Gender and Advanced Urothelial Cancer: Outcome, Efficacy and Toxicity following Chemotherapy.

Background and Objectives: The incidence of urothelial cancer in males is higher than in females; however, females have a higher risk of recurrence and progression. The aim of our study was to report the effect of gender on the oncological outcome in advanced urothelial cancer. Materials and Methods: In our retrospective study, all patients had undergone primary surgical treatment for urothelial cancer and were affected by stage IV disease at the time of chemotherapy. Response to therapy and toxicity were evaluated. Subgroups were analyzed for tumour presentation, first- and second-line treatment response, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results. Seventy-five patients, 18 (24%) females and 57 (76%) males, were considered. Investigation into the distribution of individual characteristics according to gender revealed a significant difference only for smoking, with a prevalence of smokers in women (p = 0.029). At the end of follow-up, OS was higher in females (27.5% vs. 17.4%; p = 0.047). Smoking did not significantly influence OS (p = 0.055), while univariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that males had a higher risk of death (HR = 2.28, 95% CI 0.99-129 5.25), with borderline statistical significance (p = 0.053). Men showed higher PFS than women both after first-line (p = 0.051) and second-line chemotherapy (p = 0.018), with a lower risk of progression (HR = 0.29, 95% CI 0.10-0.86; p = 0.026). No differences were found between genders with regard to toxicity. Conclusions. In our series, PFS rates following first- and second-line therapies for advanced urothelial carcinoma confirmed that females have a greater risk of progression than males.

Penile prosthesis implantation is safe and effective in Peyronie's disease patients with and without erectile dysfunction.

Penile prosthesis (PP) is the mainstay of treatment in Peyronie's disease (PD) with co-existent refractory erectile dysfunction (ED). This study aimed to assess the clinical outcomes of patients who underwent PP as the first-line surgical treatment in PD without ED. A total of 636 patients underwent PP for PD from 2012 to 2022, but only 168 patients who underwent PP as first-line surgical management for PD with or without ED were included in the study. The mean (SD) age of 168 patients was 56.3 years (12.4). The mean curvature of the "PD with ED" group and the "PD without ED" group were 38.2 (5.6) degrees and 42.2 (5.9) degrees. The median (IQR) follow-up was 56.0 months (34.5- 61.4). Most (86.9%) patients underwent 3-piece inflatable PP. An important finding is that 33 patients (19.6%) without ED had undergone PP. Mechanical failure requiring revision surgery was less common in the 'without ED' group than in the ED group (6.8% vs. 10.2%, p 0.04). Most PD patients without ED (87.9%, 29/33) and with ED (88.9%, 120/135) were "satisfied" after PP implantation at six months, as defined by a score of ≥4 on a 5-point Likert scale. If surgery is offered in PD, PP may be considered a safe and effective first-line surgical treatment regardless of the ED, given the acceptable complications and high satisfaction rates. However, this new concept warrants further research.

History and future perspectives of male aesthetic genital surgery.

Since ancient times, men have tried to change the size and shape of their genitals. Bites from insects or poisonous snakes and weights were among the first methods used for this purpose. In the first half of the 1900s, the scientific push regarding male genital aesthetic surgery began. Scrotoplasty, penile suspensory ligament release, injection of hyaluronic acid as filler, use of several types of grafts, lipofilling, and liposuction are techniques currently used. The Penuma® implant has recently been described with promising results. We are living in the era of tailored surgery and regenerative medicine. Shortly the surgeons will have to know several surgical techniques and adapt them to the patient. New fillers with ideal characteristics, innovative prosthetic devices, and stem cells will probably be the protagonists of future aesthetic surgery. The main effort of the scientific community should be directed towards the design of new randomized controlled trials to increase the evidence on the efficacy and safety of the topic, with the ultimate aim of allowing clear recommendations from scientific societies.

Male reproductive system inflammation after healing from coronavirus disease 2019.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that, after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, male reproductive function and semen quality may be damaged OBJECTIVES: To evaluate a panel of inflammatory mediators in semen in patients recovered from coronavirus disease 2019. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sexually active men with previous severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and proven recovery from coronavirus disease 2019 were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Clinical, uro-andrological data and semen specimens were prospectively collected. For previously hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 patients, data on serum inflammatory markers were retrospectively collected. RESULTS: A total of 43 men were enrolled in the study. Of these, 32 men were normozoospermic, three were oligozoospermic, and eight were crypto-azoospermic. Serum inflammatory markers (procalcitonin and C-reactive protein) were analyzed in previously hospitalized patients both at admission and at peak of infection. Levels at admission were statistically significantly higher in patients resulting in crypto-azoospermic with respect to those resulting in normozoospermic (p = 0.05; p = 0.03 and p = 0.02, respectively) after healing. Seminal cytokine levels were similar among all groups. Interleukin-1ß and tumor necrosis factor-α levels were significantly negatively related to sperm total number and concentration, whereas interleukin-4 was correlated with sperm motility. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Negative correlations between interleukin-1ß and tumor necrosis factor-α and sperm number and the overall high levels of semen cytokines indicate a potential detrimental role of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 driven inflammation on spermatogenesis. Overall, our results indicate that male patients recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 deserve accurate follow-up for their fertility status.

SECRET® - SExual Chronicle REcording Table: Validation and reliability.

BACKGROUND: Recording the entire sexual history of a patient from the very first sexual experiences to the current sexual habits is a challenging issue that physicians usually address with partial and non-standardized interviews. OBJECTIVES: To validate the SExual Chronicle REcording Table (SECRET® ), a structured written interview, developed and copyrighted both in English and Italian languages. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multicenter national validation study was performed asking 300 male patients affected by uro-andrological diseases to complete SECRET® . The structured interview is based on four sexual dimensions (masturbation, oral, vaginal and anal sex), declined in seven items (1.Have you ever performed/Do you perform; 2.At what age did you first experience; 3.How many times a month; 4.With how many partners; 5.How much did/do you enjoy; 6.How many times did/do you use a condom; 7.How many times did/do you use the pull-out method). Data were stratified according to four stages of life (<30; 30-45; 45-60; >60 years old). Validity and reliability were assessed by using standard statistical methods for SECRET® validation. RESULTS: Overall, 295 patients (98.4%) filled all the questions. SECRET® showed a high level of internal coherence (Cronbach's alpha coefficient ranged from 0.85 to 0.97) and reproducibility (paired sample t-test at Test-Retest: p > .10). CONCLUSIONS: SECRET® represents a novel, simple instrument to record a patient's sexual history in daily clinical practice and clinical research. SECRET® has shown a good validity, internal consistence and reliability in different clusters of patients with uro-andrological diseases.

Outcomes of combination therapy with daily tadalafil 5 mg plus tamsulosin 0.4 mg to treat lower urinary tract symptoms and erectile dysfunction in men with or without metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of tadalafil 5 mg/die plus tamsulosin 0.4 mg/die combination therapy on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and erectile dysfunction (ED), according to presence vs. absence of metabolic syndrome (MetS). METHODS: Seventy-five consecutive men presenting with ED and LUTS were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups according to MetS presence. All subjects were treated with combination therapy for 12 weeks. Patients were re-evaluated after treatment with uroflowmetry and post-void residual volume (PVR), International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS), IPSS Quality of Life (QoL), overactive bladder questionnaire (OAB-q) and International Index Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) Score. RESULTS: After enrollment, 50 patients were included: 31 (62.0%) with MetS and 19 (38.0%) without MetS. At baseline, patients without MetS showed a significantly better IPSS, IIEF and OAB-q, as compared to those with MetS. After 12 weeks of combination therapy LUTS, ED and flowmetry significantly improved in both groups (P<0.001). The improvement after 12 weeks was similar between groups in all parameters (P>0.05), except for ∆OAB-q that was significantly better for patients with MetS (P=0.028). Nevertheless, total IPSS, all IPSS subscores and OAB-q were significantly better at 12 weeks in men without MetS (P<0.05). Despite IIEF-5 was significantly different at baseline, after 12 weeks of combination therapy, erectile function was similar in men with or without METS: 16.3±3.8 vs. 17.7±4.7 (P=0.238). No serious adverse event (AE) was reported, and complications were comparable between groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with MetS have worse LUTS and ED profiles. However, tadalafil plus tamsulosin combination treatment provided them a similar ED profile and a greater relief of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms at the end of the trial. Combination therapy had the same safety profile in men besides MetS. Further randomized controlled trials are needed.

Can we predict the development of symptomatic lymphocele following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy and lymph node dissection? Results from a tertiary referral Centre.

Objectives: Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) has been established as first-line surgical therapy for organ-confined prostate cancer (PCa). Pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) is recommended in case of intermediate and high-risk localized PCa however symptomatic lymphocele (SL) formation is a common complication. Still no certain clinical and surgical predictors of SL have been found in the robotic era. Aim of this study was to identify clinical and surgical predictors of SL after RARP and PLND.Methods: We retrospectively evaluated all consecutive patients undergone RARP and PLND from 01/2017 to 06/2019, at our institution. All procedures were performed by experienced robotic surgeons. Baseline patients' characteristics, as well as peri- and post-operative features, were recorded and compared among those patients experiencing SL after surgery and those who did not.Results: Overall, 282 patients were included. Of these, 21 (7.5%) developed SL after surgery. Patients with SL showed higher median BMI (30.4 vs 25.8) and a more frequent history of vascular surgery or lymph-vascular disease (23.8% vs 8.4%) compared to patients without SL (p < 0.05). The lymphadenectomy technique adopted during the surgery was also found different in patients diagnosed with SL. At the multivariable analysis (MVA), only the increase of BMI (OR 1.72; CI: 1.47 - 2.81) was found predictor of developing SL.Conclusion: In our experience, the increase of BMI was a significant predictor of SL development in pCa patients submitted to RARP and PLND. This further evidence may be of great help for clinicians in daily clinical practice, in particular during preoperative counseling.

Is a Drainage Placement Still Necessary After Robotic Reconstruction of the Upper Urinary Tract in Children? Experience from a Tertiary Referral Center.

Purpose: To compare the surgical outcomes of children submitted to robot-assisted reconstruction with or without drainage placement performed by a single surgeon in a tertiary referral center. Materials and Methods: Patients submitted to robot-assisted reconstruction, including pyeloplasty for ureteral pelvic junction obstruction, end-to-end anastomosis for retrocaval ureter, and reimplantation for vesical ureter reflux (VUR) from January 2016 to November 2018, were included. Patients with ureteral pelvic junction obstruction or retrocaval ureter were selected for surgery according to the presence of symptoms and/or evidence of obstruction on diagnostic imaging. The criteria for reimplantation included breakthrough urinary tract infections, progressive renal scarring, and persistent VUR despite watchful waiting. Results: Overall, 31 children composed the no drain placement (DP) group and 29 the DP group. Preoperative feature of the two groups were comparable. Overall, only 1 (3.3%) postoperative complication occurred in no DP group and 2 (6.9%) in the placement group (P = .512). Length of stay was 3 (interquartile range [IQR]: 3-4) and 4 (IQR: 4-4) days, respectively (P = .651). At last follow-up, overall success rate was 100% in the no DP group and 96.6% in the DP group (P = .297). Conclusions: Robot-assisted reconstruction represents a safe minimally invasive approach with optimal surgical outcomes for the treatment of upper urinary tract. Expert robotic surgeons could avoid drainage placement after surgery as this does not undermine perioperative outcomes and postoperative success rate. Our study, first in literature, proves the interest in assessing the safety of no drainage placement also in the pediatric field.