While it remains controversial whether LRP or da Vinci
® RAP offers any advantages over radical retropubic prostatectomy, LRP and RAP are being used more frequently. We reviewed our experience with ...these minimally invasive techniques.
We reviewed intraoperative and early postoperative complications of 358 LRPs performed from October 2000 to January 2003 with those of 322 RAPs performed from June 2003 to June 2004. The transperitoneal approach with bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection was performed using each technique. Data acquisition was done independently of the 3 surgeons.
The LRP and RAP groups had similar clinical characteristics in terms of patient race, body mass index, prostate specific antigen, risk group, and pathological tumor grade and stage. Median operative time and estimated blood loss for LRP and RAP were 4.1 and 3.1 hours, and 200 and 250 ml, respectively. No blood transfusions were given intraoperatively, although 8 patients with LRP (2.2%) and 5 with RAP (1.6%) were transfused postoperatively. Of the LRP and RAP patients 21 (5.9%) and 3 (0.3%), respectively, experienced intraoperative complications. Postoperatively 48 patients with LRP (13.4%) and 24 with RAP (6.8%) experienced urine leakage, while 19 with LRP (5.3%) and 9 with RAP (2.8%) had ileus. There were no deaths, myocardial infarctions, pulmonary emboli or cerebrovascular accidents.
In our series surgeon experience derived from LRP may contribute to the lower complication rate and operative time of RAP. Dissemination of surgical technique and management of complications may lead to improved perioperative LRP and RAP morbidity. However, the morbidity of these 2 approaches compares favorably with that of radical retropubic prostatectomy.
Purpose We determined whether prostate weight has an impact on the pathological and operative outcomes of robot assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. Materials and Methods We reviewed the ...records of 1,847 consecutive patients who underwent robot assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy at our institution. Variables were compared across quartile distributions of prostate size as defined by weight, including group 1—less than 30 gm, group 2—30 to 49.9, group 3—50 to 69.9 and group 4—70 or greater. Factors assessed in this analysis were patient age, body mass index, prostate specific antigen, Gleason score, pathological stage, margin status, operative time, blood loss, transfusion rate, length of stay and rehospitalization rate. Results Patients with a larger prostate (group 4) were older (mean age 66.2 years), had higher pretreatment prostate specific antigen (median 6.5 ng/ml), lower Gleason score (mean 6.3), longer operative time (mean 3.2 hours), higher estimated blood loss (median 250 cc) and longer hospital stay (p = 0.0002). There was a trend toward higher risk disease based on D'Amico risk stratification and positive margin status in group 1, although evidence of extracapsular extension was more common in groups 2 and 3. There was no association between prostate size and body mass index, lymph node status, blood transfusion rate, seminal vesicle involvement and rehospitalization rate. Conclusions Robot assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in patients with an enlarged prostate is feasible with slightly longer operative time, urinary leakage rates and hospital stay. Pathologically larger prostates are generally associated with lower Gleason score and risk group stratification. One-year continence rates and biochemical recurrence rates are similar across all groups.
Prostate cancer is a very common disease in more-developed countries; but its cause is largely unknown. It is an androgen-dependent cancer, and androgens have been proposed as having a substantial ...role in predisposition to the disease. Thus, variations in androgen metabolism genes may affect risk of this disease.
We screened 216 African-American and 172 Hispanic men with prostate cancer, and 261 African-American and 200 Hispanic healthy men (controls), from a large prospective cohort study (the Hawaii-Los Angeles Multiethnic Cohort Study) for a mis-sense substitution in the human prostatic (or type II) steroid 5α-reductase (SRD5A2) gene, the product of which controls metabolic activation of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. This mis-sense substitution results in an alanine residue at codon 49 being replaced with threonine (A49T). We also reconstructed this mutation in the SRD5A2 cDNA, and overexpressed the enzyme in mammalian tissue culture cells.
The A49T aminoacid substitution in the SRD5A2 gene increased the risk of clinically significant disease 7–2-fold in African-American men (95% CI=2·17–27·91; p=0·001) and 3·6-fold in Hispanic men (1·09–12·27; p=0·04). The mutant enzyme had a higher in-vitro V
max than the normal enzyme (9·9 vs 1·9 nmol min
−1 mg
−1).
The A49T variant of the SRD5A2 gene maybe a significant contributor to the incidence of prostate cancer in African-American and Hispanic men in Los Angeles. We estimate that the population attributable risk due to this aminoacid substitution for clinically significant disease is about 8% in both populations. Increased conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone catalysed by this variant steroid 5α-reductase enzyme may be the cause of the increased risk.
Abstract Objectives The true incidence of symptomatic deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients undergoing laparoscopic radical prostatectomy is unknown. Our aim was to ...determine the incidence of symptomatic DVT and PE and the risk factors for these complications. Methods Fourteen surgeons from 13 referral institutions from both Europe and the United States provided retrospective data for all 5951 patients treated with laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP), with or without robotic assistance, since the start of their institution's experience. Symptomatic DVT and PE within 90 d of surgery were regarded as venous thromboembolism (VTE). DVT was diagnosed mostly by Doppler ultrasound or contrast venography and PE by lung ventilation/perfusion scan or chest computed tomography or both. Statistical analysis included evaluation of incidence of symptomatic DVT and PE and risk factors as determined by exact methods and logistic regression. Results Of 5951 patients in the study, 31 developed symptomatic VTE (0.5%; 95% confidence interval CI, 0.4%, 0.7%). Among patients with an event, 22 (71%) had DVT only, 4 had PE without identified DVT, and 5 had both. Two patients died of PE. Prior DVT (odds ratio OR = 13.5; 95%CI, 1.4, 61.3), current tobacco smoking (OR = 2.8; 95%CI, 1.0, 7.3), larger prostate volume (OR = 1.18; 95%CI, 1.09, 1.28), patient re-exploration (OR = 20.6; 95%CI, 6.6, 54.0), longer operative time (OR = 1.05; 95%CI, 1.02, 1.09), and longer hospital stay (OR = 1.05; 95%CI, 1.01, 1.09) were associated with VTE in univariate analysis. Neoadjuvant therapy, body mass index, surgical experience, surgical approach, pathologic stage, perioperative transfusion, and heparin administration were not significant predictors. Conclusions The incidence of symptomatic VTE after LRP is low. These data do not support the administration of prophylactic heparin to all patients undergoing LRP, especially those without risk factors for VTE.
TMPRSS2:ERG fusions are promising prostate cancer biomarkers. Because they can occur in multiple forms in a single cancer specimen, we developed a quantitative PCR test that detects both type III and ...type VI TMPRSS2:ERG fusions. The assay is quantified from a standard curve determined with a plasmid-cloned type III TMPRSS2:ERG fusion target.
We collected expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) under an institutional review board-approved, blinded, prospective study from 74 patients undergoing transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy for prostate cancer. We compared the characteristic performance of the test for type III and type VI TMPRSS2:ERG fusions in predicting biopsy outcome and distinguishing between high and low Gleason scores with similar tests for the expression of PCA3 and DNA methylation levels of the APC, RARB, RASSF1, and GSTP1 genes. We used logistic regression to analyze the effects of multiple biomarkers in linear combinations.
Each test provided a significant improvement in characteristic performance over baseline digital rectal examination (DRE) plus serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA); however, the test for type III and type VI TMPRSS2:ERG fusions yielded the best performance in predicting biopsy outcome area under the curve (AUC) 0.823, 95% CI 0.728-0.919, P < 0.001 and Gleason grade >7 (AUC 0.844, 95% CI 0.740-0.948, P < 0.001).
Although each test appears to have diagnostic value, PSA plus DRE plus type III and type VI TMPRSS2:ERG provided the best diagnostic performance in EPS specimens.
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Background: The Institute of Medicine (IOM) identified care coordination as a key strategy with potential to improve the safety and effectiveness of implemented care by deliberately ...organizing patient care activities and sharing information among all participants concerned. Palliative care maximizes quality of life for patient and family in serious illness and can be provided early and concurrently with curative therapies. At City of Hope National Medical Center (COH), we developed a pilot program for bladder cancer patients undergoing cystectomy to provide the benefits of care coordination and palliative care. Methods: 72 patients underwent cystectomy at COH from 2011-2013, the average case mix index was 3.51, the average length of stay (LOS) was 10.65 days, the LOS index was.92, Cost index 1.61, 30-day readmission rate 32.14%, and the most common causes for readmission were infection and dehydration. Based on comparative data, the urology service supported development of a novel pathway by a multidisciplinary team. The goals of the pathway are to facilitate navigation through the healthcare system, integrate tablet-based bio-psycho-social screening to proactively address patient and caregiver needs and goals, optimize medications to improve symptom management and recovery, empower patients with teach-back education, have anticipated interventions for likely readmission reasons, and develop effective collaboration amongst multidisciplinary providers across settings. The metrics include LOS, readmission rates, patient and family satisfaction, advanced directives on file, and cost index. Results: Hospital leadership and provider buy in was obtained, a daily rounding multidisciplinary team was created, change champions were identified, staff engagement increased, and COH and community agency staff were equipped with needed skills and support. Care model diagrams and clinical pathway orders were developed. Education materials were revised and updated. The pilot launched in April of 2014. Conclusions: We believe that a care coordination model with early integration of palliative care will improve the effectiveness of care delivered to our bladder cancer patients. A six-month retrospective review will be done to assess metric achievement.