Attitudes towards disposition of cryopreserved sperm in the event of death.

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate patient preference for sperm disposition in case of death based on demographic factors and infertility etiology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was performed at a university hospital-affiliated fertility center. Charts of 550 men undergoing cryopreservation for assisted reproductive technologies (ART) between 2016-2019 were reviewed to create a descriptive dataset. Patients previously signed consent forms stating their preference for sperm transfer to their partner or disposal in the event of their subsequent death. Patients undergoing sperm cryopreservation for the purpose of ART were analyzed to assess associations between demographic characteristics and etiology of infertility and their choice to either transfer sperm to their partner or discard. RESULTS: A total of 84.9% (342/403) of patients included in final analyses elected to transfer their sperm to their partner in the event of their death. Factors associated with a significantly increased likelihood to transfer versus discard included a male-factor infertility diagnosis compared to female-factor infertility diagnosis (transfer rate 89.3% vs. 79.9%; p = .022) and commercial insurance coverage versus non-commercial/no insurance coverage (transfer rate 86.3% vs. 75.0%, p = .029). No significant differences relating to age, race/ethnicity, occupation classification, marital status or duration of marriage, or prior paternity were found. CONCLUSION: A majority of male patients seeking sperm cryopreservation for ART elected to transfer their sperm to their partner if future death should occur. There does not appear to be a clear factor that would impact this decision based on demographic characteristics.

Do commonly used prostate medications alter prostate MRI and fusion biopsy performance?

AIMS: To determine whether phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDEi) or α-antagonists (AA) were associated with differences in region of interest (ROI) characteristics or prostate cancer detection on fusion biopsy (FB). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Records from 847 consecutive patients undergoing FB at three separate institutions over a period of 2 years were retrospectively reviewed. Associations between medication use, Prostate Imaging Reporting & Data System (PIRADS) scores, and ROI locations were assessed with ordinal logistic regression. Associations with lesion size and International Society of Urologic Pathology (ISUP) grade group (GG) on biopsy were tested using multivariate regression. RESULTS: Medication use included PDEi in 14.2% and AA in 23.0%. PDEi use was associated with 19.3% smaller lesion diameter (-2.8 mm; CI from -4.8 to -0.7; p < 0.01) and lower PIRADS scores on MRI (OR 0.60; CI 0.40 - 1.00; p = 0.05). AA use was associated with higher PIRADS scores (OR 1.43; CI 0.97 - 2.11; p = 0.06), fewer positive fusion-directed biopsy cores (-28.6%, CI from -57.9 to 0.01%, p = 0.05), and downgrading on final pathology (-19%; CI from -40 to 2%; p = 0.06). CONCLUSION: For PIRADS scores ≥ 3, PDEi use is associated with smaller ROI and lower PIRADS scores, while AA use is associated with higher PIRADS scores. Neither medication was associated with differences in biopsy GG. Prospective studies are needed to investigate the discordance between multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) results and oncologic outcomes associated with PDEi and AA use.

Outcomes of MRI fusion-guided versus systematic standard prostate biopsies.

INTRODUCTION: The current utility of MRI-fusion targeted biopsy as either an adjunct to or replacement for systematic template biopsy for the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer is disputed. The purpose of this study is to assess the current effectiveness of MRI-targeted versus systematic template prostate biopsies at two institutions and to consider possible underlying factors that could impact variability between detection rates in our patient population compared to others. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review from our prospectively maintained prostate cancer databases was conducted. Patients with prostate MRI lesions (PI-RADSv2) receiving concurrent systematic 12-core and MRI-fusion targeted biopsies were reviewed. Clinically significant cancer was considered to be Grade Group ≥ 2. RESULTS: A total of 457 patients were included in the analysis; 255 patients received their biopsy at Institution A and 202 at Institution B. Overall cancer detection rate was 68%; the clinically significant cancer detection rate was 34%. Both MRI-targeted and systematic biopsies identified unique cases of clinically significant prostate cancer that the other modality missed. Out of 157 cases of clinically significant prostate cancer, MRI-targeted biopsy identified 29/157 cases (18%) missed by systematic biopsy, while systematic biopsy identified 37/157 cases (24%) missed by MRI-targeted biopsy (p = .39). Individual biopsy performance was similar when stratified by active surveillance or prior biopsy status, PI-RADSv2 score, and institution. CONCLUSIONS: MRI-fusion targeted and systematic biopsy each identified unique cases of clinically significant prostate cancer. Both biopsy modalities should be utilized in order to provide the greatest sensitivity for the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer.

Adjuvant Therapy for High-Risk Localized Renal Cell Carcinoma: Current Landscape and Future Direction.

Locally and regionally advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) can recur at high rates even after visually complete resection of primary disease. Both targeted therapies and immunotherapies represent potential agents that might help reduce recurrence of RCC in these patients. This paper reviews the current body of evidence defining their potential impact and examines the large Phase III randomized clinical trials that have been performed to assess the safety and efficacy of these systemic therapies in the adjuvant setting. Given that the findings from these trials have been predominantly negative, this paper also explores the role of other potential adjuvant agents, including single and combination agent targeted therapies and immunotherapies, whose use is currently limited to metastatic RCC. Finally, the use of radiation therapy and the use of advanced imaging modalities in RCC are also considered.

Prostate Cancer Detection and Complications of Transperineal Versus Transrectal Magnetic Resonance Imaging-fusion Guided Prostate Biopsies.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the rates of detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) and complications associated with transperineal (TP) and transrectal (TR) biopsy approaches to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-fusion targeted biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively identified men who underwent TP or TR MRI-targeted biopsy with concurrent systematic random biopsy from August 2020 to August 2021. Primary outcomes were detection rates of csPCa and 30-day complication rates between the 2 MRI-biopsy groups. Data were additionally stratified by prior biopsy status. RESULTS: A total of 361 patients were included in the analysis. No demographic differences were observed. No significant differences were observed between TP and TR approaches on any of the outcomes of interest. TR MRI-targeted biopsies identified csPCa in 47.2% of patients, and TP MRI-targeted biopsies identified csPCa in 48.6% of patients (P = .78). No significant differences were observed in csPCa detection between the 2 approaches for patients on active surveillance (P = .59), patients with prior negative biopsy (P = .34), and patients who were biopsy naïve (P = .19). Complication rates did not vary by approach (P = .45). CONCLUSION: Neither the identification of csPCa by MRI-targeted biopsy nor rates of complications differed significantly based on a TR or TP approach. No differences were seen between MRI-targeted approaches based on prior biopsy or active surveillance status.

Open versus minimally invasive surgery for suspected adrenocortical carcinoma.

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignancy with a poor prognosis. Although laparoscopy has been widely adopted for management of benign adrenal tumors, minimally invasive surgery for ACC remains controversial. Retrospective analyses, frequently with fewer than one hundred participants, comprise the majority of the literature. High-quality data regarding the optimal surgical approach for ACC are lacking due to the rarity of the disease and the fact that determination of tumor type (e.g., adenoma or carcinoma) is determined after adrenalectomy, since adrenal tumors are generally not biopsied. While the benefits of minimally invasive surgery including lower intra-operative blood loss and decreased hospital length-of-stay have been consistently demonstrated, clinical equipoise for long-term survival and recurrence outcomes between open and minimally invasive adrenalectomy (MIA) remains. This review examines retrospective studies that directly compare patients with ACC who underwent either open or laparoscopic adrenalectomy, and considers these findings in the context of current guideline recommendations for surgical management of ACC.

Case report: Adenosquamous carcinoma of the prostate with greater than 20 month response to multimodal therapy.

Adenosquamous carcinoma is an extremely rare and lethal subtype of prostate cancer affecting an estimated 0.03 per million men annually. It has been associated with prior hormone therapy for prostate adenocarcinoma. We present a case of de novo adenosquamous carcinoma of the prostate treated with a multimodal approach including surgery, androgen-deprivation therapy, chemotherapy, and radiation.

The Current State of Adjuvant Therapy Following Surgery for High-risk Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Cancer recurs in up to 40% of patients following surgery for high-risk, locoregional renal cell carcinoma (RCC). To date, little progress has been made in identifying systemic adjuvant treatment options to reduce the mortality risk after surgery for high-risk RCC. Several randomized trials exploring the efficacy of adjuvant targeted therapies in the postoperative setting have recently reported results. We examine these trials to assess the contemporary role of targeted therapy following surgery in high-risk RCC and briefly consider trials that are currently accruing with a focus on immunotherapy agents in the adjuvant setting. PATIENT SUMMARY: Kidney cancer often recurs despite initial surgery in patients with high-risk tumors. So far, adding systemic treatments such as targeted therapies after surgery has not resulted in improved survival outcomes. Future studies that include immunotherapy after surgery to reduce the risk of recurrence in patients with high-risk disease are eagerly anticipated.