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Objectives: In a primary analysis of data from the BRIGHT study (UMIN000035712), photodynamic diagnosis‐assisted transurethral resection of bladder tumor (PDD‐TURBT) using oral 5‐aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride reduced residual tumors in high‐risk non‐muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of PDD‐TURBT for intravesical recurrence after a second transurethral resection for high‐risk NMIBC. Methods: High‐risk NMIBC patients initially treated with PDD‐TURBT (PDD group) were prospectively registered between 2018 and 2020. High‐risk patients with NMIBC who were initially treated with white‐light TURBT (WL group) were retrospectively registered. Intravesical recurrence‐free survival after the second transurethral resection was compared between the PDD and WL groups using propensity score matching analysis. Results: In total, 177 patients were enrolled in the PDD group, and 306 patients were registered in the WL group. After propensity score matching (146 cases in each group), intravesical recurrence within 1 year was significantly less frequent in the PDD group than in the WL group (p = 0.004; hazard ratio [HR] 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.25–0.77). In subgroup analysis, PDD‐TURBT showed a particularly high efficacy in reducing intravesical recurrence within 1 year, especially in cases of tumors measuring less than 3 cm (p = 0.003; HR 0.31, 95% CI: 0.14–0.67), absence of residual tumor at second transurethral resection (p = 0.020; HR 0.37, 95% CI: 0.16–0.86), and no postoperative intravesical Bacillus Calmette‐Guérin therapy (p < 0.001; HR 0.27, 95% CI: 0.13–0.58). Conclusions: PDD‐TURBT may reduce short‐term intravesical recurrence in patients with high‐risk NMIBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcomes between patients receiving second TUR after initial white‐light transurethral resection of bladder tumor (WL‐TURBT) and initial photodynamic diagnosis (PDD)‐assisted TURBT. Methods: A total of 1007 patients were divided into four groups based on the treatment pattern: WL‐TURBT with second TUR (161 patients, WL‐second group) or without second TUR (540 patients, WL‐alone group) and PDD‐TURBT with second TUR (112 patients, PDD‐second group) or without second TUR (194 patients, PDD‐alone group). Oncologic outcomes (bladder cancer recurrence, progression, urothelial cancer‐specific mortality) and rates of residual tumor and risk stratification of non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) after second TUR were evaluated. Results: After propensity score‐matching 121 patients were included each in the WL‐alone and WL‐second groups, and 63 patients each in the PDD‐alone and PDD‐second groups. In the WL group, the second TUR was significantly associated with improved progression‐free (p = 0.012) and urothelial cancer‐specific free survival (p = 0.011), but not with recurrence‐free survival (p = 0.93). Patients initially treated with PDD‐TURBT, and with a tumor diameter <30 mm and multifocality had a relatively high benefit from second TUR. The rates of residual tumor and risk stratification of NMIBC did not significantly differ between WL‐TURBT and PDD‐TURBT groups. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that a second TUR could be omitted after an initial PDD‐TURBT in selected patients with high‐risk NMIBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Super‐selective adrenal venous sampling (ssAVS) can collect the adrenal tributary venous blood in the aldosterone (ALD)‐hypersecreting segments in primary aldosteronism. The concentrations of the C18‐oxygenated steroids, especially 18‐oxocortisol (18‐oxoF), in the lesion segments might be more useful indices than those in the peripheral or adrenal central veins (current candidate indexes) for the differential diagnosis of unilateral ALD‐producing adenoma (APA) and bilateral adrenal hyperplasia (BAH). To verify this hypothesis, we developed a liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI–MS/MS) method for simultaneously quantifying ALD, 18‐oxoF and 18‐hydroxycortisol in the adrenal tributary venous serum sample collected by ssAVS (ssAVS serum) and compared their concentrations between APA and BAH patients. Only deproteinization was required for a 10 μl sample prior to the LC/ESI–MS/MS analysis. Endogenous corticoids did not interfere with the quantifications, and the intra‐assay and interassay precisions (≤ 8.3%) and accuracies (94.2–102.7%) were acceptable. The clinical study revealed that the 18‐oxoF concentration was significantly higher in the ALD‐producing tumor tissues (from APA patients) than in the hyperplastic tissues (from BAH patients). However, in conclusion, the 18‐oxoF concentration in the ssAVS serum sample can be a rough indication but cannot be decisive for the differential diagnosis between APA and BAH owing to the significant individual difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Bladder cancer, especially non‐muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), is one of the most costly cancers owing to its long‐term management. Photodynamic diagnosis‐assisted transurethral resection of bladder tumor (PDD‐TURBT) reduces the risk of intravesical recurrence. However, its impact on healthcare economics in Japan remains unclear. We evaluated the comprehensive medical costs of Japanese healthcare economics regarding PDD‐TURBT. Methods: This large‐scale, multicenter, retrospective study included a dataset of 1531 patients who were diagnosed with primary NMIBC who underwent initial TURBT between April 2006 and June 2021. A one‐to‐one propensity‐score matching analysis was used for an unbiased comparison based on postTURBT follow‐up periods. The total medical costs, including hospitalization, surgical procedures for TURBT and salvage radical cystectomy, adjuvant intravesical therapies, and follow‐up examinations, were compared between white light (WL)‐TURBT and PDD‐TURBT groups. Results: After propensity‐score matching, 468 patients each of WL‐ and PDD‐TURBT groups were matched. Total costs were 510 337 128 and 514 659 328 ¥ in WL‐ and PDD‐TURBT groups, respectively. The costs of adjuvant intravesical therapies, follow‐up examinations, and salvage radical cystectomy in PDD‐TURBT group were equivalent to or lower than those in WL‐TURBT group. Furthermore, total costs of high‐ and highest‐risk NMIBC in PDD‐TURBT group were either equivalent or lower compared to those in WL‐TURBT group. Conclusions: The total costs associated with PDD‐TURBT were higher compared to WL‐TURBT, while there is the potential of PDD‐TURBT to reduce the burden on healthcare economics in limited cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are effective in some cancer patients; however, they may show no efficacy in others. Predictive biomarkers are crucial for appropriately selecting the patients who receive ICI therapy. This study aimed to clarify the predictors of disease progression in urothelial carcinoma (UC) patients treated with an ICI, pembrolizumab. Methods: We analyzed the response patterns of 50 UC patients who were treated with pembrolizumab, as well as the association between survival and clinicopathological factors. Clinical factors included age, sex, body mass index, clinical courses, laboratory data, metastases, and adverse events. Pathological factors included special variant, squamous differentiation, programmed cell death ligand‐1 (PD‐L1) expression, CD8‐positive lymphocytes density, and CDKN2A/p16 homozygous deletion. Results: During pembrolizumab treatment, four (8%), 11 (22%), and eight (16%) patients achieved the best‐case scenarios of complete response, partial response, and stable disease, respectively. Twenty‐seven patients (54%) showed progressive disease. In this study, younger age, lower preoperative neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and positive PD‐L1 expression were significantly correlated with longer progression‐free survival and overall survival. Moreover, lower NLR and positive PD‐L1 expression were independently associated with longer OS in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Based on our observations, lower NLR and positive PD‐L1 expression may be independent favorable prognostic markers in UC patients treated with pembrolizumab. These results suggest that both host and tumor status can reflect the effectiveness of pembrolizumab among patients with UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Transurethral resection of bladder tumor with photodynamic diagnosis has been reported to result in lower residual tumor and intravesical recurrence rates in non‐muscle invasive bladder cancer. We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of photodynamic diagnosis‐transurethral resection of bladder tumor combined with oral 5‐aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride for high‐risk non‐muscle invasive bladder cancer. Methods: High‐risk non‐muscle invasive bladder cancer patients with an initial photodynamic diagnosis‐transurethral resection of bladder tumor (photodynamic diagnosis group) were prospectively registered between 2018 to 2020. High‐risk non‐muscle invasive bladder cancer cases with a history of initial white‐light transurethral resection of bladder tumor (white‐light group) were retrospectively registered. Propensity score‐matching analysis was used to compare residual tumor rates, and factors that could predict residual tumors at the first transurethral resection of bladder tumor were evaluated. Results: Analyses were conducted with 177 and 306 cases in the photodynamic diagnosis and white‐light groups, respectively. The residual tumor rates in the photodynamic diagnosis and white‐light groups were 25.7% and 47.3%, respectively. Factor analysis for predicting residual tumors in the photodynamic diagnosis group showed that the residual tumor rate was significantly higher in cases with a current/past smoking history, multiple tumors, and pT1/pTis. When each factor was set as a risk level of 1, cases with a total risk score ≤1 showed a significantly lower residual tumor rate than cases with a total risk score ≥2 (8.3% vs 33.3%, odds ratio 5.46 [1.81–22.28]). Conclusions: In high‐risk non‐muscle invasive bladder cancer cases, the odds of a residual tumor after initial photodynamic diagnosis‐transurethral resection of bladder tumor were 0.39‐fold that of the odds of those after initial white‐light transurethral resection of bladder tumor. A risk stratification model could be used to omit the second transurethral resection of bladder tumor in 27% of the cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Xp11 rearrangement in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) typically involves gene fusion to the gene encoding transcription factor E3 (TFE3), a member of the microphthalmia‐associated transcription factor family on chromosome Xp11.2. Dual‐colour break‐apart fluorescence in‐situ hybridisation (FISH) is recommended to confirm histological diagnoses. Recently, RNA‐binding motif protein 10 (RBM10), encoded by a gene on chromosome Xp11.3, was identified as a chimeric partner of TFE3; thus, RBM10–TFE3 fusion results from paracentric inversion. RBM10–TFE3 RCC may yield a false‐negative result in FISH analysis of TFE3 expression. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinicopathological features of RBM10–TFE3 RCC. Methods and results: Ten patients with RBM10–TFE3 RCC aged 31–71 years were investigated. Histological analysis, immunostaining, dual‐colour break‐apart FISH for TFE3, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and sequencing analysis were performed. No patient had a history of exposure to chemotherapy. Two of these patients died of RCC, and three were alive but developed metastases. Microscopically, the tumours were composed of a mixed architecture of tubulocystic and papillary patterns with scattered psammoma bodies. The tumours showed strong nuclear immunoreactivity for TFE3. FISH showed consistent closely spaced split signals in the RCCs of four patients, and polysomic signals with occasional closely spaced split signals in the RCCs of six patients. Of the latter six patients, five had renal failure, and four developed tumours in kidneys subjected to haemodialysis. Conclusions: The present study suggests that the carcinogenesis of RBM10–TFE3 RCC in some, but not all, patients may be associated with chronic kidney disease. The aggressive nature of RBM10–TFE3 RCC should be considered, as five patients experienced metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the clinical value of prostate specific antigen velocity (PSAV) in predicting the extraprostatic extension of clinically localized prostate cancer. Methods: One hundred and three patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer were included in the analysis. The correlation between preoperative parameters, including PSA-based parameters, clinical stage, and histological biopsy findings, and the pathological findings were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify a significant set of independent predictors for the local extent of the disease. Results: Sixty-four (60.2%) patients had organ confined prostate cancer and 39 (39.8%) patients had extraprostatic cancer. The biopsy Gleason score, PSA, PSA density, PSA density of the transition zone, and PSAV were significantly higher in the patients with extraprostatic cancer than in those with organ confined cancer. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the biopsy Gleason score, endorectal magnetic resonance imaging findings, and PSAV were significant predictors of extraprostatic cancer ( P < 0.01). Probability curves for extraprostatic cancer were generated using these three preoperative parameters. Conclusions: The combination of PSAV, endorectal magnetic resonance imaging findings, and biopsy Gleason score can provide additional information for selecting appropriate candidates for radical prostatectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There were 15 patients with Clavien-Dindo >=3a complications (9.6% of all the cases), and three patients with Clavien 4a complications (1.9%). From these factors with strong discriminative power (area under the curve 0.86), the nomogram was generated and its decision curve analysis showed apparently significant positive benefit for patients with a >10% threshold probability of post-adrenalectomy complications. [Extracted from the article]

Renal myxomas are rare neoplasms. Only three cases have been convincingly diagnosed as renal myxoma. Here we report an additional case. The case was a 36-year-old man and he was discovered incidentally at the regular health-check for chronic hepatitis B. Computed tomography showed 8 cm low-density tumor in the lower pole of the left kidney. The tumor was slightly enhanced by contrast agents. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed the tumor as low intensity on T1-weighted imaging and high intensity on T2-weighted images. The tumor was enhanced by gadrinium enhancement homogeneously. The resected kidney contained semitranslucent, gelatinous, tan mass within the lower pole of the kidney. The microscopic examination showed the typical appearance of a myxoma, which consisted of large amounts of myxoid material containing a few uniformly scattered spindle cells The tumor cells showed immunoreactivity for vimentin but not for S-100 protein, epithelial membrane antigen, cytokeratin, alpha smooth muscle actin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author comments on an article published in a previous issue of the periodical which focused on the use of intermittent everolimus to treat renal angiomyolipoma (AML) associated with tuberous sclerosis complex. Topics discussed include the effectiveness of the treatment with everolimus, the release of patients from adverse events during drug holidays, and the optimal dosage of everolimus.