Purpose The purpose of this guideline is to provide a clinical framework for follow-up of clinically localized renal neoplasms undergoing active surveillance, or following definitive therapy. ...Materials and Methods A systematic literature review identified published articles in the English literature between January 1999 and 2011 relevant to key questions specified by the Panel related to kidney neoplasms and their follow-up (imaging, renal function, markers, biopsy, prognosis). Study designs consisting of clinical trials (randomized or not), observational studies (cohort, case-control, case series) and systematic reviews were included. Results Guideline statements provided guidance for ongoing evaluation of renal function, usefulness of renal biopsy, timing/type of radiographic imaging and formulation of future research initiatives. A lack of studies precluded risk stratification beyond tumor staging; therefore, for the purposes of postoperative surveillance guidelines, patients with localized renal cancers were grouped into strata of low- and moderate- to high-risk for disease recurrence based on pathological tumor stage. Conclusions Evaluation for patients on active surveillance and following definitive therapy for renal neoplasms should include physical examination, renal function, serum studies and imaging and should be tailored according to recurrence risk, comorbidities and monitoring for treatment sequelae. Expert opinion determined a judicious course of monitoring/surveillance that may change in intensity as surgical/ablative therapies evolve, renal biopsy accuracy improves and more long-term follow-up data are collected. The beneficial impact of careful follow-up will also need critical evaluation as further study is completed.
Radical cystectomy/urinary diversion is a high risk procedure. Intraoperative stents are commonly utilized to decrease ureteroenteric anastomosis related complications. Institutionally some surgeons ...routinely use intraoperative stents while others do not, providing an opportunity to compare complication differences.
We queried a prospective database of 283 patients enrolled in a randomized controlled trial evaluating 30-day perioperative complications with goal directed fluid therapy following open radical cystectomy/urinary diversion between 2014 and 2018. Ureteroenteric anastomosis specific complications (ureteral obstruction, urinary leak, urinary infections/sepsis and intra-abdominal abscess) were compared between groups (intraoperative stent vs nonintraoperative stent group) using Fisher exact test and quantified using logistic regression.
The nonintraoperative stent group (77 of 283 patients, 27%) was older (median 72 vs 69 years) and was more likely to receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy (53% vs 40%), have baseline renal insufficiency (43% vs 30%) and undergo an ileal conduit (92% vs 53%). However, despite higher comorbidity, the nonintraoperative stent group had a significantly lower rate of ureteroenteric anastomosis complications (14% vs 32%, p=0.004). Since continent diversions may be associated with higher complications, the nonintraoperative stent group with ileal conduit was also compared to intraoperative stent cohorts with ileal conduit, and ureteroenteric anastomosis complications remained lower in the nonintraoperative stent group (14% vs 28%, p=0.043). Multivariable logistic regression showed significantly increased odds of urinary complications with intraoperative stent use (OR 3.55, 95% CI 2.93-4.31; p <0.0001). Importantly there was no obstruction and only 1 leak (1.3%) in the nonintraoperative stent group.
Contrary to conventional belief, we found intraoperative stent use in radical cystectomy/urinary diversion was associated with significantly higher infectious complications and urgent care visits, and significantly increased the odds of 30-day ureteroenteric anastomosis associated complications.
Abstract Background Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the standard intravesical treatment of high-risk noninvasive (Ta, T1, Tis) bladder cancer. Maintenance BCG is recommended for maximum efficacy. ...Objective We compared our results in a large cohort of high-risk bladder cancer patients who received BCG without maintenance with published results from randomized maintenance BCG trials. Design, setting, and participants A cohort of 1021 patients underwent restaging transurethral resection for high-risk (Ta, T1, Tis) bladder cancer. Intervention Patients received a 6-wk induction course of BCG therapy. Responding patients did not receive maintenance BCG. Relapsing patients were eligible for retreatment with BCG. All patients were followed for a minimum of 5 yr. Measurements End points were 5-yr tumor- and progression-free survival rates. Results and limitations Of 816 complete responders to induction BCG, 2- and 5-yr recurrence-free survival rates were 73% and 46%, respectively. The progression-free survival rate was 89%. Progression-free survival time was 56 mo (95% confidence interval, 55–58 mo). Thirty-two percent of the patients required another course of BCG therapy. We cannot exclude that maintenance BCG may benefit patients beyond 5 yr over induction BCG alone and selective BCG retreatments. Conclusions Our results with BCG treatment without maintenance of patients with high-risk non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer compare favorably with trials in which comparable patients received maintenance BCG.
Study Type – Diagnostic (exploratory cohort) Level of Evidence 2b
What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add?
Narrow‐band imaging cystoscopy is a new imaging modality developed to ...enhance conventional standard white‐light cystoscopy to evaluate bladder tumors. The current paper suggests that fulguration of low‐risk papillary bladder tumours using NBI cystoscopy results in fewer subsequent tumour recurrences than fulguration using standard cystoscopy. How, or if, NBI cystoscopy will become integrated into routine management of non‐invasive bladder tumours remains for further study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate frequency of recurrences among patients with papillary bladder tumours followed sequentially with conventional white‐light (WLI) cystoscopy and narrow‐band imaging (NBI) cystoscopy.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
A cohort of 126 patients with recurrent low‐grade papillary bladder tumours were followed every 6 months for 3 years by conventional WLI cystoscopy, and then over the next 3 consecutive years by NBI cystoscopy.
Recurrent tumours detected were treated by outpatient fulguration or transurethral resection.
We compared the tumour recurrence rate during follow‐up with WLI and NBI cystoscopy, using patients as their own controls.
RESULTS
Of the 126 patients, 94% had tumour recurrences during WLI cystoscopy vs 62% during NBI cystoscopy.
The mean number of recurrent tumours was 5.2 with WLI cystoscopy vs 2.8 with NBI cystoscopy, and the median recurrence‐free survival time was 13 vs 29 months (P= 0.001).
CONCLUSION
Compared with follow‐up with WLI cystoscopy, NBI cystoscopy was associated with fewer patients having tumour recurrences, fewer numbers of recurrent tumours, and a longer recurrence‐free survival time.
Urinary cytology is indispensable both for the evaluation of gross hematuria and surveillance of patients with urothelial neoplasms. A positive urine cytology usually indicates the presence of ...urothelial carcinoma somewhere in the urinary tract. However, in women, it may also signal urothelial carcinoma involvement of the lower gynecologic tract or be the presenting sign for a primary cancer of the lower gynecologic tract or rectum. Guidelines for the evaluation of women with a positive cytology and normal urinary tract are lacking. We present a review of the current literature with case scenarios to bring clinicians attention to this diagnostic dilemma.
Our goal was to determine the association between biochemically verified post-diagnosis smoking exposure and nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) recurrence risk.
We conducted a prospective ...study of 354 NMIBC patients with a smoking history undergoing care between 2015 and 2018. Patients contributed at least 2 biospecimens during followup which were tested for cotinine to determine biochemically verified post-diagnosis smoking exposure (yes/no). Our primary endpoint was time to first recurrence after study start date. We examined whether post-diagnosis smoking exposure was associated with recurrence risk in multivariable Cox proportional hazards models that accounted for demographics, clinicopathological variables, time since diagnosis and pack-years.
Patients were predominantly White, male and had a median age of 68 years. Most patients had Ta disease (62%) and tumors of high grade (68%). Intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin was given to 63% of the cohort. Patients were followed for a median of 3.6 years since study start. Post-diagnosis smoking exposure was detected in 22% of patients, and 38.7% (137) of patients experienced a recurrence during followup. In multivariable models, only bacillus Calmette-Guérin treatment and prior recurrence rate were significantly associated with recurrence. There was no association between post-diagnosis smoking exposure and recurrence risk (HR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.45-1.20).
In a cohort of patients with predominantly high risk NMIBC, post-diagnosis smoking exposure was not associated with NMIBC recurrence. However, smoking cessation support remains a critical component of cancer care given that the benefits of quitting extend far beyond NMIBC recurrence.
Plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma (PUC) is a rare, aggressive histologic variant of urothelial cancer characterised by a diffuse growth pattern and CDH1 mutation. We studied the efficacy of ...preoperative platinum-based chemotherapy in nonmetastatic PUC and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in advanced PUC.
Cases of nonmetastatic PUC and advanced PUC treated with ICIs at our institution were identified. Outcomes were compared to those of a published cohort of patients with urothelial carcinoma not otherwise specified.
We identified 81 patients with nonmetastatic PUC. Of the patients with localised disease who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy, pathologic complete response and downstaging rates were 12 and 21%, respectively. Pathologic downstaging was not associated with significant improvement in clinical outcomes. Up to 18% of localised disease and 28% of locally advanced cases had unresectable disease at the time of surgery. ICI-treated advanced PUC (N = 21) had progression-free and overall survival of 4.5 and 10.5 months, respectively, and a 38% response rate. FGFR3 and DNA damage response gene alterations were observed in 3 and 15% of cases, respectively.
PUC is associated with high disease burden and poor chemosensitivity. Increased awareness and recognition of this disease variant will allow for new treatment strategies.
We report the toxicity and biochemical tumor control outcome of a prospective Phase II study using high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR) alone as a salvage therapy for recurrent disease after external ...beam radiotherapy (EBRT).
Forty-two patients with biopsy-proven recurrence were enrolled on a Phase II study of salvage HDR monotherapy using iridium-192. Median pretreatment EBRT dose was 8100 cGy (6840–8640 cGy) and the median time from completion of EBRT to salvage HDR was 73 months. The protocol prescription dose of 3200 cGy was delivered in four fractions over 30 hours in a single insertion. Median followup after salvage HDR was 36 months (6–67 months).
The actuarial prostate-specific antigen biochemical relapse-free survival and distant metastases-free survival rates at 5 years were 68.5% and 81.5%, respectively. Cause-specific survival was 90.3%. Late genitourinary Grade 1and 2 toxicities were found in 38% and 48%, respectively, and one patient developed Grade 3 urinary incontinence. Late Grade 1 and 2 gastrointestinal toxicity was noted in 17% and 8% of patients, respectively. Three patients (7%) developed Grade 2 late urinary toxicity (urethral stricture), which were corrected with urethral dilatation, and one patient developed Grade 3 urinary incontinence. No Grade 4 toxicities were observed.
Genitourinary toxicity was the most commonly encountered toxicity observed after salvage HDR but severe toxicities were uncommon. Salvage HDR is an effective and well-tolerated modality for locally recurrent prostate cancer and should be considered even for patients who have previously been treated with ultra-high dose levels of EBRT.
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