Equipment, staffing, and provision of radiotherapy in Lombardy, Italy: Results of three surveys performed between 2012 and 2016.

INTRODUCTION:: Several efforts are being implemented at the European level to measure provision of up-to-date radiation treatments across the continent. METHODS:: A snapshot survey involving all radiation oncology centers within Lombardy, Italy, was performed in 2012 and repeated in 2014 and 2016, in cooperation with regional governmental officers. Centers were asked to provide detailed information concerning all individual patients being treated on the index day, and to report data on available local resources. RESULTS:: We observed an increase in the number of centers and of megavoltage units (MVU) (from 76 to 87, i.e., 8.7 MVU per million inhabitants in 2016). Mean number of MVU per center was 2.5. Average age of MVU increased from 5.3 to 7.5 years and patients on the waiting list also increased. Conformal 3D radiotherapy (RT) treatments decreased from 56% to 42% and were progressively replaced by intensity-modulated RT treatments (from 39% to 49%). Waiting times were overall satisfactory. Radiation oncologists treated on average 152 and radiation therapists 100 RT courses per year. Average reimbursement per course was €4,879 (range €2,476-€8,014). CONCLUSIONS:: The methodology of snapshot survey proved feasible and provided valuable information about radiation oncology provision and accessibility in Lombardy.

A Case Series of Patients Who Underwent Laparoscopic Extraperitoneal Radical Prostatectomy with the Simultaneous Implant of a Penile Prosthesis: Focus on Penile Length Preservation.

PURPOSE: There are many grey areas in the field of penile rehabilitation after radical prostatectomy (RP). The preservation of the full dimensions of the penis is an important consideration for improving patients' compliance for the treatment. We present the first case series of patients treated by laparoscopic extraperitoneal RP and simultaneous penile prosthesis implantation (PPI) in order to preserve the full length of the penis and to improve patients' satisfaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From June 2013 to June 2014, 10 patients underwent simultaneous PPI (with an AMS InhibiZone prosthesis) and RP. Patients were evaluated by means of urological visits, questionnaires, and objective measurements before surgery, at discharge from the hospital, on postoperative days 21 to 28, each 3 months for the first year, and each 6 months thereafter. The main outcome measures were biochemical recurrence-free rate, penile length, and quality of life. RESULTS: Ten patients (mean age of 61 years; completed the study follow-up period (median, 32.2 months). No difference was found between the time of surgery and the 2-year follow-up evaluation in terms of penile length. The pre-surgery 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) median score was 97. Patients were satisfied with their penile implants, and couples' level of sexual satisfaction was rated median 8. The median postoperative SF-36 score was 99 at 3 months follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic extraperitoneal RP surgery with simultaneous PPI placement seems to be an interesting possibility to propose to motivated patients for preserving the length of the penis and improving their satisfaction.

Radical treatment of oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer: Ready for prime time?

Oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), defined as a disease with low metastatic burden and limited organ involvement, is conceived as an intermediate condition between a truly localised disease and a widely metastatic tumour. Traditionally, local ablative therapies (LATs), such as surgery and radiotherapy, have been limited to symptoms' palliation in advanced NSCLC. Several retrospective studies suggest that using local ablative therapy for oligometastatic disease could offer good local control of the disease and improvement in terms of progression-free survival. The first randomised study of local consolidative therapy versus maintenance therapy or observation in oligometastatic NSCLC has been recently published. The results of this phase II trial showed an impressive improvement in median progression-free survival with local therapy and a delay in the appearance of new lesions, suggesting a systemically extended benefit of consolidation therapies. Nevertheless, further confirmation of this evidence with additional future trials is needed to definitively consider the combination of local treatment techniques with novel systemic agents recently approved for NSCLC therapy, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Increasing the Interval Between Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy and Surgery in Rectal Cancer: A Meta-analysis of Published Studies.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this meta-analysis was to demonstrate whether a longer interval between the end of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and surgery is associated with a better rate of pathological complete response (pCR) in rectal cancer. BACKGROUND: The standard of care in locally advanced rectal cancer is preoperative, long course (5-fluorouracil-based) CRT. After this neoadjuvant CRT, surgical exploration is undertaken 6 to 8 weeks later. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, the ISI Web of Science, and The Cochrane Library (CENTRAL) were searched systematically for prospective or retrospective studies reporting oncological results for intervals longer or shorter than 6 to 8 weeks between the end of CRT and surgery, in rectal cancer. The primary endpoint, reported as relative risk (RR), was the rate of pCR. Secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), R0 resection rates, sphincter preservations, and wound/anastomotic complications. A meta-analysis was performed, using the fixed- or random-effects model, with Review Manager 5.1. RESULTS: Thirteen trials, including 3584 patients, were identified, and overall, an interval longer than 6 to 8 weeks from the end of neoadjuvant CRT and surgery significantly improved the pCR (RR = 1.42, 95% confidence interval: 1.19-1.68; P < 0.0001). Pathological complete responses increased from 13.7% to 19.5% in the longer interval group, and the OS, DFS, R0 resection rates, sphincter preservation, and complication rates were similar in the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: A longer waiting interval (more than the classical 6-8 weeks) from the end of preoperative CRT increases the rate of pCR by 6% in rectal cancer, with similar outcomes and complication rates. These results should be validated prospectively in a randomized trial.

Urinary bladder preservation for muscle-invasive bladder cancer: a survey among radiation oncologists of Lombardy, Italy.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Bladder preservation is a treatment option in muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma. The most investigated approach is a trimodality schedule including maximum transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) followed by chemoradiotherapy. Our aim was to evaluate the use of bladder preservation by radiation oncologists of the Lombardy region in Italy. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A survey with 13 items regarding data of 2012 was sent to all 32 radiotherapy centers within the collaboration between the Lombardy Oncological Network and the Lombardy Section of the Italian Society of Oncological Radiotherapy. RESULTS: Thirteen centers (41%) answered the survey; the presented data come from 11 active centers. In these centers, 11,748 patients were treated with external-beam radiotherapy in 2012, 100 of whom having bladder cancer (0.9%). 74/100 patients received radiotherapy as palliative treatment for T, N or M lesions. A further 9 and 5 patients received radiotherapy for oligometastatic disease (ablative doses to small volumes) and postoperatively, respectively. Bladder preservation was performed in 12 cases and included trimodality and other strategies (mainly TURBT followed by radiotherapy). A multidisciplinary urology tumor board met regularly in 5 of 11 centers. All responders declared their interest in the Lombardy multicenter collaboration on bladder preservation. CONCLUSIONS: Our survey showed that bladder preservation is rarely used in Lombardy despite the availability of the latest radiotherapy technologies and the presence of an urology tumor board in half of the centers. The initiative of multicenter and multidisciplinary collaboration was undertaken to prepare the platform for bladder preservation as a treatment option in selected patients.

Penile prosthesis surgery in out-patient setting: Effectiveness and costs in the "spending review" era.

INTRODUCTION: Penile implant patients are required to remain in the hospital after the operation for monitoring, antibiotic and analgesia administration. Cost containment, however, has resulted in the increased use of ambulatory surgery settings for many surgical procedures. Few studies have studied the feasibility of performing penile prosthesis insertion in an outpatient setting. The results are controversial and nowadays, in the most of centers that deal with prosthetic surgery, patients are still hospitalized. AIM: The aim of our investigation was to compare the feasibility of the performance as well as the complication profiles of penile implant surgery performed in an in-patient and an outpatient setting at a single center by a single surgeon. METHODS: From January 2009 to June 2014, 50 patients of the same uro-andrological unit underwent penile prosthesis implantation performed by a single surgeon (N.M.). Twenty implantations were performed in an ambulatory day surgery setting. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Effectiveness and costs of outpatient setting versus the in-patient setting of the penile prosthesis surgery. RESULTS: There were some differences between the two groups in the intra-operative parameters, such as, operating time. Time lost from work was similar in both groups approximating 14 days. The mean number of analgesic pills ingested by the patients post-operatively was similar in both groups, averaging just under 25 pills per patient. There weren't post-operative complications in the outpatient group. Cost were 17% less in outpatient clinic. CONCLUSIONS: The outpatient setting for this surgery is safe and effective even in patients with comorbidities or in case of secondary procedures. Costs are reduced by 17%.

Concomitant platinum-based chemotherapy or cetuximab with radiotherapy for locally advanced head and neck cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies.

The combinations of radiotherapy (RT) plus chemotherapy (CTRT) with cisplatin or, alternatively, RT plus cetuximab (RT+CET), are the treatments of choice for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies reporting the efficacy of these 2 combined modality therapies for the treatment of locoregionally advanced HNSCC. We performed a systematic search of PUBMED, EMBASE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials. Meta-analysis was performed using the fixed- or random-effects models. The primary endpoints were 2-year overall survival (OS), 2-year progression-free survival (PFS), and 2-year locoregional relapse (LRR), reported as risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Fifteen trials, including a total of 1808 patients, were analysed. Three of these trials were prospective, and 12 were retrospective. Overall, for locally advanced HNSCC, concomitant CTRT significantly improved 2-year OS (RR=0.66; 95% CI, 0.46-0.94; P=0.02), 2-year PFS (RR=0.68; 95% CI, 0.53-0.87; P=0.002), and 2-year LRR (RR=0.63; 95% CI, 0.45-0.87; P=0.005) compared to RT+CET. For the treatment of locally advanced HNSCC, platinum-based CTRT is associated with a better OS and PFS compared to RT+CET, and this is probably attributed to improved locoregional disease control. Thus, platinum-based CTRT should remain the standard of care until equivalence with RT+CET can be prospectively demonstrated.

Radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy in high-risk prostate cancer: a systematic review and metaanalysis.

BACKGROUND: Radical prostatectomy (RP) is one of the treatment options for localized, high-risk prostate cancer (PC), but it has never been compared with external beam radiotherapy (RT), which is an alternative approach, in a large randomized trial. To compare the outcomes of patients treated with surgery versus RT, we performed a metaanalysis of available studies on this topic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) for randomized or observational studies that investigated overall survival (OS) and PC-specific mortality (PCSM) risks in relation to use of surgery or RT in patients with high-risk PC. Fixed- and random-effect models were fitted to estimate the summary odds ratio (OR). Between-study heterogeneity was tested using χ(2) statistics and measured using the I(2) statistic. Publication bias was evaluated using a funnel plot and Egger regression asymmetry test. RESULTS: Seventeen studies were included (1 randomized and 16 retrospective). RP was associated with improved OS (OR, 0.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38-0.68; P < .00001), PCSM (OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.37-0.85; P = .007), and non-PCSM (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.35-0.8; P = .002) compared with RT. Biochemical relapse-free survival rates were similar to those of RT. CONCLUSION: Overall and cancer-specific mortality rates appear to be better with RP compared with RT in localized, high-risk PC. Surgery is also associated with a 50% decreased risk of non-PCSM compared with RT.

Predictive value of human papillomavirus in oropharyngeal carcinoma treated with radiotherapy: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of 30 trials.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus-positive (HPV+) oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is emerging as a different subtype of head and neck cancer. The authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the predictive role of HPV in patients with OSCC treated with radiotherapy-based modality therapy. METHODS: The authors performed a PubMed search to identify published trials that evaluated the outcome of HPV+ OSCC treated with radiotherapy. Hazard ratios (HRs) were extracted and pooled by using random or fixed effects models. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival, (DSS), and disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: Thirty trials were available for HPV analysis. HPV+ status is associated with better OS (HR = 0.33; p < .00001), DSS (HR = 0.24; p < .00001), and DFS (HR = 0.31; p < .00001). CONCLUSION: HPV+ OSCC has a better survival compared to HPV-negative disease when treated with radiotherapy-based modality therapy.

Infected congenital urethral diverticulum manifested as a scrotal mass in an adult male: case report and review of the literature.

Congenital anterior urethral diverticula in adult males are infrequent urological diseases. Clinical manifestation is frequently described with irritative and/or obstructive voiding symptoms or ventral bulging, but manifestation as a scrotal mass is extremely rare. Diagnostic imaging is useful to correctly diagnose the above in the majority of cases. We report the first case of a urethral diverticulum in which neither clinical nor instrumental evaluations were performed to confirm the diagnosis of urethral diverticulum. We stress the importance of a surgical approach in evaluating scrotal mass if diagnostic imaging cannot confirm an exact diagnosis. A complete review of the literature was also carried out.

Ureteral endometriosis: an unusual case of a pelvic mass arising in the ureter and involving the rectum and uterine cervix.

The case of a 41-year-old woman with a pelvic mass arising in the left ureter is reported. The diagnosis of endometriosis was made on transperineal biopsy exclusively. After unsuccessful treatment with LH-RH analogues, the patient underwent ureteral resection and ureteroneocystostomy. At six months' follow-up, she is asymptomatic with no evidence of hydronephrosis.