 (95% CI: 0.08-0.22) and 0.04 (95% CI: 0.00-0.11), respectively. The overall pooled rate of ≥ Clavien Dindo grade III complications was 0.04 (95% CI: 0.01-0.10); there was no significant heterogeneity (I^2 = 35.10%, P = 0.19). Antegrade ejaculation was preserved with the overall pooled rate of 0.98 (95% CI: 0.95-1.00); there was no significant heterogeneity on Chi-square and I2 tests (I^2 = 0.00%, P = 0.58). Primary RPLND is a safe and effective treatment option for patients with CS II seminomatous TGCT resulting highly promising cure rates combined with low treatment-associated adverse events, at medium-term follow-up. However, owing to the lack of comparative studies to the current standard of care and the limited follow-up, individual decision must be made with the informed patient in a shared decision process together with a multidisciplinary team.

The Prognostic Value of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes After Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess the prognostic value of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in patients with bladder cancer (BC) after radical cystectomy (RC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched Pubmed, Web of Science and Scopus in April 2022 to identify studies assessing the prognostic value of TILs, including a subset of lymphocytes (eg, CD3, CD8, FOXP3), after RC. The endpoints were overall survival and recurrent free survival. Subgroup analyses were performed based on the evaluation method for TILs (ie, CD3, CD8, FOXP3, HE staining). RESULTS: Overall, 9 studies comprising 1413 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that elevated expressions of TILs were significantly associated with favorable OS (pooled hazard ratio [HR]: 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.51-0.83) and RFS (pooled HR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.35-0.64). In subgroup analyses, high CD8+ TILs were also associated with favorable OS (HR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.33-0.80) and RFS (pooled HR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.36-0.76). Among 3 studies comprising 146 patients, high intratumoral TILs were significantly associated with favorable OS (pooled HR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.19-0.60). CONCLUSION: TILs are useful prognostic markers in patients treated with RC for BC. Although the prognostic value of TILs is varied, depending on the subset and infiltration site, CD8+ TILs and intratumoral TILs are associated with oncologic outcomes. Further studies are warranted to explicate the predictive value of TILs on the response to perioperative systemic therapy to help clinical decision-making in patients with BC.

Sequencing impact and prognostic factors in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients treated with cabazitaxel: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cabazitaxel is an effective treatment of post-docetaxel metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). We aimed to assess the sequencing impact and identify prognostic factors of oncologic outcomes in mCRPC patients treated with cabazitaxel. METHODS: PUBMED, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched for articles published before January 2022 according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses) statement. Studies were deemed eligible if they investigated pretreatment clinical or hematological prognostic factors of overall survival (OS) in mCRPC patients with progression after docetaxel treated with available treatments including cabazitaxel. RESULTS: Overall, 22 studies were eligible for the meta-analysis. In mCRPC patients treated with docetaxel, subsequent treatment with cabazitaxel was associated with better OS compared to that without cabazitaxel (pooled hazard ratio [HR]: 0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.56-0.89). Among the patients treated with cabazitaxel, several pretreatment clinical features and hematologic biomarkers were associated with worse OS as follows: poor performance status (PS) (pooled HR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.33-2.77), presence of visceral metastasis (pooled HR: 2.13, 95% CI: 1.62-2.81), symptomatic disease (pooled HR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.25-1.73), high PSA (pooled HR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.27-2.44), high alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (pooled HR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.28-1.65), high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (pooled HR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.00-2.38), high c-reactive protein (CRP) (pooled HR: 4.40, 95% CI: 1.52-12.72), low albumin (pooled HR:1.09, 95% CI: 1.05-1.12) and low hemoglobin (pooled HR:1.55, 95% CI: 1.20-1.99). CONCLUSIONS: Sequential therapy with cabazitaxel significantly improves OS in post-docetaxel mCRPC patients. In mCRPC patients treated with cabazitaxel, patients with poor PS, visceral metastasis, and symptomatic disease were associated with worse OS. Further, pretreatment high PSA, ALP, LDH or CRP as well as low hemoglobin or albumin, were blood-based prognostic factors for OS. These findings might help guide the clinical decision-making for the use of cabazitaxel and prognostication of its OS benefit.

Perspectives on the future of urothelial carcinoma therapy: chemotherapy and beyond.

INTRODUCTION: Despite recent developments in the landscape of urothelial carcinoma (UC) treatment, platinum combination chemotherapy still remains a milestone. Recently immunotherapeutic agents have gained ever-growing attractivity, particularly in the metastatic setting. Novel chemotherapeutic strategies and agents, such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and powerful combination regimens have been developed to overcome the resistance of most UC to current therapies. AREAS COVERED: Herein, we review the current standard-of-care chemotherapy, the development of ADCs, the rationale for combining therapy regimens with chemotherapy in current trials, and future directions in UC management. EXPERT OPINION: Immunotherapy has prompted a revolution in the treatment paradigm of UC. However, only a few patients experience a long-term response when treated with single-agent immunotherapies. Combination treatments are necessary to bypass resistance mechanisms and broaden the clinical utility of current options. Current evidence supports the intensification of standard-of-care chemotherapy with maintenance immunotherapy. However, the optimal sequence, combination, and duration must be determined to achieve individual longevity with acceptable health-related quality of life. In that regard, ADCs appear as a promising alternative for single and combination strategies in UC, as they specifically target the tumor cells, thereby, theoretically improving treatment efficacy and avoiding extensive off-target toxicities.

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Chemoablation for Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer.

CONTEXT: The ablative effect of intravesical therapy is known for decades. However, the clinical feasibility and efficacy of chemoablation for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) have not become accepted. OBJECTIVE: To assess the treatment outcomes of chemoablation for NMIBC and to compare its safety with that of the standard treatment, transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT) followed by intravesical therapy. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Multiple databases were queried in July 2022 for studies investigating the complete response (CR) rates and adverse events in NMIBC patients treated with chemoablation using mitomycin C (MMC), gemcitabine, epirubicin, or bacillus Calmette-Guérin. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Overall, 23 studies comprising 1199 patients were eligible for this meta-analysis. Among these studies, 20 assessed the efficacy of chemoablation and three compared the treatment outcomes of MMC chemoablation versus standard treatment. Among patients treated with weekly administration of any agent, the pooled CR rates at initial assessment were 50.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 45.9-55.9) for the marker lesion and 47.5% (95% CI: 36.5-58.7) for well-selected NMIBC (ie, small tumors and/or a small number of tumors). Novel regimens for chemoablation such as MMC-gel (70.6%, 95% CI: 60.1-79.3) and an intensive MMC regimen (64.7%, 95% CI: 56.2-72.3) provided better CR rates in well-selected NMIBC patients. Comparable CR rates were noted irrespective of tumor multiplicity, whereas tumor size <5 mm was associated with a higher CR rate than tumor size ≥5 mm (odds ratio: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.17-0.79). The novel intensive MMC regimen resulted in lower rates of dysuria and urinary frequency than standard treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the lack of long-term outcomes, chemoablation appears to be a promising treatment option for well-selected NMIBC patients and can potentially help avoid unnecessary TURBT, specifically in some elderly patients with intermediate-risk NMIBC. Further well-designed studies with larger cohorts are necessary to address the differential tolerability and long-term anticancer efficacy of this resurging approach. PATIENT SUMMARY: Bladder instillation therapy has a potential ablative effect for well-selected non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. This can lead to the omission of an unnecessary surgical treatment.

Positive family history as a predictor for disease outcomes after radical prostatectomy for nonmetastatic prostate cancer.

Background: While family history (FHx) of prostate cancer (PCa) increases the risk of PCa, comparably less is known regarding the impact of FHx on pathologic and oncologic outcomes after radical prostatectomy (RP). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our multicenter database comprising 6,041 nonmetastatic PCa patients treated with RP. Patients with a FHx of PCa in one or more first-degree relatives were considered as FHx positive. We examined the association of FHx with pathologic outcomes and biochemical recurrence (BCR) using logistic and Cox regression models, respectively. Results: In total, 1,677 (28%) patients reported a FHx of PCa. Compared to patients without FHx, those with, were younger at RP (median age of 59 vs. 62 years, p < 0.01), and had significantlymore favorable biopsy and RP histopathologic findings. On multivariable logistic regression analysis, positive FHx was associated with extracapsular extension (odds ratio [OR] 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.66-0.90, p < 0.01; model AUC 0.73) and upgrading (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.62-0.80, p < 0.01; model AUC 0.68). Incorporating FHx significantly improved the AUC of the base model for upgrading (p < 0.01). Positive FHx was not associated with BCR in pre- and postoperative multivariable models (p = 0.1 and p = 0.7); c-indexes of Cox multivariable models were: 0.73 and 0.82, respectively. Conclusions: We found that patients with clinically nonmetastatic PCa who have positive FHx of PCa undergo RP at a younger age and have more favorable pathologic outcomes. Nevertheless, FHx of PCa did not confer better BCR rates, suggesting that FHx leads to potentially early detection and treatment without impact on BCR.

Quality indicators for the management of muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the perioperative setting of radical cystectomy: a narrative review.

Background and Objective: Identifying evidence-based and measurable quality-of-care indicators is crucial for optimal management of patients requiring radical cystectomy (RC) for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). RC with urinary diversion and lymphadenectomy is the standard treatment for patients with MIBC. Preoperatively, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with cisplatin-based combinations improves survival outcomes and is the recommended standard of care for eligible patients. Intraoperatively, lymph node dissection (LND) by, at least, following a standard pelvic lymph node template improves overall- and recurrence-free survival and allows for accurate tumour staging. Avoiding positive soft tissue surgical margins (STSM) should be a main target intraoperatively since they are almost universally associated with mortality. Implementing enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs can reduce lengths of hospital stay (LOS) and postoperative complication rates without increasing readmission rates after RC. Moreover, several studies have shown that smoking negatively affects local and systemic treatment outcomes in bladder cancer (BC) patients. Therefore, smoking cessation counselling for smokers should be an essential part of bladder cancer management regardless of the disease state. Methods: We performed a comprehensive, non-systematic review of the latest literature to define indicators representing the best evidence available for optimal care of MIBC patients treated with RC. Key Content and Findings: In this review, we propose five major quality indicators that are easily implementable for optimized management of MIBC patients treated with RC, including: usage of cisplatin-based NAC in eligible patients, ensurance of negative STSM, performance of (at least) a standard pelvic template LND, implementation of ERAS strategies, and professional smoking cessation counselling. Conclusions: Optimal management of MIBC needs to be framed by evidence-based, reproducible, and measurable quality indicators that will allow for guidance and comparative effectiveness assessment of clinical practices; adherence to them is likely to improve patients' prognoses by a tensible margin. For the treatment of MIBC patients with RC, we identified five essential quality indicators. Keywords: Assessment; bladder cancer (BC); muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC); cystectomy; radical cystectomy (RC); quality.

Radiation therapy compared to radical prostatectomy as first-line definitive therapy for patients with high-risk localised prostate cancer: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To present an update of the available literature on external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) with or without brachytherapy (BT) compared to radical prostatectomy (RP) for patients with high-risk localised prostate cancer (PCa). Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature assessing the survival outcomes in patients with high-risk PCa who received EBRT with or without BT compared to RP as the first-line therapy with curative intent. We queried PubMed and Web of Science database in January 2021. Moreover, we used random or fixed-effects meta-analytical models in the presence or absence of heterogeneity per the I2 statistic, respectively. We performed six meta-analyses for overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Results: A total of 27 studies were selected with 23 studies being eligible for both OS and CSS. EBRT alone had a significantly worse OS and CSS compared to RP (hazard ratio [HR] 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-1.65; and HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.25-1.93). However, there was no difference in OS (HR 1.1, 95% CI 0.76-1.34) and CSS (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.45-1.06) between EBRT plus BT compared to RP. Conclusion: While cancer control affected by EBRT alone seems inferior to RP in patients with high-risk PCa, BT additive to EBRT was not different from RP. These data support the need for BT in addition to EBRT as part of multimodal RT for high-risk PCa.Abbreviations: ADT: androgen-deprivation therapy; BT: brachytherapy; CSS: cancer-specific survival; HR: hazard ratio; MFS, metastatic-free survival; MOOSE: Meta-analyses of Observational Studies in Epidemiology; OR: odds ratio; OS: overall survival; PCa: prostate cancer; RR: relative risk; RP: radical prostatectomy; RCT: randomised controlled trials; (EB)RT: (external beam) radiation therapy.