ABSTRACT
Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate is a widely accepted surgical treatment method for benign prostate hyperplasia, but its effect on prostate cancer remains unclear. In this study, we report the cases of two patients with metastatic prostate cancer diagnosed during follow-up after holmium laser enucleation of the prostate. Case 1 was a 74 year-old man who underwent holmium laser enucleation of the prostate. Prostate-specific antigen levels declined from 4.3 to 1.5 ng/mL at 1 month after surgery, but after 19 months, they increased to 6.6 ng/mL. Based on pathological and radiological findings, he was diagnosed as having prostate cancer, with Gleason score 5 + 4 with neuroendocrine differentiation, cT3bN1M1a. Case 2 was a 70 year-old man who also underwent holmium laser enucleation of the prostate. Prostate-specific antigen levels declined from 7.2 to 2.9 ng/mL at 6 months after surgery, but after 12 months, they increased to 12 ng/mL. Based on pathological and radiological findings, he was diagnosed as having prostate cancer, with Gleason score 4 + 5 with intraductal carcinoma of the prostate, cT3bN1M1a. This report suggests that advanced prostate cancer may be newly diagnosed after holmium laser enucleation of the prostate. Even if prostate cancer had not been demonstrated in the enucleated specimen, and postoperative PSA levels were below the standard values, physicians should regularly monitor prostate-specific antigen levels after holmium laser enucleation of the prostate, and further examination should be considered keeping in mind prostate cancer progression.
ABSTRACT
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) provide excellent benefits to the treatment of various cancer types, including urothelial carcinoma. Conversely, they can cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs), and some of them are severe or fatal. Furthermore, evidence on the safety and effectiveness of the readministration of ICIs after the occurrence of irAEs is limited. In this case report, a 78-year-old man who suffered from metastatic right renal pelvic cancer was treated with pembrolizumab. He had a partial response to pembrolizumab, but he developed grade 3 myasthenia gravis. The myasthenia gravis symptoms were immediately relieved by corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. When the disease rapidly progressed, he was treated again with pembrolizumab. After 5 days, a chest radiograph showed shrinkage of pulmonary metastases. Unfortunately, he died of multiple brain infarctions 7 days after the readministration. We report this case with a literature review on the efficacy and safety of the readministration of ICIs after the occurrence irAEs including myasthenia gravis.