Background: Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is not sufficiently overexpressed in a small proportion of prostate cancer (PCa) patients, who require other strategies for imaging and/or ...treatment. We reviewed potential targets other than PSMA for PCa theranostics in nuclear medicine that have already been tested in humans. Methods: We performed a systematic web search in the PubMed and Cochrane databases, with no time restrictions by pooling terms (“prostate cancer”, “prostatic neoplasms”) and (“radioligand”, “radiotracer”). Included articles were clinical studies. The results were synthetized by the target type. Results: We included 38 studies on six different targets: gastrin-releasing peptide receptors (GRPRs) (n = 23), androgen receptor (n = 11), somatostatin receptors (n = 6), urokinase plasminogen activator surface receptor (n = 4), fibroblast activation protein (n = 2 studies) and integrin receptors (n = 1). GRPRs, the most studied target, has a lower expression in high-grade PCa, CRPC and bone metastases. Its use might be of higher interest in treating earlier stages of PCa or low-grade PCa. Radiolabeled fibroblast activation protein inhibitors were the most recent and promising molecules, but specific studies reporting their interest in PCa are needed. Conclusion: Theranostics in nuclear medicine will continue to develop in the future, especially for PCa patients. Targets other than PSMA exist and deserve to be promoted.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of an injection of hyaluronic acid (HA) between the rectum and the prostate for reducing the dose to the rectal wall in a hypofractionated ...irradiation for prostate cancer.
In a phase 2 study, 10 cc of HA was injected between the rectum and prostate. For 16 patients, the same intensity modulated radiation therapy plan (62 Gy in 20 fractions) was optimized on 2 computed tomography scans: CT1 (before injection) and CT2 (after injection). Rectal parameters were compared: dose to 2.5 cc (D2.5), 5 cc (D5), 10 cc (D10), 15 cc (D15), and 20 cc (D20) of rectal wall and volume of rectum covered by the 90% isodose line (V90), 80% (V80), 70% (V70), 60% (V60), and 50% (V50).
The mean V90, V80, V70, V60, and V50 values were reduced by 73.8% (P<.0001), 55.7% (P=.0003), 43.0% (P=.007), 34% (P=.002), and 25% (P=.036), respectively. The average values of D2.5, D5, D10, D15, and D20 were reduced by 8.5 Gy (P<.0001), 12.3 Gy (P<.0001), 8.4 Gy (P=.005), 3.7 Gy (P=.026), and 1.2 Gy (P=.25), respectively.
The injection of HA significantly limited radiation doses to the rectal wall.
Abstract Objective The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of a history of bladder cancer (BC) or synchronous BC on the prognosis and survival of patients who have undergone radical ...nephroureterectomy (RNU). Methods and materials Using a multi-institutional, retrospective database, we identified 662 patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UUT-UC) treated by radical nephroureterectomy, between 1995 and 2010. We analyzed clinicopathologic characteristics and outcomes according to the history of BC or concomitant BC or both, at the time of diagnosis. BC was evaluated as a prognostic factor for bladder recurrence and survival. Results Overall, 83 (12.5%) patients had previous BC, 62 (9.4%) exhibited concomitant BC, and 75 (11.3%) presented with both previous and current BC. A history of BC was less seen in women and nonsmokers ( P <0.0001 and P = 0.013, respectively). The patients with associated BC had more tumors located in the ureter ( P <0.0001), as well as more multiple locations in the upper tract ( P <0.0001). The tumors without concomitant BC were more likely to be associated with locally advanced stages ( P = 0.024). At a median follow-up time of 37.3 months, 31.4% of patients experienced BC recurrence and 2.9% developed contralateral upper tract tumor. Using multivariate analyses, the previous or synchronous BC ( P = 0.01) and positive surgical margins ( P = 0.03) are independent prognostic factors for BC recurrence. The metastasis-free survival and cancer-specific survival rates did not significantly differ according to the associated BC status. Conclusions In patients without previous or concomitant BC, the upper tract tumors are more frequently localized in the renal pelvis and are associated with a more invasive status at the time of diagnosis. Nevertheless, the presence of UUT-UC without previous or synchronous BC did not significantly affect the survival rates after nephroureterectomy.
Objectives:
To define the profile of patients with prostate cancer (PCa) receiving a 3-month or 6-month formulation of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist in France and the reasons ...for choosing between formulations.
Methods:
This prospective 1-year observational study included patients with PCa starting LHRH agonist therapy in everyday practice. Reasons for prescription and patient preference were recorded at inclusion, 3 or 6 months, and 12 months. The percentage of patients with a renewed initial prescription was recorded during follow up.
Results:
A total of 1438 patients with PCa were included. Hormonotherapy was initiated more frequently with a 6-month (n = 903; 62.8%) than with a 3-month formulation (n = 535; 37.2%). The initial prescription was renewed in most patients after 3 or 6 months (86.1%) and 12 months (71%); 170 patients switched from a 3-month to a 6-month formulation during follow up. Presence of metastases influenced initial prescription (odds ratio 0.439; 95% confidence interval 1.095–1.892), with a 3-month formulation more often prescribed than a 6-month formulation to men with metastatic PCa at diagnosis (21.3% versus 15.8%, respectively). The most frequent reasons given by physicians for choosing the 6-month formulation were ‘simplification of therapeutic regimen’ (86.9%) or ‘fewer unnecessary visits’ (46.8%). Similar reasons were given for switching from a 3-month to a 6-month formulation during follow up. The most frequent reasons given by physicians to initiate therapy with a 3-month formulation were ‘usual practice/habit’ (55.5%) or ‘closer patient management’ (46.2%). ‘Closer patient management’ and ‘reassuring effect upon patient’ were the main reasons for switching from a 6-month to a 3-month formulation during follow up. Approximately 80% of patients were satisfied with the formulation they were prescribed and patients’ reasons for preferring one formulation over another were similar to the physicians’ reasons for prescribing these formulations.
Conclusions:
Slow-release formulations of LHRH agonists are useful therapies for physicians treating patients with PCa and there may be a preference for the 6-month formulation.
Whether multiparametric MRI improves the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer and avoids the need for systematic biopsy in biopsy-naive patients remains controversial. We aimed to ...investigate whether using this approach before biopsy would improve detection of clinically significant prostate cancer in biopsy-naive patients.
In this prospective, multicentre, paired diagnostic study, done at 16 centres in France, we enrolled patients aged 18–75 years with prostate-specific antigen concentrations of 20 ng/mL or less, and with stage T2c or lower prostate cancer. Eligible patients had been referred for prostate multiparametric MRI before a first set of prostate biopsies, with a planned interval of less than 3 months between MRI and biopsies. An operator masked to multiparametric MRI results did a systematic biopsy by obtaining 12 systematic cores and up to two cores targeting hypoechoic lesions. In the same patient, another operator targeted up to two lesions seen on MRI with a Likert score of 3 or higher (three cores per lesion) using targeted biopsy based on multiparametric MRI findings. Patients with negative multiparametric MRI (Likert score ≤2) had systematic biopsy only. The primary outcome was the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer of International Society of Urological Pathology grade group 2 or higher (csPCa-A), analysed in all patients who received both systematic and targeted biopsies and whose results from both were available for pathological central review, including patients who had protocol deviations. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02485379, and is closed to new participants.
Between July 15, 2015, and Aug 11, 2016, we enrolled 275 patients. 24 (9%) were excluded from the analysis. 53 (21%) of 251 analysed patients had negative (Likert ≤2) multiparametric MRI. csPCa-A was detected in 94 (37%) of 251 patients. 13 (14%) of these 94 patients were diagnosed by systematic biopsy only, 19 (20%) by targeted biopsy only, and 62 (66%) by both techniques. Detection of csPCa-A by systematic biopsy (29·9%, 95% CI 24·3–36·0) and targeted biopsy (32·3%, 26·5–38·4) did not differ significantly (p=0·38). csPCa-A would have been missed in 5·2% (95% CI 2·8–8·7) of patients had systematic biopsy not been done, and in 7·6% (4·6–11·6) of patients had targeted biopsy not been done. Four grade 3 post-biopsy adverse events were reported (3 cases of prostatitis, and 1 case of urinary retention with haematuria).
There was no difference between systematic biopsy and targeted biopsy in the detection of ISUP grade group 2 or higher prostate cancer; however, this detection was improved by combining both techniques and both techniques showed substantial added value. Thus, obtaining a multiparametric MRI before biopsy in biopsy-naive patients can improve the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer but does not seem to avoid the need for systematic biopsy.
French National Cancer Institute.
Radiotherapy is the standard salvage treatment after radical prostatectomy. To date, the role of androgen deprivation therapy has not been formally shown. In this follow-up study, we aimed to update ...the results of the GETUG-AFU 16 trial, which assessed the efficacy of radiotherapy plus androgen suppression versus radiotherapy alone.
GETUG-AFU 16 was an open-label, multicentre, phase 3, randomised, controlled trial that enrolled men (aged ≥18 years) with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1, with histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate (but no previous androgen suppression or pelvic radiotherapy), stage pT2, T3, or T4a (bladder neck involvement only) and pN0 or pNx according to the tumour, node, metastasis (TNM) staging system, whose prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentration increased from 0·1 ng/mL to between 0·2 ng/mL and 2·0 ng/mL after radical prostatectomy, without evidence of clinical disease. Patients were assigned through central randomisation (1:1) to short-term androgen suppression (subcutaneous injection of 10·8 mg goserelin on the first day of irradiation and 3 months later) plus radiotherapy (3D conformal radiotherapy or intensity modulated radiotherapy of 66 Gy in 33 fractions, 5 days a week for 7 weeks) or radiotherapy alone. Randomisation was stratified using a permuted block method (block sizes of two and four) according to investigational site, radiotherapy modality, and prognosis. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population. This post-hoc one-shot data collection done 4 years after last data cutoff included patients who were alive at the time of the primary analysis and updated long-term patient status by including dates for first local progression, metastatic disease diagnosis, or death (if any of these had occurred) or the date of the last tumour evaluation or last PSA measurement. Survival at 120 months was reported. Late serious adverse effects were assessed. This trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00423475.
Between Oct 19, 2006, and March 30, 2010, 743 patients were randomly assigned, 374 to radiotherapy alone and 369 to radiotherapy plus goserelin. At the time of data cutoff (March 12, 2019), the median follow-up was 112 months (IQR 102–123). The 120-month progression-free survival was 64% (95% CI 58–69) for patients treated with radiotherapy plus goserelin and 49% (43–54) for patients treated with radiotherapy alone (hazard ratio 0·54, 0·43–0·68; stratified log-rank test p<0·0001). Two cases of secondary cancer occurred since the primary analysis, but were not considered to be treatment related. No treatment-related deaths occurred.
The 120-month progression-free survival confirmed the results from the primary analysis. Salvage radiotherapy combined with short-term androgen suppression significantly reduced risk of biochemical or clinical progression and death compared with salvage radiotherapy alone. The results of the GETUG-AFU 16 trial confirm the efficacy of androgen suppression plus radiotherapy as salvage treatment in patients with increasing PSA concentration after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer.
The French Health ministry, AstraZeneca, la Ligue Contre le Cancer, and La Ligue de Haute-Savoie.
Dysregulation of many apoptotic related genes and androgens are critical in the development, progression, and treatment of prostate cancer. The differential sensitivity of tumour cells to ...TRAIL-induced apoptosis can be mediated by the modulation of surface TRAIL receptor expression related to androgen concentration. Our previous results led to the hypothesis that downregulation of TRAIL-decoy receptor DcR2 expression following androgen deprivation would leave hormone sensitive normal prostate cells vulnerable to the cell death signal generated by TRAIL via its pro-apoptotic receptors. We tested this hypothesis under pathological conditions by exploring the regulation of TRAIL-induced apoptosis related to their death and decoy receptor expression, as also to hormonal concentrations in androgen-sensitive human prostate cancer, LNCaP, cells.
In contrast to androgen-insensitive PC3 cells, decoy (DcR2) and death (DR5) receptor protein expression was correlated with hormone concentrations and TRAIL-induced apoptosis in LNCaP cells. Silencing of androgen-sensitive DcR2 protein expression by siRNA led to a significant increase in TRAIL-mediated apoptosis related to androgen concentration in LNCaP cells.
The data support the hypothesis that hormone modulation of DcR2 expression regulates TRAIL-induced apoptosis in LNCaP cells, giving insight into cell death induction in apoptosis-resistant hormone-sensitive tumour cells from prostate cancer. TRAIL action and DcR2 expression modulation are potentially of clinical value in advanced tumour treatment.
The ZSI 475FtM is a new prosthesis that has recently been specifically designed for phalloplasty. It has several functions that have been conceived to answer the challenges of implantation after ...phalloplasty: a large base for pubic bone fixation, realistically shaped hard glans, and a pump shaped like a testicle.
To assess the safety, feasibility, and patient satisfaction of the ZSI 475 FtM.
Surgical outcomes were analyzed after implantation of the prosthesis between June 2016 and September 2017 (single institution, single surgeon). Patients were then asked to answer a satisfaction questionnaire that included the International Index of Erectile Function-5, Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction, and Self-Esteem and Relationship, as well as other non-validated questions.
Complication rates and the scores of the different questionnaires were reviewed.
20 patients who had gender dysphoria and underwent operation for a female-to-male procedure were included. The mean age was 37.9 years. Complications after 21 implantations included 2 (9.5%) infections that were medically treated (Clavien II), 1 (4.7%) infection treated by explantation (Clavien IIIb), 2 (9.5%) mechanical failures (Clavien IIIb), and 1 (4.7%) malpositioning (Clavien IIIb). The mean follow-up was 8.9 months (SD 4.0), with 50% of the implanted patients having >12 months of follow-up. 14 patients (70%) answered the satisfaction questionnaire. 12 patients (85.7%) had regular penetrative sexual intercourse. The mean International Index of Erectile Function-5 score was 20.2 of 25 (standard deviation SD 7.9), the mean Self-Esteem and Relationship score was 84.5 of 100 (SD 9.9), and the mean Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction score was 82 of 100 (SD 17.5). 13 patients (92.8%) were satisfied or very satisfied with the prosthesis.
This new innovative prosthesis could better answer the challenges faced by the implantation of an erectile device by phalloplasty.
Our study is the first to report data on this new prosthesis. The main limitation is the small number of patients and the short follow-up.
Preliminary results for the ZSI 475 FtM are encouraging. Safety seems to be satisfactory, and patient satisfaction is high. Long-term studies are needed for further analysis. Neuville P, Morel-Journel N, Cabelguenne D, et al. First Outcomes of the ZSI 475 FtM, a Specific Prosthesis Designed for Phalloplasty. J Sex Med 2019;16:316-322.