Hirotaka Nagamatsu

FGF19 promotes progression of prostate cancer.

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling pathways have been reported to play important roles in prostate cancer (PCa) progression. FGF19 is one of a subfamily of FGFs that circulate in serum and act in an endocrine manner. Our objective was to investigate its role in the progression of PCa.

Prognostic significance of C-reactive protein in patients with intermediate-risk metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with molecular targeted therapy

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of pre-treatment C-reactive protein (CRP) levels on the prediction of prognosis in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), who were classified as intermediate-risk patients using the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) risk classification and who received molecular targeted therapy. The oncological outcome of 140 patients with mRCC who underwent molecular targeted therapy was analyzed. Patients were divided into favorable-, intermediate- and poor-risk groups (groups F, I and P, respectively) based on the MSKCC risk classification. The patients in group I were then further classified into two groups based on pre-treatment serum CRP levels. The overall survival (OS) rates of the patients in these groups were then assessed. The OS rate of the patients in group I with normal pre-treatment CRP levels was found to be significantly increased compared with that of patients with high pre-treatment CRP levels (P<0.0001), while there was no significant difference in the OS rate in the patients with normal pre-treatment CRP levels in group I compared with those in group F. Multivariate analyses revealed that high pre-treatment CRP levels were an independent prognostic factor for OS in the patients in group I (P<0.0001; hazard ratio, 3.898). Thus, pre-treatment CRP levels may be a candidate predictor for OS in patients with intermediate-risk mRCC.

The impact of change in serum C-reactive protein level on the prediction of effects of molecular targeted therapy in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma

To investigate the impact of pretreatment serum C‐reactive protein (CRP) level and its change after targeted therapy on the anti‐tumour effect of targeted agents in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

Prostate cancer detection by prostate-specific antigen-based screening in Japanese Hiroshima area shows early stage, low-grade, and low rate of cancer-specific death compared with clinical detection

INTRODUCTION We investigate the effectiveness of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer. We compare the characteristics of 2 sets of patients: (1) those in whom prostate cancer was detected via PSA screening (the PS group) and (2) those in whom prostate cancer was detected at the outpatient office (the non-PS group). METHODS Between 2002 and 2010, prostate cancer was detected in 315 patients by PSA screening. Their age, initial PSA level, pathological findings in biopsy specimens, clinical stage, and prognosis were compared with those of 497 prostate cancer patients diagnosed at the outpatient office of the Department of Urology, Hiroshima University, in the same period. RESULTS The rates of patients with initial PSA higher than 50 ng/mL, with a Gleason score of 8 or higher, and with clinical stage D were significantly lower in the PS group than those in the non-PS group. The 5-year overall survival and cancer-specific survival in the PS group was 91.3% and 98.2%, respectively; these results were significantly better than those in the non-PS group (86.4%, p = 0.0178, and 94.9%, p = 0.0112, respectively). A Cox hazard analysis showed that PSA screening was an independent predictive factor for cancer-specific survival. CONCLUSIONS Although our study is limited by its retrospective nature and small size, the present data indicate that prostate cancer detected in the PS group showed earlier stage, lower grade, and better prognosis than in the non-PS group.

Body mass index as a classifier to predict biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy in patients with lower prostate-specific antigen levels

Prostate cancer, one of the most common malignant tumors among men, is closely associated with obesity and, thus far, several studies have suggested the association between obesity and aggressive pathological characteristics in the United States. However, the effect of obesity on prostate cancer mortality is controversial, and it remains unclear whether obesity contributes to the aggressiveness of prostate cancer in Asian patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and the clinicopathological characteristics of prostate cancer in 2,003 Japanese patients who underwent radical prostatectomy. There was a significant association between higher BMI and higher Gleason score (GS). The multivariate analysis also revealed that BMI was an independent indicator for GS ≥8 at surgery. Moreover, among patients with lower prostate-specific antigen levels, biochemical recurrence-free survival was significantly worse in those with higher BMI. These results suggest that BMI may be a classifier for predicting adverse pathological findings and biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy in Japanese patients.

MP49-09 REGENERATING ISLET-DERIVED FAMILY, MEMBER 4 ENHANCES CELL PROLIFERATION, CASTRATION-RESISTANCE, AND CHEMORESISTANCE THROUGH ACCELERATION OF NEUROENDOCRINE DIFFERENTIATION IN HUMAN PROSTATE CANCER CELLS

Regenerating islet-derived family, member 4 (Reg IV) enhances cell proliferation, castration-resistance, and chemoresistance through acceleration of neuroendocrine differentiation in human prostate cancer cells. Jun Teishima1, Koichi Shoji1, Keisuke Goto1,2, Ryoken Yamanaka1, Hiroyuki Shikuma1, Hirotaka Nagamatsu1, Shunsuke Shinmei1,2, Hiroyuki Kitano1, Shinya Ohara1, Tetsutaro Hayashi1, Norihide Oue2, Wataru Yasui2, Akio Matsubara1 1) Department of Urology, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan 2) Department of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan