[Radical cystectomy as a muscle-invasive bladder cancer treatment in elderly patients]. / Cistectomía radical como tratamiento del cáncer vesical infiltrante en el paciente de edad avanzada.

INTRODUCTION: Radical cystectomy in elderly is a controversial issue that increases importance overtime because average life span is growing. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our work was to analize the differences about perioperative and later outcomes between ages of patients with muscle-invasive bladder neoplasm treated with radical cystectomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who underwent radical cystectomy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Two age groups were compared: < 70-years-old at time of cystectomy (n = 55) and > or = 70 years (n = 57). RESULTS: There was no difference between both age groups about: time of surgery, intraoperative complications (< 70 = 21,8%, > or = 70 = 31,6%), postoperative mortality (< 70 = 3,6%, > or = 70 = 8,8%), minor (< 70 = 18,2%, > or = 70 = 26,3%) and major medical postoperative complications (< 70 = 7,3%, > or = 70 = 8,8%), late outcomes as cancer-specific morby-mortality and actuarial overall survival stratified by patient age. The rate of major postoperative complications (< 70 = 23,6%, > or = 70 = 43,9%) as well as the mean length of hospital stay (< 70 = 10,2, > or = 70 = 15,2 days) differed significantly between the two age groups. Age and cardiovascular risk factors were independient predictive factors of mayor postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: Radical cystectomy could be performed in carefully selected elderly patients.

Cistectomía radical como tratamiento del cáncer vesical infiltrante en el paciente de edad avanzada / Radical cystectomy as a muscle-invasive bladder cancer treatment in elderly patients

Introducción: Realizar una cistectomía radical en ancianos con cáncer vesical infiltrante es un tema controvertido. Objetivo: El objetivo de nuestro trabajo ha sido determinar si existen diferencias significativas en cuanto a la morbimortalidad perioperatoria, complicaciones tardías, tiempo libre de enfermedad y supervivencia cáncer-específica en un grupo de pacientes ancianos con cáncer vesical infiltrante tratados mediante cistectomía radical, comparado al resto de pacientes de menor edad y analizar qué variables pudieron predecir la morbi-mortalidad perioperatoria. Material y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo de pacientes con cáncer vesical infiltrante tratados mediante cistectomía radical y derivación ileal. Se compararon 2 grupos: <70 años en el momento de la realización de la cistectomía (n=55) y≥70 años (n=57). Resultados: No hubo diferencias entre ambos grupos con respecto a: tiempo quirúrgico, complicaciones intraoperatorias (<70=21,8%, ≥70=31,6%), mortalidad postoperatoria (<70=3,6%, ≥70=8,8%), complicaciones postoperatorias menores(<70=18,2%, ≥70=26,3%) y médicas (<70=7,3%, ≥70=8,8%), eventos tardíos, periodo libre de enfermedad y supervivencia cáncer-específica. El porcentaje de complicaciones mayores (<70=23,6%, ≥70=43,9%) y la estancia hospitalaria (<70=10,2,≥70=15,2 días) difieren significativamente entre ambos grupos. La edad y los factores de riesgo cardiacos predicen de manera independiente la aparición de complicaciones postoperatorias mayores. Conclusiones: La cistectomía radical puede ser realizada en pacientes ancianos seleccionados adecuadamente (AU)

Introduction: Radical cystectomy in elderly is a controversial issue that increases importance overtime because average life span is growing. Objetive: The porpouse of our work was to analize the differences about perioperative and later outcomes between ages of patients with muscle-invasive bladder neoplasm treated with radical cystectomy. Material and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who underwent radical cystectomy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Two age groups were compared: <70 years old at time of cystectomy (n=55) and ≥70 years(n=57).Results: There was no difference between both age groups about: time of surgery, intraoperative complications (<70=21,8%,≥70=31,6%), postoperative mortality (<70=3,6%, ≥70=8,8%), minor (<70=18,2%, ≥70=26,3%) and major medical postoperative complications (<70=7,3%, ≥70=8,8%), late outcomes as cancer-specific morby-mortality and actuarial overall survival stratified by patient age. The rate of major postoperative complications (<70=23,6%, ≥70=43,9%) as well as the mean length of hospital stay (<70=10,2, ≥70=15,2 days) differed significantly between the two age groups. Age and cardiovascular risk factors were independient predictive factors of mayor postoperative complications. Conclusions: Radical cystectomy could be performed in carefully selected elderly patients (AU)

[Value of prostate-specific antigen density and transitional-zone prostate-specific antigen density in the diagnosis of prostate cancer]. / Valor de la densidad del antígeno prostático específico y de la densidad del antígeno prostático específico de la zona transicional en el diagnóstico del cáncer de próstata.

INTRODUCTION: With serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels of 4.1 to 10 ng/ml a significant number of patients are unnecessary subjected to biopsy. We try to determine if the calculation of prostate specific antigen density (PSAD) and prostate specific antigen density of the transition zone (PSADTZ) improve the capacity to discriminate between non-malignant disease and prostate cancer. METHODS: A prospective study including 314 males with PSA levels between 4.1 and 10 ng/ml is reported. Transrectal ultrasonography and prostatic biopsy were performed in all of them and total prostate and transition-zone volumes were calculated. PSA density and PSA density of the transition zone were calculated for each patient. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves for PSA, PSAD and PSADTZ were constructed for all the patients and for those patients with digital rectal examination unsuspicous of malignancy, determining the sensitivity and specificity for several cutoff values. RESULTS: The area under the curve for both, PSAD and PSADTZ, were greater than for PSA (p < 0.05), without any significant differences between PSADTZ and PSAD. The cutoff value of greatest diagnostic efficiency for PSAD was 0.17 ng/ml/cc (71.4% sensitivity and 55.7% specificity), while it was 0.41 ng/ml/cc for DPSATZ (70% sensitivity and 61.5% specificity). For those cases of normal digital rectal examination, no differences were observed between PSA and PSAD but they were between PSA and PSADTZ. In any event, the area under ROC curves was always less than 0.7, and, in order to avoid a large number of biopsies (high specificity), a large number of cancers are left without diagnosis (low sensitivity). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that PSAD and PSADTZ are not excessively useful for adequately discriminating between patients with prostate cancer and those with non-malignant disease, particularly when digital rectal examination is normal.

Valor de la densidad del antígeno prostático específico y de la densidad del antígeno prostático específico dela zona transicional en el diagnóstico del cáncer de próstata / Value of prostate specific antigen density and prostate specific antigen density of the transition zone for the diagnosis of prostate cancer

INTRODUCCIÓN: Cuando el antígeno prostático específico (PSA) sérico se encuentra entre 4,1 y 10 ng/ml un número importante de pacientes son sometidos a biopsia de forma innecesaria. Intentamos determinar si el cálculo de la densidad de PSA (DPSA) y la densidad de PSA de la zona de transición (DPSAZT) mejoran la capacidad del PSA para discriminar entre enfermedad benigna y cáncer. MÉTODOS: Estudio prospectivo en el que se incluyeron 314 varones con cifras de PSA entre 4,1 y 10 ng/ml. En todos ellos se realizó ecografía transrectal y biopsia prostática, calculando el volumen prostático y de la zona de transición. Se calculó la DPSA y la DPSAZT para cada paciente. Se realizaron curvas de rendimiento diagnóstico (ROC curves) para PSA, DPSA y DPSAZT para la totalidad de los pacientes y seleccionando aquellos con tacto rectal no sospechoso de malignidad. Se calculó sensibilidad y especificidad para diferentes puntos de corte para el DPSA y DPSAZT. RESULTADOS: Para la totalidad de la muestra, tanto DPSA como DPSAZT mostraron un área bajo la curva mayor que PSA (p<0,05), sin que se apreciasen diferencias entre DPSAZT y DPSA. El punto de corte con mayor eficiencia diagnóstica para DPSA fue de 0,17 ng/ml/cc (sensibilidad de 71,4 por ciento y especificidad de 55,7 por ciento) y para DPSAZT de 0,41 ng/ml/cc (sensibilidad 70 por ciento y especificidad de 61,5 por ciento). Cuando el tacto rectal era normal no se observaron diferencias entre PSA y DPSA y sí entre PSA y DPSAZT. En cualquier modo el área bajo la curva o exactitud fue siempre inferior al 70 por ciento y para evitar un número considerable de biopsias (alta especificidad) se dejan por diagnosticar un número considerable de cánceres (baja sensibilidad). CONCLUSIONES: Consideramos que la DPSA y DPSAZT no son métodos excesivamente útiles para discriminar adecuadamente entre pacientes con cáncer prostático y enfermedad benigna, especialmente cuando el tacto rectal es negativo (AU)

[Percentage of tumor in prostatic biopsy cylinders as prognosis factor of organ-limited disease in candidates for radical prostatectomy]. / El porcentaje de tumor en cilindros de biopsia prostática como factor pronóstico de enfermedad órganoconfinada en pacientes candidatos a prostatectomía radical.

UNLABELLED: The present study analyzes the prognostic influence of tumor percentage in cylinders of prostatic biopsy in this patient group. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study of 68 patients with a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma, clinical stage T1-T2 who had undergone a radical prostatectomy from May 1997 to october 2000. Following preoperative parameters were analyzed: age, PSA, clinical staging, Gleason and six cylinders of ultrasonography-leaded transrectal prostatic biopsy, studying the amount of positive biopsies, the tumor percentage of the total amount of biopsies and the maximum percentage of tumor in one cylinder. Univariate (square-Chi, Student t) and multivariate (multiple logistic regression) analysis are performed in order to study the relationship of these parameters with the presence or not of an organ-located disease. RESULTS: An organ-located disease was shown at 44 patients through the piece of radical prostatectomy. The univariate analysis gave all studied parameters, except age, a prognostic value of the existence or not of an organ-located disease. In the multivariate analysis only the total percentage of biopsy tumors (p = 0.0002) and PSA (p = 0.005) behaved as independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: Tumor percentage in prostatic biopsy seems to be a factor with a high predictive value of an organ-located disease, possibly because it is an index of tumoral volume.

El porcentaje de tumor en cilindros de biopsia prostática como factor pronóstico de enfermedad órganoconfinada en pacientes candidatos a prostatectomía radical / Tumor percentage in prostatic biopsy cylinders as a prognostic factor of organ-located disease in patients candidate to radical

En el presente estudio analizamos la influencia pronóstica del porcentaje de tumor en los cilindros de biopsia prostática en los pacientes candidatos a prostatectomía radical. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Estudio retrospectivo con 68 pacientes diagnosticados de carcinoma de próstata en estadio clínico T1-T2 sometidos a prostatectomía radical desde mayo de 1997 a octubre de 2000. Se analizan los siguientes parámetros preoperatorios: edad, PSA, estadio clínico, Gleason y 6 cilindros de biopsia prostática transrectal ecodirigida, estudiando el nº de biopsias positivas, el porcentaje de tumor en el total de biopsias y el porcentaje máximo de tumor en un cilindro. Se realiza análisis univariante (Chi-cuadrado, t de Student) y multivariante (regresión logística múltiple) para estudiar la relación de estos parámetros con la presencia o no de enfermedad organoconfinada. RESULTADOS: En 44 pacientes se comprobó enfermedad organoconfinada en la pieza de prostatectomía radical. En el análisis univariante todos los parámetros estudiados salvo la edad son factores que se asocian con la existencia o no de enfermedad organoconfinada. En el análisis multivariante únicamente el porcentaje total de tumor en las biopsias (p=0,0002) y el PSA (p=0,005) se comportaron como factores pronósticos independientes. CONCLUSIÓN: El porcentaje de tumor en los cilindros de biopsia prostática parece ser un factor con un alto valor predictivo de enfermedad órganoconfinada, probablemente por ser un índice del volumen tumoral (AU)

Prognostic factors for response to sildenafil in patients with erectile dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical efficacy of sildenafil as treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) the factors associated with treatment failure were investigated. METHODS: Open, prospective study including 244 patients suffering from ED who were evaluated by anamnesis, physical exploration, blood test, dynamic penile color duplex ultrasonography and Sexual Health Inventory for Male (SHIM). The efficacy of sildenafil was assessed by repeating the SHIM 2 months after therapy, independent of the final dose used. Side effects were also recorded. Factors influencing treatment outcome were evaluated by univariate and multivariate statistical analysis. RESULTS: Overall, sildenafil was effective in 56.8% of 213 eligible patients. When the etiologic diagnosis was not included in the multivariate analysis, antecedents of diabetes mellitus, non-nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy and SHIM basal score were selected as predictors of a poor response. In a second analysis including etiologic diagnosis, only SHIM basal score and etiological diagnosis proved to be of prognostic value. Side effects were noticed by 24.4% of patients, none of them being severe. CONCLUSIONS: Sildenafil is a rather effective and well-tolerated treatment for ED. The basal severity of ED and etiological diagnosis are the prognostic factors most significantly associated with treatment outcome.