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Assesses the putative mechanistic basis for intraoperative propofol-induced penile erections and its effects in vitro on cultures human corporal smooth muscle cells and isolated corporal tissue strips. Concentration-dependence decrease in the peak amplitude of the phenylephrine-induced contractile response.

A smart gold nanoparticle based aptasensor is developed for the sensing of this biomarker in a convenient and fast manner. A comprehensive study was performed to elucidate the driving force of DNA adsorption, different factors' effects, such as gold nanoparticle size, DNA length, concentration, and working pH towards spermine sensing by using UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry. It was found that the developed aptasensor could detect spermine by two different sensing mechanisms simply by adjusting the DNA concentration without complicated procedures. Good performance in complicated matrices was proven by the satisfactory results obtained in the spike analysis of both artificial urine and clinical urine samples. Such a flexible and smart approach described here would provide a useful tool for the fast sensing of spermine and prostate cancer screening., (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Inflammation is strictly associated with cancer and plays a key role in tumor development and progression. Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated that inflammation can predispose to tumors, therefore targeting inflammation and the molecules involved in the inflammatory process could represent a good strategy for cancer prevention and therapy. In the past, several clinical studies have demonstrated that many anti-inflammatory agents, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), are able to interfere with the tumor microenvironment by reducing cell migration and increasing apoptosis and chemo-sensitivity. This review focuses on the link between inflammation and cancer by describing the anti-inflammatory agents used in cancer therapy, and their mechanisms of action, emphasizing the use of novel anti-inflammatory agents with significant anticancer activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasound can penetrate deep into tissues and interact with human tissue via thermal and mechanical mechanisms. The ability to focus an ultrasound beam and its energy onto millimeter-size targets was a significant milestone in the development of therapeutic applications of focused ultrasound. Focused ultrasound can be used as a non-invasive thermal ablation technique for tumor treatment and is being developed as an option to standard oncologic therapies. High-intensity focused ultrasound has now been used for clinical treatment of a variety of solid malignant tumors, including those in the pancreas, liver, kidney, bone, prostate, and breast, as well as uterine fibroids and soft-tissue sarcomas. Magnetic resonance imaging and Ultrasound imaging can be combined with high intensity focused ultrasound to provide real-time imaging during ablation. Magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound represents a novel non-invasive method of treatment that may play an important role as an alternative to open neurosurgical procedures for treatment of a number of brain disorders. This paper briefly reviews the underlying principles of HIFU and presents current applications, outcomes, and complications after treatment. Recent applications of Focused ultrasound for tumor treatment, drug delivery, vessel occlusion, histotripsy, movement disorders, and vascular, oncologic, and psychiatric applications are reviewed, along with clinical challenges and potential future clinical applications of HIFU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To examine adrenal invasion by renal cell carcinoma (RCC), particularly by adrenal micrometastasis, to determine whether adrenalectomy should be performed during radical nephrectomy. Patients and methods From 1987 to 1994, 129 patients with RCC (90 men and 39 women, mean age 61.4 years, range 22-81) underwent radical nephrectomy with associated adrenalectomy because they had risk factors for adrenal invasion (tumour size >5 cm, or tumour of the superior pole). Pathological examinations were carried out systematically and records of these examinations reviewed. The tumour size was recorded and the frequency of invasion calculated. Results There were 10 cases where the gland was invaded; one was a synchronous contralateral metastasis and nine (7%) were ipsilateral invasions of which two were tumours in the superior pole that invaded the gland by direct extension and the other seven invaded the gland by distant metastasis, six being micrometastatic (4.7%). A single micrometastasis was found in two cases (1.5%). There was no adrenal invasion by tumours of <5 cm in diameter from the superior pole. When only tumours >5 cm in diameter were considered, the ipsilateral invasion rate was 11% (9/80) and the micrometastatic rate was 7.5% (6/80). Conclusion Adrenalectomy need not be performed routinely in small tumours which are detected early, but the possibility of adrenal micrometastasis from larger tumours (>5 cm) should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant amount of research indicates that the cyclooxygenase/prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) pathway of inflammation contributes to the development and progression of a variety of cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx (OSCC). Although there have been promising results from studies examining the utility of anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of OSCC, this strategy has been met with only variable success and these drugs are also associated with toxicities that make them inappropriate for some OSCC patients. Improved inflammation-targeting therapies require continued study of the mechanisms linking inflammation and progression of OSCC. In this review, a synopsis of OSCC biology will be provided, and recent insights into inflammation related mechanisms of OSCC pathobiology will be discussed. The roles of prostaglandin E2 and cluster of differentiation factor 147 (CD147) will be presented, and evidence for their interactions in OSCC will be explored. Through continued investigation into the protumourigenic pathways of OSCC, more treatment modalities targeting inflammation-related pathways can be designed with the hope of slowing tumour progression and improving patient prognosis in patients with this aggressive form of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: According to the current upper urinary tract urothelial carcinomas (UTUC) guidelines, ureteroscopic evaluation (URS) is recommended to improve diagnostic accuracy and obtain a grade (by biopsy or cytology). However, URS may delay radical surgery [e.g., nephroureterectomy (RNU)]. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of URS implementation before RNU on patient survival., Methods: A French multicentre retrospective study including 512 patients with nonmetastatic UTUC was conducted between 1995 and 2011. Achievement of ureteroscopy (URS), treatment time (time between imaging diagnosis and RNU), tumour location, pT-pN stage, grade, lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and the presence of invaded surgical margins (R+) were evaluated as prognostic factors for survival using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Cancer-specific survival (CSS), recurrence-free survival (RFS) and metastasis-free survival (MFS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method., Results: A total of 170 patients underwent ureteroscopy prior to RNU (URS+ group), and 342 did not undergo URS (URS-). The median treatment time was significantly longer in the URS+ group (79.5 vs. 44.5 days, p = 0.04). Ureteroscopic evaluation was correlated with ureteral location and lower stage and tumour grade (p = 0.022, 0.005, 0.03, respectively). Tumour stage, LVI+ and R+ status were independently associated with CSS (p = 0.024, 0.049 and 0.006, respectively). The 5-year CSS, RFS and MFS did not differ between the two groups (p = 0.23, 0.89 and 0.35, respectively). These results were confirmed for muscle-invasive (MI) UTUC (p = 0.21, 0.44 and 0.67 for CSS, RFS and MFS, respectively)., Conclusions: Despite the increased time to radical surgery, diagnostic ureteroscopy can be systematically performed for the appraisal of UTUC to refine the therapeutic strategy without significantly affecting oncological outcomes, even for MI lesions.

Unlabelled: What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Upper urinary tract urothelial carcinomas (UUT-UCs) are rare tumours. Because of the aggressive pattern of UC, radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) with bladder cuff removal remains the 'gold-standard' treatment. However, conservative strategies, such as segmental ureterectomy (SU) or endourological management, have also been developed in patients with imperative indications. Some teams are now advocating the use of conservative management more commonly in cases of elective indications of UUT-UCs. Due to the paucity of cases of UUT-UC, only limited data are available on the oncological outcomes afforded by conservative management. We retrospectively investigated the oncological outcomes after SU and RNU in a large multi-institutional database. Overall, 52 patients were treated with SU and 416 with RNU. There was no statistical difference between the RNU and SU groups for the 5-year probability of cancer-specific survival, recurrence-free survival and metastasis-free survival. The type of surgery was not a significant prognostic factor in univariate analysis. The results were the same in a subgroup analysis of only unifocal tumours of the distal ureter with a diameter of <2 cm and of low stage (≤T2). Our results suggest that oncological outcomes after conservative treatment with SU are comparable to RNU for the management of UUT-UC in select cases., Objective: To compare recurrence-free survival (RFS), metastasis-free survival (MFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) after segmental ureterectomy (SU) vs radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the upper urinary tract (UUT-UC) located in the ureter., Patients and Methods: We performed a multi-institutional retrospective review of patients with UUT-UC who had undergone RNU or SU between 1995 and 2010. Type of surgery, Tumour-Node-Metastasis status, tumour grade, lymphovascular invasion and positive surgical margin were tested as prognostic factors for survival., Results: In all, 52 patients were treated with SU and 416 with RNU. The median (range) follow-up was 26 (10-48) months. The 5-year probability of CSS, RFS and MFS for SU and RNU were 87.9% and 86.3%, respectively (P = 0.99); 37% and 47.9%, respectively (P = 0.48); 81.9% and 85.4%, respectively (P = 0.51). In univariable analysis, type of surgery (SU vs RNU) failed to affect CSS, RFS and MFS (P = 0.94, 0.42 and 0.53, respectively). In multivariable analyses, pT stage and pN stage achieved independent predictor status for CSS (P = 0.005 and 0.007, respectively); the positive surgical margin and pT stage were independent prognostic factors of RFS and MFS (P = 0.001, 0.04, 0.009 and 0.001, respectively). The main limitation of the study is its retrospective design, which is due to the rarity of the disease., Conclusions: Short-term oncological outcomes after conservative treatment with SU are comparable to RNU for the management of UUT-UC in select cases and should be considered an option. In every other case, RNU still represents the 'gold standard' for the treatment of UUT-UC., (© 2012 BJU INTERNATIONAL.)

Background: Urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract (UUT-UC) was a rare, aggressive urologic cancer with a propensity for multifocality, local recurrence, and metastasis. High-risk patients had poor outcomes. Because of the rarity of these tumors, randomized clinical trials and data regarding adjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced tumors are currently unavailable. Our objective was to assess the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy and the impact of potential prognostic factors on survival in high-risk, postsurgical UUT-UC patients., Methods: Using a multi-institutional, international retrospective database, identified were 627 patients with high risk UUT-UCs (pT3N0, pT4N0 and/or N+ and/or M+) who underwent surgical removal. Only patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy were included., Results: Overall, 140 patients (22.6%) with a median age of 67 years were included. The median follow-up was 22.5 months. The 5-year, overall survival for the entire cohort was 43%, the 5-year recurrence-free survival was 54%, and metastasis-free survival was 53% at 5 years. Positive surgical margins were an independent prognostic factor for recurrence (P = .06), cancer-specific mortality (P = .05), and overall mortality (P = .02) of any cause. Adjuvant chemotherapy was not linked with overall or cancer-specific survival in patients with high risk disease (adjuvant chemotherapy [n = 140] vs no treatment [n = 487]) (P >.5)., Conclusions: Adjuvant postoperative chemotherapy did not offer any significant benefit to overall survival in our population. Additional data were necessary, and studies enrolling patients at high risk in clinical trials investigating neoadjuvant chemotherapy in conjunction with chemotherapy should have been highly encouraged., (Copyright © 2011 American Cancer Society.)

Purpose: We analyzed preoperative data, pathological results and followup of pT0 tumors after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer diagnosed on previous positive biopsy., Materials and Methods: At 6 centers a total of 30 of 7,693 radical prostatectomy specimens were classified as pT0 despite prior biopsy proven prostate cancer. No patients were diagnosed after transurethral prostate resection or received neoadjuvant hormonal treatment. All biopsy cores and radical prostatectomy specimens were reanalyzed by a second pathologist. Followup comprised clinical examination and postoperative prostate specific antigen assay at 1 and 3 months, and every 6 months thereafter., Results: Median patient age was 63 years (range 46 to 73). Median preoperative prostate specific antigen was 7.4 ng/ml (range 1.3 to 23). Of the cases 24 were T1c and 6 were T2a. The median number of biopsy cores was 10 (range 6 to 21) with 1 positive (range 1 to 4). On biopsies median tumor length was 1 mm (range 0.3 to 18) and there was tumor in 11.1% (range 3.4% to 64%). In 25 cases (83.3%) there was only 1 positive biopsy. Gleason score was 3 + 3 in 23 cases and less than 6 in 5 with grade 4 in 2. Only 9 cases filled all nonsignificant tumor criteria. Median specimen weight was 61 gm (range 40 to 160). At a median 82-month followup (range 14 to 226) there was no biochemical progression., Conclusions: After biopsy proven cancer pT0 prostate cancer is an unpredictable pathological finding. Despite its excellent prognosis it has medicolegal repercussions that justify DNA based tissue analysis. There is no evidence that finding focal cancer after extensive prostate resection changes patient prognosis and postoperative treatment., (2010 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The identification of fusion genes provides new insights into the initial mechanisms of molecular events implicated in the tumorigenesis of prostate cancer. The presence of TEMPRSS2-ETS fusion in up to half of all human prostate cancers makes it perhaps the most common genetic rearrangement in human epithelial tumors. Some data suggest that TMPRSS2-ERG fusion prostate cancers have a more aggressive phenotype which may affect cancer progression and outcome in localized tumors treated with prostatectomy. This discovery should pave the way towards future targeted therapies.

Understanding the tumor microenvironment is critical to characterizing how cancers operate and predicting their response to treatment. We describe a novel, high-resolution coregistered photoacoustic (PA) and pulse echo (PE) ultrasound system used to image the tumor microenvironment. Compared to traditional optical systems, the platform provides complementary contrast and important depth information. Three mice are implanted with a dorsal skin flap window chamber and injected with PC-3 prostate tumor cells transfected with green fluorescent protein. The ensuing tumor invasion is mapped during three weeks or more using simultaneous PA and PE imaging at 25 MHz, combined with optical and fluorescent techniques. Pulse echo imaging provides details of tumor structure and the surrounding environment with 100-m3resolution. Tumor size increases dramatically with an average volumetric growth rate of 5.35 mm3day, correlating well with 2-D fluorescent imaging (R 0.97, p< 0.01). Photoacoustic imaging is able to track the underlying vascular network and identify hemorrhaging, while PA spectroscopy helps classify blood vessels according to their optical absorption spectrum, suggesting variation in blood oxygen saturation. Photoacoustic and PE imaging are safe, translational modalities that provide enhanced depth resolution and complementary contrast to track the tumor microenvironment, evaluate new cancer therapies, and develop molecular contrast agents in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents guidelines of the organizing committee Standards, Options and Recommendations for the management of patients with nonmetastatic prostate cancer. Histological types and histoprognostic factors of nonmetastatic prostate cancer; Classification of prostate adenocarcinoma; Diagnostic investigation for patients with abnormal serum concentration (T1c) and/or suspicious digital rectal examination or imaging studies.