[Therapeutic options for patients with localized prostatic carcinoma: our experience with 454 patients]. / Alternativas terapéuticas en el cáncer de próstata localizado. Experiencia sobre 454 pacientes.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the influence of different therapeutic options on progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and specific survival (SS) in a cohort of 454 patients with localized prostatic carcinoma, taking into account different prognostic factors, and to compare our results to those reported in the world literature. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 1983 and 2000 we have diagnosed 706 new cases of prostatic carcinoma and 454 were clinically localized tumors. The different therapeutic options employed in our series of patients have been: follow-up (FU) (103 patients); radical prostatectomy (RP) (108 patients); radiotherapy without hormonal blockade (RT) (148 patients); and hormonal blockade (HB) (95 patients). We have determined the PFS, the OS and the SS for each group of patients and compared them in patients with different prognostic factors at the time of diagnosis, including age, PSA levels, Gleason's grading and TNM staging. We have also analysed the influence of the tumor progression on the OS. The mean follow-up time has been 5.6 years (range: 0.1-19.2; median: 5.2). RESULTS: For PFS: the disease progressed in 145 patients (32%) and the PFS at 5 and 10 years has been 77% and 67% for FU; 61% and 50% for RP; 63% and 25% for RT; and 73% and 67% for HB, respectively. The differences between RT and RP were not statistically significant. For the subgroup of patients with PSA levels <10 and Gleason <8 the differences between FU, RP and RT did not reach statistical significance. For OS: 126 patients of our series died (28%) and the OS at 5 and 10 years has been 80% and 61% for FU; 90% and 76% for RP; 85% and 67% for RT; and 64% and 32% for HB, respectively. We have found no significant differences between FU, RP and RT. For SS: 31 patients of our series died of disease (6.8%). The SS at 5 and 10 years has been 100% and 94% for FU; 98% and 98% for RP; 97% and 88% for RT; and 83% and 77% for HB, respectively. We have found no significant differences in the OS between patients with disease progression and without disease progression treated with FU, RP and RT. CONCLUSIONS: Determination of PSA levels has allowed diagnosis of prostatic carcinomas in early stages of disease; however, our results and those reported in the literature cannot define which is the best therapeutic option in these patients. We should offer the patients individualized information both in the phase of early diagnosis and of therapeutic decisions.

[Epithelial tumors of the upper urinary tract]. / Tumores epiteliales del tracto urinario superior.

The paper refers to thirteen patients with epithelial tumours of the upper urinary tract, diagnosed and treated at our unit during the last five years and emphasizes the need of early diagnosis, custumorized therapy and close follow-up. Evolution is clearly more favourable in well differentiated and low stage tumours, regardless the type of surgery performed, versus the poor results obtained in infiltrative and undifferentiated cases for which there is no effective treatment available. Results are analyzed based on a brief literature review and considering the short number of cases contributed.

[Extracorporeal lithotripsy for urolithiasis: retrospective study of 227 patients]. / Litotricia extracorpórea por urolitiasis: estudio retrospectivo de 227 pacientes.

Presentation of a retrospective study in 227 lithiasic patients with indication for extracorporeal lithotrity (ESWL) as first line of therapy or as adjuvant treatment, referred to three lithotripter units over the last five years. There was a high percentage of personal history of lithiasis (55.5%), colic pain being the most frequent symptom (78%). Lithiasis largely affected one single renal unit, most often the left one (54.7%) and was solitary in 54.6% of cases. Calyceal and pyelic sites were the most common ones, the size of the stones ranging between 10-19 mm in 44.5% of cases. Overall results reflect a 78.5% success rate, with statistically significant lower occurrence of residual fragments in the right renal unit. There was greater success rates in ureteral calculi followed by calyceal ones and also in the smaller ones compared to those greater than 20 mm. Double-J ureteral catheterism was performed in 27% patients, with evidence of statistical significance between them and those uninstrumented in relation to occurrence of lithiasic trail. An 11% rate of significant complications requiring endourological handling due to obstruction in 7.5%, and open surgery in 3.5% due to complication or lack of resolution was detected.

[Clinical course and mid- and long-term prognosis of superficial bladder tumors]. / Evolución y pronóstico a medio y largo plazo de los tumores vesicales superficiales.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the outcome of 551 patients with superficial transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder. To determine prognostic factors in these patients by means of the log-rank analysis of the Kaplan-Meier curves and a multivariate analysis with Cox regression model for the disease free survival (DFS), time to progression to infiltrating lesions (TTP) and overall survival (OS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 1983 and 1998 we have seen 551 patients with superficial transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder in our Hospital. Fifteen patients included in this series had been diagnosed in other hospitals before 1983. The clinical records were actualized between 1998 and 2000 and only 21 patients were lost to follow-up (3.8%). The mean follow-up time was 6.2 years (median time: 5.3). One hundred and eleven patients (20%) died with a mean of 4.5 years (median time 3.4). Four hundred and forty patients were still alive on completion of the study with a mean follow-up time of 6.6 years (range 2-24 years; median 5.7). RESULTS: Four hundred and fifty-nine patients were men (83%) with a mean age of 64 years and 92 were women (17%) with a mean age of 70 years. In 347 patients there was only one tumour (63%). The tumours were stage Ta in 79 cases (14%). T1 in 431 (78%) and Tis in 41 (7%). The histological grade was G1 in 406 cases (74%), G2 in 96 (17%) and G3 in 33 (6%). There were recurrences in 253 patients (46%) with a mean time of 2.2 years. The DFS was 55% at 5 years, 44% at 10 years and 38% at 15 years. The multivariate analysis has shown a negative prognostic influence on DFS of the presence of multiple tumours (RR 1.4 CI 1.19-1.69), increasing age (analysed as a continuous variable) and the sex (being worse for females; RR 1.2 CI 0.98-1.52). In 40 patients (7.3%) the tumour became infiltrative in a mean of 3.3 years. The TTP was 93% at 5 years, 91% at 10 years and 90% at 15 years. The negative prognosticators in the multivariate analysis were G3 tumour (RR: 5.1 CI 2.7-9.6), the group of tumours Ta-T1G3 or multiple T1G2 or Tis (RR 4.6 CI 2.6-7.9) and the age > 70 years (RR 2.14 CI 1.2-3.7). Thirty-one patients (5.6%) died of the tumour in a mean time of 4.6 years. The OS was 95% at 5 years, 93% at 10 years and 91% at 15 years. Significant prognosticators in the multivariate analysis for OS were the group of risk tumours Ta-T1G3 and multiple Tis or T1G2 (RR 5 CI 2.7-9) and age > 70 years (RR 4.56 CI 2.2-8.8). CONCLUSIONS: The recurrence rate is very high in all the patients, but the risk is highest when the tumours are multiple. The risk of progression is low, but still exits even in patients with tumours of low malignant potential. The highest risk is associated with Ta-T1G3 of Tis or multiple T1G2.