Codesigning a patient support portal with health professionals and men with prostate cancer: An action research study.

INTRODUCTION: The supportive care needs of men with prostate cancer (PCa) have been well documented, but little is known about how an online portal may address these. This study sought to determine priority issues facing men with PCa, barriers and enablers to accessing care and whether health professionals (HPs) and men would support the inclusion of a patient-reported outcome (PRO) comparator tool. METHODS: We conducted four online focus groups with HPs recruited from healthcare services in Victoria, followed by seven online codesign workshops with men with PCa, recruited through the Victorian Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry, Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia and the Cancer Council Victoria. Men were eligible to participate if they had lived experience of PCa and access to the internet. We analysed focus groups thematically. Workshops were analysed using descriptive-content analysis. RESULTS: HPs (n = 39) highlighted that men had shifting priorities over time, but noted the importance of providing information to men in lay terms to assist in treatment decision-making and side-effect management. HPs identified key enablers to men accessing support services such as practice nurses, partners and having men share their stories with each other. HPs raised financial, cultural, geographic and emotional barriers to accessing supportive care. Inclusion of a PRO comparator tool received mixed support from HPs, with 41% (n = 16) supportive, 49% (n = 19) unsure and 10% (n = 4) not supportive. Men involved in workshops (n = 28) identified informational needs to assist in treatment decision-making and side-effect management as the top priority throughout care. Men described support groups and practice nurses as key enablers. Short consultation times and complex information were described as barriers. Unlike HPs, all men supported the inclusion of a PRO comparator tool in a portal. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that a patient support portal should provide information in lay terms that address the shifting priorities of men with PCa. Men with PCa would welcome the development of a portal to centralize support information and a PRO comparator tool to prompt health-seeking behaviour. Future research will implement these findings in the development of a portal, and pilot and evaluate the portal within a population-based sample. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This project adopted a codesign approach including both men with PCa and HPs involved in PCa care. Men with PCa also formed part of the study's steering committee and consumer advisory groups. HPs were consulted in a serious of online focus groups. Subsequently, men with PCa and their support persons participated in workshops. Men with PCa were also involved in the preparation of this manuscript.

Can Confirmatory Biopsy be Omitted in Patients with Prostate Cancer Favorable Diagnostic Features on Active Surveillance?

PURPOSE: We evaluated whether initial diagnostic parameters could predict the confirmatory biopsy result in patients initiating active surveillance for prostate cancer, to determine whether some men at low risk for disease reclassification could be spared unnecessary biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cohort included 392 men with Gleason 6 prostate cancer on initial biopsy undergoing confirmatory biopsy. We used univariate and multivariable logistic regression to assess if high grade cancer (Gleason 7 or greater) on confirmatory biopsy could be predicted from initial diagnostic parameters (prostate specific antigen density, magnetic resonance imaging result, percent positive cores, percent cancer in positive cores and total tumor length). RESULTS: Median patient age was 62 years (IQR 56-66) and 47% of patients had a dominant or focal lesion on magnetic resonance imaging. Of the 392 patients 44 (11%) had high grade cancer on confirmatory biopsy, of whom 39 had Gleason 3+4, 1 had 4+3, 3 had Gleason 8 and 1 had Gleason 9 disease. All predictors were significantly associated with high grade cancer at confirmatory biopsy on univariate analysis. However, in the multivariable model only prostate specific antigen density and total tumor length were significantly associated (AUC 0.85). Using this model to select patients for confirmatory biopsy would generally provide a higher net benefit than performing confirmatory biopsy in all patients, across a wide range of threshold probabilities. CONCLUSIONS: If externally validated, a model based on initial diagnostic criteria could be used to avoid confirmatory biopsy in many patients initiating active surveillance.

Patients with medical risk factors for chronic kidney disease are at increased risk of renal impairment despite the use of nephron-sparing surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patients with normal preoperative renal function, but who possess medical risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD), experience poorer renal function after partial nephrectomy (PN) for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) compared with those without risk factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The effects of age, hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM) on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were investigated in 488 consecutive operations for RCC performed during 2005-2012 at six Australian tertiary referral centres; 156 patients underwent PN and 332 patients underwent radical nephrectomy (RN). We used chi-squared test and binary logistic regression to analyse new-onset CKD, and multiple linear regression to investigate determinants of postoperative eGFR. RESULTS: The development of new-onset eGFR of <60 mL/min was related to undergoing RN rather than PN (risk ratio [RR] 2.7, P < 0.001), older age (RR 1.6, P < 0.001) and the presence of HTN (RR 1.6, P = 0.001) and DM (RR 1.5, P = 0.003). Patients undergoing PN were still at risk of new-onset CKD if medical risk factors were present. Whereas 7% of patients undergoing PN without CKD risk factors developed new-onset eGFR <60 mL/min, this figure increased to 24%, 30% and 42% for older age, HTN and DM, respectively. Patients with eGFR of 45-59 mL/min were more likely to progress to more severe forms of CKD and end-stage renal failure than those with eGFR of ≥60 mL/min. On multivariate analysis, RN, rather than PN, age and the presence of DM (but not HTN), predicted both the development of new-onset eGFR of <60 mL/min (R(2) = 0.37) and new-onset eGFR <45 mL/min (R(2) = 0.42). CONCLUSION: Patients with medical risk factors for CKD are at increased risk of progressive renal impairment despite the use of PN. Where feasible, nephron-sparing surgery should be considered for these patients.

The dilemma of distance: patients with kidney cancer from regional Australia present at a more advanced stage.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patients from regional areas undergoing surgery for kidney cancer present with more advanced disease as a result of geographic isolation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 221 patients undergoing surgery for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) from January 2004 to June 2012, from both a metropolitan centre and a large inner regional hospital. Data was collected on age, gender, presentation (incidental or symptomatic), clinical stage and pathological features. The Australian Standard Geographical Classification-Remoteness Area (ASGC-RA) is a system developed to allow quantitative comparisons between metropolitan and rural Australia. A score was assigned to each patient based on their location of residence at the time of surgery: metropolitan, RA1; inner regional, RA2; outer regional, RA3. Statistical significance was specified as P < 0.05 on Pearson's chi-square tests. RESULTS: Patients in each ASGC-RA group did not differ significantly in age, sex or mode of presentation. Pathological T stage on presentation increased with increasing ASGC-RA and thus distance from tertiary centres (P = 0.004). The proportion of patients with ≥T3 disease rose from 30% of RA1 to 73% of RA3 patients (P = 0.016) treated at our tertiary centre. Similarly, our regional centre had a larger proportion of patients presenting with ≥T3 disease from RA3 (31% vs 5%, P = 0.003). When the 221 patients with RCC were analysed as a group, clinical T stage was significantly associated with ASGC-RA (P < 0.001), symptomatic presentation (P < 0.001), N stage (P < 0.001), M stage (P < 0.001) and Fuhrman grade (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data quantifies the detrimental effect of physical distance on the health outcomes of regional Australians with kidney cancer. Australia's unique geography and rural culture may preclude any attempts to centralise cancer care to specialised metropolitan units, as has occurred in other countries.

Anxiety in the management of localised prostate cancer by active surveillance.

OBJECTIVES: To describe a range of anxieties in men on active surveillance (AS) for prostate cancer and determine which of these anxieties predicted health-related quality of life (HRQL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: In all, 260 men with prostate cancer on AS were invited to complete psychological measures including the Hospital and Anxiety Depression Scale; the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait Scale; the Memorial Anxiety Scale for Prostate Cancer; and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale-Prostate. Overall, 86 men with a mean (sd, range) age of 65.7 (5.4, 51-75) years returned data, yielding a response rate of 33%. Outcome measures were standardised psychological measures. Pearson's correlations were used to examine bivariate relationships, while regression analyses were used to describe predictors of dependent variables. RESULTS: When compared with the findings of prior research, the men in our cohort had normal levels of general anxiety and illness-specific anxiety and high prostate cancer-related HRQL. Age, trait anxiety and fear of recurrence (FoR) were significant predictors of prostate cancer-related HRQL; trait anxiety and FoR were significant predictors of total HRQL. Results should be interpreted in context of sample characteristics and the correlational design of the study. CONCLUSIONS: Participants reported low levels of anxiety and high HRQL. Trait anxiety and FoR were significant predictors of both prostate cancer-related and total HRQL. The administration of a short trait-anxiety screening tool may help identify men with clinically significant levels of anxiety and those at risk of reduced HRQL.

Trends in the use of of nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) at an Australian tertiary referral centre: an analysis of surgical decision-making using the R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry scoring system.

UNLABELLED: Study Type--Therapy (case series). Level of Evidence 4. What's known on the subject? And what does the study add? Nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) is increasingly recognised as a preferred form of management for the incidentally detected small renal mass (SRM). Within the context of equivalent oncological outcomes, patients treated by NSS may have a survival advantage over those treated by radical nephrectomy (RN) through a reduced risk of chronic kidney disease and its associated cardiac morbidity. Despite this, according to Medicare data from the USA, a disproportionate number of patients with SRMs continue to be treated with RN instead of NSS. Similar data from Australia are not yet available. The present study explores the evolving management of SRMs at an Australian tertiary centre over a 5-year period. It utilises the R.E.N.A.L. Nephrometry Score to assess how lesion complexity has influenced surgical decision-making and charts the increasing use of NSS in the management of low-complexity renal masses at our centre. OBJECTIVE: • To examine recent trends in the use of nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) at our centre. Specifically, we sought to examine the process of surgical decision-making by applying the R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry scoring system to assess the complexity of lesions for which surgery was undertaken. PATIENTS AND METHODS: • We performed a retrospective review of renal masses treated by surgery from January 2005 to December 2009, including 79 RN and 70 NSS. • CT images were available for analysis in 50 patients within each group. • Lesions were scored on the basis of their complexity using the R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry scoring system developed by Kutikov and Uzzo. RESULTS: • There was no difference in age between patients undergoing RN and NSS (median age 61 vs 60 years). • RN was performed for significantly larger lesions (mean [sd] 68 [9] vs 29 [2] mm, P < 0.05) of predominantly moderate and high complexity (12% low, 56% moderate, 32% high). • NSS was primarily used for low-complexity lesions, but included four (8%) moderate-complexity lesions in the final 2 years of the study. • The use of NSS increased from 28.6% of cases in 2005 to 60.0% of cases in 2009, which mirrored the increase in the proportion of operations performed for low-complexity lesions (22.2% low-complexity in 2005 to 70.6% in 2009, P < 0.01 for trend). CONCLUSIONS: • The increasing use of NSS at our institution mirrored the increasing treatment of low-complexity renal lesions. • This may reflect an increased detection and referral of such lesions, or a shift towards treatment of lesions that in the past would have been under surveillance. • Practice at our centre reflects a shifting paradigm towards preferential use of NSS for the treatment of suitable renal masses.

The effect of oral anticoagulation on the prevalence and management of haematuria in a contemporary Australian patient cohort.

OBJECTIVE: • To examine the effect of oral anticoagulation (OA) on the prevalence and inpatient management of haematuria in a contemporary Australian patient cohort. PATIENTS AND METHODS: • Patients across all inpatient units who had diagnosis-related group (DRG) coding for haematuria were identified from April 2010 to September 2011. • A retrospective chart review was performed to identify the type of anticoagulation (if any), requirement for bladder irrigation or blood transfusion, length of stay (LOS) and cause of haematuria. • Patients for whom the anticoagulation status was uncertain were excluded from analysis. • Statistical significance was determined by Pearson's chi-square tests and Student's t-tests. RESULTS: • In all, 335 admissions with DRG coding for haematuria were identified from hospital records, of which 268 admissions had clear documentation of anticoagulation. There were 118 emergency admissions and 150 elective admissions for day case cystoscopy. The mean age of the patients was 66 years and the male:female ratio was 5:1. In all, 123 admissions were for patients on some form of anticoagulation (46%). • Patients were on anticoagulation in 53% of the 118 emergency admissions for gross haematuria. These comprised patients on aspirin (28%), clopidogrel (4%), warfarin (10%), combined aspirin and warfarin (1%) and combined aspirin and clopidogrel (10%). • The use of OA was a significant predictor of the need for intervention among the 118 emergency admissions (86% vs 62%, P = 0.003). • In particular, dual antiplatelet therapy in the form of aspirin and clopidogrel was associated with an increased requirement for bladder irrigation (92%) when compared with patients on other forms of anticoagulation (84%) or none at all (62%, P = 0.01). • The mean LOS for patients admitted to hospital with haematuria was 5.6 days. Patients on warfarin had a statistically significant longer LOS than the other groups (13.7 vs 4.5 days, P < 0.001). A cause for haematuria was identified in 120 of the 234 patients (51%). Of these, the most common was benign prostatic hyperplasia (21%), followed by bladder urothelial carcinoma (17%). CONCLUSION: • In our cohort of patients, about half of all admissions with haematuria were for patients on some form of OA. • OA use increased the need for intervention, especially for patients on dual antiplatelet therapy.

Renal lesions with low R.E.N.A.L nephrometry score are associated with more indolent renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) or benign histology: findings in an Australian cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the relationship of the R.E.N.A.L nephrometry score to histological features of renal lesions treated by surgical excision by radical nephrectomy (RN) or nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) at an Australian tertiary referral centre. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing surgery between 2005 and 2009 with imaging studies available were included. The R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score is an objective measure of factors important in determining suitability for NSS, e.g. size, exophytic nature, proximity to collecting system and polar location, and R.E.N.A.L scoring was done using the online template at http://www.nephrometry.com. Pathological details were collected by retrospective chart review. Comparisons were made using chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests and trends analysed by linear regression. RESULTS: The rate of benign pathology decreased from 12/58 (20.7%) low-complexity lesions to 1/16 (6.2%) high-complexity lesions (P= 0.09), renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) were stable between 45/58 (77.6%) and 13/16 (81.2%), but other malignancies increased (P= 0.058) from 1/58 (1.7%) to 2/16 (12.5%). Among the RCCs, high vs low R.E.N.A.L score was associated with an increasing risk of clear cell histology (84.6% vs 64.4%, P < 0.05), stage ≥ pT3 (76.9% vs 8.9%, P < 0.001) and grade 4 tumours (15.4% vs 2.2%, P < 0.05), and conversely with a lower risk of papillary histology (0% vs 24.4%, P < 0.02) and stage T1a (0% vs 84.4%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing R.E.N.A.L score is associated with histological features of tumour aggressiveness, thus reinforcing the need for RN for lesions with a high score, and conversely the safety of NSS or observation for lesions with a low score.

The effect of hypertension and diabetes on the degree of renal function deterioration after unilateral nephrectomy.

OBJECTIVE: • To quantify the effect of hypertension and diabetes - which have been identified as both initiating and progressing factors in chronic kidney disease (CKD), as well as predictors of long-term renal impairment in patients undergoing nephrectomy - on renal function after unilateral nephrectomy for malignancy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: • A retrospective analysis was carried out of 80 unilateral nephrectomies performed at the Wagga Wagga Base Hospital, Calvary Private Hospital and Austin Hospital from January 2007 to December 2009. • Prognostic variables were patient age, sex and the presence of hypertension or diabetes. • The percentage reduction in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) after nephrectomy was measured and compared between variables using a two-sample Student's t-test. RESULTS: • All patients who had diabetes also had hypertension. • Of the 80 patients, 22 (27.5%) fulfilled the criteria for CKD with a preoperative GFR < 60 mL/min. • Patients with hypertension and diabetes had a significantly greater percentage reduction in postoperative GFR (36 ± 2%) than those who had neither risk factor (23 ± 2%, P < 0.003). A similar finding was observed for patients with hypertension alone (32 ± 1%, P < 0.009). • The difference in postoperative GFR reduction between diabetics and those with hypertension alone was not statistically significant (P= 0.205). • The differential reduction in GFR in patients with CKD risk factors persisted at 3-12 months follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: • An increased percentage reduction in GFR is seen in patients with hypertension and diabetes undergoing unilateral nephrectomy for malignancy. • These data could be used to identify those patients who would benefit from early referral and subsequent intervention to delay the progression of CKD, as well as those for whom nephron-sparing surgery might be a more appropriate surgical option.

Clinical Outcomes of Patients With T1 Nested Variant of Urothelial Carcinoma Compared to Pure Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder.

PURPOSE: Evaluate oncologic outcomes of patients with cT1 nested variant (NV) of urothelial carcinoma (UC) and compare with cases of pure UC of the bladder. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively identified 30 patients with NV who, between 1997 and 2012, underwent transurethral resection with T1 tumor stage, followed by restaging transurethral resection within 3 months confirming non-muscle-invasive disease. Radical cystectomy within 3 months of restaging transurethral resection was considered "early" treatment. We matched 3 patients with pure UC to each nested patient. RESULTS: Median follow-up for survivors was 4.3 years from T1-staged transurethral resection. Patients with NV had no statistically significant difference in metastasis-free survival (P = .2) and cancer-specific survival (P = .2) compared with patients with pure UC. However, it is concerning that the rate of upstaging to bladder and/or lymph nodes was 54% in patients with NV who underwent early radical cystectomy, even after rigorous restaging. CONCLUSIONS: Although NV UC may be diagnosed at a higher stage, when stage matched we have not seen any statistical evidence that it is more aggressive than typical UC. Because patients with NV UC who are cT1 on restaging transurethral resection appear to have a higher propensity to develop nodal metastatic disease and a higher rate of upstaging, patients with cT1 NV UC on restaging biopsy may benefit from "early" radical cystectomy, whereas patients with 

Significant impact of transperineal template biopsy of the prostate at a single tertiary institution.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to review the impact of transperineal biopsy (TPB) at our institution by assessing rates of cancer detection/grading, treatment outcomes and complications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of TPBs between 2009 and 2013 was performed. Variables included reason for TPB, age, prostate-specific antigen, previous histology, TPB histology, and management outcomes. RESULTS: In total, 110 patients underwent 111 TPBs at our institution. On average, 22 cores were taken from each procedure. Disease-upgrade occurred in 37.5% of active surveillance patients, 35% of patients with previous negative transrectal ultrasound, and 58.8% in patients undergoing TPB for other reasons. Of these patients, anterior and/or transition zones were involved in 66%, 79%, and 80%, respectively. Involvement in anterior and/or transition zones only occurred in 40%, 37%, and 10%, respectively. About 77% of patients with disease-upgrading underwent treatment with curative intent. Complications included a 6.3% rate of acute urinary retention and 2.7% of clot retention, with no episodes of urosepsis. CONCLUSIONS: Transperineal biopsy at our institution showed a high rate of disease-upgrading, with a large proportion involving anterior and transition zones. A significant amount of patients went on to receive curative treatment. TPB is a valuable diagnostic procedure with minimal risk of developing urosepsis. We believe TBP should be offered as an option for all repeat prostate biopsies and considered as an option for initial prostate biopsy.

Fragmentation of transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy cores is influenced by the method of specimen retrieval.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the method of specimen preparation after transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy of the prostate affected core fragmentation, and secondly to determine whether such fragmentation was influenced by the presence of malignancy in the biopsy specimen. METHODS: A prospective randomized study comparing 2 different mechanisms of specimen preparation, wash vs swipe of biopsy cores, with blinded assessment by a specific uropathologist was undertaken. RESULTS: For those cores in which prostate cancer was present, the wash method of specimen preparation resulted in fewer and longer core fragments (P = .005). Those patients in whom cancer was present on biopsy also had a greater degree of biopsy core fragmentation in those cores in which only benign tissue was identified (P = .017). Gleason score did not appear to influence the extent of fragmentation. CONCLUSION: The method of specimen preparation at prostate biopsy influences the degree of fragmentation seen at histologic evaluation. This has the potential to affect the interpretation of biopsy results, including suitability of patients for inclusion in active surveillance protocols. Core fragmentation might be minimized by modification of technique.