Search

Robot-assisted kidney transplantations have been performed in Europe since 2015. In Germany, the technique is slowly spreading - most recently, 3 urological centers performed this type of procedure. We present the first case of a post-mortem, robot-assisted kidney transplantation in Germany in a 60-year-old patient. In addition to the surgical technique and the clinical course, the opportunities of this surgical technique and its challenges are discussed in particular. In summary, the experience at our center is consistent with the findings from the literature that robot-assisted post-mortem kidney transplantation is a safe method for supplementing the principles of open transplantation surgery with the advantages of minimally invasive methods., Competing Interests: Einhaltung ethischer Richtlinien. Interessenkonflikt: P. Reimold, C. Groeben, C. Keil, F. Kormann, L. Peters, C. Volberg, B. Kortus-Götze, J. Wild, J. Hoyer, L. Flegar und J. Huber geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht. Für diesen Beitrag wurden von den Autor/-innen keine Studien an Menschen oder Tieren durchgeführt. Für die aufgeführten Studien gelten die jeweils dort angegebenen ethischen Richtlinien. Für Bildmaterial oder anderweitige Angaben innerhalb des Manuskripts, über die Patient/-innen zu identifizieren sind, liegt von ihnen und/oder ihren gesetzlichen Vertretern/Vertreterinnen eine schriftliche Einwilligung vor., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: The management of inferior vena cava (IVC) tumor thrombus in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is among the most challenging surgical procedures. We aimed to define a minimum annual caseload for sufficient expertise., Methods: We identified all cases with RCC, nephrectomy, and IVC procedures in the Federal Statistical Office billing database (2006-2020). We defined annual hospital caseload categories as low (< 4 cases), medium (4-9 cases) and high (> 9 cases) volume. Logistic multivariate models identified mortality-related factors. In addition, we analyzed data on tumor stage distribution from German cancer registries., Results: We recorded 3,700 nephrectomies with IVC-tumor resection with stable annual case number of 247 mean. This correlated with a stable incidence of T3b/c RCC. Patient age was 66 ± 14 years. Of all cases, 56% occurred in low, 30% in medium, and 14% in high volume clinics without a significant trend towards centralization. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 5.8% and the transfusion rate 72%. An annual caseload of 8 showed to be a significant cut-off for mortality with 6.2% at < 8 cases and 2.8% for > = 8 cases annually (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed patient age (OR 6.4 for octogenerians) ventilation time (OR 14.3 for > 24 h) and hospital caseload (OR 2.6) as the most important risk factors for in-hospital mortality., Conclusion: Our results show a negative correlation of annual caseload and mortality for this procedure. A minimum number of 8 procedures per year seems reasonable for the successful management of IVC tumor thrombus with significantly lower mortality., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval: This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki in its latest version. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors. Analyzed data were completely anonymized and derived from established databases with rigorous data protection measures. Hence, informed consent was not required. We followed the “Reporting of studies Conducted using Observational Routinely collected health Data” and the “Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) 2010” statement. Competing interests: Dr. Huber reports personal fees from Amgen and Janssen, grants and non-financial support from Intuitive Surgical and Takeda, outside the submitted work. All authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: We report a progressive treatment of a 31-year-old patient with end-stage renal disease secondary to congenital posterior urethral valve and valve bladder syndrome. He underwent a laser ablation of the urethral valve at the age of six, but on continuance of renal function deterioration ultimately a bilateral ureterocutaneostomy (UC) in the left lower abdomen had to be fashioned as a supravesical urinary diversion., Case Presentation: For the management of dialysis dependent end-stage renal disease, an allogenic renal transplantation was planned. When a postmortal organ was available, the patient wished for a complete internalisation of the incontinent diversion if possible. To better delineate the current status of the lower urinary tract, an intraoperative cystoscopy was performed. Besides an elevated bladder neck and a low bladder capacity, there were no distinct pathologies. Therefore, a right iliac allogeneic renal transplantation with simultaneous dissolution of the bilateral UC and an anastomosis of all three ureters to the bladder was performed. Placement of a suprapubic catheter enabled safe urine drainage and a prospective evaluation of the voiding function. Because of obstructive voiding, we performed a transurethral resection of the prostate. This resulted in sufficient spontaneous voiding., Conclusion: After a 19-month observation period, the patient now exhibits good renal function with normal excretion and consistent retention parameters with satisfactory transurethral voiding and quality of life (QoL). This is an encouraging case where it was possible to convert an incontinent urinary diversion to a continent urinary diversion after renal transplantation to improve the patient's QoL., (© 2024 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background and Objective: With advancement in technology, it has been possible to use minimally invasive surgical approaches for performing pyeloplasty for the treatment of ureteral strictures. This study aims to investigate the current trends of pyeloplasty and reconstructive ureteral procedures., Methods: We analyzed the nationwide German hospital billing database (Destatis) from 2006 to 2022. Linear regression models were utilized for the identification of trends over time., Key Findings and Limitations: A total of 34 975 pyeloplasties and 37 470 cases with ureteral reconstruction procedures were analyzed. The total number of pyeloplasties increased from 1990 procedures in 2006 to 2251 in 2019, before declining again down to 1916 procedures in 2022 ( p  = 0.783). Open pyeloplasty cases decreased from 79.5% in 2006 to 17.6% in 2022, while those using the robotic approach increased from 0.3% in 2006 to 35.9% in 2022 ( p  < 0.001). The median length of stay (LOS) for open pyeloplasty decreased from 13 d in 2006 to 8 d in 2022 ( p  < 0.001). The median LOS for robotic pyeloplasty decreased from 8 d in 2008 to 5 d in 2022 ( p  < 0.001). In-hospital mortality was 0.15% after open pyeloplasty versus 0.07% for robotic-assisted pyeloplasty versus 0.03 for laparoscopic pyeloplasty ( p  = 0.009 for comparison of open vs robotic). Reconstructive ureteral surgical cases per year appeared relatively stable, with 1929 cases in 2006 and 2014 cases in 2022 ( p  = 0.713). A surgical robot was used in 4.5% of all cases with a ureter reconstruction, with inclining shares per year from 0.2% in 2009 and 18.3% in 2022 ( p  < 0.001)., Conclusions and Clinical Implications: This study showed an increasing trend toward minimally invasive pyeloplasty in recent years. For reconstructive procedures, the share of robotics was less pronounced. LOS decreased for all procedures and was shortest for the robotic approach., Patient Summary: In this study, current trends of pyeloplasty and reconstructive ureteral procedures in Germany between 2006 and 2022 were investigated. In recent years, minimally invasive pyeloplasty is increasingly being used and length of hospital stay has also decreased., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Purpose: To delineate the current trends regarding gender-affirming surgeries (GAS) in Germany., Methods: Analysis of German hospital quality reports from 2006 to 2022 was conducted using the reimbursement.info tool. The German procedure classification (OPS) codes 5-646.0 for masculinizing- and 5-646.1 for feminizing surgery were assessed to identify GAS. Linear regression models were utilized for the analysis and depiction of current trends., Results: A total of 19,632 gender-affirming procedures were performed during the study period with an exponential increase over the years. Masculinizing surgeries increased from 246 in 2006 to 1291 cases in 2022 (increase by 424%; p < 0.001). The highest annual increase of 37.2% in numbers was from 2018 to 2019 (from 1235 to 1694 cases). Feminizing surgeries increased from 180 cases in 2006 to 799 procedures in 2022 (increase by 343%; p < 0.001). The cases increased most between 2015 and 2016 from 277 to 502 cases (81.2%). The number of hospitals offering these surgeries expanded from 24 in 2006 to 29 in 2022 (21% increase; p < 0.001)., Conclusion: This study demonstrates an exponential growth in numbers feminizing and masculinizing of GAS performed each year in Germany. Furthermore, a discernible trend emerges with a propensity for concentration of procedures within selected high-caseload centers across Germany., (© 2024 The Author(s). Andrology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.)

Introduction: Testicular tumors are the most common malignancies in young adults and their incidence is growing. The implantation of a testicular prosthesis, for example, during orchiectomy is a standard procedure but its frequency in Germany is unknown. This study aims to analyze trends of testicular prosthesis implantation in recent years in Germany., Material and Methods: The nationwide German hospital billing database and the German hospital quality reports from 2006 to 2021 were studied., Results: A total of 12,753 surgical procedures with implantation of testicular prosthesis and 1,244 procedures with testicular prosthesis explantation were included. Testicular prosthesis implantation increased in total from 699 cases in 2006 to 870 cases in 2020 (+11.4 cases/year; p < 0.001). The share of implantation of testicular prosthesis due to testicular tumor decreased from 72.6% in 2006 to 67.5% in 2020 (p < 0.001). The share of implantation due to gender affirming surgery increased from 6.8% in 2006 to 23.3% in 2020 (p < 0.001). The share of implantation due to testicular atrophy decreased from 11.4% in 2006 to 3.4% in 2020 (p < 0.001). Simultaneous implantation of testicular prosthesis during orchiectomy for testicular cancer increased from 7.8% in 2006 to 11.4% in 2020 (p < 0.001). In 2006, 146 hospitals (85%) performed < 5 testicular prosthesis implantation, while 20 hospitals (12%) performed 5-15 implantation procedures and 6 hospitals (3%) performed > 15 testicular implantation surgeries. In 2021, 115 hospitals (72%) performed < 5 testicular prosthesis implantation, while 39 hospitals (25%) performed 5-15 implantation procedures and 5 hospitals (3%) performed > 15 testicular implantation surgeries., Conclusion: This study shows that implantation of testicular prostheses is steadily increasing. Explantation rates are low. Besides testicular cancer transgender surgeries were the main driver for increasing case numbers in recent years., (© 2024 The Authors. Andrology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.)

Introduction: The aim was to compare treatment outcomes of clear cell metastatic renal cell carcinoma (ccmRCC) versus non-ccmRCC (nccmRCC) patients who received first-line immune combination therapies., Materials and Methods: Within our retrospective multi-institutional consecutive database of eight tertiary-care centers, we identified mRCC patients treated with first-line immune combination therapies between 11/2017 and 12/2022. Using log-rank analysis and multivariable Cox regression, we tested for differences in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of nccmRCC versus ccmRCC patients. Covariables consisted of age at diagnosis, sex, International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium risk groups, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status, and sarcomatoid feature., Results: Of 289 study patients, 39 (13%) patients harbored nccmRCC. Median OS was 37 months versus not reached for ccmRCC versus nccmRCC patients (P = .6). Median PFS was 13 versus 15 months (P = .9). Multivariable Cox regression models did not identify nccmRCC as an independent predictor of higher overall mortality in mRCC patients (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.23; P = .6) or a higher progression rate (HR: 1.0; P = 1.0)., Conclusion: In our real-world multi-institutional study, no differences in OS and PFS between ccmRCC and nccmRCC patients receiving first-line immune combination treatment were observed, even after adjustment for important patient and tumor characteristics. More prospective trials in nccmRCC patients are needed., Competing Interests: Disclosure The research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objective: Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) have an increased risk of developing genitourinary cancers, including prostate cancer (PCa), which is expected to become more prevalent due to an aging KTR population. Thus, knowledge of surgical outcomes, including treatment of PCa, within this unique cohort is required., Methods: Data of 62 KTRs undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) between 2006 and 2023 at nine urologic transplant centers were analyzed. Complications were assessed using the Clavien-Dindo classification. Perioperative outcomes were evaluated, and a follow-up was conducted. Overall survival (OS), biochemical recurrence-free survival (BRFS), and death-censored graft survival were determined via the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank testing., Key Findings and Limitations: Overall, 50 open radical retropubic RPs and 12 robot-assisted RPs (RARPs) were included. The intraoperative blood loss was lower after RARP, but operative time was longer. Of the patients, 50% experienced no postoperative complication, and grade ≥3 complications were observed in 14.5%. There was no graft loss related to RP. A histopathologic analysis revealed pN1 in 8.1% and positive surgical margins in 25.8% of the cases. At a median follow-up of 48.5 mo, the median OS was 128 (95% confidence interval [CI] 71.2-184.8) mo, BRFS was 106 (95% CI 55.8; 156.2) mo, and graft survival was 127 (95% CI 66.7-187.3) mo. Limitations include the retrospective design, and variations between groups and centers., Conclusions and Clinical Implications: Our findings support RP as a feasible and safe treatment option for localized PCa in KTRs with acceptable oncologic outcome. Special care is required in screening and awareness for the risk of understaging., Patient Summary: This study analyzed the safety and effectiveness of two prostate cancer surgery methods-open and robot-assisted surgery-in the special group of kidney transplant recipients. Both surgical methods were performed safely with acceptable oncologic outcomes; however, sample size was too small to draw definite conclusions between the two operative methods., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Background: Stress urinary incontinence in men is predominantly iatrogenic after radical prostatectomy or transurethral interventions. Current studies show that there is a deficit in the availability of surgical therapy not only in Germany. The aim of this study is to investigate in more detail the structural health care situation of surgical treatment of male stress incontinence in Germany., Materials and Methods: The evaluation of the surgical therapy of male stress incontinence in Germany is based on the OPS (Operationen- und Prozedurenschlüssel-German procedural classification) codes from hospital quality reports from 2011-2019., Results: From 2012-2019, the number of male incontinence surgeries declined from 2191 to 1445. The number of departments performing incontinence surgeries decreased from 275 to 244. In the multivariate analysis, a high number (≥ 50) of radical prostatectomies/year (RPE/year) is an independent predictor of a high-volume centre (≥ 10 procedures/year; odds ratio [OR] 6.4 [2.3-17.6]; p < 0.001). The most significant decrease was in sling surgery (from 1091 to 410; p < 0.001). Here, the number of cases decreased especially in departments that implanted a high number of slings (≥ 10 slings/year; -69%; -62.4 ± 15.5 surgeries/year; p = 0.007). In addition, the number of departments implanting slings decreased over the investigated time period (from 34 to 10; p < 0.001). This particularly affected departments that also had a low number of RPE/year (from 9 to 0; -100%)., Conclusion: The situation of surgical treatment of male stress urinary incontinence in Germany shows a clear decline in sling implantation, especially in small departments. On the one hand, this reflects the increasingly differentiated indications for sling implantation. On the other hand, it raises the suspicion that a gap in care has developed, as the decline was not compensated for by other surgical therapies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Despite many efforts, no reliable urinary marker system has so far shown the potential to substitute cystoscopy. Measuring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from urine is a promising alternative. VOCs are metabolic products which can be measured from the headspace of urine samples. Previous studies confirmed that the urine of bladder tumor patients has a different VOC profile than healthy controls. In this pilot study, the feasibility of discriminating VOCs from urine of bladder cancer patients from that of healthy control subjects was investigated. Aim of this study was to investigate whether VOC-based diagnosis of bladder cancer from urine samples is feasible using multicapillary column ion mobility spectrometry (MCC/IMS) and to identify potential molecular correlates to the relevant analytes., Methods: Headspace measurements of urine samples of 30 patients with confirmed transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) and 30 healthy controls were performed using MCC/IMS. In the results of the measurements, peaks showing significant differences between both groups were identified and implemented into a decision tree with respect to achieve group separation. Molecular correlates were predicted using a pre-defined dataset., Results: Eight peaks with significantly differing intensity were identified, 5 of which were highly significant. Using a six-step decision tree, MCC/IMS showed a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 100% in group separation., Conclusion: VOC-based detection of bladder cancer is feasible. MCC/IMS is a suitable method for urine-based diagnosis and should be further validated. The molecular characteristics and metabolic background of the analytes require further workup., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: An abnormal lower urinary tract poses significant challenges for transplant surgeons. Besides the ureteral anastomosis to an ileal conduit, there are diverse complex reconstructive solutions. Due to its rarity, standardization and teaching of complex urinary diversion is extremely difficult., Methods: The indications and outcomes of complex urinary diversions after kidney transplantation (KT) were retrospectively investigated at eight urologic transplant centers including a current follow-up., Results: Of 37 patients with 21 (56%) males, vesicoureteral reflux (24%), spina bifida (22%), and glomerulonephritis (12%) were the most common causes of terminal renal failure. In 30 (81%) patients, urinary diversion was performed before KT, at a median of 107.5 (range, 10; 545) months before. Transplantations were held at a median patient age of 43 (10; 68) years, including six (16%) living donations. Urinary diversion was modified during 12 (32%) transplantations. After KT, the ileal conduit was the most common incontinent urinary diversion in 25 (67%) patients; a Mainz pouch I and bladder augmentation were the most frequent continent diversions (each n = 3). At a median follow-up of 120 months (range 0; 444), 12 (32%) patients had a graft failure with a 5-year graft survival of 79% (95%CI 61; 90). The median overall survival was 227 months (168; 286) and the 5-year overall survival 89% (69.3; 96.4)., Conclusion: The mid-term kidney transplant function with complex urinary diversion appears to be comparable to transplants with regular urinary diversions. Hence, complex urinary diversion should always be considered as a surgical option, even during transplantation, if necessary., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: The Eurotransplant Senior program allocating grafts from donors ≥ 65 years to recipients aged ≥ 65 years has proven good results within the last 20 years. However, "old" grafts are also allocated to younger recipients < 65 years, and this outcome of "old for young" kidney transplantations (KT) still lacks detailed investigations., Methods: All "old for young" KT performed at four tertiary referral centers were retrospectively compared including a recent follow-up, stratifying for "old for young" (donor ≥ 65 years to recipient < 65 years) vs. "very old for young" KT (donor ≥ 70 years to recipient < 65 years)., Results: Overall, 99 patients were included with 56 (56.6%) "old for young" and 43 (43.4%) "very old for young" KT. The median waiting time did not differ (60.7 vs. 45.8 months, respectively) at comparable living donation rates (57.1% vs. 44.2%) as well as intra- and postoperative results. At a median follow-up of 44 months (range 1; 133), the 3-year graft survival of 91% vs. 87% did not significantly vary. In subgroup analyses assessing living donation or donation after brain death (DBD) KT only, the graft survival was significantly longer for "old for young" KT within the living donation subgroup. In multivariate Cox regression analyses, the presence of panel-reactive antibodies was the only significant impact factor on graft survival (HR 8.32, p = 0.001)., Conclusion: This analysis clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of the "old for young" approach, enabling favorable perioperative results as well as comparable data of graft- and overall survival, while reducing waiting time for eligible patients., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Kidney transplantation (KT) is the most frequently performed organ transplantation. In Germany, KT is performed in urology and surgery departments with unknown consequences of this parallel structure. The aim of the study was to compare the development and outcome of KT in urology and surgery departments., Methods: On an institutional level, we analyzed the annual caseload from 2006 to 2021 with the reimbursement. INFO tool based on hospitals' quality reports (Reimbursement Institute, Hürth, Germany). For outcome comparison we extracted raw data from the transplantation centers' quality reports (Deutsche Stiftung Organtransplantation, DSO)., Results: A total of 23,599 cases (17,781 deceased donor and 5,818 living donor KTs) were included. The total number of KTs decreased from 1851 in 2006 to 1701 in 2021 (- 8%; p = 0.12). The total number of urological KTs decreased from 592 cases in 2006 to 395 cases in 2021 (- 33.3%; p = 0.01). Further analysis revealed no significant differences between intra- and postoperative complications and graft quality at one year for deceased donor KTs (DDKT) although differences in immediate renal function and graft quality at discharge could be observed. There were no significant differences in immediate renal function and graft quality at discharge for living donor KTs (LDKT) between the specialties., Conclusion: KTs performed in urology departments declined between 2006 and 2021. Nevertheless, intra- and postoperative complications as well as long-term function did not differ between surgical and urological KT programs. Hence, an interdisciplinary approach, especially considering the upcoming challenges in KT as, e.g., robot-assisted surgery seems reasonable., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Many people want to die at home, but it is often not possible because they do not share their wishes with family members. This study was conducted to find out the extent to which patients with advanced urological malignancies had wishes regarding their final stage of life, made arrangements accordingly, and communicated their wishes to relatives and health care professionals. Methods: We conducted a survey among advanced urological tumor patients during their clinic visit at a German university hospital using a 31-item questionnaire. Inclusion criteria were metastatic or irresectable prostate cancer, urothelial carcinoma, or renal cell carcinoma. Results: In total, 88 patients (76 male, 12 female) completed the questionnaire, and 62 of those respondents (70%) had received their tumor diagnosis within the past 5 years. Symptoms were reported by 80%, and 18% described five or more symptoms. The majority (88%) stated that they had thought about their preferred place of death but 58% had not informed anyone about it. The preference for a hospice as the place of death correlated statistically significantly with the absence of a domestic partnership ( p = 0.001) or marriage ( p < 0.001) and with a high number of symptoms (≥5; p = 0.009). However, 73% had not talked with their urological oncologist about care options in case their health deteriorated though 36% of those were interested in having a conversation about it. Conclusions: Our results showed that 9 out of 10 patients reflected on their preferred place of death but only a few discussed it with anyone. Based on this finding, physicians and healthcare staff should initiate discussions about early care planning so that patients in incurable situations can express their wishes regarding their preferred place of death.

Purpose: To analyze recent trends of surgical access routes, length of hospital stay (LOS), and mortality in kidney transplantation (KT) and living donor nephrectomy (LDN) in Germany., Materials and Methods: We studied the nationwide German hospital billing database and the German hospital quality reports from 2006 to 2021., Results: There were a total of 35.898 KTs. In total, 9044 (25%) were living donor transplantations, while 26.854 (75%) were transplantations after donation after brain death (DBD). The share of open LDN decreased from 82% in 2006 to 22% in 2020 (- 4%/year; p < 0.001). The share of laparoscopic LDN increased from 18% in 2006 to 70% in 2020 (+ 3%/year; p < 0.001). The share of robotic LDN increased from 0% in 2006 to 8% in 2020 (+ 0.6%/year; p < 0.001). Robotic-assisted KT increased from 5 cases in 2016 to 13 procedures in 2019 (p = 0.2). LOS was shorter after living donor KT, i.e., 18 ± 12.1 days versus 21 ± 19.6 days for DBD renal transplantation (p < 0.001). Moreover, LOS differed for open versus laparoscopic versus robotic LDN (9 ± 3.1 vs. 8 ± 2.9 vs. 6 ± 2.6; p = 0.031). The overall in-hospital mortality was 0.16% (n = 5) after LDN, 0.47% (n = 42) after living donor KT and 1.8% (n = 475) after DBD KT., Conclusions: There is an increasing trend toward minimal-invasive LDN in recent years. Overall, in-hospital mortality was low after KT. However, 5 deceased healthy donors after LKD caution that the risks of this procedure should also be taken very seriously., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Patient events are an important tool to respond to the increasing need of the public for health information. Through the "patient forum", the German Society of Urology (DGU) is committed to patient information and public relations at its annual congresses. The goal of the study was to evaluate the events from 2017-2019 and to compare them with the first digital patient forum in 2020., Materials and Methods: Using a two-page standardized questionnaire, we surveyed the visitors of the presence patient forums (presence group = P) of the three annual congresses of the DGU 2017-2019 as well as the users of the digital event 2020 (online group = O)., Results: We obtained 71 records for 2017-2019 and 18 for 2020. The median age of visitors was 64 years (range 30-89). Males were 66% (P) vs. 83% (O) of participants (p = 0.005). The offer was rated overall as good to very good by both groups, i.e., 1.6 (P) vs. 1.6 (O; p = 0.7) on a scale from 1 to 6 with 1 being the highest rating. In line with the lower interaction in the digital format, the possibility to ask questions was rated worse with 1.5 (P) vs. 2.8 (O; p = 0.003). When asked about the desired future event format, two-thirds of the users of the digital patient forum were in favor of a hybrid event on-site and online., Conclusion: Patient events are suitable means of communication for the public and are rated well by visitors. In particular, interaction with experts is highly valued. Face-to-face formats are associated with a high logistical effort and high costs, and their reach is limited. In the future, hybrid formats could be a reasonable alternative, as they combine the advantages of online and face-to-face formats., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) significantly reduces the risk for malignant diseases like cervix, anal, or penile cancer. However, although vaccination rates are rising, they are still too low mirroring a lack of disease awareness in the community. This study aims to evaluate knowledge about HPV vaccination as well as the vaccination rate among German medical students., Material and Methods: Medical students were surveyed during a German medical students' sports event. The self-designed survey on HPV vaccination consisted of 24 items. The data collection was anonymous., Results: Among 974 participating medical students 64.9% (632) were women, 335 (34.4%) were male and 7 (0.7%) were nonbinary. Mean age was 23.1 ± 2.7 (± standard deviation; range 18-35) years. Respondents had studied mean 6.6 ± 3.3 (1-16) semesters and 39.4% (383) had completed medical education in urology. 613 (64%) respondents reported that HPV had been discussed during their studies. 7.6% (74) had never heard of HPV. In a multivariate model female gender, the knowledge about HPV, and having worked on the topic were significantly associated with being HPV-vaccinated. Older students were vaccinated less likely., Conclusions: Better knowledge and having worked on the topic of HPV were associated with a higher vaccination rate. However, even in this highly selected group the knowledge about HPV vaccination was low. Consequently, more information and awareness campaigns on HPV vaccination are needed in Germany to increase vaccination rates., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

The aim of this study was to investigate trends in selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cholangiocarcinoma (CCC), and liver metastasis in Germany. We analyzed the nationwide German hospital billing database from 2006 to 2019 for the diagnosis of HCC, CCC or liver metastasis in combination with SIRT. For analyses of SIRT on the hospital level, we used the reimbursement.INFO tool based on German hospitals' quality reports from 2008 to 2021. Linear regression analysis was performed to detect changes over time. We included a total of 14,165 SIRT procedures. The annual numbers increased from 99 in 2006 to 1605 in 2015 ( p < 0.001; increase by 1521%), decreasing to 1175 cases in 2019 ( p < 0.001). In 2008, 6 of 21 hospitals (28.6%) performed more than 20 SIRTs per year, which increased to 19 of 53 (35.8%) in 2021. The share of SIRT for HCC increased from 29.8% in 2006 to 44.7% in 2019 ( p < 0.001) and for CCC from 0% in 2006 to 9.5% in 2019 ( p < 0.001), while the share of SIRT for liver metastasis decreased from 70.2% in 2006 to 45.7% in 2019 ( p < 0.001). In-hospital mortality was 0.2% after the SIRT procedure. Gastritis (2.7%), liver failure (0.4%), and sepsis (0.3%) were the most common in-hospital complications reported. We observed an increase in SIRT procedures in Germany, with the number of hospitals offering the procedure going up from 21 in 2008 to 53 in 2021. While the treatment of liver metastasis remains the most common indication, SIRT for HCC and CCC increased significantly over the last few years. The mortality and complication rates show that SIRT is a relatively safe procedure.

Objectives: Although biomarkers predicting therapy response in first-line metastatic renal carcinoma (mRCC) therapy remain to be defined, C-reactive protein (CRP) kinetics have recently been associated with immunotherapy (IO) response. Here, we aimed to assess the predictive and prognostic power of two contemporary CRP kinetics definitions in a large, real-world first-line mRCC cohort., Methods: Metastatic renal carcinoma patients treated with IO-based first-line therapy within 5 years were retrospectively included in this multicentre study. According to Fukuda et al. , patients were defined as 'CRP flare-responder', 'CRP responder' and 'non-CRP responder'; according to Ishihara et al. , patients were defined as 'normal', 'normalised' and 'non-normalised' based on their early CRP kinetics. Patient and tumor characteristics were compared, and treatment outcome was measured by overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), including multivariable Cox regression analyses., Results: Out of 316 mRCC patients, 227 (72%) were assigned to CRP groups according to Fukuda. Both CRP flare- (HR [Hazard ratio]: 0.59) and CRP responders (HR: 0.52) had a longer PFS, but not OS, than non-CRP responders. According to Ishihara, 276 (87%) patients were assigned to the respective groups, and both normal and normalised patients had a significantly longer PFS and OS, compared with non-normalised group., Conclusion: Different early CRP kinetics may predict therapy response in first-line mRCC therapy in a large real-world cohort. However, further research regarding the optimal timing and frequency of measurement is needed., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests., (© 2023 The Authors. Clinical & Translational Immunology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology, Inc.)

Introduction: The religious and cultural circumcision of male infants in Germany is controversially discussed. After the passing of the religious circumcision bill in 2012, an increase of infant circumcisions without medical indication was feared. The aim of this study was to analyze the development of the circumcision case numbers., Materials and Methods: We used the research database of the German Institute for Applied Health Research with a representative anonymous sample of 4.9 million insured persons to estimate the annual circumcision numbers in Germany from 2013-2018. We stratified the data according to age (< 18 vs. ≥ 18 years). The number of male adolescents in the study period was taken from the database of the German Federal Statistical Office., Results: In the study period, 673,819 circumcisions were performed. From 2014, there was a significant decrease in the number of cases across all age groups (p = 0.049). Thereby, circumcisions in minors significantly increased (p = 0.002) and procedures in adults significantly decreased (p = 0.01) during the entire study period. The number of male minors increased by 4% from 6,709,137 (2013) to 6,992,943 (2018). The corresponding population-based number increased from 7.5 circumcisions per 1000 minors in 2013 to 8 in 2018 (p = 0.037)., Conclusions: After the passage of the circumcision bill in 2012, there was a significant increase of circumcisions in the age group of < 18 years in Germany. A major limitation of our study is that presumably many ritual circumcisions might not be provided within the health care system., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Cancer registries are defined as systematically collected information in the form of a database on tumour diseases. They can provide information about the quality of oncological care or progress in the treatment of individual cancers over time. Since 1995, all German federal states have been required by law to establish and maintain a cancer registry. The Center for Cancer Registry Data (ZfKD) at Robert Koch Institute has collected this nationwide data since 2009 and compiled it into an annually audited dataset available for research purposes. By virtue of the Cancer Early Detection and Registry Act (KFRG), which was passed in 2013, the cancer registries were given a new perspective. Since then, they have made a central contribution to the quality assurance of oncological care. The cancer registries are mainly financed by the health insurance funds. An upcoming expansion of the dataset including clinical variables and earlier provision by the ZfKD starting next year offers new opportunities for the scientific use of cancer registry data. In particular, the course of the disease will now be mapped in considerable detail. Apart from the cancer registries, there are not many useful supplemental datasets in Germany for the assessment of the nationwide healthcare situation and treatment reality on a national level. The DRG database (case-based hospital statistics) of the Federal Statistics Office records all billing data of all German hospitals with few exceptions. Another interesting supplement to the cancer registry data are the datasets of the structured quality reports, which have been mandatory for hospitals since 2003. In the future, the scientific role of cancer registries is to be further enhanced by the Act on the Pooling of Cancer Registry Data, which was passed in 2021., Competing Interests: Die Autorinnen/Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: This study is to investigate the adoption and current trends of Lutetium- 177 PSMA RLT for mCRPC in Germany., Methods: We analyzed data from the reimbursement.INFO tool based on German hospitals' quality reports for Lutetium- 177 PSMA RLT from 2016 to 2020 and from the nationwide German hospital billing database (Destatis) for general therapy with open radionuclides in combination with prostate cancer from 2006 to 2020. For validation of these billing data, we included the 177 Lu-PSMA RLT cycles from two participating institutions from 2016 to 2020. For detection of trends over time we applied linear regression models., Results: General therapy with open radionuclides increased from 2006 to 2020. We identified a total of 12,553 177 Lu-PSMA RLT cycles. The number of 177 Lu-PSMA RLTs steadily increased from a total of 1026 therapies in 2016 to 3328 therapies in 2020 (+ 576 RLT/year; p < 0.005). In 2016, 25 departments of nuclear medicine offered this treatment, which increased to 44 nuclear medicine departments in 2020. In 2016, 16% of nuclear medicine departments (4/25) performed more than 100 177 Lu-PSMA RLTs, which increased to 36% (16/44) in 2020 (p < 0.005). In 2016, 88% (22/25) of 177Lu-PSMA RLTs were performed at a university hospital, which decreased to 70% (31/44) in 2020. The proportion of patients older than 65 years receiving 177 Lu-PSMA RLT increased from 78% in 2016 to 81% in 2020., Conclusion: Treatment of mCRPC with 177 Lu-PSMA RLT has been rapidly increasing in Germany in the recent years providing an additional therapy option. This development is remarkable, because of outstanding formal EMA approval., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

We report the successful management of a paratesticular liposarcoma, which, to the best of our knowledge, is the largest known of its type. A 62-year-old male presented with a painless, gradually progressive left testicular "giant" mass measuring 60 × 40 cm, weighing 30 kg and growing over a period of three 3 years. Additionally, a 5 × 5 cm trophic ulcer could be seen at the bottom of the scrotum. The ultrasound of the left testis revealed the testis having been completely replaced with a cystic and solid tumour. Preoperative serum testicular tumour markers (STM) were within normal limits. The markers included Alpha Feto Protein, Beta Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Lactose Dehydrogenase. A left sided high inguino-scrotal approach with a huge skin resection including the trophic ulcer with complete removal of the tumour and a primary complex closure of the wound was performed. The post-operative period was uneventful, and histopathology revealed a dedifferentiated liposarcoma. We believe social taboo and fear of disfigurement impart a sense of shame in patients which led to the delayed presentation in a hospital in the index patient. The absence of metastases even with a protracted course is surprising., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To report contemporary epidemiological data and treatment trends for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) in Germany over a 14-year period., Methods: We analyzed data from the nationwide German hospital billing database and the German cancer registry from 2006 to 2018/2019. The significance of changes over time was evaluated via regression analysis. Survival outcomes were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method., Results: There was a non-significant increase in the age-standardized incidence rate from 2.5/100,000 in 2006 to 2.9/100.000 in 2018. 13% of patients presented with lymph node metastasis and 7.6% of patients presented with distant metastasis at primary diagnosis. The 5-year overall survival was estimated at 45% and the 10-year overall survival at 32%. Endoscopic biopsies of the renal pelvis and ureter as well as ureteroscopies with excision/destruction of UTUC all increased significantly over the study period. The number of radical nephroureterectomies (RNU) for UTUC steadily increased from 1643 cases in 2006 to 2238 cases in 2019 (p < 0.005) with a shift from open surgery towards minimally invasive surgery. Complex reconstructive procedures like ileal ureter replacement or autotransplantation are rarely performed for urothelial carcinoma of the ureter., Conclusion: Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for UTUC have increased and minimally invasive nephroureterectomy is the predominant approach concerning radical surgery in 2019., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Introduction: The aim of the study was to investigate trends of FT for in-patient treatment of renal RCC in the USA and Germany., Methods: We analyzed the SEER database for the USA and the nationwide German hospital billing database each from 2006 to 2019 for a RCC diagnosis in combination with FT, radical nephrectomy, and partial nephrectomy. FT was defined as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or cryotherapy. Linear regression analysis was performed to detect changes over time., Results: For the USA, we included 7,318 FT cases. The share of FT increased from 2.4% in 2006 to 6.4% in 2019 (p < 0.001). For Germany, we identified 2,920 FT cases. The share of FT increased from 0.7% in 2006 to 2.0% in 2019 (p < 0.001). The number of RFAs in the USA steadily increased by 227% from a total of 93 in 2006 to 304 in 2019 while the number of cryotherapies in the USA steadily increased by 289% from a total of 127 in 2006 to 494 in 2019 (p < 0.001). The number of RFAs in Germany increased by 344% from a total of 59 in 2006 to 262 in 2019 (p < 0.001) while the number of cryotherapies steadily increased by 43% from a total of 54 in 2006 to 77 in 2019 (p < 0.001). In Germany, RFA is significantly more performed than cryotherapy while in the USA cryotherapy is more frequently applied., Conclusion: We observed a constant increase of FT in the USA and Germany for RCC in-patient treatment with a higher share in the USA., (© 2023 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)