Clinical Significance of Neoadjuvant Combined Androgen Blockade for More Than Six Months in Patients with Localized Prostate Cancer Treated with Prostate Brachytherapy.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to clarify the clinical significance of neoadjuvant combined androgen blockade (CAB) for ≥ 6 months in patients with localized prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 431 patients with localized prostate cancer who underwent prostate brachytherapy (BT) with or without neoadjuvant CAB for ≥ 6 months with mean follow-up time of 64.6 months (range 24-108 months) were evaluated retrospectively. Of those 431, 232 patients received BT in combination with neoadjuvant CAB for ≥ 6 months. Biochemical recurrence-free rates (BRFRs) in 364 patients with at least 3 years of follow-up were evaluated by log-rank test. RESULTS: BRFR in patients with low-, intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer were 98.1, 94.2 and 89.1%, respectively. In patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer only, neoadjuvant CAB was significantly associated with BRFR (p = 0.0468). Especially in patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer with radiation dose received by 90% of the prostate (D90) < 180 Gy, neoadjuvant CAB exerted a favorable impact on BRFR (p = 0.0429). On multivariate analyses, neoadjuvant CAB and D90 were independent predictors of BRFR (p = 0.0061 and p < 0.0001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Neoadjuvant CAB for ≥ 6 months has a favorable impact on BRFR in patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer, particularly in patients with relatively low radiation doses of D90.

[Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer with multiple bone metastasis without local invasion : a case report].

A 66-year-old man with superficial bladder cancer was treated with transurethral resection (TURBT) in October 2011. The pathological diagnosis was urothelial carcinoma (UC), grade 2, T1. A second TURBT was performed one month later. The pathological diagnosis was UC, grade 3, T1. He was treated with intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) after TURBT. His progress was satisfactory, but a small superficial bladder cancer was found on cystoscopy in August 2012. He was going to be treated with TURBT, but the serum alkaline phosphatase level was abnormally high on preoperative evaluation. Bone scintigraphy showed multiple bone metastases from non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) without local invasion. He was started on combined chemotherapy with 1,000 mg/m2 gemcitabine on days 1, 8 and 15 and 70 mg/m2 cisplatin on day 2 every four weeks. He received denosumab for multiple bone metastases at the same time. Although he subsequently developed severe hypocalcemia, treatment was continued, and he completed four courses of chemotherapy. Bone scintigraphy and contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed reduction of the multiple bone metastases, and alkaline phosphatase decreased to the normal range. It is rare for NMIBC without local invasion to metastasize to other organs. Thus, it is necessary to consider distant metastases in patients with NMIBC.

[Adrenal cortical adenoma with increased uptake of 18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose on PET/CT suspected as an adrenal metastasis from the cervical cancer : a case report].

A 61-year-old woman was referred to our department with a diagnosis of left solitary adrenal metastasis from cervical cancer in September 2011. She presented with postmenopausal bleeding in September 2010. The patient received seven courses of paclitaxel (175 mg/m2) and carboplatin (6 mg/GFR＋25) for stage IV cervical cancer with paraaortic, bilateral common iliac, mediastinal lymph node metastases and left adrenal metastasis from October 2010 to April 2011. Paraaortic radiation (50.4 Gy) was subsequently administered from May 2011 to July 2011. Abdominal nonenhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed a left 26×21 mm adrenal mass with regular margins (attenuation values 53 HU). On enhanced CT, the mass showed heterogeneous enhancement. F fluoro-2-deoxy D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/CT images showed moderately increased FDG-avid uptake in the left adrenal tumor which was high enough to be suspicious of malignant tumor (standardized uptake value max : SUVmax 6.8). There were no other foci of pathologic uptake of FDG in the whole body. The plasma endocrinological examinations was all normal. Left laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed. The final pathologic evaluation revealed adrenal cortical adenoma.

Sertoli cell tumor of the testis (not otherwise specified) with the expression of neuroendocrine markers and without the expression of inhibin-alpha.

Sertoli cell tumor of the testis (not otherwise specified) in a 43-year-old man is reported. Macroscopically, the testicular mass measured 3.0 x 2.3 x 1.5 cm and was well circumscribed. The cut surface was white to tan-gray in color. Neoplastic cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm proliferated with solid and tubular structures. Neoplastic cells focally contained vacuoles of various sizes in the cytoplasm. Cystic formation and cord formation in the hyalinized stroma was also observed. Immunohistochemically, neoplastic cells were positive for cytokeratin 8, chromogranin A and synaptophysin, but neoplastic cells were negative for placental alkaline phosphatase, inhibin-alpha and pancytokeratin. The stroma in the tumor center and capsule contained a significant number of myofibroblasts that were positive for alpha-smooth muscle actin and negative for h-caldesmon, but no CD34-positive stromal cells were detected in the stroma of the tumor center. Ultrastructurally, neoplastic cells had cytoplasmic processes and abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum and lipid droplets in the cytoplasm. However, dense core granules were absent. It is important to differentiate between Sertoli cell tumor and carcinoid tumor because of the positive reaction for neuroendocrine markers in both tumors. Myofibroblasts are a major stromal component of Sertoli cell tumor of the testis.