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Objectives: To evaluate the effect of intensified treatment parameters on safety, functional outcomes, and PSA after MR-Guided Transurethral Ultrasound Ablation (TULSA) of prostatic tissue. Patients and methods: Baseline and 6-month follow-up data were collected for a single-center cohort of the multicenter Phase I (n = 14/30 at 3 sites) and Pivotal (n = 15/115 at 13 sites) trials of TULSA in men with localized prostate cancer. The Pivotal study used intensified treatment parameters (increased temperature and spatial extent of ablation coverage). The reporting site recruited the most patients to both trials, minimizing the influence of physician experience on this comparison of adverse events, urinary symptoms, continence, and erectile function between subgroups of both studies. Results: For Phase I and TACT patients, median age was 71.0 and 67.0 years, prostate volume 41.0 and 44.5 ml, and PSA 6.7 and 6.7 ng/ml, respectively. All 14 Phase I patients had low-risk prostate cancer, whereas 7 of 15 TACT patients had intermediate-risk disease. Baseline IIEF, IPSS, quality of life, and pad use were similar between groups. Pad use at 1 month and quality of life at 3 months favored Phase I patients. At 6 months, there were no significant differences in functional outcomes or adverse events. Conclusion: TULSA demonstrated acceptable clinical safety in Phase I trial. Intensified treatment parameters in the TACT Pivotal trial increased ablation coverage from 90 to 98% of the prostate without affecting 6-month adverse events or functional outcomes. Long-term follow-up and 12-month biopsies are needed to evaluate oncological safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of warm ischemia time (WIT) on longterm renal function after partial nephrectomy remains controversial. In this retrospectively cohort study, 75 solitary kidney patients were included and the effects of warm ischemia time, preoperative renal function and resected normal parenchyma volume on long-term renal function were evaluated. Multivariable analysis showed that the preoperative renal function baseline was significantly associated with renal function 12 months postoperation (P=0.01), adjusting for age and comorbidities factors. Meanwhile, perioperative acute renal failure (ARF) events significantly affected postoperative renal function at postoperative time points of 12 months (P=0.001) and 60 months (P=0.03), as well as renal function change at postoperative 12 months (P

When scheduling surgeries for urolithiasis, the lack of information about the complexity of procedures and required instruments can lead to mismanagement, cancellations of elective surgeries and financial risk for the hospital. The aim of this study was to develop, train, and test prediction models for ureterorenoscopy. Routinely acquired Computer Tomography (CT) imaging data and patient data were used as data sources. Machine learning models were trained and tested to predict the need for laser lithotripsy and to forecast the expected duration of ureterorenoscopy on the bases of 474 patients over a period from May 2016 to December 2019. Negative predictive value for use of laser lithotripsy was 92%, and positive predictive value 91% before application of the reject option, increasing to 97% and 94% after application of the reject option. Similar results were found for duration of surgery at ≤30 min. This combined prediction is possible for 54% of patients. Factors influencing prediction of laser application and duration ≤30 min are age, sex, height, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), stone size, stone volume, stone density, and presence of a ureteral stent. Neuronal networks for prediction help to identify patients with an operative time ≤30 min who did not require laser lithotripsy. Thus, surgical planning and resource allocation can be optimised to increase efficiency in the Operating Room (OR).

Introduction: Ureter stones leading to severe pain and urosepsis are usually treated by emergency primary ureteral stenting. However, this intervention can significantly change the location of the stone, potentially also changing the preferred method and/or technical aspects of definitive treatment. We analyzed stone location changes and consequences after emergency ureteral stent insertion prior to secondary ureterorenoscopy., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of stone locations in 649 patients with a mean age of 52 ± 16 years who were treated with ureterorenoscopy for symptomatic stones from May 2016 to December 2019. All patients with single unilateral ureterolithiasis undergoing definitive stone treatment by secondary ureterorenoscopy were included. In 469 patients, ureteral stone localization before emergency ureteral stenting and at subsequent ureterorenoscopy was evaluated. Additionally, the use of flexible ureterorenoscopy for complete stone removal was also recorded., Results: Inadvertent repositioning of ureteral stones with a mean diameter of 6.9 (±3.1) mm after ureteral stenting was observed in 45.6%. 119 (25.4%) ureteral stones were displaced back into the kidney. Proximal stones showed a particularly high incidence of repositioning into the renal pelvis (42%, p < 0.05). The majority of cases required the use of flexible ureterorenoscopy showed a primary proximal ureteral localization (60 of 85 patients, 70.5%)., Discussion/conclusion: Emergency ureteral stenting for ureterolithiasis may change the location of a stone, potentially affecting therapy planning, particularly in the case of proximal stones. Imaging control prior to definitive stone treatment is thus especially advisable for proximal ureteral stones., (© 2022 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objectives: To assess differences in 24-month oncologic and functional outcomes in men with low to intermediate-risk prostate cancer treated with MRI-guided transurethral ultrasound ablation (TULSA) using intentionally conservative versus intensified treatment parameters., Patients and Methods: Patients from a single center involved in two multicenter trials were included in this analysis. This included 14 of 30 patients with Gleason 3 + 3 from a Phase I study using intentionally conservative treatment parameters, and 15 of 115 patients with Gleason ≤ 3 + 4 from a pivotal study using intensified parameters. Follow-up data compared across these cohorts included 12-month biopsy and MRI for all patients, and 24-month PSA, micturition and quality of life (IIEF, IPSS, IPSS-QOL). The prognostic value of baseline parameters and PSA kinetics on 12-month histological recurrence was evaluated by logistic regression., Results: 12-month biopsy revealed clinically significant residual disease in 4 (29%) and 2 (14%) patients from the Phase I and pivotal studies, respectively. PSA nadir was 0.7 ng/ml for Phase I and 0.5 ng/ml for pivotal study patients. Patient age at diagnosis, use of MRI fusion/systematic prostate biopsy, number of obtained cores at initial biopsy, PSA course, and PSA nadir were identified as prognostic factors for treatment success. All but one patient from each cohort maintained erection firmness sufficient for penetration. No cases of pad use were reported at 24 months. There were no Grade 4 or higher adverse events, and no late toxicity related to the procedure., Conclusion: Two-year follow-up demonstrated the efficacy of TULSA for the treatment of localized prostate cancer, and the durability of PSA and functional outcomes. Intensifying treatment parameters in the pivotal trial had no impact on safety or functional outcomes through 24 months, while reducing the recurrence rate for clinically significant disease. Careful patient selection by MRI fusion/systematic prostate biopsy and adequate follow-up through routine 12-month biopsy are recommended., Competing Interests: RS and MB are employees of Profound Medical and receive a salary and stock options. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Hatiboglu, Popeneciu, Bonekamp, Burtnyk, Staruch, Distler, Radtke, Motsch, Schlemmer, Pahernik and Nyarangi-Dix.)

We have recently shown that centrosomal protein 57 (CEP57) is overexpressed in a subset of human prostate cancers. CEP57 is involved in intracellular transport processes, and its overexpression causes mitotic defects as well as abnormal microtubule nucleation and bundling. In the present study, we further characterized the prognostic and functional role of CEP57 in prostate cancer. Unexpectedly, we found that high CEP57 expression is an independent prognostic factor for a more favorable biochemical recurrence-free survival in two large patient cohorts. To reconcile this finding with the ability of CEP57 to cause cell division errors and thus potentially promote malignant progression, we hypothesized that alterations of microtubule-associated transport processes, in particular nuclear translocation of the androgen receptor (AR), may play a role in our finding. However, CEP57 overexpression and microtubule bundling had, surprisingly, no effect on the nuclear translocation of the AR. Instead, we found a significant increase of cells with disarranged microtubules and a cellular morphology suggestive of a cytokinesis defect. Because mitotic dysfunction leads to a reduced daughter cell formation, it can explain the survival benefit of patients with increased CEP57 expression. In contrast, we show that a reduced expression of CEP57 is associated with malignant growth and metastasis. Taken together, our findings underscore that high CEP57 expression is associated with mitotic impairment and less aggressive tumor behavior. Because the CEP57-induced microtubule stabilization had no detectable effect on AR nuclear translocation, our results furthermore suggest that microtubule-targeting therapeutics used in advanced prostate cancer such as docetaxel may have modes of action that are at least in part independent of AR transport inhibition., (Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: A venous tumor thrombus (VTT) is well-known in renal cell carcinoma, but we experienced a series of five patients with VTT due to renal transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). Our study aimed to determine the incidence and clinical relevance of this entity., Patients and Methods: From our prospectively-maintained tumor database, we identified 102 patients with renal TCC according to postoperative histology and analyzed the incidence of VTT in renal TCC from 1990 to 2010., Results: Five out of 102 patients with TCC (5%) had a VTT. None of these five patients experienced gross haematuria and we presumed correct diagnosis preoperatively in one out of five patients. Univariate analysis revealed that TNM stage and resection status were inferior in the VTT group. All five patients from the VTT group died from their disease, with a median survival of 8.9 months. With regard to all diagnosed VTT, the effective incidence of vena cava involvement in RCC was 48-fold higher than in renal TCC., Conclusion: A VTT is very suggestive of renal cell carcinoma. However, before neo-adjuvant treatment, the diagnosis should be assured whenever there is doubt.

Purpose: To determine the targeting error of a novel stereotactic prostate biopsy system that integrates preinterventional MRI with peri-interventional ultrasonography (US) for perineal navigated prostate biopsies., Materials and Methods: We performed stereotactic biopsies on five prostate phantoms (one CIRS 053-MM and four CIRS 066). Phantom 053-MM incorporates three MRI- and transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-visible lesions, while lesions within phantom 066 are only detectable on MRI. In both phantoms, the 0.5 cc volume lesions are placed randomly. The phantoms were examined by 3T-MRI preinterventionally. Then three stereotactic biopsies from one lesion in phantom 053-MM and from all US-invisible lesions in the 066 phantoms were taken under live-fusion imaging guidance. During intervention, a mix of blue ink and gadobutrol was injected into each biopsy channel. Afterward, another 3T-MRI was obtained. These MRI images were then fused again with the intraoperative TRUS data. Thus, the targeting error (TE) between the planned and performed biopsy cores could be measured. In addition, the procedural targeting error (PTE) between the virtually planned biopsy trajectory and the manually registered three-dimensional needle position of every single biopsy core taken was calculated., Results: The overall TE of the 39 biopsy cores taken was 0.83 mm (standard deviation [SD]: 0.48 mm) with the highest TE in the sagittal plane (1.09 ± 0.54 mm), followed by the coronal (0.72 ± 0.43 mm) and axial (0.69 ± 0.34 mm) planes. The procedural TE, which is provided intraoperatively, was 0.26 mm on average (SD: 0.46 mm). Comparing PTE and TE, there was no statistically significant difference (P=0.39)., Conclusion: The TE of stereotactic biopsies using our novel perineal prostate biopsy system is below 1 mm and can be estimated in vivo by the automatically calculated procedural TE. Thus, stereotactic prostate biopsies guided by the combination of MRI and US allow effective and precise examination of MRI lesions.

Objective: • To investigate the effect of different variables including body mass index (BMI) on therapy outcome in patients with upper urinary tract stones treated with a third generation lithotripter, as BMI has been reported to be an independent predictor for stone-free status after extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) performed with first or second generation lithotripters., Patients and Methods: • In all, 172 patients with kidney stones with a mean (range) size of 9.2 (3.0-32.0) mm were included in the study. • In all, 91 patients (52.9%) were treated with a ureteric stent in situ. • For SWL therapy a third generation, electromagnetic lithotripter (Siemens Lithoskop™) was used. Stone-free status was reached, when no more treatable stones were present (no stone or stone < 3 mm). • BMI, stone size and localization, age, gender, treatment parameters and ureteric stent in situ were evaluated for their prognostic relevance on therapy success., Results: • The mean (range) BMI of all patients was 27.8 (19.0-58.6) kg/m(2). • Patients were categorized into two groups: A) patients that were stone free after one treatment; B) patients with residual stones. The mean (sd) BMI was 27.4 (4.6) kg/m(2) and 28.4 (6.1) kg/m(2) for A and B, respectively. • Univariate and multivariate analysis for freedom of stones showed that only stone size (P < 0.01) and presence of a ureteric stent (P = 0.01) were independent prognostic variables. • BMI had no significant influence on therapy outcome (P = 0.51)., Conclusions: • Using a third generation lithotripter, BMI was not an independent predictor of stone-free rate after SWL therapy of kidney stones. • This effect might be attributed to a greater penetration depth of the shockwave energy. Stone size and a ureteric stent in situ were the only variables with prognostic significance., (© 2010 THE AUTHORS. BJU INTERNATIONAL © 2010 BJU INTERNATIONAL.)

Unlabelled: It has been a consensus that prognostic factors should always be taken into account before planning treatment in colorectal cancer., Aim: A 5 year prospective study was conducted, in order to assess the importance of several histopathological and clinical prognostic variables in the prediction of evolution in colon cancer. Some of the factors included in the analysis are still subject to dispute by different authors., Methods: 46 of 53 screened patients qualified to enter the study and underwent a potentially curative resection of the tumor, followed, when necessary, by adjuvant chemotherapy. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out in order to identify independent prognostic indicators. The endpoint of the study was considered the recurrence of the tumor or the detection of metastases., Results: 65.2% of the patients had a good evolution during the follow up period. Multivariate survival analysis performed by Cox proportional hazard model identified 3 independent prognostic factors: Dukes stage (p = 0.00002), the grade of differentiation (p = 0.0009) and the weight loss index, representing the weight loss of the patient divided by the number of months when it was actually lost (p = 0.02). Age under 40 years, sex, microscopic aspect of the tumor, tumor location, anemia degree were not identified by our analysis as having prognostic importance., Conclusions: Histopathological factors continue to be the most valuable source of information regarding the possible evolution of patients with colorectal cancer. Individual clinical symptoms or biological parameters such as erytrocyte sedimentation rate or hemoglobin level are of little or no prognostic value. More research is required relating to the impact of a performance status index (which could include also weight loss index) as another reliable prognostic variable.