Long-term women-reported quality of life after radical cystectomy and orthotopic ileal neobladder reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among long-term disease-free survivors in women who underwent radical cystectomy (RC) for urothelial carcinoma and orthotopic ileal neobladder (ONB) reconstruction, using validated patient-reported outcome instruments. METHODS: From 2000 to 2011, a total of 46 women with urothelial bladder carcinoma had RC and ONB at our institution; 31 (67 %) eligible women completed 3 validated questionnaires: the medical outcome study short form 12 (SF-12), the urinary symptom profile, and the Contilife, respectively evaluating general HRQoL, voiding function, and urinary incontinence specific HRQoL. Unadjusted analyses were performed to analyze standardized measures of HRQoL and voiding symptoms; p < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 5.7 years; 24 women (77 %) considered their health as good, very good, or excellent. The SF-12 physical and mental scores were not significantly different between the population study and the general population (p > 0.05). A total of 20 women (65 %) declared to be fully continent. Daytime incontinence, nighttime incontinence, and hypercontinence were reported by 26, 29, and 31 % of women, respectively. On unadjusted analysis, incontinence was associated with age > 65 years at the time of surgery (p < 0.001). Hypercontinence was not associated with any variable. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that in the setting of radical cystectomy in women, ileal neobladder reconstruction provides long-term satisfaction with maintained HRQoL. For properly selected women, orthotopic neobladder can be considered an appropriate diversion choice.

Cell-free tumor DNA in blood plasma as a marker for circulating tumor cells in prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: Circulating cell-free DNA in the blood of cancer patients harbors tumor-specific aberrations. Here, we investigated whether this DNA might also reflect the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTC). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: To identify the source of cell-free DNA in blood, plasma derived from 81 patients with prostate cancer was examined for CTCs and cell-free DNA. An epithelial immunospot assay was applied for detection of CTCs, and a PCR-based fluorescence microsatellite analysis with a panel of 14 polymorphic markers was used for detection of allelic imbalances (AI). RESULTS: The plasma DNA levels significantly correlated with the diagnosis subgroups of localized (stage M0, n = 69) and metastasized prostate cancer (stage M1, n = 12; P = 0.03) and with the tumor stage of these patients (P < 0.005). AI was found on cell-free DNA in plasma from 45.0% and 58.5% of M0 and M1 patients, respectively. Detection of CTCs showed that 71.0% or 92.0% of the M0 and M1 patients harbored 1 to 40 CTCs in their blood, respectively. The occurrence of CTCs correlated with tumor stage (P < 0.03) and increasing Gleason scores (P = 0.04). Notably, significant associations of the number of CTCs with the AI frequencies at the markers D8S137 (P = 0.03), D9S171 (P = 0.04), and D17S855 (P = 0.02) encoding the cytoskeletal protein dematin, the inhibitor of the cyclin-dependent kinase CDKN2/p16 and BRCA1, respectively, were observed. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show, for the first time, a relationship between the occurrence of CTCs and circulating tumor-associated DNA in blood, which, therefore, might become a valuable new source for monitoring metastatic progression in cancer patients.

Trends in renal function after radical cystectomy and ileal conduit diversion: new insights regarding estimated glomerular filtration rate variations.

INTRODUCTION: Our objectives were to evaluate the long-term renal function after radical cystectomy (RC) and ileal conduit diversion (ICD) and to analyze year-by-year the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and morphologic upper urinary tract changes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively identified 226 patients who had undergone RC and ICD from 1980 to 2008, with regular postoperative follow-up visits. The eGFR was calculated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation at baseline and during follow-up. A decrease in renal function was defined as > 1 mL/min/1.73 m(2) annually. RESULTS: The median follow-up period after RC was 91 months (range, 61-235 months). The median eGFR decreased from 66 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (range, 17-139 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) to 59 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (range, 33-102 mL/min/1.73 m(2)). A rapid decline in renal function occurred during the first 2 postoperative years (-9 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and -4 mL/min/1.73 m(2) in the first and second year, respectively), with a moderate to slight decrease in the subsequent years. Urinary obstruction was diagnosed in 51 patients (23%). Among the patients who underwent prompt surgical treatment, we did not find any association with the eGFR decline (P = .8). CONCLUSION: Patients with urinary ICD have a lifelong risk of chronic kidney disease. Regular monitoring of renal function and the morphologic upper urinary tract will permit early diagnosis and treatment of modifiable factors, avoiding irreversible kidney damage.