Malte W. Vetterlein

Effectiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy after radical nephroureterectomy for locally advanced and/or positive regional lymph node upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

Purpose There is limited evidence to support the use of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). Against this backdrop, we hypothesized that such treatment is associated with overall survival (OS) benefit in patients with locally advanced and/or positive regional lymph node disease. Patients and Methods Within the National Cancer Database (2004 to 2012), we identified 3,253 individuals who received AC or observation after RNU for pT3/T4 and/or pN+ UTUC. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) -adjusted Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to compare OS of patients in the two treatment groups. In addition, we performed exploratory analyses of treatment effect according to age, gender, Charlson comorbidity index, pathologic stage (pT3/T4N0, pT3/T4Nx and pTanyN+), and surgical margin status. Results Overall, 762 (23.42%) and 2,491 (76.58%) patients with pT3/T4 and/or pN+ UTUC received AC and observation, respectively, after RNU. IPTW-adjusted Kaplan-Meier curves showed that median OS was significantly longer for AC versus observation (47.41 [interquartile range,19.88 to 112.39] v 35.78 [interquartile range, 14.09 to 99.22] months; P < .001). The 5-year IPTW-adjusted rates of OS for AC versus observation were 43.90% and 35.85%, respectively. In IPTW-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, AC was associated with a significant OS benefit (hazard ratio, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.68 to 0.88]; P < .001). This benefit was consistent across all subgroups examined (all P < .05), and no significant heterogeneity of treatment effect was observed (all Pinteraction > .05). Conclusion We report an OS benefit in patients who received AC versus observation after RNU for pT3/T4 and/or pN+ UTUC. Although our results are limited by the usual biases related to the observational study design, we believe that the present findings should be considered when advising post-RNU management of advanced UTUC, pending level I evidence.

Impact of travel distance to the treatment facility on overall mortality in US patients with prostate cancer

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of travel distance to the treating facility on the risk of overall mortality (OM) among US patients with prostate cancer (PCa).

Racial differences in prostate-specific antigen–based prostate cancer screening: State-by-state and region-by-region analyses☆

OBJECTIVE Black men are more prone to harbor prostate cancer. They are more likely to succumb to this tumor than their White counterparts and may benefit from early detection and treatment. In this study, we assess the nationwide and regional disparity in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer between Black men and non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs). METHODS A total of 247,079 (weighted 55,185,102) men, aged 40 to 99 years, who responded to the 2012 and 2014 behavioral risk factor surveillance system surveys were used for our analysis. End points consisted of self-reported PSA screening and self-reported nonrecommended PSA screening within 12 months of the interview. The latter was defined as screening in men with <10-year life expectancy. Available sociodemographic variables were used to predict these end points. The independent predictors from multivariate models were used to calculate the adjusted prevalence of PSA screening and nonrecommended PSA screening on a nationwide and regional level. These numbers were calculated for Blacks and NHWs separately and were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS Prevalence of PSA screening was 30.7% in NHWs vs. 28.1% in Blacks (P<0.001). On a region-based analysis, New England, Middle Atlantic, South Atlantic, East North Central, East South Central, West South Central, and Mountain showed a significantly higher rate of PSA screening in NHWs as compared to Blacks (all P<0.001). Middle Atlantic had a significantly higher prevalence of nonrecommended screening in NHWs as compared to Blacks, whereas South Atlantic, West South Central, and Pacific had a significantly higher prevalence of nonrecommended screening in Blacks as compared to NHWs (all P<0.001). Overall, 43 states performed screening more frequently to NHWs, whereas only 8 states performed it more frequently to Black men. The nonrecommended screening was performed more frequently to NHWs in 19 states, whereas 24 states performed it more frequently to Black men. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates that on a regional-level (and state-level), there are significant racial differences in overall and nonrecommended PSA screening across the United States. Further research is necessary to identify the reasons for the differences and help overcoming it.

The Effect of Resident Involvement on Surgical Outcomes for Common Urologic Procedures: A Case Study of Uni- and Bilateral Hydrocele Repair.

OBJECTIVE Previous studies have investigated the effect of resident involvement (RI) on surgical complications in minimally invasive and complex surgical cases. This study evaluates the effect of surgical education on outcomes in a simple general urologic procedure, unilateral and bilateral hydrocele repair, in a large prospectively collected multi-institutional database. METHODS Relying on the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Participant User files (2005-2013), we extracted patients who underwent unilateral or bilateral hydrocele repair using Current Procedural Terminology codes 55040, 55041, and 55060. Cases with missing information on RI were excluded. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the impact of RI on perioperative outcomes. A prolonged operative time (pOT) was defined as operative time >75th percentile. RESULTS Overall, 1378 cases were available for final analyses. The overall complication, readmission, and reoperation rates were 2.3% (32/1378), 0.5% (7/1378), and 1.4% (19/1378), respectively. A pOT was more frequently observed in bilateral procedures (35.2% vs 21.3%, P < .0001) and with RI (33.8% vs 19.0%, P < .0001). Procedures with RI had a 2.2-fold higher odds of pOT (95% confidence interval 1.7-2.8, P < .0001). Overall complications (odds ratio 1.1, 95% confidence interval 0.5-2.3) were not associated with RI (P = .789). In sensitivity analyses, all postgraduate years of training were associated with a pOT (P < .0001). CONCLUSION Although the involvement of a resident in hydrocele repairs leads to higher odds of pOT, it does not affect patient safety, as evidenced by similar complication rates.

Efficacy of Systemic Chemotherapy Plus Radical Nephroureterectomy for Metastatic Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma

Given the growing body of evidence supporting the benefit of primary tumor control for a wide range of metastatic malignancies, we hypothesized that chemotherapy plus radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) is associated with an overall survival (OS) benefit compared to chemotherapy alone for metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma (mUTUC). Within the National Cancer Data Base (2004-2012), we identified 398 (38.4%) and 637 (61.6%) patients who received chemotherapy plus RNU and chemotherapy alone, respectively. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW)-adjusted Kaplan-Meier curves showed that 3-yr OS was 16.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 12.1-20.3) for chemotherapy plus RNU and 6.4% (95%CI 4.1-8.7) for chemotherapy alone (p<0.001). In IPTW-adjusted Cox regression analysis, chemotherapy plus RNU was associated with a significant OS benefit (hazard ratio 0.70, 95% CI 0.61-0.80; p<0.001). Despite the usual biases related to the observational study design, our findings show a net OS benefit for fit patients who received chemotherapy plus RNU for mUTUC relative to their counterparts treated with chemotherapy alone. PATIENT SUMMARY We examined the role of radical nephroureterectomy in addition to systemic chemotherapy for metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma. We found that such treatment may be associated with an overall survival benefit compared to chemotherapy alone in fit patients.

The Urologist's Role in Antibiotic Stewardship: Results from the MR2 Study

Fig. 1 – Self-reported knowledge regarding measures of antibiotic stewardship (ABS) stratified as urologists and non-urologists. According to conservative calculations, approximately 700 000 people are dying from multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) per year, a number that may reach 10 000 000 by 2050, claiming more lives than all cancer entities collectively [1]. More than ever, we are responsible for counteracting this fatal scenario via appropriate and globally synchronized strategies towards ubiquitous establishment of antibiotic stewardship (ABS) programs. Regular advanced training represents the principal criterion, along with proper knowledge regarding local resistance patterns and mandatory guideline adherence and evaluation of antibiotic prescriptions. In a recent study by GonzalezGonzalez et al [2], poor knowledge as a result of infrequent advanced training was inversely associated with guideline adherence regarding antibiotic prescriptions. Since comparative evaluations of self-reported knowledge concerning MDROs and rational use of antibiotics among different medical specialties are scarce, our research group developed a questionnaire (Multi-institutional Reconnaissance of Practice with Multiresistant Bacteria; the MR2 study) and surveyed internists, general surgeons, gynecologists, and urologists with regard to the above-mentioned topics from August to October 2015. A total of 1061 questionnaires (4 + 35 items) were sent out to 18 German hospitals. With 456 evaluable questionnaires (135 urologists and 321 non-urologists) the response rate was 43%. The distribution of participating clinicians regarding hospital hierarchy (department head/senior physician 41.4%, board-examined physician 30.3%, and resident in training 28.3%) did not differ between urologists and non-urologists (p = 0.382). Some 94.0% of urologists and 87.1% of non-urologists prescribed antibiotics within seven working days before the survey (p = 0.031). Compared to non-urologists, urologists were more confident in the correct choice of antibiotic dosage, frequency, and duration (p = 0.038) as well as in the interpretation of microbiological reports (p < 0.001). Self-reported knowledge of ABS was not different, but

Direct Vision Internal Urethrotomy for Short Anterior Urethral Strictures and Beyond: Success Rates, Predictors of Treatment Failure, and Recurrence Management

OBJECTIVE To determine success rates, predictors of recurrence, and recurrence management of patients treated for short anterior urethral strictures by direct vision internal urethrotomy (DVIU). MATERIALS AND METHODS We identified 128 patients who underwent DVIU of the anterior urethra between December 2009 and March 2016. Follow-up was conducted by telephone interviews. Success rates were assessed by Kaplan-Meier estimators. Predictors of stricture recurrence and different further therapy strategies were identified by uni- and multivariable Cox regression analyses. RESULTS The mean age was 63.8 years (standard deviation: 16.3) and the overall success rate was 51.6% (N = 66) at a median follow-up of 16 months (interquartile range: 6-43). Median time to stricture recurrence was six months (interquartile range: 2-12). In uni- and multivariable analyses, only repeat DVIU (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.13-3.11, P= .015; and HR=1.78, 95% CI = 1.05-3.03, P = .032, respectively) was a risk factor for recurrence. Of 62 patients with recurrence, 35.5% underwent urethroplasty, 29% underwent further endoscopic treatment, and 33.9% did not undergo further interventional therapy. Age (HR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.01-1.09, P = .019) and diabetes (HR = 2.90, 95% CI = 1.02-8.26, P = .047) were predictors of no further interventional therapy. CONCLUSION DVIU seems justifiable in short urethral strictures as a primary treatment. Prior DVIU was a risk factor for recurrence. In case of recurrence, about one-third of the patients did not undergo any further therapy. Higher age and diabetes predicted the denial of any further treatment.

Small renal masses in the elderly: Contemporary treatment approaches and comparative oncological outcomes of nonsurgical and surgical strategies

Over the last decades, there has been a significant stage migration in renal cell carcinoma and especially older patients are getting diagnosed more frequently with low stage disease, such as small renal masses ≤4 cm of size. Considering the particular risk profile of an older population, often presenting with a nonnegligible comorbidity profile and progressive renal dysfunction, treatment approaches beyond aggressive radical surgical procedures have come to the fore. We sought to give a contemporary overview of the available different treatment strategies for incidental small renal masses in an elderly population with the focus on comparative oncological outcomes of nonsurgical and surgical modalities.

Effectiveness of Adjuvant Chemotherapy After Radical Cystectomy for Locally Advanced and/or Pelvic Lymph Node–Positive Muscle-invasive Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder: A Propensity Score–Weighted Competing Risks Analysis

BACKGROUND The benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) for muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) after radical cystectomy (RC) is controversial. OBJECTIVE To assess the effectiveness of AC after RC for muscle-invasive UCB in contemporary European routine practice. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS By using a prospectively collected European multicenter database, we compared survival outcomes between patients who received AC versus observation after RC for locally advanced (pT3/T4) and/or pelvic lymph node-positive (pN+) muscle-invasive UCB in 2011. INTERVENTION AC versus observation after RC. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW)-adjusted Cox regression and competing risks analyses were performed to compare overall survival (OS) as well as cancer-specific and other-cause mortality between patients who received AC versus observation. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS Overall, 224 patients who received AC (n = 84) versus observation (n = 140) were included. The rate of 3-yr OS in patients who received AC versus observation was 62.1% versus 40.9%, respectively (p = 0.014). In IPTW-adjusted Cox regression analysis, AC versus observation was associated with an OS benefit (hazard ratio: 0.47; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.25-0.86; p = 0.014). In IPTW-adjusted competing risks analysis, AC versus observation was associated with a decreased risk of cancer-specific mortality (subhazard ratio: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.26-0.98; p = 0.044) without any increased risk of other-cause mortality (subhazard ratio: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.14-1.60; p = 0.233). Limitations include the relatively small sample size as well as the potential presence of unmeasured confounders related to the observational study design. CONCLUSIONS We found that AC versus observation was associated with a survival benefit after RC in patients with pT3/T4 and/or pN+ UCB. These results should encourage physicians to deliver AC and researchers to pursue prospective or large observational investigations. PATIENT SUMMARY Overall survival and cancer-specific survival benefit was found in patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy relative to observation after radical cystectomy for locally advanced and/or pelvic lymph node-positive bladder cancer.

Peri-operative allogeneic blood transfusion does not adversely affect oncological outcomes after radical cystectomy for urinary bladder cancer: a propensity score-weighted European multicentre study

To evaluate the effect of peri‐operative blood transfusion (PBT) on recurrence‐free survival, overall survival, cancer‐specific mortality and other‐cause mortality in patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC), using a contemporary European multicentre cohort.