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To evaluate the prognostic significance of subtyping papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) into type 1 and type 2 tumors.From 1995 to 2004, 1358 patients underwent surgery for renal cell carcinoma, of whom 130 had PRCC alone on the specimen. The tumor characteristics, including their subtype, were analyzed; small basophilic cells and large eosinophilic cells were defined type 1 and type 2 tumors, respectively. Survival analyses were performed retrospectively.Of the 130 patients (110 men and 20 women, mean age 60.6 +/- 15.3 years) with PRCC, 102 underwent radical nephrectomy (78.4%) and 28 underwent partial nephrectomy (21.6%). The median tumor size was 4.5 cm (range 0.5 to 21). The comparison of the 68 (52.3%) type 1 PRCCs and 62 (47.7%) type 2 PRCCs revealed that type 2 tumors were associated with a greater stage and grade and microvascular invasion significantly (P0.001) more often. The median follow-up was 48 months (range 2 to 111). Of the 130 patients, 22 died of cancer-specific causes, 5 (7%) with type 1 and 17 (27%) with type 2 tumors (P = 0.002). The overall and disease-free survival rate was 89% and 92% in type 1 tumors and 55% and 44% in type 2 tumors, respectively. Univariate analysis identified tumor type, stage (P0.001), grade (P0.001), microvascular invasion (P0.001), an absence of foam cells (P0.001), the presence of sarcomatoid cells (P = 0.001), and tumor necrosis (P = 0.007) as prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis retained tumor type (P = 0.034) and TNM stage (P0.001).The results of our study have shown that histologic subtyping of PRCC allows for the identification of an independent prognostic factor.

Objectives Detection of circulating tumor cells may improve the preoperative local staging of prostate cancers. The aim of this study was to perform enhanced reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) mRNA to define the predictive value of PSA-positive circulating cells in a large series of patients. Methods The study included 46 patients with Stage T1 to T2 prostate cancer, 94 with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and 51 (including 9 women) with nonprostatic disease. PSA-positive cells from peripheral blood samples were detected by Southern blot analysis of the RT-PCR products. Original oligonucleotide primers were defined to exclusively detect the three PSA mRNA splices. Results Circulating PSA-positive cells were observed in 8 (8.5%) of 94 patients with BPH, 10 (22%) of 46 with Stage T1 to T2 prostate cancer, and 9 (17.6%) of 51 with nonprostatic disease. The detection rate of PSA-positive circulating cells was significantly increased in patients with prostate cancer versus patients with BPH (P = 0.03). Among clinically localized prostate cancers with a Gleason score less than 8, a correlation was observed between PSA-positive circulating cells and Stage pT3 cancer (P = 0.038), capsular penetration (P = 0.04), and a positive margin (P = 0.038). The specificity of the assay for Stage pT3 cancer detection was 84.6%, with a positive predictive value of 60%. Conclusions Although RT-PCR assay may have a role in preoperative local staging, this study demonstrated the absence of tissue and tumor specificity of PSA-positive circulating cells, accounting for the weak positive predictive value of this technique.

Objectives Urothelial carcinoma is a frequent and aggressive cancer. We wanted to gain better insight into the early molecular mechanisms of bladder carcinogenesis by evaluating Aurora-A gene expression, which is implicated in genomic stability and essential for mitosis. Materials This study, using real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), analyzed the expression levels of three selected genes in dissected tissues from normal bladder, noninvasive cancers, and muscle-invasive bladder carcinomas (n = 49). We compared gene expression levels of three genes (Aurora-A, and as control uroplakin II (UPII) and TBP, respectively) at different stages of bladder cancer. We used multivariate analysis, receiver operating characteristic curves and the nonparametric Mann-Whitney test. Results The expression of Aurora-A gene studied was significantly deregulated, with an increasing level in cancer versus normal tissue Aurora-A. This development was linear. Aurora-A was already deregulated in early stages of carcinogenesis (pTa/pT1) (P = 0.0004) and displayed even more deregulation in muscle-invasive stages (pT2 to pT4). Immunohistochemistry performed on the same samples using Aurora-A antibody confirmed results of RT-PCR, with statistically significant values when comparing m-RNA expression and immunohistochemical values (P = 0.0001). Conclusions This study highlights the fact that Aurora-A gene expression is already strongly deregulated in early stages of urothelial carcinoma with abnormal expression, and might be considered a biomarker of tumor aggression. The increase in Aurora-A expression might provide further information regarding the behavior of bladder cancer in daily practice.

Objectives Urothelial carcinoma is a frequent and aggressive cancer. To gain better insight into the early molecular mechanisms of bladder carcinogenesis, this study analyzed the expression levels of four selected genes (uroplakin II, TATA-BOX-binding protein (TBP/RNA) control gene (NM_00394), and the two main isoforms TATp63 and ΔNp63 of p63). Methods We used real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in dissected tissues from normal bladder, noninvasive cancer, and muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma (n = 49). The gene expression levels were compared at different stages of bladder cancer. To confirm the results on protein levels, we used immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays of the same samples. Results The expression of the p63 gene studied was significantly deregulated, with decreasing levels in early cancer versus normal tissue. Immunohistochemistry, performed on the same samples, using p63 antibody, confirmed the results of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Conclusions The results of this study highlight that among the genes strongly deregulated in urothelial carcinoma, p63 is already abnormally expressed in the early stages.

We report the case of a 42-year-old man with a synovial sarcoma of the prostate, metastatic at presentation, who after aggressive chemotherapy followed by extensive surgery developed a complex pelvic fistula involving the lower ureter, bladder, and enteral structures. The patient was a poor candidate for surgery because of his short life expectancy and poor health status. Conservative management with bilateral nephrostomy tubes did not allow sufficient fistulous output for symptomatic relief. Using the percutaneous access already in place, we performed bilateral ureteral embolization with coils. Complete ureteral occlusion was obtained with a minimally invasive procedure and allowed total symptomatic relief.

A case is reported of a female renal transplant recipient in whom, after two years of immunosuppression, condylomata acuminata of the genital tract with urethral and bladder extension developed. The condyloma of the bladder was resected endoscopically with no relapse. Virologic examination revealed a human papilloma virus type 11.