M. Liberti

Role of 5-aminolevulinic acid in the diagnosis and treatment of superficial bladder cancer: improvement in diagnostic sensitivity

OBJECTIVES To use 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) in diagnostic cystoscopy and during transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB) to treat transitional cell carcinoma. The efficacy of this new technique was compared with standard cystoscopy. METHODS The 5-ALA, instilled in the bladder 2 hours before cystoscopy, makes the pathologic tissue fluorescent when illuminated with blue light (375 to 400 nm). This allows a better recognition of the neoplastic forms for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes during TURB. This method has been used since May 1997 on 49 patients in whom bladder tumor was diagnosed either immediately or during postchemotherapy follow-up. RESULTS One hundred seventy-nine biopsies were taken of fluorescent and nonfluorescent areas (3.5 per patient) to check the effectiveness of the new method compared with standard cystoscopy. A good correlation was found between 5-ALA cystoscopy and the histopathologic diagnosis, with a good sensitivity (87%). The 5-ALA cystoscopy allowed the diagnosis of a tumor in 24 patients with negative standard cystoscopic findings. Furthermore, 5-ALA cystoscopy detected 7 cases of carcinoma in situ. Neither local nor systemic (because of endovesical instillation) side effects were noted. CONCLUSIONS We believe that 5-ALA could be routinely used in the diagnosis of superficial bladder tumors, as it was shown to improve the diagnostic sensitivity for carcinoma in situ and to reduce the risk of recurrence related to missed cancerous lesions or incomplete TURB.

Superficial Bladder Tumors in Patients under 40 Years of Age: Clinical, Prognostic and Cytogenetic Aspects

Bladder carcinoma with transitional cells is the most frequent neoplasia in the urinary system, but it is quite rare in patients under 40 years of age (0.4–2%). An analysis of 21 patients under 40 and a review of other reports show that tumors in patients under 20 years old have little tendency to recur and to progress, while tumors in patients aged between 21 and 40 have a behavior pattern similar to older age groups regarding recurrence and disease progression. Preliminary results of a study using fluorescent in situ hybridization with probes for the centromere of chromosomes 7 and 17 showed a high incidence of aneusomy with regard to these chromosomes and a genetic difference between superficial tumors in the young and in adults. Using probes from chromosomes already described in bladder carcinogenesis, we obtained higher sensitivity and specificity in detecting aneuploid events.

Analysis of STAT3 post-translational modifications (PTMs) in human prostate cancer with different Gleason Score

Prostate Cancer (PCa) is a complex and heterogeneous disease. The androgen receptor (AR) and the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) could be effective targets for PCa therapy. STAT3, a cytoplasmatic latent transcription factor, is a hub protein for several oncogenic signalling pathways and up-regulates the expression of numerous genes involved in tumor cell proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis and cell survival. STAT3 activity can be modulated by several Post-Translational Modifications (PTMs) which reflect particular cell conditions and may be implicated in PCa development and progression. The aim of this work was to analyze STAT3 PTMs at different tumor stages and their relationship with STAT3 cellular functions. For this purpose, sixty-five prostatectomy, Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens, classified with different Gleason Scores, were subjected to immunoblotting, immunofluorescence staining and RT-PCR analysis. All experiments were carried out in matched non-neoplastic and neoplastic tissues. Data obtained showed different STAT3 PTMs profiles among the analyzed tumor grades which correlate with differences in the amount and distribution of specific STAT3 interactors as well as the expression of STAT3 target genes. These results highlight the importance of PTMs as an additional biomarker for the exactly evaluation of the PCa stage and the optimal treatment of this disease.

MP97-06 INGUINAL HERNIA AFTER RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY: INCIDENCE AND RISKS FACTORS

exerted by the pneumoperitoneum. The aim of this study is to compare outcomes of RARP with preventive ligation versus delayed ligation of the DVC in a phase III randomized controlled trial. METHODS: After IRB approval, a prospective randomized controlled trail is recruiting patients submitted to RARP at our institution since February 2015. Exclusion criteria are: congenital or acquired coagulation disorders and salvage radical prostatectomy. After obtaining an informed consent, patients are randomized into treatment arms on a 1:1 ratio. RARP is performed according to the Patel technique, by 2 experienced robotic surgeons, with PL (1-0 Monocryl CT-1, after the opening of endopelvic fascia and before bladder neck dissection) or DL (3-0 Monocryl UR-6, once the prostatectomy is completed). Patients0 characteristics and data are recorded in a prospective maintained database. The primary endpoint is estimated blood loss (EBL) during prostatectomy (considering significant a difference of 30 ml or higher). Secondary endpoints are: transfusion rate, positive surgical margins (PSMs) in general and apical PSMs in particular and 1-month PSA and continence (defined as the use of 0 pad or 1 security pad per day). Pearson0s chi-square test was applied to all variables, with a chi-square probability of 0.05 or less considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Overall, 154 patients were randomized from February 2015 to August 2016 (86 patients with PL and 68 with DL). The two groups had comparable preoperative features and no statistically significant differences were found in term of primary and secondary endpoints with the exception of the rate of apical PSMs, higher in the PL group (table 1). CONCLUSIONS: A DL of the DVC is associated to a greater blood loss, even without any clinical significance, and seems to be protective on the risk of apical PSMs, with no detrimental effects on perioperative course and functional outcomes.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Neuroendocrine Bladder Cancer: A Case Report.

Patient: Male, 71 Final Diagnosis: Neuroendocrine cancer bladder Symptoms: Dysuria • haematuria Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Transurethral resection of the bladder tumor Specialty: Oncology Objective: Rare disease Background: Small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder is a rare and aggressive form of bladder cancer that mainly presents at an advanced stage. As a result of its rarity, it has been described in many case reports and reviews but few retrospective and prospective trials, showing there is no standard therapeutic approach. In the literature the best therapeutic strategy for limited disease is the multimodality treatment and most authors have extrapolated treatment algorithms from the therapy recommendations of small cell lung cancer. Case Report: A 71-year-old male patient was referred to our hospital with gross hematuria and dysuria. Imaging and cystoscopy revealed a vegetative lesion of the bladder wall. A transurethral resection of the bladder was performed. Pathological examination revealed a pT2 high-grade urothelial carcinoma with widespread neuroendocrine differentiation. Multimodal treatment with neoadjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy was performed. A CT scan performed after chemotherapy demonstrated a radiological complete response. The patient underwent radical cystectomy and lymphadenectomy. The histopathological finding of bladder and node specimen confirmed a pathological complete response. A post-surgery CT scan showed no evidence of local or systemic disease. Six months after surgery, the patient is still alive and disease-free. Conclusions: A standard treatment strategy of small cell cancer of the urinary bladder is not yet well established, but a multimodal treatment of this disease is the best option compared to surgical therapy alone. The authors confirm the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in limited disease of small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.

Myxoid Liposarcoma of the Spermatic Cord

The myxoid liposarcoma, a rare form of spermatic cord liposarcoma, is a neoplasia of adult men which arise from adipose tissue, with a slow and subdolous growth, showing good prognosis and low incidence of local or distant recurrence. The case came at our attention is the sixteenth described in literature. Orchifunicolectomy is the gold standard therapy, although in some cases in which this kind of surgery is not radical, adjuvant inguinal or retroperithoneal and pelvic nodes radiotherapy should be taken in consideration.