Should obesity be associated with worse urinary continence outcomes after robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy? a propensity score matching analysis

ABSTRACT Purpose: To analyze the association between obesity and urinary incontinence rate in men submitted to robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) in a high-volume cancer center. Materials and Methods: We reported 1.077 men who underwent RARP as the primary treatment for localized prostate cancer from 2013 to 2017. Patients were classified as non-obese (normal BMI or overweight) or obese men (BMI ≥30kg/m2). They were grouped according to the age, PSA level, D'Amico risk group, Gleason score, ASA classification, pathological stage, prostate volume, salvage/adjuvant radiotherapy, perioperative complications, and follow-up time. Urinary continence was defined as the use of no pads. For the analysis of long-term urinary continence recovery, we conducted a 1:1 propensity-score matching to control confounders. Results: Among the obese patients, mean BMI was 32.8kg/m2, ranging 30 - 45.7kg/m2. Only 2% was morbidly obese. Obese presented more comorbidities and larger prostates. Median follow-up time was 15 months for the obese. Complications classified as Clavien ≥3 were reported in 5.6% of the obese and in 4.4% of the non-obese men (p=0.423). Median time for continence recovery was 4 months in both groups. In this analysis, HR was 0.989 for urinary continence recovery in obese (95%CI=0.789 - 1.240; p=0.927). Conclusions: Obese can safely undergo RARP with similar continence outcomes comparing to the non-obese men when performed by surgeons with a standardized operative technique. Future studies should perform a subgroup analysis regarding the association of obesity with other comorbidities, intending to optimize patient counseling.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Prostate Cancer Screening in Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies among men worldwide. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening shows uncertain benefits and harms from clinical and economic perspectives, resulting in an important impact on healthcare systems. Because of nonstandardized studies and substantial differences among populations, data are still inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to carry out long-term cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis on the PSA-screened population from the service provider's perspective in the Brazilian population. METHODS: We performed a cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis using clinical outcomes obtained from 9692 men enrolled in the PSA screening program. Prostate cancer treatments, 5-year follow-up outcomes, and all related costs were examined. Data were compared with a nonscreened prostate cancer population to calculate incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR). ICER and ICUR were compared with the Brazilian-established willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold (WTP = R$ 114 026.55). RESULTS: A total of 251 of 9692 men had a diagnosis of prostate cancer (2.6%), of which 90% had localized disease. Two hundred and five patients were treated as follows: surgery (45.37%); radiation therapy (11.22%); radiation plus androgen deprivation therapy (21.95%); active surveillance (13.17%); exclusive androgen deprivation therapy (7.32%); and watchful waiting (0.98%). Two simulated cohorts were compared based on screening and nonscreening groups. Values obtained were-ICER of R$ 44 491.39 per life saved and ICUR of R$ 10 851.56 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained-below the Brazilian WTP threshold and showed cost-effectiveness and cost-utility advantages. CONCLUSION: According to the Brazilian WTP, PSA screening is a cost-effective policy from a hospital and long-term perspective and should have more standardized studies developed in different populations and economies.

Prostate Cancer Screening in Brazil: a single center experience in the public health system

ABSTRACT Purpose: Incidence and mortality of prostate cancer (PCa) are still increasing in developing countries. Limited access to the health system or more aggressive disease are potential reasons for this. Ethnic and social differences in developed countries seem to make inappropriate to extrapolate data from other centers. We aim to report the epidemiological profile of a PSA-screened population from a cancer center in Brazil. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively selected 9.692 men enrolled in a PCa prevention program, comprising total PSA level and digital rectal examination at the first appointment, associated with complementary tests when necessary. Men aged over 40 years-old were included after shared decision-making process. Prostate biopsy (TRUS) was performed when clinically suspected for PCa. After the diagnosis, patients underwent appropriate treatment. Results: TRUS was performed in 5.5% of men and PCa incidence was 2.6%. Overall ratio between number of patients who needed to be screened in order to diagnose one cancer was 38.9 patients, with 2.1 biopsies performed to diagnose a cancer. Positive predictive value (PPV) of TRUS biopsy in this strategy was 47.2%, varying from 38.5% (<50 years-old) to 60% (>80 years-old). We evidenced 70 patients (27.9%) classified as low risk tumors, 74 (29.5%) as intermediate risk, and 107 (42.6%) as high-risk disease. Conclusions: PSA-screening remains controversial in literature. In front of a huge miscegenated people and considering the big proportion of high-risk PCa, even in young men diagnosed with the disease, it is imperative to inform patients and health providers about these data particularities in Brazil.

Comparative Analysis of Functional Outcomes Between Two Different Techniques After 1088 Robotic-Assisted Radical Prostatectomies in a High-Volume Cancer Center: A Clipless Approach.

Introduction: Robotic-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy (RARP) has largely replaced the open technique worldwide as the first surgical modality for prostate cancer. We aim at describing the experience of RARP at a high-volume single cancer center, proposing a modified technique of nerve-sparing prostatectomy and comparing functional outcomes throughout our experience. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 1088 patients divided into group 1 (operated from May 2013 to November 2014), submitted to the standard transperitoneal robotic technique, and group 2 (operated from December 2014 to December 2017), submitted to extraperitoneal RARP with complete anterior peri-prostatic preservation technique and a clipless approach (no use of clips and cautious use of bipolar energy). We constructed a retrospective 1:2 matched-pair analysis considering age, body mass index, D'Amico risk classification, and American Society of Anesthesiologists classification as matching criteria. Univariate and multivariate Cox logistic regression analysis were used to identify predictors related to recovery of continence and erectile function. Results: Groups were comparable by clinical and demographic variables. There was no significant difference in overall continence rate. Mean time for continence recovery was 6.6 months in group 1 and 5.8 months in group 2. Erectile function recovery, with or without drugs, in 12 months was described in 53.5% in group 1 and 75% in group 2. Potency recovery was significantly earlier in group 2. Conclusions: In our experience, extraperitoneal RARP with complete anterior peri-prostatic preservation and a clipless approach is a feasible and reproducible technique. It demonstrated improved erectile function recovery and similar continence results. Prospective multicenter studies are needed to validate these results.

Análise da custo-efetividade do rastreamento e das modalidades terapêuticas do câncer de próstata / Cost-effectiveness analysis of prostate cancer screening and therapeutic modalities

O câncer de próstata é a segunda neoplasia maligna mais comum no mundo. Apesar do emprego do rastreamento populacional com o uso do PSA (Prostate specific antigen) ter proporcionado diminuição na mortalidade pela doença, sua validade tem sido questionada em alguns grandes estudos. A da falta de políticas de prevenção efetivas e de dados brasileiros sobre o comportamento do câncer de próstata desfavorecem a análise sobre a realidade dessa população. As opções terapêuticas curativas para o câncer de próstata em seus estágios iniciais incluem a prostatectomia radical, radioterapia, ablação prostática com ultrassom de alta frequência (HIFU), todas elas relacionadas a complicações e sequelas funcionais, as quais podem ser diminuídas com o uso de técnicas minimamente invasivas, porém acarretando impacto no aumento de custos das fontes pagadoras. O presente estudo analisa a relação custoefetividade de um programa de rastreamento populacional de câncer de próstata na cidade de São Paulo (SP ­ Brasil), bem como custo-efetividade das cirurgias (aberta e robótica); a relação de custo minimização entre radioterapia e terapia ablativa (HIFU), e os custos de hormonioterapia, quimioterapia e outras terapias sistêmicas paliativas realizadas no A.C.Camargo Cancer Center entre os anos de 2013 e 2018. A análise dos resultados demonstrou que o rastreamento populacional e a prostatectomia radical robótica são custo-efetivas em relação ao não rastreamento e à prostatectomia aberta, segundo os padrões de cálculo estabelecidos pela OMS (AU)

Prostate cancer is the second most common malignancy in the world. Despite of prostate specific antigen (PSA) based population screening had shown mortality reduction, its validity has been questioned in some large studies. The lack of effective Brazilian prevention policies and data on prostate cancer behavior undermine a population's reality analysis. Curative treatment options for initial prostate cancer include radical prostatectomy, radiotherapy and high frequency ultrasound prostate ablation (HIFU), all of them related to complications and functional sequelae, which can be diminished by using minimally invasive techniques, however, affecting the rising costs of paying sources. This study analyzes the cost-effectiveness of a prostate cancer population screening program in the city of São Paulo (SP - Brazil), as well as the cost-effectiveness of surgeries (open and robotic approaches); a minimized-cost relationship between radiotherapy and ablative therapy (HIFU), and general costs of hormone therapy, chemotherapy and other palliative systemic therapies performed at the A.C.Camargo Cancer Center between 2013 and 2018. Results demonstrated that PSA based population screening and Robotic radical prostatectomy are cost-effective compared to not-screening population and open prostatectomy, according to WHO calculation standards (AU)