The Comparative Outcomes of Radical Prostatectomy versus Radiotherapy for Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer: A Longitudinal, Population-Based Analysis.

PURPOSE: The comparative effectiveness of radical prostatectomy (RP) versus radiation therapy (RT) for prostate cancer remains a largely debated topic. Utilizing a provincial population-based linked data set from an equal-access, universal health care system, we sought to compare outcomes among patients treated with either radiation or prostatectomy for nonmetastatic prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study by linking several administrative data sets to identify patients who were diagnosed with prostate cancer between 2004 and 2016 in Manitoba, Canada and who were subsequently treated with either RP or RT. Cox proportional hazard models with inverse probability of treatment weighting were used to compare rates of all-cause mortality, as well as prostate cancer specific mortality (PCSM) between patients who underwent RP vs RT. RESULTS: During the study period, 2,540 patients underwent RP and 1,895 underwent RT for prostate cancer. Unadjusted overall survival was higher for RP vs RT (5-year overall survival 95.52% for RP compared with 84.55% for RT, p <0.0001). In inverse probability of treatment weighting-adjusted Cox regression analysis, compared to patients in the RP groups, patients in the RT group had an increased rate of all-cause mortality (HR 1.93, 95% CI 1.65-2.26, p <0.0001), and PCSM (HR 3.98, 95% CI 2.89-5.49; p <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: RT was associated with higher all-cause mortality and PCSM rates compared with RP. These findings highlight the importance of comparative effectiveness research to identify treatment disparities and warrant further investigation.

Prognostic significance of extent of venous tumor thrombus in patients with non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma: Results from a Canadian multi-institutional collaborative.

PURPOSE: The prognostic significance of level of venous tumor thrombus (VTT) extension in patients with non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has been controversial. The aim of this study was to examine the prognostic significance of VTT extent in patients who underwent surgery for non-metastatic RCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Canadian Kidney Cancer information system database was used to identify patients who underwent surgery for non-metastatic RCC and VTT from January 2011 to December 2019. Association between VTT level and recurrence-free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) was examined. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to estimate predictors of survival. RESULTS: Out of 6,340 patients during the study period, 228 patients (3.6%) had VTT. VTT was level 0 in 84 (37%), level I to II in 112 (49%), and level III to IV in 33 (14%) patients as per the Mayo Clinic classification. Median age was 65.4 years (interquartile range [IQR] 57.6-72.2) and 169 (74.1%) were male. After a median follow-up of 21.2 months, VTT level did not significantly impact the RFS, CSS, or OS. For VTT level 0, I to II, and III to IV, there was no significant difference in estimated 5-year RFS (31%, 23%, and 30.5%; P > 0.05), CSS (70%, 69%, and 55%; P > 0.05) and OS (64%, 66%, and 50%; P > 0.05). Adjusting for known prognostic factors, thrombus level was not associated with risk of recurrence or death. CONCLUSION: In a large, multi-institutional cohort of patients undergoing surgery for non-metastatic RCC with tumor thrombus, thrombus extent was not independently associated with recurrence or death.

The Association between Income Status and Treatment Selection for Prostate Cancer in a Universal Health Care System: A Population-Based Analysis.

PURPOSE: Treatment selection for localized prostate cancer is guided by risk stratification and patient preferences. While socioeconomic status (SES) disparities exist for access to care, less is known about the effect of SES on treatment decision-making. We sought to evaluate whether income status was associated with the treatment selected (radical prostatectomy [RP] vs radiation therapy [RT]) for nonmetastatic prostate cancer in a universal health care system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All men from Manitoba, Canada who were diagnosed with nonmetastatic prostate cancer between 2005 and 2016 and subsequently treated with RP or RT were identified using a provincial cancer database. SES was defined as neighborhood income by postal code and divided into income quintiles (Q1-Q5, with Q1 the lowest quintile and Q5 the highest). Multivariable logistic regression nested models were used to compare whether SES was associated with treatment type received. RESULTS: We identified 3,966 individuals who were diagnosed with nonmetastatic prostate cancer and were treated with RP (2,354) or RT (1,612). After adjusting for demographic and clinicopathological characteristics, as income quintile increased, men were incrementally more likely to undergo RP than RT (range Q2 vs Q1: adjusted OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.01-1.93; Q5 vs Q1: adjusted OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.70-3.12). CONCLUSIONS: As income levels increased there was a stepwise incremental increase in the odds of receiving RP over RT for localized prostate cancer. These results may inform initiatives to better understand the values, priorities and barriers that patients experience when making treatment decisions in a universal health care system.

Prognostic impact of paraneoplastic syndromes on patients with non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma undergoing surgery: Results from Canadian Kidney Cancer information system.

INTRODUCTION: The impact of paraneoplastic syndromes (PNS) on survival in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is uncertain. This study was conducted to analyze the association of PNS with recurrence and survival of patients with non-metastatic RCC undergoing nephrectomy. METHODS: The Canadian Kidney Cancer information system is a multi-institutional cohort of patients started in January 2011. Patients with nephrectomy for non-metastatic RCC were identified. PNS included anemia, polycythemia, hypercalcemia, and weight loss. Associations between PNS and recurrence or death were assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariable analysis. RESULTS: Of 4337 patients, 1314 (30.3%) had evidence of one or more PNS. Patients with PNS were older, had higher comorbidity, and had more advanced clinical and pathological tumor characteristics as compared to patients without PNS (all p<0.05). Kaplan-Meier five-year estimated recurrence-free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) were significantly worse in patients with PNS (63.7%, 84.3%, and 79.6%, respectively, for patients with PNS vs. 73.9%, 90.8%, and 90.1%, respectively, for patients without PNS, all p<0.005). On univariable analysis, presence of PNS increased risk of recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] 1.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.48-1.90, p<0.0001) and cancer-related death (HR 1.85, 95% CI 1.34-2.54, p=0.0002). Adjusting for known prognostic factors, PNS was not associated with recurrence or survival. CONCLUSIONS: In non-metastatic RCC patients undergoing surgery, presence of PNS is associated with older age, higher Charlson comorbidity index score, advanced tumor stage, and aggressive tumor histology. Following surgery, baseline PNS is not strongly independently associated with recurrence or death.

Positive surgical margins during partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma: Results from Canadian Kidney Cancer information system (CKCis) collaborative.

INTRODUCTION: We sought to determine the incidence, risk factors, and prognosis for patients with positive surgical margin (PSM) during partial nephrectomy (PN) for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS: From the Canadian Kidney Cancer information system (CKCis) database, a historical cohort of PN patients with PSM were identified and compared to negative surgical margin (NSM). Risk factors for PSM were examined through multivariable logistic regression. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to compare progression-free survival. RESULTS: Of 1103 patients, 972 (88.1%), 71 (6.4%), and 60 (5.4%) had NSM, PSM, and unknown status, respectively. Median patient age and tumour size were 61 years and 3.0 cm for both groups. From multivariable analysis, pathological stage ≥T3 (odds ratio [OR] 2.51; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-5.60) and Fuhrman grade 4 (OR 5.35; 95% CI 1.11-25.72) were associated with PSM, whereas age, operative technique, and tumour size were not. Forty-nine (5.0%) patients from the NSM cohort and seven (9.9%) from the PSM cohort had a local/systemic progression of disease (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.4; 95% CI 0.6-3.6). There were three (0.3%) cancer-related deaths in the NSM group and none in the PSM group. After median followup of 19 (interquartile range [IQR] 5-42) and 15 (IQR 7-30) months, 855 (91.4%) and 61 (89.7%) patients were alive in the NSM and PSM groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: PSM occurred in 6.4% of PNs performed for RCC in this pan-Canadian cohort. Higher stage and grade are associated with a higher risk of positive margin. The small association between a PSM and progression suggests that complete nephrectomy is not necessary in patients with a PSM. The main study limitations are lack of nephrometry score and possible reporting bias.

Can it wait? A systematic review of immediate vs. delayed surgical repair of penile fractures.

INTRODUCTION: Penile fractures have classically been thought to require immediate surgical intervention; however, recent series have described acceptable outcomes with delayed repair. In this systematic review, we compared complication rates between immediate and delayed repair of penile fractures. METHODS: A systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, and Web of Science was performed with predefined search terms between 1974 and 2015. Titles and abstracts were screened prior to full-text review and quality appraisal by two independent investigators. Abstracted outcomes included postoperative erectile dysfunction (ED), tunical scar formation, and penile curvature. Only studies reporting a direct comparison of complications following immediate (<24 hours from injury to presentation/surgery) and delayed (>24 hours) repair of penile fractures were included. RESULTS: A total of 12 studies met inclusion criteria. All were retrospective, observational studies of low or moderate methodological quality. Of the reported 502 patients, 391 underwent immediate repair and 111 delayed repair. In the immediate repair group, the percent of patients with postoperative ED, tunical scars, and curvature were 6.6%, 5.4%, and 1.8%, respectively, while in the delayed group, the rates of ED, tunical scars, and curvature were 4.5% across the board. Rates of ED and tunical scar formation following immediate compared to delayed repair trended towards favouring immediate repair, but did not differ significantly, while rates of curvature significantly favoured immediate repair. However, cases of curvature were typically reported as mild and none affected sexual functioning. CONCLUSIONS: In this systematic review, we demonstrated that ED and tunical scar formation rates between immediate and delayed repair of penile fractures were statistically similar, while immediate repair had a lower rate of penile curvature. Although this suggests that a brief delay in repair may be acceptable in select patients, the results should be interpreted with caution, as the included studies were of low or moderate methodological quality. Most importantly, this review highlights the deficiencies in the current penile fracture literature, setting the stage to improve the quality of future studies.

Misuse of ultrasound for palpable undescended testis by primary care providers: A prospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Although previous evidence has shown that ultrasound is unreliable to diagnose undescended testis, many primary care providers (PCP) continue to misuse it. We assessed the performance of ultrasound as a diagnostic tool for palpable undescended testis, as well as the diagnostic agreement between PCP and pediatric urologists. METHODS: We performed a prospective observational cohort study between 2011 and 2013 for consecutive boys referred with a diagnosis of undescended testis to our tertiary pediatric hospital. Patients referred without an ultrasound and those with non-palpable testes were excluded. Data on referring diagnosis, pediatric urology examination and ultrasound reports were analyzed. RESULTS: Our study consisted of 339 boys. Of these, patients without an ultrasound (n = 132) and those with non-palpable testes (n = 38) were excluded. In the end, there were 169 pateints in this study. Ultrasound was performed in 50% of referred boys showing 256 undescended testis. The mean age at time of referral was 45 months. When ultrasound was compared to physical examination by the pediatric urologist, agreement was only 34%. The performance of ultrasound for palpable undescended testis was: sensitivity = 100%; specificity = 16%; positive predictive value = 34%; negative predictive value = 100%; positive likelihood ratio = 1.2; and negative likelihood ratio = 0. Diagnosis of undescended testis by PCP was confirmed by physical examination in 30% of cases, with 70% re-diagnosed with normal or retractile testes. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound performed poorly to assess for palpable undescended testis in boys and should not be used. Although the study has important limitations, there is an increasing need for education and evidence-based guidelines for PCP in the management of undescended testis.