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Background Pretreatment tables for the prediction of pathologic stage have been published and validated for localized prostate cancer (PCa). No such tables are available for locally advanced (cT3a) PCa. Objective To construct tables predicting pathologic outcome after radical prostatectomy (RP) for patients with cT3a PCa with the aim to help guide treatment decisions in clinical practice. Design, setting, and participants This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study including 759 consecutive patients with cT3a PCa treated with RP between 1987 and 2010. Intervention Retropubic RP and pelvic lymphadenectomy. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Patients were divided into pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and biopsy Gleason score (GS) subgroups. These parameters were used to construct tables predicting pathologic outcome and the presence of positive lymph nodes (LNs) after RP for cT3a PCa using ordinal logistic regression. Results and limitations In the model predicting pathologic outcome, the main effects of biopsy GS and pretreatment PSA were significant. A higher GS and/or higher PSA level was associated with a more unfavorable pathologic outcome. The validation procedure, using a repeated split-sample method, showed good predictive ability. Regression analysis also showed an increasing probability of positive LNs with increasing PSA levels and/or higher GS. Limitations of the study are the retrospective design and the long study period. Conclusions These novel tables predict pathologic stage after RP for patients with cT3a PCa based on pretreatment PSA level and biopsy GS. They can be used to guide decision making in men with locally advanced PCa. Patient summary Our study might provide physicians with a useful tool to predict pathologic stage in locally advanced prostate cancer that might help select patients who may need multimodal treatment.

Objectives The presence of a single site bone metastasis in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a rare clinical event. We report a single case of RCC with solitary vertebral metastasis and review of literature about renal tumor spreading in order to understand the anatomic explanation for this peculiar clinical case. Methods We have considered the single case and reviewed current and past literature to describe the anatomic and functional background of this clinical situation. Results There are rare cases of single vertebral metastasis from RCC and these are characterized from a contemporary neoplastic thrombus. The neoplastic thrombus could justify the tumoral back-flow into the paravertebral anasthomoses and so into vertebral venous sinusoids. The rich anasthomotic system that surrounds kidneys and the experimental evidence of anasthomotic links among perirenal Lejars venous system and paravertebral Batson's venous system could explain these clinical evidences. Conclusion Enrolment of para-vertebral Batson's venous system could have a major role in the RCC vertebral metastatic diffusion.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Surgery for high-risk prostate cancer (PCa) is applied frequently nowadays. Nevertheless, this approach is still surrounded by many controversies. The present review discusses the most recent literature regarding surgery for high-risk PCa. RECENT FINDINGS: As there is no standard definition of high-risk PCa, outcome comparison between series and treatment approaches is hampered. Nevertheless, recent radical prostatectomy series have shown excellent cancer-specific survival in patients with high-risk PCa. Even for very-high-risk PCa (cT3b-T4 or any cT, N1), surgery may be applied to highly selected patients as a first step of a multimodality approach. Recent experience with robot-assisted surgery opens new possibilities for a minimally invasive approach in this field.Patient selection for surgery was also addressed in recent studies. Excellent cancer-specific survival is seen when specimen-confined PCa is found at final histopathology; a recently published nomogram enables the prediction of specimen-confined disease. Another issue in high-risk PCa is the impact of age and comorbidities on cancer-specific and overall mortality. In a recent study, it was shown that patients with low comorbidity scores, even when at least 70 years old, had a significant risk of dying from their cancer and may benefit most from a surgical approach. A modified extended pelvic lymphadenectomy template was presented, providing optimal removal of positive lymph nodes. SUMMARY: Radical prostatectomy with extended pelvic lymphadenectomy delivers very good cancer-related outcomes in high-risk and very-high-risk PCa, often within a multimodal approach. Minimally invasive surgery and improved patient selection will be key to further improve oncological and functional outcomes. Copyright © Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.

Background High-risk prostate cancer (PCa) is an extremely heterogeneous disease. A clear definition of prognostic subgroups is mandatory. Objective To develop a pretreatment prognostic model for PCa-specific survival (PCSS) in high-risk PCa based on combinations of unfavorable risk factors. Design, setting, and participants We conducted a retrospective multicenter cohort study including 1360 consecutive patients with high-risk PCa treated at eight European high-volume centers. Intervention Retropubic radical prostatectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Two Cox multivariable regression models were constructed to predict PCSS as a function of dichotomization of clinical stage ( 20 ng/ml). The first "extended" model includes all seven possible combinations; the second "simplified" model includes three subgroups: a good prognosis subgroup (one single high-risk factor); an intermediate prognosis subgroup (PSA > 20 ng/ml and stage cT3-4); and a poor prognosis subgroup (GS 8-10 in combination with at least one other high-risk factor). The predictive accuracy of the models was summarized and compared. Survival estimates and clinical and pathologic outcomes were compared between the three subgroups. Results and limitations The simplified model yielded an R of 33% with a 5-yr area under the curve (AUC) of 0.70 with no significant loss of predictive accuracy compared with the extended model (R: 34%; AUC: 0.71). The 5- and 10-yr PCSS rates were 98.7% and 95.4%, 96.5% and 88.3%, 88.8% and 79.7%, for the good, intermediate, and poor prognosis subgroups, respectively (p = 0.0003). Overall survival, clinical progression-free survival, and histopathologic outcomes significantly worsened in a stepwise fashion from the good to the poor prognosis subgroups. Limitations of the study are the retrospective design and the long study period. Conclusions This study presents an intuitive and easy-to-use stratification of high-risk PCa into three prognostic subgroups. The model is useful for counseling and decision making in the pretreatment setting.