Mental health outcomes in elderly men with prostate cancer

ObjectiveTo examine the burden of mental health issues (MHI), namely anxiety, depressive disorders, and suicide, in a population-based cohort of older men with localized prostate cancer and to evaluate associations with primary treatment modality.Patients and methodsA total of 50,856 men, who were 65 years of age or older with clinically localized prostate cancer diagnosed between 1992 and 2005 and without a diagnosis of mental illness at baseline, were abstracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare database. The primary outcome of interest was the development of MHI (anxiety, major depressive disorder, depressive disorder not elsewhere classified, neurotic depression, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, and suicide) after the diagnosis of prostate cancer.ResultsA total of 10,389 men (20.4%) developed MHI during the study period. Independent risk factors for MHI included age≥75 years (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.29); higher comorbidity (Charlson comorbidity index≥3, HR = 1.63); rural hospital location (HR = 1.14); being single, divorced, or widowed (HR = 1.12); later year of diagnosis (HR = 1.05); and urinary incontinence (HR = 1.47). Black race (HR = 0.79), very high-income status (HR = 0.87), and definitive treatment (radical prostatectomy [RP], HR = 0.79; radiotherapy [RT], HR= 0.85, all P<0.001) predicted a lower risk of MHI. The rates of MHI at 10 years were 29.7%, 29.0%, and 22.6% in men undergoing watchful waiting (WW), RT, and RP, respectively.ConclusionOlder men with localized prostate cancer had a significant burden of MHI. Men treated with RP or RT were at a lower risk of developing MHI, compared with those undergoing WW, with median time to development of MHI being significantly greater in those undergoing RP compared with those undergoing RT or WW.     

HE4 Expression in Plasma Correlates with Surgical Outcome and Overall Survival in Patients with First Ovarian Cancer Relapse

Background

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains the main cause of mortality due to gynecological malignancies. Optimal tumor debulking and platinum response are the most important prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) in primary EOC. In the setting of recurrence, the role of cytoreduction is not clear. A critical point is to predict preoperatively the subgroup of patients with optimal surgical outcome. The aim of the study was to analyze the predictive role of HE4 for surgical outcome and platinum response in EOC patients experiencing a first relapse. Secondary aims were the prognostic role of HE4 for OS and progression-free survival (PFS).

Methods

Plasma was obtained before secondary cytoreduction from 73 EOC patients. A total of 66.7 % underwent a total macroscopic tumor clearance; 86.3 % of the patients had disease that responded to platinum therapy. HE4 was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. For statistical analysis, the chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, Kendall’s tau b, and Mann-Whitney U test were used. OS, PFS rates, and respective 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were estimated according to the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results

At a HE4 cutoff value of 250 pMk, a sensitivity of 52 % and a specificity of 93.8 % (p = 0.001, 95 % CI 0.601–0.861) were reached in predicting total macroscopic tumor clearance. Plasma HE4 concentrations together with platinum response were the only independent prognostic factors for OS (p < 0.001, hazard ratio [HR] 18.77, 95 % CI 4.68–75.25; and p = 0.044, HR 3.33, 95 % CI 1.03–10.7, respectively). Together with ascites, HE4 was the only independent predictive factor for surgical outcome (p = 0.029, odds ratio [OR] 7.2, 95 % CI 1.22–42.19 and p = 0.036, OR 10.18, 95 % CI 1.16–88.69, respectively).

Conclusions

HE4 is an independent predictive marker for surgical outcome and OS in patients with recurrent EOC. Larger population studies are needed to validate these results.     

A retrospective analysis of risk factors for meniscal co-morbidities in anterior cruciate ligament injuries

Background:

The association of meniscal cartilage injury with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is well documented in literature. The aim of this study was to examine the relative risk factors for meniscal pathology at the time of arthroscopic ACL reconstruction.

Materials and Methods:

A review of the case records including both in-patient and out-patient charts of all patients who underwent arthroscopic ACL reconstruction during the preceding 3 years was performed by either of the authors. The relative incidences of associated meniscal pathologies were analyzed in correlation with age, side of injury, time to surgery, mode of injury, and gender as the risk factors. Statistical analysis was performed to obtain individual data correlation.

Results:

A total of 192 patients underwent ACL reconstruction during the 3-year time frame. Of these, complete data sets were available for 129 patients. Analysis revealed that the only factor that was statistically significant in raising the risk of meniscal pathology was the time to surgery (P = 0.001). There was a significant increase in medial, lateral, and both meniscal tears noted in cases operated beyond 24 weeks. Further, the incidence of medial meniscal tears as well as lateral meniscal tears increased with delay in presentation for surgery (P = 0.004). Mode of injury, age at presentation, sex, and side were not significantly associated with an increased incidence of meniscal pathology.

Conclusion:

The single factor that significantly affects incidence of meniscal co-morbidity in ACL injury is the delay in presentation (i.e. the time to surgery). The incidence of lateral meniscal tears as well as medial meniscal tears increased with delay in surgery. This should guide us toward recommending all patients irrespective of age, gender, or mode of injury to undergo early reconstruction, thereby reducing the likelihood of developing meniscal pathology.     

Prognostic indicators for upper tract urothelial carcinoma after radical nephroureterectomy: the impact of lymphovascular invasion

Study Type – Prognosis (case series) Level of Evidence 4 What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? In an array of urological and non‐urological malignancies, lymphovascular invasion (LVI) is a pathological feature known to be associated with adverse outcomes for recurrence and survival. For some cancers, LVI has therefore been incorporated into American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging algorithms. This study presents an analysis of the impact of LVI in upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) treated at our institution over a 20‐year period. In addition to known associations with features of aggressive disease and overall survival, we were able to show that LVI‐positive status upsets the TNM staging for UTUC. Namely, patients with superficial stage and LVI‐positive disease have overall survival outcomes similar to those of patients with muscle‐invasive LVI‐negative carcinoma. Such evidence may support the addition of LVI to future TNM staging algorithms for UTUC.

OBJECTIVE

• ? To assess the impact of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) on the prognosis of patients with upper urinary tract urothelial cell carcinoma (UTUC) treated with radical nephroureterectomy (RNU).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

• ? The Columbia University Medical Center Urologic Oncology database was queried and 211 patients undergoing RNU for UTUC between 1990 and 2010 were identified.
• ? These cases were retrospectively reviewed, and the prognostic significance of relevant clinical and pathological variables was analysed using log‐rank tests and Cox proportional hazards regression models.
• ? Actuarial survival curves were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method.

RESULTS

• ? LVI was observed in 68 patients (32.2%).
• ? The proportion of LVI increased with advancing stage, high grade, positive margin status, concomitant carcinoma in situ, and lymph node metastases. The 5‐ and 10‐year overall survival rates were 74.7% and 53.1% in the absence of LVI, and 35.7% and 28.6% in the presence of LVI, respectively.
• ? In multivariate analysis, age, race and LVI were independent predictors of overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

• ? The presence of LVI on pathological review of RNU specimens was associated with worse overall survival in patients with UTUC.
• ? LVI status should be included in the pathological report for RNU specimens to help guide postoperative therapeutic options.
• ? With confirmation from large international studies, inclusion of LVI in the tumour‐node‐metastasis staging system for UTUC should be considered.

     

Vattikuti Institute Prostatectomy: a single-team experience of 100 cases

PURPOSE: To analyze the outcomes of the first 100 patients undergoing robotic radical prostatectomy by a single surgical team. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From August 2001 to May 2002, we performed robotic radical prostatectomy in 100 patients with localized prostate cancer. The mean age was 60 +/- 0.67 years (SEM), the body mass index 27.5 +/- 0.35, the preoperative prostate specific antigen concentration 7.2 +/- 0.86 ng/mL, and follow-up 5.5 +/- 0.24 months. Thirty-eight patients also underwent pelvic lymph node dissection. We used the da Vinci surgical system and a subperitoneal approach (the Vattikuti Institute Prostatectomy; VIP). This is a prospective outcomes analysis of these patients. RESULTS: The mean operating time was 195 +/- 5.0 minutes, and the mean blood loss was 149 +/- 11.8 mL. No patient required blood transfusion. The stages of the cancers were pT(2a) in 21, pT(2b) in 64, pT(3a) in 5, pT(3b) in 9, and pT(3b)N(1) in 1. The positive surgical margin rate was 15%. At 1, 3, and 6 months, the continence rates were 37%, 72%, and 92%, respectively, and the potency rates were 11%, 32%, and 59%. CONCLUSION: The VIP is a safe operation with excellent operative parameters, low morbidity, and good surgical margins. The early functional results are promising.     

Robot-assisted retroperitoneal renal cryoablation

A 74-year-old man with multiple medical comorbidities and a 3.6 cm right posterior renal hilar mass, biopsy-confirmed as papillary renal cell carcinoma, underwent a robot-assisted retroperitoneal renal cryoablation. We report the feasibility of robot-assisted retroperitoneal cryoablation of a renal tumor and describe our technique.     

Retroperitoneal robotic renal surgery: technique and early results

We describe a robotic retroperitoneal approach to renal surgery, optimized in porcine and cadaveric models, and applied to human patients. A retroperitoneal approach for robotic kidney surgery was developed in nonsurvival porcine and a fresh cadaver models, and then utilized in ten patients (three partial nephrectomy, three radical nephrectomy, two simple nephrectomy, one pyeloplasty, one cryoablation). Retroperitoneal access was successfully achieved for robotic renal procedures in six pigs and a human cadaver. Ten human patients (mean age 56 years, range 36–72 years) then underwent a successful retroperitoneal approach for robotic renal surgery. Mean console time was 166 (120–300) min. Mean blood loss was 82 (50–100) ml and average hospital stay was 2.6 (1–5) days. Pathology demonstrated clear cell renal cell carcinoma (four), papillary renal cell carcinoma (two), and xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (two). One patient with xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis required open conversion for failure to progress due to dense adhesions. A retroperitoneal approach is a safe and feasible alternative to a transperitoneal approach for robotic renal surgery, including radical nephrectomy, partial nephrectomy, pyeloplasty, and cryoablation. M. N. Patel and S. A. Kaul contributed equally to this work.     

Rituximab or Cyclophosphamide in the Treatment of Membranous Nephropathy: The RI-CYCLO Randomized Trial

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The role of APACHE-II triaging in optimum management of small bowel perforations.

Small bowel perforations with peritonitis pose a serious problem to an emergency surgeon because of the lack of any uniformity of opinion regarding the optimum surgical treatment to be performed. This may be attributed to lack of any common and reliable scoring system. A prospective study to discover the utility of APACHE-II triaging in small bowel perforations was conducted over a period of 14 months on 51 patients with small bowel perforations of various aetiologies. The triaging facilitated definitive surgical treatments based on the predictive value of APACHE-II scoring. The classification of patients into three groups, effectively brought uniformity in the management. A significant reduction in mortality and cost-effective utilization of scarce intensive care unit resources were the dominant outcomes of this study conducted at a busy tertiary centre.     

Imaging technologies and techniques

Equipment manufacturers provide contrast-specific detection techniques that have excellent sensitivity and excellent agent-to-tissue specificity along with helpful tools that improve workflow efficiency dramatically. Excellent contrast agents have been approved for LV opacification and are available worldwide. Techniques designed for low-MI imaging offer real-time acquisition capabilities and lead to faster examinations. Techniques designed for medium-MI imaging offer better sensitivity than low-MI techniques while maintaining the benefit of rapid image acquisition. Techniques designed for high-MI imaging offer the best sensitivity with longer acquisition times. These techniques are viable means for imaging contrast agents tailored to clinical needs. Progress by contrast agent manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, and physicians will continue to drive improvements in the areas of detection and clinical workflow for improved patient care.