Search

Current pivotal phase 3 studies have permanently changed the first-line treatment landscape in metastatic renal cell carcinoma. These studies showed that immune checkpoint combinations were more efficacious than sunitinib, a previous standard of care. Nivolumab plus ipilimumab is characterized by a survival advantage, a high rate of complete response and durable remission in patients with intermediate and unfavorable prognosis. Despite frequent immune-mediated side effects, fewer symptoms and a better quality of life were observed compared to sunitinib. Pembrolizumab or avelumab plus axitinib were characterized by an improved PFS and a high response rate with a low rate of intrinsic resistance. In addition, a significant survival benefit was achieved with pembrolizumab plus axitinib. The side effect profile is driven by the "chronic" toxicity of axitinib, but there is additional risk of immune-mediated side effects of the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors. The quality-of-life data published so far do not suggest any improvement compared to the previous standard sunitinib. The PD-1/PD-L1 immune-check-point inhibitors thus form the "backbone" of the first-line therapy of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Monotherapy with VEGFR-TKI remains an option in cases with contraindications and possibly for subgroups with favorable prognosis.

Die Erstlinientherapie des metastasierten Nierenzellkarzinoms andert sich durch 3 zulassungsrelevante Phase-III-Studien, in denen sich jeweils Vorteile gegenuber Sunitinib als bisherige Standardtherapie gezeigt haben. Nivolumab plus Ipilimumab zeichnet sich bei intermediarer und ungunstiger Prognose nach IMDC (International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium) durch einen Uberlebensvorteil, eine hohe Rate kompletter Remissionen und Langzeitremissionen aus. Trotz haufiger immunvermittelter Nebenwirkungen werden im Vergleich zur Sunitinib weniger Symptome und eine bessere Lebensqualitat beobachtet. Pembrolizumab plus Axitinib bzw. Avelumab plus Axitinib zeichnen sich durch eine Verbesserung des progressionsfreien Uberlebens (PFS) sowie eine hohe Remissionsrate bzw. geringe Rate an intrinsischer Resistenz aus. Fur Pembrolizumab und Axitinib wurde ein signifikanter Uberlebensvorteil nachgewiesen. Das Nebenwirkungsprofil ist durch die „chronische“ Toxizitat von Axitinib gepragt; additiv kommt das Risiko fur eine immunvermittelte Nebenwirkung des PD-1/PD-L1(„programmed cell death 1/programmed cell death ligand 1“)-Immun-Checkpoint-Inhibitors(ICI) hinzu. Die bisher publizierten Lebensqualitatsdaten lassen bisher keine Bewertung gegenuber dem bisherigen Standard Sunitinib zu. Die PD-1/PD-L1-ICI bilden damit ab sofort das „Ruckgrat“ der Erstlinientherapie des metastasierten Nierenzellkarzinoms. Nur bei Kontraindikationen bzw. bei gunstiger Prognose kommt noch eine Monotherapie mit einem VEGFR-TKI („vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor“) in Betracht.

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Urologie (DGU) has set itself the task of supporting medical assistants on their way to becoming specialists in urology. At the same time, urological junior researchers have been given the opportunity to become part of the urological community at an early stage through the so-called junior membership of the DGU. The working group "Young Urologists" of the DGU addresses in particular topics such as the development of concepts for the promotion of young talent, improvement of further education, models for better compatibility of leisure/family and work as well as the compatibility of clinical and scientific work. As part of the DGU Congress, urological assistants can actively contribute by submitting abstracts for lecture or poster sessions. On the other hand, seminars and forums also address topics relevant to further education. To ensure this, representatives of the assistants are members of the scientific program commission of the DGU congress. The aim of the Junior Academy is to accompany young urologists on their way to becoming a specialist with high-quality seminars. In addition, the Junior Academy offers personal support on the way to their targeted career goal. The Junior Academy has a large network that makes it possible to learn from the best. The established Ferdinand-Eisenberger Research Fellowships allow young researchers in urology to be exempted from their clinical routine for one year in order to intensify independent scientific work at a renowned research institution in Germany. AuF-Symposia (working group urological research) and workshops are also aimed at young scientists. Further funding projects, such as support for DFG applications, are unique to the society.

Postoperative follow-up care after curative surgery or ablative treatment is the standard of care in patients with nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma. The goal is to identify and treat postoperative complications and local recurrences early on. Follow-up investigations and their relevance are widely acknowledged and validated and patients undergoing follow-up seem to benefit from a longer survival in nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma. Hence there is no consensus on a standardized follow-up strategy. The most disputed question is around the frequency of the investigations and the duration of the follow-up. Without an evidence-based follow-up protocol, urologists should carry out an individualized, potentially lifelong follow-up regimen, which also includes the patients' needs and perspectives.

In contrast to chemotherapy, treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors occasionally results in an unconventional pattern of response. Besides an early partial or complete response or tumor progression, a so-called pseudoprogression, a "mixed response" or late responses can also be observed. Treatment beyond radiographically defined progression may therefore be appropriate in selected cases. For these treatment decisions, the clinical evaluation of the patient (performance status, symptoms, etc.), the "dynamics" of the underlying malignancy, and the availability of other treatment options are of paramount importance. However, the time to initiate another treatment should not be missed by rapid progression. In PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) immune checkpoint inhibition in urothelial cancer after platinum-based chemotherapy, response or progression can be observed early at week 8 in the vast majority of the cases. In contrast, in second-line treatment of renal cell carcinoma around 25% of responses are seen late, at week 24 or later (occasionally after 1 year). Therefore, immune checkpoint inhibition should be continued for stable disease. At present, it remains unclear how long to continue therapy in cases with partial or complete remission.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a new standard therapy for advanced or metastatic urothelial as well as renal cell carcinoma. Atezolizumab and Pembrolizumab have been approved for the treatment of cisplatin-ineligible patients with transitional call cancer in the 1st line setting; both antibodies and Nivolumab may also be used after platinum based prior therapy. Regarding renal cell carcinoma approval for 1st line treatment with the combination of Nivolumab and Ipilimumab for patients at intermediate or high risk (IMDC) is currently expected. Furthermore, Nivolumab is approved for renal cell carcinoma after prior therapy. With the widespread use of immune checkpoint inhibitors understanding immune related adverse events gets paramount importance. In particular, combination therapy of Nivolumab and Ipilimumab is not only characterized by improving efficacy but also by a higher rate of adverse events. Most frequently rash and pruitus, endocrine events, colitis/diarrhea, hepatitis and pneumonia are observed. However, any organ system may be affected by immune related adverse events. Differential diagnosis between immune related or other (e. g. infectious) causes of organ dysfunction may be difficult. Early diagnosis and initiation of therapy is important to avoid deleterious outcomes. The use of corticosteroids generally leads to rapid resolution of symptoms; further immunosuppressive agents (MMF, infliximab) are rarely needed. Regarding endocrine adverse events permanent hormonal replacement of hormones is frequently needed. In particular in consequence of pneumonitis fatal outcomes have been observed.

Since November 2013, the alpha emitter radium-223 dichloride (Alpharadin/Xofigo®) has been approved for the treatment of men with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) with symptomatic bone metastases and no known visceral metastatic disease. In the ASYMPCA clinical trial, radium-223 was shown to improve overall survival and to reduce the time to the first symptomatic skeletal event. The use of radium-223 was associated with a reduction of pain and an improvement of health-related quality of life compared to the placebo arm. The efficacy of radium-223 dichloride was not inhibited by the use of chemotherapy with docetaxel. Studies have demonstrated a longer overall survival (OS) in patients with a combined treatment of abiraterone or enzalutamide; however, until this data is validated in larger clinical trials, the combination of radium-223 and abiraterone/enzalutamide cannot be recommended. Patients who have received concomitant medication with denosumab appeared to have a longer OS compared to patients who did not. A second treatment cycle of radium-223 was not associated with any adverse events when compared to the outcomes reported in the ASLYMPCA trial. Here the median radiographic progression-free survival was 9 months.

Taxen-based chemotherapy has been established as an effective treatment option in castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer (mCRPC). Randomized phase III studies, however, have shown that even in the hormone-naïve metastatic state, the early use of chemotherapy in addition to the classical androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) approach leads to a significant increase in median overall survival.This position paper aims to provide current data and orientation in the evidence-based treatment of mPC patients in daily clinical practice.A German group of clinical experts analyzed the current data and developed criteria for the treatment of mPC patients in daily clinical practice.In the current treatment of hormone-naïve mPC, a beneficial effect of chemotherapy in addition to ADT has become evident. Provided patients are in an appropriate condition, those with a high metastatic load should receive chemotherapy in addition to ADT. Especially in high-risk mCRPC patients (PSA114 ng/ml, visceral metastasis, ADT response12 months, tumor-associated complaints), first-line chemotherapy is indicated. After docetaxel failure, continuous treatment with cabazitaxel shows superior overall survival compared to sustained antihormonal therapy.Chemotherapy is firmly established in treating patients with mCRPC. Long-term, it will be important to identify molecular predictors. The authors suggest the early use of chemotherapy in hormone-naïve mPC, but note that the approval in this indication is currently nonexistent. After disease progression, patients should be treated analogous to mCRPC.

After immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy was approved for renal cell carcinoma last year, this new immune therapy has spread to urology. Further approvals (atezolizumab, nivolumab, pembrolizumab) are expected in 2017 for metastatic urothelial carcinoma that has progressed following treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy. With expanding use of immune checkpoint inhibitors, experience in diagnosing and managing immune-mediated adverse events increases. Although of low incidence, grade 3/4 toxicities play a central role. Organs most common for immune-mediated adverse events are skin, liver (hepatitis), kidneys (nephritis), gastrointestinal tract (diarrhea and colitis), lungs (pneumonitis), and endocrine organs (hyper-, hypothyroidism and hypophysitis). Diagnostic workup includes routine laboratory tests (including liver function tests) and may be supplemented with hormone values. In cases of pneumonitis or hypophysitis, imaging (high-resolution CT, MRI) can confirm diagnoses. Immune-mediated toxicities are treated with therapy interruption and administration of corticosteroids (and in individual cases additional immunosuppression). Dose modification is not intended!

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are establishing itselves as a new systemic treatment option (in addition to chemotherapy and targeted therapy) for metastatic tumours. (Re)activating the immune system, these antibodies may lead to impressive remissions lasting for a long time in some patients. Regarding urological tumours, the anti-PD-1 antibody Nivolumab (Opdivo(®)) has been approved this year for advanced, previously treated renal cell carcinoma. In the United States, Atezolizumab (Tecentriq(®)) has been approved for metastatic urothelial carcinoma after platinum-based chemotherapy. In patients pre-treated with antiangiogenic drugs, Nivolumab has achieved a higher rate of remission (25 vs. 5%) and a 5.4-month increase in overall survival compared with Everolimus. An indirect comparison with chemotherapy demonstrates an increased remission rate (15%) and an increased 1-year survival rate (37%) for urothelial carcinoma after platinum-based chemotherapy with Atezolizumab. The frequency of side-effects resulting from these treatments is comparatively low. However, some patients experience what is called immune-mediated side-effects, which must be recognised and treated in a timely manner. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are being tested in numerous ongoing phase III clinical trials and have the potential to replace current first-line treatment options for metastatic tumours such as urothelial and renal cell carcinoma. These trials are also investigating anti-PD-1/anti-PD-L1 antibodies in combination with CTLA4 immune checkpoint inhibitors or antiangiogenic treatments. Approval trials are also investigating the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the adjuvant setting.

Therapies currently available in Germany for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) include docetaxel, cabazitaxel, abiraterone acetate, enzalutamide and radium-223, all of which offer a potential survival benefit that adds up in their sequential application to a significant overall survival benefit. However, the optimal sequencing of these agents is still unclear. In the absence of evidence, treatment selection is based on the particular situation and on comorbid conditions of each individual patient. Furthermore, predictive markers to facilitate the selection of patients for a specific therapy or sequence of therapies remain an unmet need. However, with the recently discovered androgen receptor splice variant V7, which mediates (cross)resistance to or between abiraterone and enzalutamide, the first such marker has been identified. It is critical to monitor the response to treatments at prespecified intervals in order to optimize treatment sequencing so that the patient does not miss a valuable therapeutic window to receive alternative treatment that may prolong his life along with good symptom control and preservation of quality of life.

Retroperitoneal abscesses are rare but life threatening. Renal, perinephritic, and paranephritic abscesses are distinguished depending on their location and extent. They are mainly caused by ascending urologic infections of gram-negative bacteria.The variable symptomatology often leads to delayed diagnosis resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Typical symptoms are flank or abdominal pain, decreased appetite, weight loss, malaise, fever, and chills. Laboratory values show increased leukocytes and C‑reactive protein. Creatinine levels may also be increased.If there is clinical evidence for a retroperitoneal abscess, sonography generally leads to further diagnostic via computed tomography. Small abscesses may be treated by antibiotics alone. Abscesses larger than 3 cm and those not responding to medical treatment should be percutaneously or surgically drained.

Nivolumab was recently approved as the first inhibitor of the programmed death 1 (PD-1) receptor and its ligand (PD-L1) for the treatment of urological cancer, namely metastasized renal cell carcinoma after prior therapy. The use of this new immunotherapy requires special therapy monitoring and management of side effects. An increase of immune cells around the tumor can initially mimic progression (so-called pseudoprogression). Treatment-associated side effects of higher grade according to the common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAE grades 3 or 4) are relatively rare; however, new immune-mediated side effects can occur and affect the skin, liver (hepatitis), kidneys (nephritis), gastrointestinal tract (diarrhea and colitis), lungs (pneumonitis) and endocrine organs (hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and hypophysitis). Treatment has to be delayed or discontinued depending on the kind and degree of side effects; furthermore, corticosteroids can be administered as immunosuppressants. When recognized in time and with correct management, immune-mediated side effects are basically reversible.

With the advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors, immunotherapy has gained new importance in oncology. Current research is focused on the cytotoxic T‑lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4), programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) immune checkpoints. The CTLA4 antibody ipilimumab (melanoma) as well as the PD-1 antibodies nivolumab (melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer and renal cell carcinoma) and pembrolizumab (melanoma) are approved for the treatment of metastatic disease in Europe. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (re)activate the immune system against cancer cells and appear to be more effective than current standards for many tumors. The toxicity profile is favorable but involves new so-called immune-related side effects, which need to be recognized and treated in time. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are also currently being tested in uro-oncology in phase 3 trials relevant for approval status. Based on this it is to be expected that immune checkpoint inhibitors will become a new standard (as monotherapy or as part of combination therapy) in the early lines of therapy in the near future and replace the previous standard therapies, particularly for metastasized renal cell carcinoma and urothelial cancer.

A 49-year-old patient with malignant germ cell tumor within the first cycle PEB (platinum [P], etoposid [E] and bleomycin [B]) presented with an itchy linear papular erythema with discrete vesicles. The rash had appeared three days ago i. e. four days after the second application of bleomycin.Visual diagnosis of a flagellate dermatitis.Primary treatment consisted of systemic antihistamines, local and systemic application of steroids. Bleomycin treatment was stopped and substituted by ifosfamide.Flagellate dermatitis occurs with an incidence up to 66 % after bleomycin treatment. There is no association between bleomycin dose and incidence or severity of the lesions. Flagellate dermatitis is a self-limiting condition but hyperpigmentation may persist. Similar lesions may occur with bendamustine and docetaxel, the intake of insufficiently cooked shiitake mushrooms as well as in dermatomyositis and Still's syndrome.

Radical prostatectomy is the most frequently used treatment for localized prostate cancer. In contrast to other strategies radical prostatectomy has been shown to be superior to watchful waiting in a prospective randomized trial. According to the German S3 guideline patients have to be informed about the results of this trial prior to treatment decision. The aims and quality indicators of radical prostatectomy include--as has also been defined by the German Cancer Society for certified prostate cancer centers--complete removal of the prostate with negative surgical margins (R0) and preservation of continence as well as potency. In low-risk disease (according to D'Amico criteria) pelvic lymph node dissection may be abandoned. If lymphadenectomy is performed a minimum number of ten nodes should be obtained. An extended lymphadenectomy is recommended in locally advanced disease.Radical prostatectomy is a valid treatment option in locally advanced prostate cancer. In cases with Gleason scoreor = 8 or clinical stage cT3/4 magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvis should be performed prior to treatment decision making. In patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (neo) adjuvant treatment should not be used (exception: adjuvant treatment for lymph node metastases). For the first time the German S3 guideline determines minimum surgery volumes aimed at quality assurance. Radical prostatectomy has to be performed under the supervision of an experienced surgeon. This includes the number of 50 prostatectomies per year and institution, 25 prostatectomies per surgeon, and an appropriate training program.

Recent publications suggest that a subgroup of patients can benefit from surgical removal of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) metastases in addition to systemic chemotherapy. We report the combined experience and outcome of patients undergoing resection of TCC metastases at 15 uro-oncologic centers in Germany.Forty-four patients with distant metastatic TCC of the bladder or upper urinary tract underwent resection of all detectable metastases in 15 different German uro-oncological centers between 1991 and 2008 in an attempt to be rendered free of disease.The resected metastatic sites consisted of retroperitoneal lymph nodes (56.8%), distant lymph nodes (11.3%), lung (18.2%), bone (4.5%), adrenal gland (2.3%), brain (2.3%), small intestine (2.3%), and skin (2.3%). The treatment sequence included systemic chemotherapy in 35/44 (79.5%) patients before and/or after surgery. Median survival times from initial diagnosis of metastatic TCC and subsequent resection were as follows: overall survival, 35 and 27 months, respectively; cancer-specific survival, 38 and 34 months, respectively; and progression-free survival, 19 and 15 months, respectively. Overall 5-year survival from metastasectomy for the entire cohort was 28%. Seventeen patients were still alive without progression at a median follow-up time of 8 months. Seven patients without disease progression survived for more than 2 years and remain free from tumor progression at a median of 63 months.The results in this selected cohort confirm that long-term cancer control and possibly cure can be achieved in a subgroup of patients following surgical removal of TCC metastases. However, prospective data to identify patients most likely to benefit from this aggressive therapeutic approach are lacking. Therefore, metastasectomy in patients with disseminated TCC remains investigational and should be offered only to those with limited disease as a combined-modality approach with systemic chemotherapy.

After local therapy for prostate cancer, presumably isolated nodal recurrence is being detected in increasing numbers of patients by modern imaging techniques, especially by positron emission tomography (PET). The question arises whether lymphadenectomy may delay tumor progression.Conclusions concerning the value of PET/computed tomography, perioperative complications, and oncological outcome were derived from available studies and our own experiences. Six studies reported on 83 patients who underwent lymphadenectomy for suspected nodal recurrence. In cases with histological confirmation, no patient was cured.Hence, nodal recurrence in prostate cancer most likely represents a systemic affection instead of locally limited disease. If a drop in the prostate-specific antigen level occurs after lymphadenectomy, it can be assumed that the progression-free period is expected to be less than 12 months.The available data on oncological outcomes of this procedure are insufficient. Therefore, lymphadenectomy for nodal recurrence of prostate cancer remains an unproven approach.

Selected transcript markers as well as their combinations were analyzed on minimal prostate tissue specimens with regard to their diagnostic potential. Artificial prostate biopsies from RPE explants were used for evaluation and optimization of the techniques used followed by application to diagnostic prostate needle core biopsies. Minimal prostate specimens were cryopreserved and processed with standardized methods. The RNA amount of a half of each biopsy was sufficient for the analysis of 11 marker genes and one reference gene (TBP) using quantitative PCR assays.The relative transcript amounts obtained were included in several analyses including calculations for each single marker gene like median overexpression rate as well as marker combinations. Two optimized mathematical models based on relative expression levels of EZH2, hepsin, PCA3, prostein, and TRPM8 were evaluated with regard to their diagnostic potential. Compared to single marker analyses these models show higher sensitivity and specificity for prostate cancer detection.Thus biomolecular prostate cancer identification may represent a suitable diagnostic tool to supplement conventional techniques on prostate biopsies. Furthermore, an extension of this approach to PCa prognosis and the transfer to urine samples appear very promising.

The future development of chemotherapy is derived based upon recent advances. With regard to adjuvant therapy a trend towards standardized prediction of recurrence risk using all available prognostic markers (e.g., nomograms) is observed. Furthermore, in some tumors major progress has been made regarding the development of "molecular classifiers" defining tumor biology (predicting clinical outcome) by analysis of molecular changes. In adjuvant therapy considerable advances may be achieved by use of new chemotherapeutic agents as well as sequential, dose-dense and dose-intensified regimens. However, in metastatic disease no breakthrough can be expected at least with regard to survival suggesting that quality of life needs to be addressed with more emphasis. Using targeted drugs alone or in combination with chemotherapy advances concerning adjuvant therapy as well as metastatic disease are observed. Further targeted drugs have entered clinical development. However, clarification of the relation between detection of the target(s) and drug activity will fundamentally change current treatment concepts.

Modern neuroimaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) have contributed tremendously to our current understanding of psychiatric disorders in the context of functional, biochemical and microstructural alterations of the brain. Since the mid-nineties, functional MRI has provided major insights into the neurobiological correlates of signs and symptoms in schizophrenia. The current paper reviews important fMRI studies of the past decade in the domains of motor, visual, auditory, attentional and working memory function. Special emphasis is given to new methodological approaches, such as the visualisation of medication effects and the functional characterisation of risk genes.

Microarrays allow a simultaneous gene expression analysis of thousands of genes, providing an expression profile of the specimen investigated. Thus, this procedure is well suited to characterize the complex genetic alterations of malignant tumors. Using unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis, characteristic expression profiles for individuals, organs and tissues, as well as for different cell types, can be identified. Molecular signatures have been observed in tumors compared to normal tissue, for different tumor stages, risk groups or response therapy. In prostate cancer, many tumor-specific gene expression alterations have been identified. Among these, the cell surface protease hepsin and alpha-methyl-acryl-CoA-racemase might gain importance as diagnostic tools. Moreover, gene expression profiles were identified which are associated with advanced tumor stage, poor differentiation or progress after radical prostatectomy. Increased expression of enzymes of steroid biosynthesis and the androgen receptor appears to be part of the molecular signature of hormone refractory prostate cancer.

Surgery of diseases of the pelvis minor and retroperitoneum such as inflammatory disease, malignant tumours, or trauma of pelvic organs need the close interdisciplinary collaboration of visceral surgeons, gynaecologists, and urologists. This collaboration begins in planning diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. It has to be clear who performs which operative step and when. Excellent long-term results in malignant disease show that the greater effort is worthwhile. The rate of postoperative morbidity after these multivisceral resections is high also in specialised centers, but mortality is below 5%. Because of the growing number of long-term survivors, preservation of quality of life becomes more and more important.

The rapidly growing knowledge of molecular mechanisms will change the daily routine of clinicians in the near future. Regarding urothelial bladder carcinoma, one may expect that molecular diagnostics will identify patients susceptible to disease development by screening their genotype. Furthermore, in addition to histopathologic findings, prognostic markers will be used for disease management. In an ongoing multicenter trial, the decision on whether or not to treat patients with adjuvant chemotherapy after cystectomy is based on their p53 status. In the near future, cytostatic medications are expected to be chosen according to genetic profiles of the tumor or patient. New medications, which target tumor-specific alterations of cell-signaling cascades in bladder or other cancers, prominently inhibitors of the ERBB membrane receptor family, are currently under clinical investigation and will undoubtedly form an important part of therapeutic oncologic regimens. In conclusion, evaluation of gene profiles of tumors and patients will gain importance for clinicians.

To assess the rate of residual cancer after transurethral resection (TUR) of superficial bladder cancer, a prospective study was carried out. All patients with transitional cell cancer (TCC) stage pTa-pT1 underwent a repeat TUR (ReTUR) within 6-8 weeks. Sites and rates of tumors found during ReTUR were documented as well as the morbidity of the ReTUR. Of a total of 192 TUR, superficial TCC was found in 124 cases; 83 underwent ReTUR according to the study protocol. Residual tumor was detected in 27% of pTa and 53% of pT1 tumors. Worsening of grading or T stage was found in 8%. Of the tumors detected by ReTUR, 81% were localized at the site of the first TUR. In this prospective study, residual tumor formation was detected in a high percentage. Routine ReTUR is therefore recommended in superficial bladder cancer except solitary pTaGI lesions.

No reliable data are available on cases of lethal child neglect in the area of the former German Democratic Republic. In a multicenter study we therefore examined the police and court records for such cases occurring in the period 1 January 1985 to 2 October 1990 in the entire area of the former German Democratic Republic.A total of 9 cases were reported to the study center. This does not include undetected cases, whose number, though indeterminate, is probably small due to the general obligation to perform autopsies on all children dying before their 16 birthday. Just over half of all victims were less than one year old, the oldest was 3 1/2 years old. Starvation and severe dehydration were by far the most common causes of death; in half of cases these occurred in combination with hypothermia. Most often mother killed their children by neglect, either alone or together with the victim's father. In the majority of cases no close bond existed between the parents and the child. Seventy percent of the perpetrators were chronic alcoholics. All 10 of the perpetrators were sentenced to imprisonment for periods ranging from one year to life long. Mitigating circumstances were presented at the sentencing phase of the trial on behalf of 20% of those convicted. The experience of legal medical and pathological institutes in the former German Democratic Republic underscores the need to perform an autopsy on all deceased infants and young children. Only this can ensure that no cases of lethal child neglect are overlooked.

No reliable data are available on cases of lethal child abuse (by active force) in the area of the former German Democratic Republic. In a multicenter study we therefore examined the police and court records for such cases occurring in the period 1 January 1985 to 2 October 1990 in the entire area of the former German Democratic Republic.The study center received information on 39 cases of lethal child abuse which correspond to approximately 7 cases per year. However, a low percentage of undetected crimes which cannot be determined more precisely has to be taken into consideration. Almost 40% of the victims were younger than 1 year, 73% of the victims showed indications of repeated ill-treatment. The effects caused by using direct blunt forces, against the head in particular, were by far the most frequent causes of death. The male contact person (the victim's father, brother or stepfather as well as the life companion of the child's mother in particular) killed the child in most of the cases. As far as it is known, 37% of the male/female offenders suffered from chronic alcoholism; 32% of the male/female offenders were under the influence of alcohol when the crime happened. 83% of the male/female offenders who were found guilty made a confession shortly after the crime had happened or during the interrogations. Almost all the male/female offenders were sentenced to prison (the duration of the imprisonment varied between one year and for life). Due to the considerably lower section rate compared to the one in the German Democratic Republic, it is to fear that each second fatal child abuse is not detected in the new federal states.