Preoperative Age and Its Impact on Long-Term Renal Functional Decline after Robotic-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy: Insights from a Tertiary Referral Center.

Background and Objectives: to investigate the impact of age on renal function deterioration after robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) focusing on a decline to moderate and severe forms of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Materials and Methods: This is a single center prospective analysis of patients who underwent RAPN. The outcomes include the development of de novo CKD-S 3a [estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2)] and de novo CKD-S 3b (eGFR < 45 mL/min/1.73/m2). Multivariable analysis (MVA) via Cox regression identified predictors for CKD-S 3a/b. Kaplan -Meier Analyses (KMA) were fitted for survival assessment. Multivariable linear regression was utilized to identify the predictors of last-eGFR. Results: Overall, 258 patients were analyzed [low age (<50) n = 40 (15.5%); intermediate age (50-70) n = 164 (63.5%); high age (>70) n = 54 (20.9%)] with a median follow-up of 31 (IQR 20-42) months. MVA revealed an increasing RENAL score [Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.32, p = 0.009], age 50-70 (HR 6.21, p = 0.01), age ≥ 70 (HR 10.81, p = 0.001), increasing BMI (HR 1.11, p < 0.001) and preoperative CKD 2 (HR 2.43, p = 0.014) are independent risk factors associated with an increased risk of CKD-S 3a; conversely, post-surgical acute kidney injury was not (p = 0.83). MVA for CKD-S 3b revealed an increasing RENAL score (HR 1.51, p = 0.013) and age ≥ 70 (HR 2.73, p = 0.046) are associated with an increased risk of CKD-S 3b. Linear regression analysis revealed increasing age (Coeff. -0.76, p < 0.001), increasing tumor size (Coeff. -0.31, p = 0.03), and increasing BMI (Coeff. -0.64, p = 0.004) are associated with decreasing eGFR at last follow-up. We compare the survival distribution of our cohort stratified by age elderly patients experienced worsened CKD-S 3a/b disease-free survival (p < 0.001; p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Age is independently associated with a greater risk of significant and ongoing decline in kidney function following RAPN. Recognizing the impact of aging on renal function post-surgery can guide better management practices. Further investigations are required.

Development of a microultrasound-based nomogram to predict extra-prostatic extension in patients with prostate cancer undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a microultrasound-based nomogram including clinicopathological parameters and microultrasound findings to predict the presence of extra-prostatic extension and guide the grade of nerve-sparing. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All patients underwent microultrasound the day before robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Variables significantly associated with extra-prostatic extension at univariable analysis were used to build the multivariable logistic model, and the regression coefficients were used to develop the nomogram. The model was subjected to 1000 bootstrap resamples for internal validation. The performance of the microultrasound-based model was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration plot, and decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: Overall, 122/295 (41.4%) patients had a diagnosis of extra-prostatic extension on definitive pathology. Microultrasound correctly identify extra-prostatic extension in 84/122 (68.9%) cases showing a sensitivity and a specificity of 68.9% and 84.4%, with an AUC of 76.6%. After 1000 bootstrap resamples, the predictive accuracy of the microultrasound-based model was 85.9%. The calibration plot showed a satisfactory concordance between predicted probabilities and observed frequencies of extra-prostatic extension. The DCA showed a higher clinical net-benefit compared to the model including only clinical parameters. Considering a 4% cut-off, nerve-sparing was recommended in 173 (58.6%) patients and extra-prostatic extension was detected in 32 (18.5%) of them. CONCLUSION: We developed a microultrasound-based nomogram for the prediction of extra-prostatic extension that could aid in the decision whether to preserve or not neurovascular bundles. External validation and a direct comparison with mpMRI-based nomogram is crucial to corroborate our results.

A Comparative Evaluation of Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Micro-Ultrasound for the Detection of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer in Patients with Prior Negative Biopsies.

BACKGROUND: The diagnostic process for prostate cancer after a negative biopsy is challenging. This study compares the diagnostic accuracy of micro-ultrasound (mUS) with multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) for such cases. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed, targeting men with previous negative biopsies and using mUS and mpMRI to detect prostate cancer and clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa). RESULTS: In our cohort of 1397 men, 304 had a history of negative biopsies. mUS was more sensitive than mpMRI, with better predictive value for negative results. Importantly, mUS was significantly associated with csPCa detection (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 6.58; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-37.8; p = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: mUS may be preferable for diagnosing prostate cancer in previously biopsy-negative patients. However, the retrospective design of this study at a single institution suggests that further research across multiple centers is warranted.