Outcomes of Minimally Invasive Inguinal Hernia Repair at the Time of Robotic Radical Prostatectomy.

Abdominal straining associated with voiding dysfunction or constipation has traditionally been associated with the development of abdominal wall hernias. Thus, classic general surgery dictum recommends that any coexistent bladder outlet obstruction should be addressed by the urologist before patients undergo surgical repair of a hernia. While organ-confined prostate cancer is usually not associated with the development of lower urinary tract symptoms, a modest proportion of patients treated with radical prostatectomy may have coexisting benign prostatic hyperplasia with elevated symptom scores and hernias may be incidentally detected at the time of surgery. Furthermore, dissection of the space of Retzius during retropubic or minimally invasive prostatectomy may result exposure of abdominal wall defects which may have been present, but asymptomatic if plugged with preperitoneal fat. Herein we examine the literature regarding the incidence of postoperative inguinal hernias after prostatectomy, review potential risk factors which could aid in preoperative patient identification, and discuss the published experience regarding concurrent hernia repair at the time of open or minimally invasive radical prostatectomy.

Preoperative International Prostate Symptom Score Predictive of Inguinal Hernia in Patients Undergoing Robotic Prostatectomy.

PURPOSE: Studies have shown that encountering an inguinal hernia during robotic radical prostatectomy is not uncommon. We reviewed our experience with simultaneous robotic prostatectomy and mesh hernia repair to identify variables predictive of a hernia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our cohort consisted of 693 consecutive men who underwent robotic radical prostatectomy as performed by 1 surgeon. Hernias were repaired with mesh composed of equal parts of absorbable polyglecaprone-25 and nonabsorbable polypropylene monofilament. Preoperative variables potentially predictive of an inguinal hernia were evaluated. RESULTS: Inguinal hernias were encountered in 55 of 639 patients (8.6%), of which 22.3% were bilateral for a total of 68 hernia sides. Only 26 of 55 hernias (47.2%) were evident preoperatively. Men with a preoperative I-PSS (International Prostate Symptom Score) of 15 or greater had a 22.4% chance (30 of 134) of requiring a hernia repair compared with 5% in those without such a score (OR 5.54, 95% CI 3.13-9.81, p <0.0001). There were no differences between the hernia and nonhernia groups in prostate size, body mass index, age, blood loss, transfusions, operative time, length of stay or any Clavien grade II-V complication. In 47 patients there was 1 recurrence at a median followup of 27.9 months. There were no cases of mesh associated pain or erosion. CONCLUSIONS: Independent of prostate size, men with preoperative lower urinary tract dysfunction were at 5 times the risk of a hernia at robotic radical prostatectomy (22.4% vs 5%). Given that half of the hernias were subclinical, patients with an I-PSS of 15 or greater should be counseled about the potential need for hernia repair at robotic radical prostatectomy.

The role of lymphadenectomy in penile cancer.

In patients with squamous carcinoma of the penis, the presence and extent of metastases involving the inguinal nodes are the most important factors predictive of survival. Favorable prognostic indicators of cure in surgically treated patients in whom metastases develop include: (1) minimal nodal disease, (2) unilateral involvement, (3) no evidence of extranodal extension of cancer, and (4) absence of pelvic nodal metastases. Prophylactic lymphadenectomy in select patients at high risk for metastasis seems reasonable in lieu of prospective randomized trials because novel procedures have significantly decreased the morbidity of surgical staging. Patients with poor prognostic indicators either before or after surgery should be considered for multimodal therapy.

Natural history, management, and surveillance of recurrent squamous cell penile carcinoma: a risk-based approach.

For men with penile carcinoma, surveillance strategies may be tailored to the risks of local and regional recurrence, which vary according to the pathologic characteristics of the primary tumor and the modalities employed for local therapy (phallus sparing or extirpative) and regional therapy (surveillance or lymphadenectomy). Men at a higher risk for local or regional recurrence who should have more rigorous follow-up include those (1) treated with phallus-sparing strategies such as laser ablation, topical therapies, or radiotherapy; (2) patients with clinically negative inguinal lymph nodes who are managed without lymphadenectomy despite high-risk primary tumors (pT2-3, grade 3, vascular invasion); and (3) those with lymph node metastases after lymphadenectomy. Good candidates for less-stringent surveillance include patients with low-risk primary tumors (pTis, pTa, pT1, grades 1-2) and those with negative inguinal nodes after lymphadenectomy whose primary tumors were managed with partial or total penectomy.

Prognostic factors for survival among Caucasian, African-American and Hispanic men with androgen-independent prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: African-American men suffer disproportionately with respect to the incidence and mortality from prostate cancer. The objective of the current study was to define if race was an independent prognostic factor among other variables assessed for survival among men treated for androgen independent prostate cancer. METHODS: Between 1988 and 1995, 379 patients with AIPC and clinical progression were referred for novel protocol therapies. Measured variables included: 1) patient age, 2) race or ethnicity, 3) hemoglobin, 4) alkaline phosphatase, 5) serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, 6) time from hormonal ablation to AIPC, 7) number of metastases on bone scan, 8) osseous stage, 9) number of organ systems with metastases and 10) type of treatment for AIPC. RESULTS: Median survival for the cohort was not significantly affected by race, on uni- or multivariate analysis. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that increasing hemoglobin (HR = 0.87 per g, 95% CI [0.81-0.94]) and time to AIPC (HR = 0.994, 95% CI [0.990-0.998]) were associated with increased survival while higher osseous stage (HR = 1.49, stage I versus II, 95% CI [1.11-1.99]), treatment group (HR = 1.68, treatment group I versus II, 95% CI [1.33-2.12]), metastases to three or more organ systems (HR = 1.31 versus less than three organs, 95% CI [1.15-1.49]), and advanced age (HR = 1.51 for age > 70 versus < or = 70, 95% CI [1.18-1.94]) were associated with a decrease in survival among patients with AIPC. CONCLUSION: Independent prognostic variables for survival among patients with AIPC included patient age, serum hemoglobin level, time to androgen-independent disease, treatment group and the extent of metastatic disease. Ethnicity did not adversely affect outcome.

Renal cell carcinoma clinically involving adjacent organs: experience with aggressive surgical management.

BACKGROUND: Historically, patients with nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) involving adjacent organs have been considered inoperable and incurable. The oncologic efficacy of an aggressive surgical approach was evaluated in a selected subpopulation of RCC patients. Further, an attempt was made to define the clinical and pathologic characteristics predictive of surgical failure. METHODS: With Institutional Review Board approval, the institutional nephrectomy database of 3470 patients treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center from 1990 to 2006 was searched for RCC patients treated with radical nephrectomy and resection of at least 1 adjacent organ thought to be directly involved by RCC. Patients with nonmetastatic RCC and a minimum follow-up of 6 months were included in the analysis. RESULTS: In all, 30 patients with clinical T4NxM0 RCC and median follow-up of 32.3 months (range, 8.5-140.1) met the study inclusion criteria and comprise the dataset for the analysis. On pathologic evaluation 60% of patients were clinically overstaged, as only 12 (40%) of 30 patients demonstrated direct invasion into adjacent organs resected. None of the clinical tumor characteristics predicted a finding of pathologic T4 RCC. Nodal involvement and pathologic T stage were significant independent predictors of disease recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] 3.726, P = .043, and HR 2.414, P = .045, respectively) and cancer-specific survival (HR 17.145, P = .002, and HR 3.791, P = .024, respectively). Disease recurred in 11 of 18 (61.1%) of

Renal cell carcinoma with nodal metastases in the absence of distant metastatic disease (clinical stage TxN1-2M0): the impact of aggressive surgical resection on patient outcome.

PURPOSE: Nodal disease in the setting of metastatic renal cell carcinoma is associated with poor prognosis. However, to our knowledge the biology of nodal metastases in the absence of metastatic disease is unknown. We reviewed our experience with treating this subset of patients with aggressive surgical resection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 2,643 patients underwent nephrectomy at our institution between 1993 and 2003, including 40 with positive lymph nodes but no systemic metastases. All 40 patients underwent nephrectomy with extended retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy and they are the subjects of this study. Pathological characteristics and clinical outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: Median patient age was 58 years and 62% of the patients were male. Median tumor size was 11 cm. Local stage was T1 in 3% of cases, T2 in 17%, T3a in 30%, T3b in 47% and T4 in 3%. Perinephric fat invasion was present in 77% of patients and positive margins were identified in 17%. Nodal status was N1 in 30% of patients and N2 in 70%, including 10 with masses of matted nodes. Histology was conventional in 63% of cases and papillary in 17%. The remaining 20% of patients had sarcomatoid dedifferentiation. Excluding the 10 patients with matted nodes the median number of nodes harvested per patient was 7 with a median of 2 that were positive. Extranodal extension was present in 70% of cases, while in 70% disease recurred at a median of 4.9 months. Median actuarial disease specific survival was 20.3 months. At a median followup of 17.7 months 30% of patients had no evidence of disease, 8% had disease and 62% had died. On multivariate analysis more than 1 positive node was predictive of decreased recurrence-free survival (HR 2.83, 95% CI 1.06 to 7.61, p = 0.039) and overall survival (HR 9.33, 95% CI 1.85 to 47.09, p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Nodal metastasis with renal cell carcinoma is an independent predictor of prognosis in patients with M0 disease. Even in the absence of distant metastatic disease patients with positive nodes should be targeted for aggressive surgical resection, followed by clinical trials of adjuvant therapy to improve the outcome.

African-American men with nonpalpable prostate cancer exhibit greater tumor volume than matched white men.

BACKGROUND: Although prostate cancer (PC) mortality disproportionately affects African-American (AA) men, limited data exist comparing the pathologic characteristics of white and AA patients with nonpalpable PC (clinical stage T1c). METHODS: The authors reviewed the radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens from 37 consecutive AA men with clinical stage T1c PC and 35 white men who were matched for age, clinical stage, serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, year of surgery, prostate weight, and prostate biopsy strategy. Pathologic characteristics were compared after mapping tumor foci and calculating tumor volumes by using computer software. RESULTS: For AA men, the median age (57.7 years), mean serum PSA level (9.3 ng/mL), mean prostate weight (43 g), and biopsy strategy (73% sextant) were matched with the cohort of 35 white men (median age, 57.1 years; mean PSA, 9.3 ng/mL;, mean prostate weight, 43 g; biopsy strategy, 66% sextant). Despite similar biopsy characteristics between the 2 groups (Gleason score > or =7 in 43% of AA men vs. 37% of white men), AA men exhibited significantly higher prostatectomy Gleason scores (> or =7 in 76% of AA men vs. 34% of white men; P = .01). AA men also had a higher mean tumor volume (1.82 cm3 vs. 0.72 cm3; P = .001) and had 2.8 times more tumor per ng/mL of serum PSA (0.22 cm3 per ng/mL vs. 0.079 cm3 per ng/mL; P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with a cohort of white men with similar clinical features at the time of biopsy, AA men with nonpalpable PC had higher prostatectomy Gleason scores, greater cancer volume, and greater tumor volume per ng/mL of serum PSA. These data provide additional support for the concept of early PC detection using a serum PSA threshold of 2.5 ng/mL for biopsy among AA men.

Is patient age a factor in the occurrence of prostate-specific antigen bounce phenomenon after external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer?

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of patient age on the occurrence of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) "bounce" after external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for prostate cancer. METHODS: In this study, 964 patients received EBRT alone for prostate cancer between April 1987 and January 1998 who had been followed for at least 12 months. Prostate-specific antigen values were obtained every 3 to 6 months after radiotherapy. Median overall follow-up was 48 months. Prostate-specific antigen bounce was defined as an initial increase in serum PSA of at least 0.5 ng/mL, followed by a decrease to prebounce baseline serum PSA values, all within 60 months after EBRT. Biochemical failure was defined as three consecutive increases in posttreatment PSA concentration after achieving a nadir. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the influences of age, pretreatment PSA concentration, Gleason score (determined at biopsy), clinical T stage classification, and radiation dose on PSA bounce-free survival and biochemical disease-free survival, with P < 0.05 considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Twelve percent of the patients developed a PSA bounce. Age was not associated with the occurrence of a PSA bounce (P = 0.63), the magnitude of the PSA bounce (P = 0.90), or the duration of the PSA bounce (P = 0.39). Patients who had PSA bounce had a statistically significant higher biochemical disease-free survival than those who did not (P = 0.00004). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, age was not predictive of PSA bounce. However, younger patients with a rising PSA after radiotherapy should be followed closely for evidence of biochemical failure.

Young age is an independent prognostic factor for survival of sporadic renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Compared to older adults with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) our subjective impression has been that younger adults present with more unfavorable histological features and yet respond more favorably to aggressive therapies. We reviewed our experience to validate these observations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 106 consecutive patients 40 years or younger and 145 consecutive 58 to 61-year-old patients referred for the surgical management of sporadic RCC between 1992 and 2002. Using univariate and multivariate analyses the pathological characteristics and outcome of the 2 groups were compared. RESULTS: Mean age of the young adults was 34.7 years (range 14 to 40). Of younger adults 24% had tumors with unfavorable features, such as sarcomatoid differentiation, unclassified histology, medullary carcinoma and collecting duct carcinoma, compared with 12% of older adults (p <0.02). However, older adults were more likely to have tumors of advanced local pathological stage (pT3a or greater) (46% vs 31%, p <0.04). Whereas young adults had a higher incidence rate of lymph node metastases at presentation (25% vs 15%, p <0.02), the rate of distant metastatic disease at presentation in young (34%) and older (28%) patients did not differ significantly (p = 0.33). Young age was independently associated with a higher 5-year actuarial disease specific survival rate on multivariate analysis at a median followup of 37 months (66% vs 52%, adjusted HR 2.64, 95% CI 1.45 to 4.79, p <0.002). On multivariate analysis of patients without distant metastases at presentation young adults also had improved recurrence-free survival (median time to recurrence 32.4 vs 23.5 months, HR 2.23, 95% CI 1.04 to 4.78, p <0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Young adults with RCC were more likely to have unfavorable histological features and a higher incidence of lymph node metastases than an older cohort of adults. Despite these differences on multivariate analysis young patients had improved disease-specific and recurrence-free survival following treatment. Whether age specific differences in host-tumor interaction exist in patients with RCC deserves further study.

A renal mass in the setting of a nonrenal malignancy: When is a renal tumor biopsy appropriate?

BACKGROUND: Frequently, a renal mass is identified when patients with cancer undergo studies for staging or surveillance. In determining whether it represents a metastasis, patients are frequently subjected to percutaneous renal biopsies. The authors evaluated their experience with this dilemma to formulate management guidelines. METHODS: The authors reviewed the medical records of 100 consecutive patients with nonrenal malignancies diagnosed with renal masses at presentation or follow-up. Renal mass histology was available for all patients after nephrectomy or biopsy. Clinical characteristics were assessed to identify factors predictive for a renal metastasis versus a primary renal neoplasm. RESULTS: The only factors predictive of a metastasis to the kidney were progression of the nonrenal malignancy and lack of enhancement of the renal mass (P < 0.0001). Forty-six patients (46%) had evidence of progression of their nonrenal malignancy in addition to the renal mass. In these patients, the probability of a metastasis to the kidney was 86% (95% confidence interval [CI], 57.2-98.2%) without renal mass enhancement and 32% (95% CI, 14-55%) with enhancing renal masses. None of the 54 patients without signs of progression of their nonrenal malignancy proved to have metastases to the kidney, regardless of the imaging characteristics of the mass (zero probability; 95% CI, 0-7%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In patients presenting with renal masses and another clinically localized malignancy, renal mass biopsies were not indicated, as the mass rarely represented a metastasis. These patients may opt for close surveillance or extirpation based on the prognosis of their nonrenal malignancy.

Clinical features and treatment outcome of Hispanic men with prostate cancer following external beam radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics and outcomes of Hispanic men compared with other groups who underwent radiotherapy alone for localized or locally advanced prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 1987 and January 1998, 964 men who underwent full dose external beam radiotherapy alone for localized or locally advanced prostate cancer were included in the study. Patient medical records were reviewed for pertinent information. RESULTS: Of the 964 men 810 were non-Hispanic white, 54 were Hispanic and 86 were black Americans. The most significant difference among the groups was in the proportion of patients who presented with initial prostate specific antigen (PSA) greater than 20 ng/ml (22% of Hispanic vs 11% of white men, p = 0.0012). In addition, 17% of Hispanic men had a Gleason score of 8 or greater compared with 11% of white men (p = 0.0265). A greater proportion of Hispanic patients also had a less favorable posttreatment PSA nadir of greater than 1 ng/ml compared with white patients, (44% vs 26%, p = 0.0214), which may have translated into a trend toward a lower 5-year disease-free survival rate in Hispanics vs white men (52% vs 65%, p = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: Hispanic men presented with higher PSA and higher grade prostate cancer than white men. Furthermore, a higher percent of Hispanic men had a PSA nadir of 1 ng/ml or greater after radiotherapy, which may have been responsible for their trend toward a decreased 5-year disease-free survival rate compared with white men. Improved screening and early detection may improve disease-free survival in Hispanic men with localized prostate cancer.

An interval longer than 12 weeks between the diagnosis of muscle invasion and cystectomy is associated with worse outcome in bladder carcinoma.

PURPOSE: The standard of care for muscle invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder is radical cystectomy. Definitive therapy may often be delayed for various reasons. We assessed whether pathological stage and survival correlated with the length of time between diagnosis of muscle invasion and cystectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The records of 290 consecutive patients who underwent radical cystectomy between February 1987 and July 2000 were reviewed. Of 265 (91.4%) cystectomies performed for transitional cell carcinoma data were available for 247 (85.2%) and 189 (65.2%) patients were identified who underwent surgery for muscle invasive disease (T2 or greater). The interval between diagnosis of muscle invasion and cystectomy was calculated for each patient. Patients were divided into groups based on time to surgery as group 1-less than 4 weeks, 2-4 to 6 weeks, 3-7 to 9 weeks, 4-10 to 12 weeks, 5-13 to 16 weeks, and 6-greater than 16 weeks. Exploratory univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to test the association of time lag with clinical features and postoperative survival. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 66 years (range 37 to 84) and overall 3-year Kaplan-Meier estimated survival was 59.1% +/- 4% (median followup 36 months). For all patients mean interval from diagnosis to cystectomy was 7.9 weeks (range 1 to 40). Extravesical disease (P3a or greater) or positive nodes were identified in 84% (16 of 19) of patients when the delay was longer than 12 weeks, compared with 48.2% (82 of 170) in those with a time lag of 12 weeks or less (p < 0.01). Similarly 3-year estimated survival was lower (34.9% +/- 13.5%) for patients with a surgery delay longer than 12 weeks compared to those with a shorter interval 62.1% +/- 4.5% (hazards ratio 2.51, 95% CI 1.30-4.83, p = 0.006). When adjusted for nodal status, and clinical and pathological stages the interval was still statistically significant (adjusted hazards ratio 1.93, 95% CI 0.99-3.76, p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing radical cystectomy a delay in surgery of greater than 12 weeks was associated with advanced pathological stage and decreased survival. Although this relationship persisted after adjusting for nodal status, and clinical and pathological stages, the presence of lymph node metastasis remained the strongest predictor of patient outcome.