Clinical value of minimum apparent diffusion coefficient for prediction of clinically significant prostate cancer in the transition zone.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the association between apparent diffusion coefficients in Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System 4/5 lesions and clinically significant prostate cancer in the transition zone. METHODS: We included 102 patients who underwent transperineal cognitive fusion targeted biopsy for Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System 4/5 lesions in the transition zone between 2016 and 2020. The association between apparent diffusion coefficients and prostate cancers in the transition zone was analyzed. RESULTS: The detection rate of prostate cancer was 49% (50/102), including clinically significant prostate cancer in 37.3% (38/102) of patients. The minimum apparent diffusion coefficients in patients with clinically significant prostate cancer were 494.5 ± 133.6 µm2/s, which was significantly lower than 653.8 ± 172.5 µm2/s in patients with benign histology or clinically insignificant prostate cancer. Age, prostate volume, transition zone volume, and mean and minimum apparent diffusion coefficients were associated with clinically significant prostate cancer. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that only the minimum apparent diffusion coefficient value (odds ratio: 0.994; p < 0.001) was an independent predictor of clinically significant prostate cancer. When the cutoff value of the minimum apparent diffusion coefficient was less than 595 µm2/s, indicating the presence of prostate cancer in the transition zone, the detection rate increased to 59.2% (29/49) in this cohort. CONCLUSION: The minimum apparent diffusion coefficient provided additional value to indicate the presence of clinically significant prostate cancer in the transition zone. It may help consider the need for subsequent biopsies in patients with Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System 4/5 lesions and an initial negative targeted biopsy.

Prediction of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer recurrence using machine learning of quantitative nuclear features.

Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) generally has a good prognosis; however, recurrence after transurethral resection (TUR), the standard primary treatment, is a major problem. Clinical management after TUR has been based on risk classification using clinicopathological factors, but these classifications are not complete. In this study, we attempted to predict early recurrence of NMIBC based on machine learning of quantitative morphological features. In general, structural, cellular, and nuclear atypia are evaluated to determine cancer atypia. However, since it is difficult to accurately quantify structural atypia from TUR specimens, in this study, we used only nuclear atypia and analyzed it using feature extraction followed by classification using Support Vector Machine and Random Forest machine learning algorithms. For the analysis, 125 patients diagnosed with NMIBC were used; data from 95 patients were randomly selected for the training set, and data from 30 patients were randomly selected for the test set. The results showed that the support vector machine-based model predicted recurrence within 2 years after TUR with a probability of 90% and the random forest-based model with probability of 86.7%. In the future, the system can be used to objectively predict NMIBC recurrence after TUR.

Distinct effect of body mass index by sex as a prognostic factor in localized renal cell carcinoma treated with nephrectomy ~ data from a multi-institutional study in Japan ~.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the prognostic value of body mass index (BMI) in Asian patients with localized RCC who underwent nephrectomy. METHODS: A total of 665 patients who underwent nephrectomy for localized RCC were enrolled in the present study and divided into the two BMI groups: i.e., BMI < 25 in 463 (69.6%) and BMI > 25 in 202 (30.4%) patients. RESULTS: In total, there were 482 (72.5%) males and 183 (27.5%) females. Five-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) rates were significantly higher in increased BMI than the lower BMI group (97.1 and 92.5%: P = 0.007). When stratified by sex, significantly longer CSS in higher BMI was confirmed in males (5-year CSS of 92.7% in BMI < 25 and 98.1% in BMI > 25, p = 0.005), while there was no difference in CSS between BMI groups for female patients. Multivariable analysis exhibited that higher BMI was an independent predictor for favorable CSS in male (cox model: p = 0.041, Fine & Gray regression model: p = 0.014), but not in the female. Subgroup analysis for CSS revealed that favorable CSS with higher BMI was observed in patient subgroups of age < 65 (p = 0.019), clear cell histology (p = 0.018), and tumor size > 4 cm, p = 0.020) as well as male (p = 0.020). CONCLUSION: Our findings collected from the multi-institutional Japanese dataset demonstrated longer survival in patients with higher BMI than lower BMI for non-metastatic RCC treated with nephrectomy. Intriguingly, this finding was restricted to males, but not to females.

Adjuvant chemotherapy improves overall survival in patients with localized upper tract urothelial carcinoma harboring pathologic vascular invasion: a propensity score-matched analysis of multi-institutional cohort.

OBJECTIVE: Whether adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) for patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) offers survival benefit is still controversial. To explore the impact of AC on overall survival (OS) of cN0M0 UTUC patients, we conducted a propensity score-matched analysis using the regression model, including pathologic features such as lymphatic and vascular invasion. METHODS: A multi-institutional cohort of 413 UTUC patient record was used. Propensity score matching was performed to reduce bias by potential confounding factors for survival, including pathologic features from the specimen of radical nephroureterectomy (RNU), RESULTS: Ninety-eight patients were identified as pair-matched groups (49 patients in RNU and 49 patients in RNU + AC). Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated that a 5-year OS rate of 72.7% for patients treated with RNU + AC was significantly higher than 51.6% for those treated with RNU (p = 0.0156). On multivariate analysis, pathologic vascular invasion (HR 3.41, 95% CI 1.24-10.66, p = 0.0166) and administration of AC (HR 0.45, 95% CI 0.19-0.98, p = 0.0438) still remained as the significant predictors for OS. In patients with pathologic vascular invasion (51 of 98 patients), a significantly longer OS in RNU + AC groups was observed (median OS of 30 and 70 months in RNU and RNU + AC groups, respectively: p = 0.0432), whereas there was no significant difference in the OS between RNU (median OS: not reached) and RNU + AC (median OS: not reached) groups in patients without the invasion (p = 0.4549). CONCLUSION: The result indicates a significant benefit for OS by the administration of AC, and pathologic vascular invasion in the specimen of RNU could help the patient selection to better predict the effect of AC.

Predicting factors for progression to castration resistance prostate cancer after biochemical recurrence in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer who underwent radical prostatectomy.

BACKGROUND: To determine prognostic factors associated with progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer following biochemical recurrence which is lethal prostate cancer and establish a risk stratification model of progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 550 patients who experienced biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy. The endpoint of the present study was progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer. The actuarial probabilities of progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer-free survival were determined using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors of biochemical recurrence. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients experienced progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer during the follow-up period. The progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer-free survival rate after biochemical recurrence at 10 years was 76.8%. In multivariate analysis, pathological Gleason score ≥ 9, lymphovascular invasion, and prostate-specific antigen velocity ≥ 0.4 ng/mL/year were independent predictive factors for progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer. The patients were stratified into three groups using a risk stratification model incorporating these variables. The 10-year progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer-free survival rates were 96.7% in the low-risk group, 84.7% in the intermediate-risk group, and 24.5% in the high-risk group. CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest that the pathological Gleason score, lymphovascular invasion, and prostate-specific antigen velocity were independent predictive factors for progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer. The risk stratification model established in the present study could be useful for patient counseling and in identifying patients with a poor prognosis.

The significance of micro-lymphatic invasion and pathological Gleason score in prostate cancer patients with pathologically organ-confined disease and negative surgical margins after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

BACKGROUND: The development process of recurrence in prostate cancer patients with pathologically organ-confined (pT2) disease and negative surgical margins is unclear. The aim of the present study was to determine factors associated with the development of biochemical recurrence following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy among those prostate cancer patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy without neoadjuvant endocrine therapy. We evaluated prognostic factors in 1096 prostate cancer patients with pT2 disease and negative surgical margins. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors for biochemical recurrence. RESULTS: Of the 1096 patients, 55 experienced biochemical recurrence during the follow-up period. The 5-year biochemical recurrence-free survival rate for patients with pT2 and negative surgical margins was 91.8%. On univariate analysis, clinical stage, biopsy Gleason score, percent of positive core, pathological Gleason score, and the presence of micro-lymphatic invasion were significantly associated with biochemical recurrence. On a multivariate analysis, the presence of micro-lymphatic invasion and a pathological Gleason score ≥ 4 + 3 were significant prognostic factors for biochemical recurrence. Based on these factors, we developed a risk stratification model. The biochemical recurrence-free survival rate differed significantly among the risk groups. CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis of prostate cancer patients with pT2 disease and negative surgical margins is favorable. However, patients with the presence of micro-lymphatic invasion and a pathological Gleason score ≥ 4 + 3 tend to experience biochemical recurrence more often after surgery. Therefore, careful follow-up might be necessary for those patients.

The CANLPH Score, an Integrative Model of Systemic Inflammation and Nutrition Status (SINS), Predicts Clinical Outcomes After Surgery in Renal Cell Carcinoma: Data From a Multicenter Cohort in Japan.

BACKGROUND: A myriad of studies have demonstrated the clinical association of systemic inflammatory and nutrition status (SINS) including C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR), the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and the platelet/hemoglobin ratio (PHR). This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of the score integrating these variables (CANLPH) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS: Using cohort data from a multi-institutional study, 757 of 1109 patients were retrospectively analyzed. The optimal cutoff value for outcome prediction of continuous variables in CAR, NLR, and PHR was determined and the CANLPH score was then calculated as the sum score of 0 or 1 by the cutoff value in each ratio. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 76 months for the patients who survived (n = 585) and 31 months for those who died (n = 172). The Youden Index offered an optimal cutoff of 1.5 for CAR and 2.8 for NLR, and a higher value from the cutoff was assigned as a score of 1. The cutoff value of the PHR was defined as 2.1 for males and 2.3 for females. The patients were assigned a CANLPH score of 0 (47.2%), 1 (31.3%), 2 (13.1%), or 3 (8.5%). In the multivariate analysis, the CANLPH score served as an independent predictor of cancer-specific mortality in both localized and metastatic RCC. CONCLUSION: The score was well-correlated with clinical outcome for the RCC patients. Because this score can be concisely measured at the point of diagnosis, physicians may be encouraged to incorporate this model into the treatment for RCC.

Prognostic significance of the presence of tertiary Gleason grade 5 in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy specimens in Japanese patients with clinically localized prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to study the prognostic significance of tertiary Gleason grade (TGG) 5 in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer treated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). METHODS: A total of 600 Japanese patients who underwent RARP for clinical stage T1-3N0M0 prostate cancer were evaluated. TGG5 was evaluated according to the International Society of Urological Pathology criterion. Cox hazard regression was used to evaluate the prognostic significance of prostate-specific antigen and pathological features in RARP specimens. RESULTS: Of the 600 RARP specimens, 92 (15%) had TGG5. TGG5 component was found in 30 (10%) of 287 cases with Gleason score (GS) 3 + 4, 55 (37%) of 149 cases with GS 4 + 3 and 7 (17%) of 40 cases with GS 4 + 4. There were no significant differences in pathological stage and surgical margin status between GS 3 + 4 with and without TGG5, as well as between GS 4 + 4 with and without TGG5. Of the 600 patients, 92 (15%) patients had biochemical recurrence (BCR) after surgery, with a median follow-up period of 42 (3-104) months. There were no differences in 5-year BCR-free survival rates between patients with GS 3 + 4 with and without TGG5 (92 vs. 100%, P = 0.16), as well as between patients with GS 4 + 3 with and without TGG5 (79 vs. 71%, P = 0.30). Similarly, there were no differences in 3-year BCRFS rates between patients with GS 4 + 4 with and without TGG5 (80 vs. 71%, P = 0.38). CONCLUSIONS: In our population, the presence of TGG5 in RARP specimens had no strong impact on pathological and prognostic outcomes.

Salvage radiation therapy for prostate cancer patients after prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify risk factors to predict a biochemical recurrence (BCR) in patients treated with salvage radiation therapy (SRT) after radical prostatectomy (RP). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 122 Japanese patients who received SRT for BCR after RP. Using uni- and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models, we identified the predictive factors of BCR after SRT. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 61.3 months, 45.9% of the patients showed BCR after SRT, with 61.5 and 41.8% of non-BCR rates at the second and fifth years. Univariate proportional hazards analysis demonstrated that extraprostatic disease (P = 0.029), seminal vesicle invasion (P = 0.005), microvascular invasion (P = 0.001), postoperative Gleason score (P = 0.008) and pre-SRT prostate-specific antigen (PSA) (P = 0.005) were significantly associated with BCR after SRT. However, only the presence of microvascular invasion and a higher pre-SRT PSA were significant predictors in the multivariate analysis. The non-BCR rate in the second year after SRT for 15 patients with microvascular invasion and pre-SRT PSA > 1.2 ng/ml was only 21% compared to 72.5% of 72 patients with negative microvascular invasion and a pre-SRT PSA of <1.2 ng/ml (P = 0.000031). CONCLUSIONS: While SRT is the most important secondary treatment option for patients with BCR after RP, the effectiveness of SRT may not be uniform. The combination of risk factors such as microvascular invasion in RP specimens and pre-SRT PSA may provide a better way to stratify the risk of BCR after SRT.

Prostate-specific antigen screening impacts on biochemical recurrence in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the impact of prostate-specific antigen screening on surgical outcomes of prostate cancer. METHODS: Patients who underwent radical prostatectomy were divided into two groups according to prostate-specific antigen testing opportunity (group 1, prostate-specific antigen screening; group 2, non-prostate-specific antigen screening). Perioperative clinical characteristics were compared using the Wilcoxon rank-sum and χ2 -tests. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify independent predictors of postoperative biochemical recurrence-free survival. RESULTS: In total, 798 patients (63.2%) and 464 patients (36.8%) were categorized into groups 1 and 2, respectively. Group 2 patients were more likely to have a higher prostate-specific antigen level and age at diagnosis and larger prostate volume. Clinical T stage, percentage of positive cores and pathological Gleason score did not differ between the groups. The 5-year biochemical recurrence-free survival rate was 83.9% for group 1 and 71.0% for group 2 (P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, prostate-specific antigen testing opportunity (hazard ratio 2.530; P < 0.001) was an independent predictive factor for biochemical recurrence after surgery, as well as pathological T stage, pathological Gleason score, positive surgical margin and lymphovascular invasion. Additional analyses showed that prostate-specific antigen screening had a greater impact on biochemical recurrence in a younger patients, patients with a high prostate-specific antigen level, large prostate volume and D'Amico high risk, and patients meeting the exclusion criteria of the Prostate Cancer Research International Active Surveillance study. CONCLUSIONS: Detection by screening results in favorable outcomes after surgery. Prostate-specific antigen screening might contribute to reducing biochemical recurrence in patients with localized prostate cancer.

No clinical significance of the time interval between biopsy and robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy for patients with clinically localized prostate cancer on biochemical recurrence: a propensity score matching analysis.

PURPOSE: To investigate the impact of the time interval (TI) between prostate biopsy and robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) on the risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 793 consecutive patients who were treated with RARP at our institution. Patients were divided into three groups, according to TI, to compare BCR-free survival (BCRFS) rates: Group 1 (n = 196), TI < 3 months; Group 2 (n = 513), 3 ≤ TI < 6 months; Group 3 (n = 84), TI ≥ 6 months. Eighty-three patients with TI ≥ 6 months were matched with an equal number of patients with TI < 6 months based on propensity scores by using four preoperative factors: prostate-specific antigen (PSA), primary (pGS) and secondary (sGS) Gleason score and positive prostate biopsy. RESULTS: The 5-year BCRFS rates for TI Groups 1, 2, and 3 were 76%, 80.7% and 82.6% (P = 0.99), respectively. The multivariate analysis revealed that PSA, pGS, sGS and a positive prostate biopsy were independent preoperative risk factors for BCR. The propensity adjusted 5-year BCRFS for patients with TI ≥ 6 months was 84.0%. This was not worse than that of patients with TI < 6 months (71.0%, P = 0.18). CONCLUSIONS: In our cohorts, a delay in the time from biopsy to RARP did not significantly affect recurrence. Therefore, hasty treatment decisions are unnecessary for at least 6 months after diagnosis of early prostate cancer.

Prognostic value of preoperative pyuria in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prognostic value of preoperative pyuria in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data from 237 patients diagnosed with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Pyuria was defined as urine containing ≥5 white blood cells per high power field. The association between clinicopathological factors and recurrence was assessed by Cox univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Preoperative pyuria was found in 116 (49.0%) patients. Pyuria was significantly associated with advanced age, positive cytology, multiple tumors, large tumor size, non-papillary tumors, T1 tumors and high-grade tumors. In univariate analysis of the entire patient population, pyuria, positive urine cytology, multiple tumors, pT1 tumors and no bacillus Calmette-Guérin were significantly associated with recurrence. Multivariate analysis showed that pyuria was an independent predictor of recurrence (hazard ratio 3.332, 95% confidence interval 2.052-5.410; P < 0.001), along with positive urine cytology, multiple tumors and no bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy. Subanalysis of the patients who underwent bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy also showed that pyuria was an independent predictor of recurrence (hazard ratio 2.062, 95% confidence interval 1.085-3.918, P = 0.027). The 2-year recurrence-free survival rate for patients with pyuria was significantly lower than for patients without pyuria (65.5% vs 80.7%; P = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative pyuria seems to be significantly associated with recurrence in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, and it might be a useful predictor for recurrence after bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy.

Factors predicting incisional surgical site infection in patients undergoing open radical cystectomy for bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: The risk factors of incisional surgical site infection (iSSI) after open radical cystectomy (ORC) have not been fully investigated. The aim of the present study is to examine factors correlated with iSSI development after ORC with intestinal urinary diversion. METHODS: A total of 178 patients who had undergone ORC with intestinal urinary diversion between 2003 and 2012 at our institution were included in this retrospective study. Correlations between different perioperative factors and iSSI development were determined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: iSSI was observed in 53 patients (29.8 %). In the univariate analysis, age, diabetes mellitus, thickness of subcutaneous fat (TSF), and allogeneic transfusion were significant predictors of iSSI development. Although subcutaneous closed-suction drainage (SCSD) was not a significant factor in univariate analysis, SCSD, age, and TSF were all finally identified as independent predictors of iSSI development (P = 0.020, P < 0.001, and P = 0.022, respectively). Further analyses demonstrated that SCSD was frequently used in patients with relatively thick subcutaneous fat tissue and that SCSD significantly decreased iSSI development in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Advanced patient age, thick subcutaneous fat tissue, and the absence of SCSD were significantly associated with iSSI development in bladder cancer patients who underwent ORC with intestinal urinary diversion. SCSD may be a useful procedure for iSSI prevention, especially in patients with relatively thick subcutaneous fat tissue.

Comparison of Postoperative Stress Urinary Incontinence between Anteroposterior Dissection and Modified Gilling Method in Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate.

PURPOSE: Few studies have evaluated the usefulness of anteroposterior dissection holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP). Thus, this study investigated the incidence of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) after HoLEP and usefulness of anteroposterior dissection HoLEP in preventing postoperative SUI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 288 patients who underwent HoLEP performed by a single experienced surgeon between May 2014 and September 2021 were enrolled. Furthermore, 134 patients underwent retrograde dissection using the modified Gilling method (surgery 1) and 154 patients underwent anteroposterior dissection HoLEP (surgery 2). The risk factors for SUI, as well as the rates of SUI improvement for the two surgical procedures, were evaluated. RESULTS: Postoperative SUI was observed in 58 (20.1%) of 288 patients, of whom, 48 (82.8%) recovered continence within 6 months. Ten patients (17.2%) required more than 6 months to recover continence. SUI incidence 1 month after HoLEP was 29.9% (40/134 patients) for surgery 1 and 11.7% (18/154 patients) for surgery 2; a statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups (odds ratio [OR], 0.311; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.168-0.575; p < 0.001). In addition, surgery 2 was significantly associated with early recovery from SUI compared with surgery 1 (stratified hazard ratio, 0.782; 95% CI, 0.615------0.995; p < 0.001). The multivariable analysis demonstrated that only surgical procedure (OR, 0.350; 95%CI, 0.168-0.732; p=0.005) was an independent predictor of SUI.- Conclusion: We reaffirmed that anteroposterior dissection HoLEP is a useful procedure for reducing the risk of postoperative SUI and early recovery of urinary continence.

Significance of the cribriform morphology area ratio for biochemical recurrence in Gleason score 4 + 4 prostate cancer patients following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

BACKGROUND: In prostate cancer, histological cribriform patterns are categorized as Gleason pattern 4, and recent studies have indicated that their size and percentage are associated with the risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR). However, these studies included a mixture of cases with various Gleason scores (GSs). We therefore examined the prognostic value of the area and percentage of cribriform patterns in patients with GS 4 + 4 prostate cancer. METHODS: We investigated 108 patients with GS 4 + 4 prostate cancer who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). After digitally scanning the hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides, we measured the area of the entire cancer and cribriform patterns. Predictive factors for BCR were explored using log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard model analyses. RESULTS: Sixty-seven (62.0%) patients had a cribriform pattern in RARP specimens, and 32 (29.6%) experienced BCR. The median total cancer area, cribriform pattern area, and percentage of cribriform pattern area (% cribriform) were 427.70 mm2 (interquartile range [IQR], 171.65-688.53 mm2 ), 8.85 mm2 (IQR, 0-98.83 mm2 ), and 2.44% (IQR, 0%-33.70%), respectively. Univariate analyses showed that higher preoperative serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, positive resection margins, advanced pathological T stage, extraprostatic extension, larger total cancer area, larger cribriform morphology area, and higher % cribriform values were significantly associated with BCR. A multivariate analysis demonstrated that the PSA level (hazard ratio [HR], 1.061; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.011-1.113; p = 0.017) and % cribriform (HR, 1.018; 95% CI, 1.005-1.031; p = 0.005) were independent predictors of BCR. CONCLUSIONS: An increased % cribriform value was associated with BCR in patients with GS 4 + 4 prostate cancer following RARP.

Recurrence prediction in clear cell renal cell carcinoma using machine learning of quantitative nuclear features.

The recurrence of non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) may occur early or late after surgery. This study aimed to develop a recurrence prediction machine learning model based on quantitative nuclear morphologic features of clear cell RCC (ccRCC). We investigated 131 ccRCC patients who underwent nephrectomy (T1-3N0M0). Forty had recurrence within 5 years and 22 between 5 and 10 years; thirty-seven were recurrence-free during 5-10 years and 32 were for more than 10 years. We extracted nuclear features from regions of interest (ROIs) using a digital pathology technique and used them to train 5- and 10-year Support Vector Machine models for recurrence prediction. The models predicted recurrence at 5/10 years after surgery with accuracies of 86.4%/74.1% for each ROI and 100%/100% for each case, respectively. By combining the two models, the accuracy of the recurrence prediction within 5 years was 100%. However, recurrence between 5 and 10 years was correctly predicted for only 5 of the 12 test cases. The machine learning models showed good accuracy for recurrence prediction within 5 years after surgery and may be useful for the design of follow-up protocols and patient selection for adjuvant therapy.

Robotic versus open radical cystectomy: prospective comparison of perioperative and pathologic outcomes in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: In Japan, no study has compared the perioperative outcomes observed between robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) and open radical cystectomy (ORC). This study aimed at a prospective comparison of the perioperative outcomes between RARC and ORC performed by a single surgeon. METHODS: Between 2008 and 2011, 26 bladder cancer patients underwent radical cystectomy by one surgeon, 11 robotically and 15 by open procedure. We prospectively collected perioperative and pathological data for these 26 patients, and retrospectively compared these two different surgical procedures. RESULTS: The RARC cohort had a significant decrease in both estimated blood loss (656.9 vs. 1788.7 ml, P=0.0015) and allogeneic transfusion requirement (0 vs. 40%, P=0.0237). The total operative time was almost the same (P=0.2306) but increased duration of bladder removal and lymphadenectomy was observed in the RARC cohort (P=0.0049). Surgery-related complication rates within 30 days were not significantly different (P=0.4185). Positive surgical margin was observed in three patients in the ORC cohort and in one patient in the RARC cohort (P=0.4664). The RARC cohort had a larger number of removed lymph nodes than the ORC cohort, and the difference was statistically significant (20.7 vs. 13.8, P=0.0421). CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed that RARC is safe and yields acceptable outcomes in comparison with ORC for the treatment of bladder cancer if it is performed by a surgeon who has experience of over 60 cases of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. It is hoped that RARC will gain acceptance in Japan as a minimally invasive surgery for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Prostate-specific antigen nomogram to predict advanced prostate cancer using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve boosting.

BACKGROUND: For prostate cancer, accurate prediction of the pathological stage before surgery is very important. Therefore, the aim of the present study was establishing the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) threshold nomogram to predict pathologically advanced prostate cancer using the novel method of area under the receiver operating characteristic curve boosting (AUCBoost). METHODS: The medical records of patients with clinically localized prostate cancer who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy were retrospectively reviewed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify clinical covariates significantly associated with pathological tumor stage ≥3a. The best combination of the variables was determined by validated values of the area under the curve (AUC). The optimal individualized PSA threshold values were developed using AUCBoost. RESULTS: In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, PSA, prostate volume, clinical tumor stage, Gleason Grade Group, the number of positive cores, and the percentage of positive cores were independent predictive factors for pathological tumor stage ≥3a. A combination model comprising PSA, prostate volume, clinical tumor stage, percent positive core, and Gleason Grade Group produced the highest AUC for predicting pathological tumor stage ≥3a (AUC = 0.777). The PSA threshold values for detecting pathological tumor stage ≥3a were calculated and a table of individualized PSA threshold nomogram was developed using AUCBoost. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a nomogram of the PSA threshold values for predicting adverse pathological tumor stages of prostate cancer using a novel statistical method. Further validation is necessary; however, the individualized PSA threshold nomogram may be useful in determining treatment strategies before surgery.

The efficacy and safety of gemcitabine plus cisplatin regimen for patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma after failure of M-VAC regimen.

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to study the efficacy and safety of combination chemotherapy with gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GC) for patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC) after failure of methotrexate, vinblastin, adriamycin, and cisplatin (M-VAC) chemotherapy. METHODS: We studied a total of 33 patients with advanced UC. All patients were treated with M-VAC with a mean of 3.2 courses per patient and had showed disease progression or no response. Clinical and pathological features were correlated to survival rates, and the incidence and degree of toxicities were also retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 132 courses of GC with a mean of 4.0 courses per patients were undergone. Two (6.0%) complete responses and 11 (33.3%) partial responses produced an overall response rate of 39.4%. In 55 assessable lesions, there were 2 (4%) complete responses, 13 (23%) partial responses, 31 (55%) with stable disease, and 10 (18%) with progressive disease. Overall, mean of survival time after GC chemotherapy was 10.5 months (range, 3.0-22.9 months). In univariate analysis, the patients with higher serum hemoglobin or single metastasis or no liver metastasis tended to survive longer than those with lower hemoglobin or multiple metastases or existence of liver metastasis. Although grade 3-4 neutropenia was seen in 22 patients (66.7%) and grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia was seen in 10 patients (30.3%), fatal side effects were not observed. CONCLUSIONS: The combination chemotherapy with GC seems feasible with no severe side effects and may provide a survival benefit for patients with advanced UC after failure of M-VAC chemotherapy.

Development and internal validation of a nomogram predicting extracapsular extension in radical prostatectomy specimens.

OBJECTIVES: To present a nomogram predicting the side-specific probability of extracapsular extension (ECE) in radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens. METHODS: Three hundred and fifty-four patients with T1c-T3a prostate cancer undergoing RP were included in the analysis. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was carried out to evaluate the predictive values of each clinical and pathological factor, separately and in combination. Based on logistic regression analysis, a nomogram predicting the side-specific probability of ECE was developed. RESULTS: Overall, 146 (40%) of 354 patients and 165 (23%) of 708 lobes had ECE pathologically. The areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of the standard features, such as serum PSA, clinical stage and biopsy Gleason sum on each side, in predicting side-specific probability of ECE were 0.624, 0.627, and 0.747, respectively. When these three features were combined, AUC increased to 0.773 which was not significantly different from 0.791 of maximum percent of cancer alone (P = 0.613) and significantly enhanced by including maximum percent of cancer on each side, 0.799 (P = 0.022). The resulting nomogram was internally validated and had excellent calibration. CONCLUSIONS: The accuracy in predicting ECE is increased by combining standard clinical factors (clinical stage, serum PSA, highest Gleason score) and biopsy features, such as maximum percent of cancer in the cores. The developed nomogram is helpful when deciding whether or not neurovascular bundles can be preserved.