The oncologic risk of magnetic resonance imaging-targeted and systematic cores in patients treated with radical prostatectomy.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-targeted prostate biopsy (MRI-biopsy) detects high-Grade Group (GG) prostate cancers not identified by systematic biopsy (S-biopsy). However, questions have been raised whether cancers detected by MRI-biopsy and S-biopsy, grade-for-grade, are of equivalent oncologic risk. The authors evaluated the relative oncologic risk of GG diagnosed by S-biopsy and MRI-biopsy. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of all patients who had both MRI-biopsy and S-biopsy and underwent with prostatectomy (2014-2022) at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Three logistic regression models were used with adverse pathology as the primary outcome (primary pattern 4, any pattern 5, seminal vesicle invasion, or lymph node involvement). The first model included the presurgery prostate-specific antigen level, the number of positive and negative S-biopsy cores, S-biopsy GG, and MRI-biopsy GG. The second model excluded MRI-biopsy GG to obtain the average risk based on S-biopsy GG. The third model excluded S-biopsy GG to obtain the risk based on MRI-biopsy GG. A secondary analysis using Cox regression evaluated the 12-month risk of biochemical recurrence. RESULTS: In total, 991 patients were identified, including 359 (36%) who had adverse pathology. MRI-biopsy GG influenced oncologic risk compared with S-biopsy GG alone (p < .001). However, if grade was discordant between biopsies, then the risk was intermediate between grades. For example, the average risk of advanced pathology for patients who had GG2 and GG3 on S-biopsy was 19% and 66%, respectively, but the average risk was 47% for patients who had GG2 on S-biopsy and patients who had GG3 on MRI-biopsy. The equivalent estimates for 12-month biochemical recurrence were 5.8%, 15%, and 10%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The current findings cast doubt on the practice of defining risk group based on the highest GG. Because treatment algorithms depend fundamentally on GG, further research is urgently required to assess the oncologic risk of prostate tumors depending on detection technique. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to help diagnose prostate cancer can help identify more high-grade cancers than using a systematic template biopsy alone. However, we do not know if high-grade cancers diagnosed with the help of an MRI are as dangerous to the patient as high-grade cancers diagnosed with a systematic biopsy. We examined all of our patients who had an MRI biopsy and a systematic biopsy and then had their prostates removed to find out if these patients had risk factors and signs of aggressive cancer (cancer that spread outside the prostate or was very high grade). We found that, if there was a difference in grade between the systematic biopsy and the MRI-targeted biopsy, the risk of aggressive cancer was between the two grades.

Immune Deficiency Does Not Increase Inflatable Penile Prosthesis Reoperation Rates.

INTRODUCTION: Immunocompromised patients are postulated to have higher rates of post-operative infection. We sought to determine if inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) reoperation rates (due to infection, erosion, device malfunction or patient dissatisfaction) are higher among immunocompromised men. METHODS: We analyzed men who underwent initial IPP insertion from 2000 to 2016 in the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database. Immunocompromised patients were propensity-score matched in a 1:3 fashion with immunocompetent patients. We estimated and compared reoperation rates (including removal, reoperation due to infection, revision, or replacement of an IPP after an index procedure) at 30 days, 90 days, 1 year and 3 years of follow up between immunocompromised men and controls by performing a Kaplan Meier analysis and Log-rank tests. Cox proportional hazards models were built to examine the overall association between immune deficient status and the risk of reoperation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Reoperation rate and time to reoperation after index IPP placement. RESULTS: A total of 245 immunocompromised patients who received an initial IPP between 2000 and 2016 were identified. After propensity score matching, we analyzed 235 immunocompromised men and 705 controls. There was no difference in overall reoperation rates between immunocompromised men and controls within any time period assessed (30 days, 90 days, 1 year, or 3 years). In our Cox proportional hazards model, the hazards of overall reoperation, removal, or revision/replacement (HR 1.11 [95% CI 0.74-1.67], HR 1.58 [95% CI 0.90-2.79)], and HR 0.83 [95% CI 0.47-1.45], respectively) were not significant different between immunocompromised men and controls. Reoperation due to infection was also not significantly different between immunocompromised and immunocompetent men (HR 2.06 [95% CI 0.97-4.40]). STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: This study is strengthened by its size as the largest cohort of immunocompromised men treated with IPP to date in the literature, but is limited by the retrospective nature of the database which may introduce selection bias and by the low event rate for IPP reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: Reoperation rates, including those due to infection, are not significantly different between immunocompromised men and immunocompetent controls. Therefore, immune status in appropriately selected candidates does not appear to place patients at substantially higher risk of explant or revision. Gaffney CD, Fainberg J, Aboukhshaba A, et al. Immune Deficiency Does Not Increase Inflatable Penile Prosthesis Reoperation Rates. J Sex Med 2021;18:1427-1433.

Association of Smoking and Death from Genitourinary Malignancies: Analysis of the National Longitudinal Mortality Study.

PURPOSE: We explored the association between tobacco use and genitourinary cancer specific survival in a contemporary, nationally representative sample of the United States civilian population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 493,282 participants in the National Longitudinal Mortality Study who provided detailed tobacco information from 1993 to 2005 were included in study. Our primary outcome was death from bladder, kidney or prostate cancer. Cause of death was determined from death certificates. Analyzed smoking parameters included smoking status at the time of the survey, age at the start of smoking and home smoking rules. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to assess associations of different smoking parameters with bladder, kidney and prostate cancer specific mortality. RESULTS: During a 5-year followup 5.6% of participants who had ever smoked died compared to 3.1% of those who had never smoked (p <0.0001). Of those who died of bladder, kidney and prostate cancer 62%, 58% and 62%, respectively, were ever smokers. On multivariable analysis ever smoking was associated with bladder and kidney cancer mortality (HR 1.92, 95% CI 1.25-2.97, and HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.01-2.34, respectively). Additionally, starting to smoke during teenage years and smoking at home were associated with bladder cancer specific mortality (HR 2.14, 95% CI 1.28-3.56 and HR 2.99, 95% CI 1.34-6.65) and kidney cancer specific mortality (HR 1.65, 95% CI 1.03-2.66 and HR 2.84, 95% CI 1.54-5.23, respectively). However, only everyday smoking was associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer mortality (HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.30-2.53). CONCLUSIONS: In a nationally representative study we confirmed the association between smoking intensity and mortality from genitourinary malignancies. Starting to smoke at a younger age and smoking at home conferred a significantly higher risk of death from bladder and kidney cancers.

What Is Underlying Resident Burnout in Urology and What Can Be Done to Address this?

Physician burnout-a constellation of depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, reduced feelings of personal attachment, and a low sense of accomplishment-is a term that has been around since the 1980s. Burnout rates among residents and fellows are higher than medical students, attending physicians, and age-matched college graduates, with rates ranging from 40-80% of trainees across subspecialties. Unfortunately, burnout among residents and trainees has been linked to lower scores on in-service examinations for internal medicine residents as well as poorer overall health and exercise habits. The purpose of this review is to quantify the extent of burnout among urology residents and examine effective techniques and measures to prevent burnout and practically what can be done to combat this growing epidemic.

Taking PI-QUAL beyond the prostate: Towards a standardized radiological image quality score (RI-QUAL).

PURPOSE: To compare the interreader agreement of a novel quality score, called the Radiological Image Quality Score (RI-QUAL), to a slighly modified version of the existing Prostate Imaging Quality (mPI-QUAL) score for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the prostate. METHODS: A total of 43 consecutive scans were evaluated by two subspecialized radiologists who assigned scores using both the RI-QUAL and mPI-QUAL methods. The interreader agreement was analyzed using three statistical methods: concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Cohen's kappa. Time needed to arrive at a quality judgment was measured and compared using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: The interreader agreement for RI-QUAL and mPI-QUAL scores was comparable, as evidenced by the high CCC (0.76 vs. 0.77, p = 0.93), ICC (0.86 vs. 0.87, p = 0.93), and moderate Cohen's kappa (0.61 vs. 0.64, p = 0.85) values. Moreover, RI-QUAL assessment was faster than mPI-QUAL (19 vs. 40 s, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: RI-QUAL is a new quality score that has comparable interreader agreement to the mPI-QUAL score, but with the potential to be applied to different MRI protocols and even different modalities. Like PI-QUAL, RI-QUAL may also facilitate communication about quality to referring physicians, as it provides a standardized and easily interpretable score. Further studies are warranted to validate the usefulness of RI-QUAL in larger patient cohorts and for other imaging modalities.

2022 Update on Prostate Cancer Epidemiology and Risk Factors-A Systematic Review.

CONTEXT: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Understanding the epidemiology and risk factors of the disease is paramount to improve primary and secondary prevention strategies. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review and summarize the current evidence on the descriptive epidemiology, large screening studies, diagnostic techniques, and risk factors of PCa. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: PCa incidence and mortality rates for 2020 were obtained from the GLOBOCAN database of the International Agency for Research on Cancer. A systematic search was performed in July 2022 using PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE biomedical databases. The review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022359728). EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Globally, PCa is the second most common cancer, with the highest incidence in North and South America, Europe, Australia, and the Caribbean. Risk factors include age, family history, and genetic predisposition. Additional factors may include smoking, diet, physical activity, specific medications, and occupational factors. As PCa screening has become more accepted, newer approaches such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and biomarkers have been implemented to identify patients who are likely to harbor significant tumors. Limitations of this review include the evidence being derived from meta-analyses of mostly retrospective studies. CONCLUSIONS: PCa remains the second most common cancer among men worldwide. PCa screening is gaining acceptance and will likely reduce PCa mortality at the cost of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Increasing use of MRI and biomarkers for the detection of PCa may mitigate some of the negative consequences of screening. PATIENT SUMMARY: Prostate cancer (PCa) remains the second most common cancer among men, and screening for PCa is likely to increase in the future. Improved diagnostic techniques can help reduce the number of men who need to be diagnosed and treated to save one life. Avoidable risk factors for PCa may include factors such as smoking, diet, physical activity, specific medications, and certain occupations.

Does neoadjuvant chemotherapy diminish the sex disparity in bladder cancer survival after radical cystectomy?

INTRODUCTION: Sex-specific survival disparities for bladder cancer outcomes after radical cystectomy (RC) have been demonstrated in several studies. However, these studies predate the widespread adoption of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). We evaluated the differences in sex-specific survival between patients who received NAC with those who did not, using a contemporary national outcomes database. METHODS: The National Cancer Data Base was queried from 2004 to 2015 to identify subjects who underwent RC. Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test was performed to compare all-cause mortality between men and women at each pathologic (p) TNM stage group: T1-4N0, N+ and M+ disease. Associations for all-cause mortality were identified using an adjusted Cox regression analysis, and our findings were confirmed with a subgroup analysis. RESULTS: A total of 9,835 subjects (7,483 men and 2,532 women) were included in the analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox regression analysis demonstrated female sex was not associated with worse overall survival compared to males (HR 0.947, 95%CI 0.852-1.053, P = 0.947) in the overall cohort. Stratified by pT stage and node positivity, worse overall survival was seen in women with pT4 disease who did not receive NAC compared to men (5-year OS 9.6% women vs. 15.2% men, P < 0.001), but no sex-specific difference was seen across all groups in patients who received NAC. Subgroup multivariable analysis showed that female sex conferred a survival disadvantage for pT4 (HR 1.369, P = 0.026) disease only in patients who did not receive NAC. CONCLUSIONS: In a contemporary cohort of subjects who underwent RC, administration of NAC narrows the sex survival-gap in advanced stage bladder cancer. Strategies to improve NAC usage in women should be adopted to overcome potential sex-specific differences such as delayed diagnosis, anatomic differences in higher stage disease, or altered tumor biology which may contribute to differences in oncologic outcomes.

A Novel Expert Coaching Model in Urology, Aimed at Accelerating the Learning Curve in Robotic Prostatectomy.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND: The surgical residency model assumes that upon completion, a surgeon is ready to practice and grow independently. However, many surgeons fail to improve after reaching proficiency, which in certain instances has correlated with worse clinical outcomes. Coaching addresses this problem and furthers surgeons' education post-residency. Currently, surgical coaching programs focus on medical students and residents, and have been shown to improve residents' and medical students' technical and non-technical abilities. Coaching programs also increase the accuracy of residents, fellows, and attendings in self-assessing their surgical ability. Despite the potential benefits, coaching remains underutilized and poorly studied. We developed an expert-led, face-to-face, video-based surgical coaching program at a tertiary medical center among specialized attending surgeons. Our goal was to evaluate the feasibility of such a program, measure surgeons' attitudes towards internal peer coaching, determine whether surgeons found the sessions valuable and educational, and to subjectively self-assess changes in operative technique. METHODS/MATERIALS: Surgeons who perform robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomies were chosen and grouped by number of cases completed: junior (<100 cases), intermediate (100-500 cases), and senior (>500 cases). Surgeons were scheduled for 3 1-hour coaching sessions 1-2 months apart (February-October 2019), meeting individually with the coach (PS), an expert Urologic Oncologist with thousands of cases of experience performing radical prostatectomy. He received training on coaching methodology prior to beginning the coaching program. Before each session, surgeons selected 1 of their recent intraoperative videos to review. During sessions, the coach led discussion on topics chosen by the surgeon (i.e. neurovascular bundle dissection, apical dissection, bladder neck); together, they developed goals to achieve before the next session. Subsequent sessions included presentation and discussion of a case occurring subsequent to the prior session. Sessions were coded by discussion topics and analyzed based on level of experience. Surgeons completed a survey evaluating the experience. RESULTS: All 6 surgeons completed 3 sessions. Five surgeons completed the survey; most respondents evaluated themselves as having improved in desired areas and feeling more confident performing the discussed steps of the operation. Discussed surgical principles varied by experience group; when subjectively quantifying the difficulty of surgical steps, the more difficult steps were discussed by the higher experience groups compared to the junior surgeons. The senior surgeons also focused more on oncologic potency, continence outcomes, and more theory-driven questions while the junior surgeons tended to focus more on anatomic and technique-based questions such as tissue handling and the use of cautery and clips. Overall, the surgeons thought this program provoked critical discussion and subsequently modified their technique, and "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that they would seek further sessions. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical coaching at a large medical center is not only feasible but was rated positively by surgeons across all levels of experience. Coaching led to subjective self-improvement and increased self-confidence among most surgeons. Surgeons also felt that this program offered a safe space to acquire new skills and think critically after finishing residency/fellowship. Themes discussed and takeaways from the sessions varied based on surgeon experience level. While further research is needed to more objectively quantify the impact coaching has on surgeon metrics and patient outcomes, the results of this study supports the initial "proof-of-concept" of peer-based surgical coaching and its potential benefits in accelerating the learning curve for surgeons' post-residency.

Outcome of penile lengthening of adolescents and young adults born with bladder exstrophy and epispadias.

BACKGROUND: The decreased penile length in patients born with BE results partly from pubic symphysis diastasis and the separation of the corporal bodies, which causes a shortened penis as the corporal length is lost in traversing the distance between the pubic rami. However, in some cases there is an intrinsic penile abnormality and dorsal chordee. Furthermore, multiple surgeries has in some cases, resulted in cutaneous and subcutaneous scarring, which contributed to the problem of the short phallus and dorsal tethering to the abdominal wall (figure). OBJECTIVE: Herein we evaluated the outcome of penile lengthening, repair of penile upward tethering to the abdominal wall and dorsal curvature in males born with bladder exstrophy and epispadias (BEE). STUDY DESIGN: We reviewed the records of 34 patients (11-29 years old) born with BE (31pts.) and epispadias (3 pts.). The parents and/or the young men were referred because of their dissatisfaction with and complains of short penile length, and upward tethering/chordee. The penile lengthening was achieved by detaching the corporal bodies from the pubic rami and suturing the corporal bodies as reported by Johnston (figure) However, in 11 patients who had had multiple surgeries the periosteum was incised and the corporal dissection was performed subperiosteally to protect the erectile tissues. In 16 pts dermal grafts of the dorsal corporal wall was performed to correct the dorsal curvature. 13 patients underwent single stage augmentation urethroplasty. RESULTS: Surgical complications were encountered in 4 pts (11.7%). Subjective evaluation by the patient and/or parents reported satisfactory and/or very satisfactory results in 31/34 (91%). The degree of penile lengthening measured at 6 months and one year postoperatively showed increased length which varied between 50% and 150% of the preoperative penile length. CONCLUSIONS: As children born with BEE transition to adolescence and adulthood, the external genitalia acquire greater importance. The short phallus and/or dorsal chordee and/or upwards tethering can be corrected successfully in the majority of patients.

A systematic review of outcomes after thermal and nonthermal partial prostate ablation.

We sought to compare oncologic and functional outcomes between thermal and nonthermal energy partial gland ablation (PGA) modalities. We conducted comprehensive, structured literature searches, and 39 papers, abstracts, and presentations met the inclusion criteria of pre-PGA magnetic resonance imaging, oncologic outcomes of at least 6 months, and systematic biopsies after PGA. Twenty-six studies used thermal ablation: high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), cryotherapy, focal laser ablation, or radiofrequency ablation. In-field recurrence rates ranged from 0 to 36% for HIFU, 6 to 24% for cryotherapy, 4 to 50% for focal laser ablation, and 20 to 25% for radiofrequency ablation. Twelve studies used nonthermal technologies of focal brachytherapy, vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy, or irreversible electroporation. Focal brachytherapy had the lowest reported failure rate of 8%, vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy had >30% positive in-field biopsies, and irreversible electroporation had in-field recurrence rates of 12-35%. PGA was well tolerated, and nearly all patients returned to baseline urinary function 12 months later. Most modalities caused transient decreases in erectile function. Persistent erectile dysfunction was highest in patients who underwent HIFU. Although oncologic outcomes vary between treatment modalities, systematic review of existing data demonstrates that PGA is a safe treatment option for patients with localized prostate cancer.

Defining the index lesion for potential salvage partial or hemi-gland ablation after radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Salvage partial gland ablation (sPGA) has been proposed to treat some localized radiorecurrent prostate cancer. The role of prostate biopsy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics to identify patients eligible for sPGA is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ability of MRI and prostate biopsy characteristics to identify an index lesion suitable for sPGA and validate this selection using detailed tumor maps created from whole-mount slides from salvage radical prostatectomy (sRP) specimens. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Men who underwent sRP for recurrent prostate cancer following primary radiotherapy with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and/or brachytherapy between 2000 and 2014 at a single high-volume cancer center were eligible. Those with tumor maps, MRI and biopsy data were included in analysis. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Primary outcome was the ability of clinicopathologic and imaging criteria to identify patients who may be eligible for sPGA based on detailed tumor map from whole-mount sRP slides. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Of 216 men who underwent sRP following whole gland radiotherapy, tumor maps, MRI, and biopsy data were available for 77. Of these, 15 (19%) were determined to be eligible for sPGA based on biopsy-proven unilateral disease in contiguous sextant segments, a dominant lesion on MRI concordant with biopsy location or no focal region of interest, and no imaging evidence of extraprostatic disease. Review of tumor maps identified 6 additional men who would have met criteria for sPGA, resulting in sensitivity of 71% (95% C.I. 48%-89%) and specificity of 100% (lower bound of 95% C.I. 94%). None of the 15 men who met the criteria for sPGA on clinical data were identified incorrectly on tumor maps to require full gland surgery (upper bound of 95% C.I. 22%). Median tumor volume of the index lesion was 0.4 cc and recurrent cancer was noted in the apex, mid-gland, and base in 81%, 100%, and 29% of men. CONCLUSIONS: In men with recurrent prostate cancer after radiotherapy, biopsy findings and MRI can be used to select index lesions potentially amenable for sPGA and can guide patient evaluation for inclusion in clinical trials of sPGA following radiation failure. Larger, prospective studies are required to evaluate both the role of MRI and clinical criteria in guiding focal salvage therapy and the effectiveness of this modality for radiorecurrent prostate cancer.

Survival Outcomes in Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for High-grade Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: A Nationally Representative Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) on survival outcomes in a contemporary cohort of patients with in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). METHODS: The National Cancer Database was queried from 2004 to 2015 to identify subjects who underwent nephroureterectomy for UTUC. Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test was performed to compare all-cause mortality between patients who received preoperative chemotherapy to those who did not at each pathologic (p) TNM stage group: T1-4N0, N+, and M+ disease. Associations for all-cause mortality were identified using an adjusted Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 10,315 chemoeligible subjects were included in the analysis. A total of 296 (2.9%) of patients received NAC prior to NU. Kaplan-Meier survival curves of the entire cohort demonstrated an overall survival advantage associated with administration of NAC (P = .017). Stratified by clinical staging, subjects with nonorgan-confined tumors had improved overall survival outcomes with NAC administration (P = .012). On multivariate analysis there was a statistically significant improvement in overall survival between in patients who received NAC. Of patients in the preoperative chemotherapy group who had clinically nonorgan-confined disease, 27.1% had organ-confined disease at time of surgery compared to 1.4% of those who underwent surgery as initial therapy. CONCLUSION: In a contemporary cohort of subjects who underwent nephroureterectomy for UTUC, administration of NAC in patients with high-grade nonorgan-confined disease led to higher rates of pathologic downstaging and was associated with improved overall survival.

Role of Changes in Magnetic Resonance Imaging or Clinical Stage in Evaluation of Disease Progression for Men with Prostate Cancer on Active Surveillance.

BACKGROUND: Active surveillance (AS) protocols rely on rectal examination, prostate-specific antigen, imaging, and biopsy to identify disease progression. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether an AS regimen based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or clinical stage changes can detect reclassification to grade group (GG) ≥2 disease compared with scheduled systematic biopsies. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We identified a cohort of men initiated on AS between January 2013 and April 2016 at a single tertiary-care center. Patients completed confirmatory testing and prostate MRI prior to enrollment, then underwent laboratory and physical evaluation every 6 mo, MRI every 18 mo, and biopsy every 3yr. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: MRI results were evaluated using composite Likert/Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System v2 scoring. MRI and clinical changes were assessed for association with disease progression. Univariable and multivariable regression models were used to predict upgrading on 3-yr biopsy. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: At 3yr, of 207 men, 66 (32%) had≥GG2 at biopsy: 55 (83%) with GG2, 10 (15%) with GG3, and one (1.5%) with GG4. Among patients with a 3-yr MRI score of ≥3, 41% had≥GG2 disease, compared with 15% with an MRI score of <3 (p=0.0002). The MRI score increased in 48 men (23%), decreased in 27 (13%), and was unchanged in 132 (64%) men. Increases in MRI score were not associated with reclassification after adjusting for the 3-yr MRI score (p=0.9). Biopsying only for an increased MRI score or clinical stage would avoid 681 biopsies per 1000 men, at the cost of missing ≥GG2 disease in 169 patients. CONCLUSIONS: An AS strategy that uses MRI or clinical changes to trigger prostate biopsy avoids many biopsies but misses an unacceptable amount of clinically significant disease. Prostate biopsy for men on AS should be performed at scheduled intervals, regardless of stable imaging or examination findings. PATIENT SUMMARY: An active surveillance strategy for biopsy based only on increases in magnetic resonance imaging score or clinical stage will avoid many biopsies; however, it will miss many patients with clinically significant prostate cancer.

Patient-reported pain, discomfort, and anxiety during magnetic resonance imaging-targeted prostate biopsy.

INTRODUCTION: The addition of targeted prostate biopsy to systemic biopsy impacts patient experience. We examined patient-reported pain, discomfort, anxiety, and tolerability among men undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-targeted prostate biopsy in addition to transrectal ultrasound-guided systematic biopsy compared to those undergoing systematic biopsy alone. METHODS: All patients underwent transrectal systematic 14-core biopsies. Patients with regions of interest on MRI underwent additional targeted biopsies. All patients received equivalent periprostatic nerve block. Four single-item, standard, 11-point numerical rating scales evaluating pain, discomfort, anxiety, and tolerability were completed immediately after biopsy. Differences in means were compared using t-tests. Correlation between rated domains was tested using Spearman's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Of 273 consecutive patients, 195 (71%) underwent targeted biopsy and 188 (69%) had undergone prior biopsy. In all men, the median score for pain and tolerability was 3, while the median score for discomfort and anxiety was 4. Pain was rated at 7 or above by 15% of patients. Moderate correlation between pain, discomfort, anxiety, and tolerability of repeat biopsy was observed (Spearman's ρ between 0.48 and 0.76). Compared to patients undergoing systematic biopsy alone, men who received both targeted and systematic biopsies reported higher anxiety scores (difference 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.4-2.0; p=0.004) and discomfort (difference 1.0; 95% CI 0.3-1.7; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing targeted and systematic biopsies report more discomfort and anxiety than patients undergoing systematic biopsies alone. Absolute differences are small, and patients are willing to undergo repeat biopsy if advised. Interventions to reduce biopsy-related anxiety are needed.

Recent advances in understanding and managing male infertility.

Infertility is a prevalent condition affecting an estimated 70 million people globally. The World Health Organization estimates that 9% of couples worldwide struggle with fertility issues and that male factor contributes to 50% of the issues. Male infertility has a variety of causes, ranging from genetic mutations to lifestyle choices to medical illnesses or medications. Recent studies examining DNA fragmentation, capacitation, and advanced paternal age have shed light on previously unknown topics. The role of conventional male reproductive surgeries aimed at improving or addressing male factor infertility, such as varicocelectomy and testicular sperm extraction, have recently been studied in an attempt to expand their narrow indications. Despite advances in the understanding of male infertility, idiopathic sperm abnormalities still account for about 30% of male infertility. With current and future efforts examining the molecular and genetic factors responsible for spermatogenesis and fertilization, we may be better able to understand etiologies of male factor infertility and thus improve outcomes for our patients.

Fertility management of Klinefelter syndrome.

Introduction: Klinefelter syndrome (KS) represents the most common chromosomal abnormality in the general population, and one of the most common genetic etiologies of nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) and in severe oligospermia. Once considered untreatable, men with KS and NOA now have a variety of treatment options to obtain paternity.Areas covered: The cornerstone of treatment for both KS and NOA patients remains the surgical retrieval of viable sperm, which can be used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection to obtain pregnancy. Although the field has advanced significantly since the early 1990s, approximately half of men with KS will ultimately fail fertility treatments. Presented is a critical review of the available evidence that has attempted to identify predictive factors for successful sperm recovery. To optimize surgical success, a variety of treatment modalities have also been suggested and evaluated, including hormonal manipulation and timing of retrieval.Expert opinion: Individuals with KS have a relatively good prognosis for sperm recovery compared to other men with idiopathic NOA. Surgical success is heavily dependent upon surgical technique and the experience of the andrology/embryology team tasked with the identification and use of testicular sperm.

Validation of risk factors for recurrence of renal cell carcinoma: Results from a large single-institution series.

PURPOSE: To validate prognostic factors and determine the impact of obesity, hypertension, smoking and diabetes mellitus (DM) on risk of recurrence after surgery in patients with localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study among patients that underwent partial or radical nephrectomy at Weill Cornell Medicine for RCC and collected preoperative information on RCC risk factors, as well as pathological data. Cases were reviewed for radiographic evidence of RCC recurrence. A Cox proportional-hazards model was developed to determine the contribution of RCC risk factors to recurrence risk. Disease-free survival and overall survival were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. RESULTS: We identified 873 patients who underwent surgery for RCC between the years 2000-2015. In total 115 patients (13.2%) experienced a disease recurrence after a median follow up of 4.9 years. In multivariate analysis, increasing pathological T-stage (HR 1.429, 95% CI 1.265-1.614) and Nuclear grade (HR 2.376, 95% CI 1.734-3.255) were independently associated with RCC recurrence. In patients with T1-2 tumors, DM was identified as an additional independent risk factor for RCC recurrence (HR 2.744, 95% CI 1.343-5.605). Patients with DM had a significantly shorter median disease-free survival (1.5 years versus 2.6 years, p = 0.004), as well as median overall survival (4.1 years, versus 5.8 years, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We validated high pathological T-stage and nuclear grade as independent risk factors for RCC recurrence following nephrectomy. DM is associated with an increased risk of recurrence among patients with early stage disease.