Prostate cancer nomograms and their application in Asian men: a review.

Nomograms help to predict outcomes in individual patients rather than whole populations and are an important part of evaluation and treatment decision making. Various nomograms have been developed in malignancies to predict and prognosticate clinical outcomes such as severity of disease, overall survival, and recurrence-free survival. In prostate cancer, nomograms were developed for determining need for biopsy, disease course, need for adjuvant therapy, and outcomes. Most of these predictive nomograms were based on Caucasian populations. Prostate cancer is significantly affected by race, and Asian men have a significantly different racial and genetic susceptibility compared to Caucasians, raising the concern in generalizability of these nomograms. We reviewed the existing literature for nomograms in prostate cancer and their application in Asian men. There are very few studies that have evaluated the applicability and validity of the existing nomograms in these men. Most have found significant differences in the performance in this population. Thus, more studies evaluating the existing nomograms in Asian men or suggesting modifications for this population are required.

Management conundrum in a case of renal cell cancer (RCC) on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) for recently placed coronary drug-eluting stent (DES).

A man in his 50s presented in an emergency with breathlessness and chest discomfort. On evaluation, he was diagnosed with coronary artery disease, with more than 80% narrowing of the right coronary and left circumflex arteries. The patient underwent percutaneous coronary intervention and was started on dual antiplatelet (DAPT) therapy. After starting DAPT, the patient developed gross haematuria with a drop in haematocrit. Further evaluation revealed a left renal mass with urinary bladder clots. Because of the risk of stent thrombosis on stopping DAPT, radical nephrectomy was deferred, and the patient underwent left renal artery angioembolisation and bladder clot evacuation. On the follow-up, the patient was stable with a gradual decrease in renal mass size, and after a year, the patient underwent definitive surgery. The patient is doing well in 4 years of follow-up with no metastasis.

Perirenal Fascia - an Uncommon Site of Metastases in Prostate Cancer Detected on 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT is being increasingly utilized as a hybrid imaging modality for the evaluation of prostate cancer (PCa). We report a case of a 50-year-old man with biopsy-proven high-risk PCa in which multiple tracer avid perirenal fascia deposits were identified on 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT, in addition to multi-focal prostatic primary, extensive nodal, and skeletal metastases. This case highlights that perirenal fascia is an uncommon metastatic site in PCa.

Association of heavy metals and trace elements in carcinoma urinary bladder: A case-controlled study.

Introduction: Abnormal levels of heavy metals (HM) and trace elements (TE) affect body metabolism and can induce carcinogenesis. This study aims to evaluate the role of HM and TE in carcinoma urinary bladder (CAUB). Methods: Patients with biopsy-proven CAUB (n = 100) were taken as the study group, while age-and sex-matched healthy volunteers were taken as control (n = 100). Blood and urine samples were compared for Arsenic (As), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Selenium (Se), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), and Mercury (Hg) levels. Serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels were assessed to know the redox status between the two groups. Results: A significantly higher blood level of As, Mn, and Pb was observed in CAUB cases as compared to controls. Blood Se level was significantly lower in CAUB patients. On comparing urinary levels, CAUB patients had a higher As, Mn, and Pb levels compared to controls. Further, 68% and 59% of patients had their blood and urinary HM and TE levels above the permitted level, respectively. CAUB cases also had a lower GSH-Px (113.5 ± 44.7 vs. 163.9 ± 120.5, P = 0.0002), lower SOD levels (11.35 ± 5.6 vs. 13.75 ± 3.9, P = 0.008), and a higher LPO levels (15.5 ± 14.7 vs. 11.18 ± 11.2, P = 0.02) in the serum. Conclusions: A significantly higher concentration of As, Mn, and Pb was noted in the blood and urine of CAUB patients compared to controls. CAUB cases also had lower serum GSH-Px and SOD levels with a concomitant increased serum LPO assay suggesting underlying oxidative stress.

Robotic excision of vaginal pouch in ovotesticular disorder of sexual development

ABSTRACT Purpose: Ovotesticular disorder of sexual development (DSD) is the rarest of DSDs with an incidence of 1:20000 (1). Management of vaginal pouches in such cases is warranted for symptomatic presentations and laparoscopy is considered the gold standard treatment (2). We report a rare case of robotic excision of a large symptomatic vaginal pouch in a 19-year-old boy with ovotesticular DSD. Material and Methods: A 19-year-old boy with ovotesticular DSD post hypospadias repair in early childhood presented with complaints of recurrent UTIs, ballooning of urethra during micturition and post-void dribbling. Ultrasound, voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were suggestive of a vaginal pouch. The patient underwent endo-evaluation followed by robot-assisted excision of the vaginal pouch. Endo-evaluation showed two orifices in the posterior urethra. The posterior orifice was leading into a blind-ending rudimentary uterus and the true urethra was lying anteriorly. The DaVinci Xi Robotic Surgical System was used and the entire pouch was dissected free of the surrounding tissues using monopolar scissors. The pouch was transected just a few millimetres from its junction with the urethra. The urethra was then closed with V-loc 4-0 suture. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 2 and the catheter was removed on day 21. Results: Follow-up VCUG at 6 weeks did not show any residual pouch. There was no complaint of post-void dribbling or UTI at 30 months of follow-up. Conclusion: Robot-assisted laparoscopy should be considered as an alternative to laparoscopy for the primary treatment of a large symptomatic vaginal pouch.

Association of human papillomavirus in penile cancer: A single-center analysis.

Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a known risk factor of penile cancer (PeCa). However, studies evaluating its true association are limited. In this study, we aimed to estimate HPV prevalence and its true association with PeCa in terms of molecular biological activities. Materials and Methods: This single-institutional prospective observational study was conducted between June 2016 and August 2019. We included 40 men with PeCa as a study group and 20 age-matched uncircumcised men who underwent circumcision for phimosis as a control group. Both the groups underwent deoxyribonucleic acid isolation for HPV subtyping followed by evaluation of relative E6/E7 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression profile and relative telomerase activity in tissue samples. HPV-16 and -18 were categorized as high-risk, whereas HPV-6 and -11 were categorized as low-risk subtypes. Results: The mean (±standard deviation) age of PeCa was 51 ± 15.9 years. The majority of patients had stage II disease, and the most common procedure done was partial penectomy. The overall prevalence of HPV in PeCa was 42.5% (n = 17) as compared to 20% (n = 4) in controls. Among the subtypes, the most common subtype was HPV-16 noted in 33.3% (8/24) of cases, followed by HPV-18 in 29.2% (7/24) of cases. PeCa tissues had a significantly higher relative E7 mRNA expression for HPV-18 than the control group (P = 0.016). The mean relative telomerase activity was significantly higher in the PeCa tissues than the control group (138.66 vs. 14.46, P < 0.001). A significantly higher relative telomerase activity was noted in the PeCa tissues positive for high-risk HPV subtypes than controls (141.90 vs. 14.46, P = 0.0008), but not between high-risk HPV-positive and HPV-negative PeCa cases (141.90 vs. 137.03, P = 0.79). High-risk subtypes were not associated with tumor stage (P = 0.76) or lymph node metastasis (P = 0.816). Conclusions: HPV was associated in 42.5% of PeCa cases based on our experience from a single institution. PeCa tissues had a higher relative E7 mRNA expression for HPV-18 and relative telomerase activity as compared to controls suggesting their potential role as surrogate markers of virus-induced tumorigenesis.

Robotic excision of vaginal pouch in ovotesticular disorder of sexual development.

PURPOSE: Ovotesticular disorder of sexual development (DSD) is the rarest of DSDs with an incidence of 1:20000 (1). Management of vaginal pouches in such cases is warranted for symptomatic presentations and laparoscopy is considered the gold standard treatment (2). We report a rare case of robotic excision of a large symptomatic vaginal pouch in a 19-year-old boy with ovotesticular DSD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A 19-year-old boy with ovotesticular DSD post hypospadias repair in early childhood presented with complaints of recurrent UTIs, ballooning of urethra during micturition and post-void dribbling. Ultrasound, voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were suggestive of a vaginal pouch. The patient underwent endo-evaluation followed by robot-assisted excision of the vaginal pouch. Endo-evaluation showed two orifices in the posterior urethra. The posterior orifice was leading into a blind-ending rudimentary uterus and the true urethra was lying anteriorly. The DaVinci Xi Robotic Surgical System was used and the entire pouch was dissected free of the surrounding tissues using monopolar scissors. The pouch was transected just a few millimetres from its junction with the urethra. The urethra was then closed with V-loc 4-0 suture. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 2 and the catheter was removed on day 21. RESULTS: Follow-up VCUG at 6 weeks did not show any residual pouch. There was no complaint of post-void dribbling or UTI at 30 months of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Robot-assisted laparoscopy should be considered as an alternative to laparoscopy for the primary treatment of a large symptomatic vaginal pouch.

Association of heavy metals and trace elements in renal cell carcinoma: A case-controlled study.

PURPOSE: Trace elements and/or heavy metals are important for various biological activities. However, excess amount of these elements is associated with a variety of diseases, including cancer. We aimed to analyse the alterations of trace elements levels in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this observational study, patients with biopsy proven RCC were taken as study group while age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were taken as control. Blood and urine samples were compared for Arsenic (As), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Selenium (Se), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb) and Mercury (Hg) levels measured by inductively coupled plasma mass-spectroscopy. Serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels were assessed to know the redox status between 2 groups. RESULTS: A total of 76 RCC cases and 64 controls were recruited in the study. A significantly higher concentration of As, Cu, Mn, Cd, Pb and Hg were observed in the blood of RCC patients as compared to controls. However, blood Se level was significantly lower in RCC patients. In 33 (43.4%) patients, one or more heavy metals were higher in the blood above their permitted level as compared to 10 (15.6%) subjects in control group. RCC patients had a higher urinary Mn and Se levels compared to controls. A significantly lower GSH-Px (182.08 ± 132.91 vs. 236.95 ± 132.94, P = 0.04) and a higher LPO levels (26.02 ± 20.79 vs. 14.06 ± 8.44, P = 0.003) were noted in RCC patients than controls. SOD levels were comparable between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: A significantly altered heavy metals concentration is noted in the blood and urine in RCC patients as compared to healthy controls. An associated lower levels of GSH-Px antioxidant enzyme and increased LPO in RCC patients signifies an imbalance in the redox status.

Ureter-first Approach and Reduction of Pelvis: Standardizing Handling of Ureteropelvic Junction During Pyeloplasty.

OBJECTIVE: To present our "ureter-first" approach as a standardized step-wise incision-making technique to deal with all types of uretero-pelvic junction (UPJ) anatomy during pyeloplasty. Pyeloplasty is a common surgery performed for UPJ obstruction, with Anderson-Hynes' pyeloplasty being the commonest. However, there is great variability in handling UPJ and incision-making among the surgeons with no detailed standardized description that can be followed in all cases, notwithstanding broad descriptions of incision lines. We underscore this aspect of pyeloplasty and present our universal technique with a goal to minimize surgical errors. METHODS: A standardized step-by-step handling of UPJ and sequential incision-making was developed for pyeloplasty. It avoids unwarranted loss of any pelvis tissue before confirming individual UPJ anatomy, emphasizes preservation of lower lip of pelvis and minimizes tension on anastomosis. This standardized technique was uniformly used in all cases over 5 years. The peri-operative and functional outcome results are presented. RESULTS: Fifty-one consecutive cases were done using ureter-first approach. UPJ was >1 cm in eight cases. Three of these had UPJ >2 cm. Eight other cases had a low-insertion below level of kidney while three had high insertion of ureter. There were no cases which were deemed to be done under tension or unsatisfactory repair by the surgeon. There were no failures requiring any kind of redo repair at mean follow up of 39 months. CONCLUSION: A uniform standardized approach saves the surgeon from unwarranted or wrongly designed incisions on the pelvis and thus has the potential to reduce surgical mistakes.

Multimodal management of locally advanced rhabdoid tumour of the kidney in an adult.

Malignant rhabdoid tumours of the kidney (MRTK) are rare paediatric tumours known for their aggressive nature and early metastasis. However, MRTK in adults are even more rare with only a few cases reported in the literature. Herein, we report a case of 65-year-old woman with rapidly progressive left renal mass requiring en-bloc radical nephrectomy, splenectomy and distal pancreatectomy. Histopathology revealed a malignant rhabdoid tumour with characteristic histological and immunohistochemical findings with negative margins. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of aggressive surgical management of locally advanced MRTK. Despite surgery with curative intent, the patient developed early recurrence and started on tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Unfortunately, the patient expired after 8 months of surgery due to disease progression.

Clinical Value of Patient-Specific Three-Dimensional Printing of Kidney Before Partial Nephrectomy: A Qualitative Assessment.

Objectives: To qualitatively assess the clinical usefulness of patient-specific high-fidelity three-dimensional (3D) print model of kidney before partial nephrectomy (PN) and to identify subset domains where it may help in clinical terms. Materials and Methods: Thirteen 3D models were printed for tumors having RENAL nephrometry score of ≥8. Their usage for PN was assessed prospectively using a qualitative questionnaire to be answered on a Likert scale of 1-10. The questions focused on realistic resemblance, preoperative dry surgical run, intertest comparison, surgical impact, and overall beneficence domains as perceived by primary surgeons with respect to surgical conduct during PN. Results: Mean RENAL score was 9.15 (8-11). Models were rated high (9.07 ± 0.86) for realistic resemblance domain and were rated better than contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) (8.38 ± 0.87) and intraoperative ultrasonography (8.07 ± 1.26) for orientation regarding resection margins. A further marginal improvement to 8.2 ± 0.84 was noted against ultrasound where surgeon did a dry cut preoperatively. Use of superselective arterial approach in four, precise awareness about dissection of a major vessel in four, retroperitoneoscopic approach in one, and surgical margin awareness in three were directly attributed to the model. Overall utility of having a model printed was rated high (8.23 ± 1.3). Conclusion: The 3D print models of complex renal tumors have high realistic resemblance to actual patient's anatomy. They were rated better than preoperative CECT or intraoperative ultrasonography for orientation regarding surgical resection margins. It may also help change or modify the surgical plan in a subset of patients with a potential to improve overall outcomes in these complex cases.

Nerve-sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: Current perspectives.

Robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is the current standard of care with long term cure in organ-confined disease. The introduction of nerve-sparing (NS) to standard RARP has shown positive results in terms of functional outcomes in addition to the oncological outcomes. This article reviews the current perspectives of NS-RARP in terms of applied anatomy of the prostatic fascial planes, the neurovascular bundle (NVB), various NS techniques and postoperative functional outcomes. A non-systematic review was done using PubMed, Embase and Medline databases to retrieve and analyse articles in English, with following keywords "prostate cancer", "robotic radical prostatectomy", "nerve-sparing". The Delphi method was used with an expert panel of robotic surgeons in urology to analyse the potency outcomes of various published comparative and non-comparative studies. The literature has shown that NS-RARP involves various techniques and approaches while there is a lack of randomized studies to suggest the superiority of one over the other. Variables such as preoperative risk assessments, baseline potency, surgical anatomy of individual patients and surgeons' expertise play a major role in the outcomes. A tailored approach for each patient is required for applying the NS approach during RARP.

Impact of vesicovaginal fistula repair on urinary and sexual function: patient-reported outcomes over long-term follow-up.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: While the anatomical closure rates of vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) following transabdominal (TA) and transvaginal (TV) repairs seem comparable, studies comparing urinary and sexual outcomes following successful repair are lacking. We aimed to report patient-reported outcomes on sexual and urinary functions after long-term follow-up with successful repair. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 81 women who had successful VVF repair at our institute. Pre-, intra- and post-operative details were retrieved from electronic data software. Patient-reported sexual and urinary function outcomes were assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire and International Consultation of Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF), respectively, at last follow-up. We also compared such outcomes among TA and TV repairs. RESULTS: Of 81 women, 28 (34.6%) had TA and 53 (65.4%) had TV repairs. Mean age was 37.5 years and mean fistula diameter was 12.9 mm. The most common aetiology was hysterectomy. Thirty-three patients (40.7%) had previous failed repairs. At a mean follow-up of 29.8 months, 24 (34.3%) women had sexual dysfunction and 15 (18.5%) women experienced urinary dysfunction. The TA and TV groups had comparable mean FSFI scores (28.7 ± 6.1 vs. 30.9 ± 5.2, p = 0.13) and ICIQ-SF scores (0.7 ± 1.7 vs. 0.5 ± 1.4, p = 0.59). In multivariate analysis, fistula size and site were significant predictors of urinary dysfunction whereas multiparity was the most significant predictor of sexual dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual and urinary dysfunction is found in a considerable number of women after VVF repair. However, our data suggest comparable long-term sexual and continence outcomes between TA and TV repairs.

Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma with Intra-renal Haemorrhage.

A 60-year-old man with right upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) developed sudden onset right upper abdominal pain. He had no haematuria, nausea or vomiting and examination revealed right upper abdominal tenderness. Laboratory investigations showed drop-in haemoglobin. Computerised tomography revealed hyperdense contents within the renal pelvis extending into the renal parenchyma. After anaemia correction, radical nephroureterectomy confirmed the intra-renal haemorrhage. At 12 months follow-up, the patient is asymptomatic and recurrence-free. Only a few reported cases of perirenal haemorrhage are available in the literature. However, there is no report on intra-renal haemorrhage in UTUC. We present the first case of intra-renal haemorrhage (IRH) in UTUC managed with radical nephroureterectomy.

Role of circulating tumor cells in patients with metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Circulating tumor cells (CTC) have been demonstrated to have prognostic and predictive role in certain human cancers. However, studies exploring their role in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) are scarce. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic and predictive role of CTC in mRCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective study, 35 patients with mRCC were analyzed for the presence of CTC before starting tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). Progression-free and overall survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test. The prediction to TKI therapy was calculated with the response to treatment determined by standard imaging techniques. RESULTS: Outcomes were assessed according to the CTC positivity at baseline, before the patients started TKI for mRCC. At a mean follow-up of 12.4 ± 4.1 months, disease progression was noted in 17 patients (48.6%) including 8 deaths (22.9%). CTC positive patients had a significantly lower progression-free survival rate (12.5% vs. 64.1%, respectively; P = 0.009) but not in the overall survival rate (75% vs. 76.3%, respectively; P = 0.88) in the Kaplan-Meier estimation curves. CTC positivity at baseline significantly predicted a poorer response to TKI (87.5% vs. 37.1%, P = 0.01). The multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that CTC at baseline was the most significant predictor of progression-free survival (hazard ratio 4.17, 95% confidence interval 1.41-11.99, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Baseline CTC detection can be an important prognostic factor of progression-free survival and significant predictor of poor response to TKI in patients with metastatic RCC.

Endoscopic holmium laser fragmentation and retrieval of migrated intravesical prolene mesh.

A 52-year-old man presented with lower urinary tract symptoms and intermittent haematuria for the last 6 months. He had undergone totally extraperitoneal right inguinal hernia repair a decade ago. The ultrasonography and an X-ray of the pelvis suggested a large radio-opaque shadow in the bladder. However, CT revealed an encrusted intravesical extension of the migrated mesh along the right anterolateral wall. The entire intravesical part of the migrated mesh with encrustations was successfully retrieved by endourological approach using holmium laser. The patient symptomatically improved and at follow-up, cystoscopy showed a complete re-epithelisation of the bladder mucosa. The intravesical extension of migrated mesh is a rare but challenging complication following mesh hernioplasty and can be successfully managed with a complete endoscopic approach.

Immunoglobulin G4-related renal disease masquerading as renal pelvic tumor.

The recently recognized immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related disease presenting as renal pelvic pseudotumor is rare. A definitive diagnosis is often difficult to obtain preoperatively, with patients being subjected to radical surgery due to suspicion of malignancy. We present a 64-year-old male with lower urinary tract symptoms, who, on evaluation had a right renal pelvic tumor on imaging and ureteroscopy. The patient underwent laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy on clinical suspicion of upper tract urothelial carcinoma. The final histopathology revealed IgG4-related disease.

Management of Untreated Classical Bladder Exstrophy in Adults: A Single-Institutional Experience.

OBJECTIVES: To report our single center experience in the management of untreated adult classical bladder exstrophy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of 25 adults aged ≥18 years who underwent repair of the classical bladder exstrophy from April 2000 to February 2020 was performed. Patients with prior repair and neoplastic changes in the exposed bladder mucosa were excluded. The patients and primary caretakers were actively involved in the decision-making of the surgical procedures best suited them. Work-up included upper tract evaluation and random bladder mucosal biopsy. RESULTS: The mean age of presentation was 25 years. Primary schooling was completed by only 32% patients. The majority (72%) of the patients opted continent catheterizable pouch. Penn pouch was the most common pouch performed. In 3 patients, a complete primary repair was done in a single setting. In 4 patients with lack of education and difficult access to nearby health care settings, ileal conduit was performed. In all except 3 (13.1%), abdominal wall closed primarily. None of the patients required osteotomy. At a mean follow-up of 6.5 years, all patients with continent pouches were continent. One patient required revision of left ureteroneocystostomy at 20 months follow-up. All except one patient, who had complete primary repair were continent at a mean follow-up of 6 years. CONCLUSION: Management of adult classical bladder exstrophy is challenging. The various pouches extend the surgical options. Ileal conduit may be a simple alternative to complex reconstructions in unmotivated patients with poor access to the hospital.