Search

Purpose: Cryosurgical ablation of the prostate is 1 approach to the treatment of localized prostate cancer. Third generation cryosurgery uses gas driven probes that allow for a decrease in probe diameter to 17 gauge (1.5 mm). The safety, morbidity and preliminary prostate specific antigen (PSA) results of 122 cases are reported.Materials and Methods: A total of 106 patients have undergone percutaneous cryosurgery using a brachytherapy template with at least 12 months of PSA followup. Immediate and delayed morbidities were evaluated. PSA results at 3 and 12 months were recorded, and failure was defined as the inability to reach a nadir of 0.4 ng/ml or less.Results: Complications in patients undergoing primary cryosurgery included tissue sloughing (5%), incontinence (pads, 3%), urge incontinence/no pads (5%), transient urinary retention (3.3%) and rectal discomfort (2.6%). There were no cases of fistulas or infections. Postoperative impotence was 87% in previously potent patients. For patients who u...

• To evaluate the correlation between ultrasound-estimated bladder weight (UEBW) in patients with different degrees of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO).• We evaluated 50 consecutive non-neurogenic male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) referred to urodynamic study (UDS). All patients self-answered the International Prostate Score Symptoms (IPSS) questionnaire. After the UDS, the bladder was filled with 150 mL to determine UEBW. • Patients with a bladder capacity under 150 mL, a previous history of prostate surgery or pelvic irradiation, an IPSS score8, a bladder stone or urinary tract infection were excluded. • After a pressure-flow study, the Schafer linear passive urethral resistance relation nomogram was plotted to determine the grade of obstruction: Grades I-II/VI were defined as mild obstruction, Grades III-IV/VI as moderate obstruction, and Grades V-VI/VI as severe obstruction.• The UEBW was 51.7 ± 26.9, 54.1 ± 30.0 and 54.8 ± 28.2 in patients with mild, moderate and severe BOO, respectively (P= 0.130). The UEBW allowed us to define four groups: (i) UEBW35 g; (ii) 35 g ≤ UEBW50 g; (iii) 50 g ≤ UEBW70 g; and (4) UEBW ≥ 70 g. • We did not find any differences in age, prostate weight, IPSS, PVR, cystometric bladder capacity, presence of detrusor overactive and degree of obstruction in the aforementioned groups.• Despite the fact that some studies have emphasized the value of UEBW as an efficient non-invasive method for evaluating lower urinary tract obstruction, our study suggests that UEBW does not present any individual correlation with LUTS or objective measurements of BOO.

Study Type – Diagnostic (case series) Level of Evidence 4 What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? Based on the observation of bladder mass increase in BOO animal models, it has been suggested that it could be possible to determine the presence of male bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) by ultrasound estimated bladder weight (UEBW). In the present study, we tried to reproduce the results correlating UEBW and BOO without success. Furthermore, we could not find any correlation of UEBW and IPSS. Despite some studies emphasizing the value of UEBW as an efficient non-invasive method to evaluate lower urinary tract obstruction, our data demonstrate that UEBW did not present any individual correlation with clinical and urodynamic BOO. OBJECTIVE • To evaluate the correlation between ultrasound-estimated bladder weight (UEBW) in patients with different degrees of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). METHODS • We evaluated 50 consecutive non-neurogenic male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) referred to urodynamic study (UDS). All patients self-answered the International Prostate Score Symptoms (IPSS) questionnaire. After the UDS, the bladder was filled with 150 mL to determine UEBW. • Patients with a bladder capacity under 150 mL, a previous history of prostate surgery or pelvic irradiation, an IPSS score

Purpose: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) can present with a wide range of signs and symptoms. To our knowledge we report the first study to describe the frequency of paraneoplastic findings in a modern RCC series and assess the prognostic significance of each finding. Materials and Methods: Using the kidney cancer database at our institution 1,046 patients undergoing nephrectomy for RCC between 1989 and 2001 were assessed. The prognostic significance of symptoms present at diagnosis and findings on preoperative laboratory evaluation were examined in a univariate analysis as well as on multivariate analysis controlling for TNM stage, Fuhrman grade and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS). Results: Mean followup to date of death or last contact for all patients was 40.3 months. Median time to death was 19.3 months. Most paraneoplastic signs and symptoms correlated with poor survival, although on multivariate analysis hypoalbuminemia, weight loss, anorexia and malaise predicted shorter survival. The frequency of each of these findings was 19.9%, 22.9%, 10.6% and 19.1%, respectively. Cachexia, defined as the presence of at least 1 of these findings, was noted in 35.3% of patients. Cachexia did not predict a higher recurrence rate in patients with localized disease and only malaise correlated with a decreased likelihood of responding to immunotherapy. Conclusions: Cachexia, defined as hypoalbuminemia, weight loss, anorexia or malaise, predicts worse survival after controlling for well established indicators of prognosis (TNM stage, Fuhrman grade and ECOG-PS). Consideration should be given to expanding the ECOG-PS to include measures for cachexia when applied to patients with RCC.

We investigated the ability of the fusion protein granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and carbonic anhydrase IX (GMCA-9)(1) to induce an immune response in vitro and in vivo for the development of a GMCA-9-based kidney cancer vaccine.Human dendritic cells (DCs) were transduced with a recombinant adenovirus containing the GMCA-9 gene and tested for their capacity to induce CA9-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vitro. Tumor growth was studied in severe compromised immunodeficiency disease (SCID) mice s.c. injected with R11-GMCA-9, a human renal cell carcinoma cell line stably transfected with the GMCA-9 gene. Involvement of natural killer (NK) cells in the antitumor activity of GMCA-9 was determined in SCID mice treated with the NK-blocking agent anti-asialoGM-1.DC and R11 cells transduced with GMCA-9 produced a GMCA-9 protein that is targeted to the cell membrane and partially processed to granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor- and CA9-like products. Furthermore, GMCA-9 was capable of inducing DC maturation, as well as CA9-specific cytotoxic lymphocytes in vitro. Tumor growth of R11 cells in SCID mice was significantly inhibited after transfection with the GMCA-9 fusion gene (P0.01). In mice treated with anti-asialoGM-1, R11-GMCA-9 tumors grew significantly faster than those of control mice (P0.05), suggesting an involvement of NK cells.Our results suggest that the fusion protein GMCA-9 is capable of generating an immune response both in vitro and in vivo. Additional studies will confirm the utility of ex vivo GMCA-9-transduced DCs as a kidney cancer vaccine.

Objectives To perform a retrospective study to determine whether survival and immunotherapy response are related to the site of metastases (lung versus bone) and to the number of organ sites involved (one versus multiple). The most common sites of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) are the lung and bone. Methods The records of 434 patients with mRCC were reviewed. Patients with pathologic evidence of nodal involvement were excluded, leaving 120 patients with mRCC to lung only, 33 patients to bone only, and 144 patients with multiple organ involvement. The response rates to immunotherapy and overall survival were compared. The variables evaluated in statistical analyses included Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score, grade, 1997 tumor stage, and multiple organ involvement. Results The median survival for patients with lung only and bone only mRCC was 27 months; patients with multiple organ involvement had a median survival of 11 months. In patients who underwent nephrectomy followed by immunotherapy, the median survival time was 31, 31, and 13 months in the lung, bone, and multiple sites groups, respectively. The response rate to immunotherapy after nephrectomy was 44%, 20%, and 14% in the lung, bone, and multiple organ groups, respectively. Multivariate analysis confirmed that metastatic disease to more than one organ site was associated with poor prognosis (2.05 risk ratio, P Conclusions Patients with mRCC to only one organ site fared significantly better than patients who had evidence of disease in multiple organs. Survival in patients with disease limited to the lung was similar to that of patients whose disease was limited to bone.

Upper pole tumors with direct extension into the adrenal gland are currently staged as pT3a tumors in the 1997 TNM staging system. To determine whether the clinical behavior of pT3a adrenal tumors differs from that of tumors with perinephric fat invasion (also stage pT3a) a retrospective analysis was performed.Of 1,087 patients who underwent nephrectomy 27 were identified with direct adrenal involvement and 187 were identified with perinephric fat or renal sinus involvement. Variables and outcomes analyzed in each group included the percent of patients with metastatic disease at presentation, lymph node involvement, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score, response to immunotherapy, and median and overall survival using Kaplan-Meier curves.Median survival for patients with pT3a disease and perinephric or renal sinus fat involvement was 36 months with a 36% 5-year cancer specific survival rate. In contrast, patients with adrenal gland invasion had significantly worse survival at a median of 12.5 months and a 0% 5-year cancer specific survival rate (p0.001), which was similar to median survival of those with stage pT4 disease (11 months).Upper pole tumors with direct extension into the adrenal gland predict significantly worse survival than similarly staged tumors with fat invasion and they have a prognosis similar to that of stage pT4 disease. While these data await external validation, consideration should be given to re-categorizing tumors with direct adrenal gland involvement as stage pT4 or in a subcategory such as pT4a.

A 61-year-old female with unremarkable medical history presented with right flank pain, 15-pound weight loss and gross hematuria 2 months in duration. The patient had exercised regularly until presentation. Physical examination revealed a right abdominal mass and cardiac rub. Blood tests were normal. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a right renal tumor with thrombus extending from the renal vein to the right ventricle (fig. 1). Echocardiography showed a mobile thrombus extending from the inferior vena cava into the main pulmonary artery (fig. 2). Metastatic evaluation was unremarkable. At surgery the thrombus was monitored with transesophageal echocardiography. The right kidney was mobilized through a Mercedes incision (chevron incision with apex extended to the xiphoid), leaving only the vein tethering the kidney.2, 3 The liver was mobilized, and remained attached by only the hepatic veins and porta hepatis.2 The incision was extended from the xiphoid to the sternal notch. The sternum was divided. Cardiopulmonary bypass was achieved using the usual technique. Arterial and cardioplegia cannulas were placed in the ascending aorta. Venous cannulas were placed in the right atrial appendage and superior vena cava. After cardiopulmonary bypass was initiated the patient was cooled to 24C (rectal). Further cooling was planned for deep hypothermic circulatory arrest only if bleeding impaired visualization or if the thrombus was fixed. The aorta was cross clamped. Incisions in the right atrium and pulmonary artery revealed a free-floating thrombus, which was grasped through the right atrium and withdrawn intact. Echocardiography confirmed complete thrombus extraction from the heart and pulmonary artery. The thrombus was transected at the diaphragm level. The remaining thrombus was milked down below the liver. Vascular clamps were placed on the infrahepatic and infrarenal inferior vena cava, and left renal vein. An incision was made around the origin of the right renal vein and extended cephalad along the inferior vena cava. Gentle traction permitted en bloc removal of the kidney and remaining thrombus (fig. 1, C). After the inferior vena cava was closed, the patient was weaned from bypass and the cannulas were removed, the abdomen and chest were closed simultaneously. The patient was discharged home on postoperative day 5. Pathological evaluation demonstrated a 10 cm. Fuhrman grade 2 papillary renal cell carcinoma extending into the perinephric fat, negative surgical margins and no lymph node involvement. At 6 months postoperatively the patient had resumed an active lifestyle.