Mounsif Azizi

Assessment of energy density usage during 180W lithium triborate laser photoselective vaporization of the prostate for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Is there an optimum amount of kilo-Joules per gram of prostate?

To assess the effect of energy density (kJ/mL) applied on adenoma during photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) treatment for benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) on functional outcomes, prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) reduction and complications.

Factors predicting prolonged operative time for individual surgical steps of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP): A single surgeon’s experience

INTRODUCTION We evaluated the average time required to complete individual steps of robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) by an expert RARP surgeon. The intent is to help establish a time-based benchmark to aim for during apprenticeship. In addition, we aimed to evaluate preoperative patient factors, which could prolong the operative time of these individual steps. METHODS We retrospectively identified 247 patients who underwent RARP, performed by an experienced robotic surgeon at our institution. Baseline patient characteristics and the duration of each step were recorded. Multivariate analysis was performed to predict factors of prolonged individual steps. RESULTS In multivariable analysis, obesity was a significant predictor of prolonged operative time of: docking (odds ratio [OR] 1.96), urethral division (OR 3.13), and vesico-urethral anastomosis (VUA) (OR 2.63). Prostate volume was also a significant predictor of longer operative time in dorsal vein complex ligation (OR 1.02), bladder neck division (OR 1.03), pedicle control (OR 1.04), urethral division (OR 1.02), and VUA (OR 1.03). A prolonged bladder neck division was predicted by the presence of a median lobe (OR 5.03). Only obesity (OR 2.56) and prostate volume (OR 1.04) were predictors of a longer overall operative time. CONCLUSIONS Obesity and prostate volume are powerful predictors of longer overall operative time. Furthermore, both can predict prolonged time of several individual RARP steps. The presence of a median lobe is a strong predictor of a longer bladder neck division. These factors should be taken into consideration during RARP training.

Comparative effectiveness of transurethral resection of bladder tumors and office fulguration for recurrent bladder tumors

Evaluation of: Park DS, Hwang JH, Gong IH et al. An analysis of the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of fulguration under local anesthesia for small-sized recurrent masses: a comparative analysis of transurethral resection of bladder tumors in a matched cohort. J. Endourol. 27(10), 1240-1244 (2013). At initial diagnosis, most bladder tumors are nonmuscle invasive. Some will recur after initial resection and will require transurethral resections of the bladder tumor. Fulguration under local anesthesia represents an alternative. This option is assessed in the article of Park et al. with respect to efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness in patients with small-sized recurrent bladder tumors. The authors suggest that fulguration is safe and efficacious without compromising oncological outcomes in selected patients relative to formal transurethral resections of bladder tumor.

Current controversies and developments on the role of lymphadenectomy for penile cancer

Penile squamous cell carcinoma is a rare cancer in men. The main prognosticators of survival for penile cancer patients remain the presence and the extent of lymph node metastasis. While radical inguinal lymphadenectomy has been the cornerstone of regional lymph node management for many years, it is still associated with significant morbidity and psychological distress. Recent developments in penile squamous cell carcinoma management have been met with some controversy in the urologic oncology community. Herein, we review the current controversies and developments on the role of inguinal lymphadenectomy for penile cancer.

Estimating Minimally Important Differences for the Bladder Cancer Index Using Distribution- and Anchor-Based Approaches

Purpose: The BCI (Bladder Cancer Index) is a validated, condition specific health questionnaire assessing urinary, bowel and sexual function and quality of life among patients with bladder cancer. We aimed to establish minimally important difference score thresholds that signal clinical importance. Materials and Methods: For 1 year after surgery we followed a prospective cohort of 150 patients who underwent radical cystectomy between 2013 and 2016. Usable data on 138 patients were analyzed. The BCI and the Medical Outcomes Study SF-36 (36-Item Short Form Health Survey) questionnaires were completed prior to cystectomy, and 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Distribution based, minimally important differences were estimated at ⅓ and ½ SD for each index domain across time points. Changes in index domain scores anchored to changes in a SF-36 overall health assessment question were used to estimate anchor based, minimally important differences. Pooled averages are reported between time points and methods. Results: The distribution based, minimally important difference of ⅓ SDs for urinary, bowel and sexual domains ranged between 5.3 and 7.3, 4.6 and 5.6, and 6.0 and 8.9 points, respectively. Ranges of ½ SDs were 8.8 and 10.9, 6.8 and 8.4, and 8.9 and 13.5 points, respectively. The anchor based approach resulted in minimally important difference estimates of 6.2, 7.3 and 6.8 points, respectively. Aggregated results across the 2 approaches resulted in minimally important differences of 6 to 9, 5 to 8 and 7 to 11 points for urinary, bowel and sexual domains, respectively. Conclusions: Using 2 independent approaches to our knowledge we established the first minimally important difference estimates for the BCI. Defining patient reported outcome thresholds is important to interpret changes or differences in BCI scores.

Implications of Programmed Death Ligand-1 Positivity in Non-Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

The purpose of this study was to assess the prognostic value of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) positivity in a non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (non-ccRCC) cohort. PD-L1 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens from 45 non-ccRCC patients with available tissue. PD-L1 positivity was defined as ≥1% of staining. Histopathological characteristics and oncological outcomes were correlated to PD-L1 expression. Cancer-specific survival (CSS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) stratified by PD-L1 status were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Median age was 58 years and median follow-up was 40 months. Non-ccRCC subtypes included sarcomatoid (n = 9), rhabdoid (n = 6), medullary (n = 2), Xp11.2 translocation (n = 2), collecting duct (n = 1), papillary type I (n = 11), and papillary type II (n = 14). PD-L1 positivity was noted in nine (20%) patients. PD-L1 positivity was significantly associated with higher Fuhrman nuclear grade (P = 0.048) and perineural invasion (P = 0.043). Five-year CSS was 73.2 and 83% for PD-L1 positive and negative tumors, respectively (P = 0.47). Five-year RFS was 55.6 and 61.5% for PD-L1 positive and negative tumors, respectively (P = 0.58). PD-L1 was expressed in a fifth of non-ccRCC cases and was associated with adverse histopathologic features. Expression of biomarkers such PD-L1 may help better risk-stratify non-ccRCC patients to guide treatment decisions and follow-up strategies.

Downstaging and Survival Outcomes Associated With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Regimens Among Patients Treated With Cystectomy for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

Importance Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by radical cystectomy improves survival compared with cystectomy alone for patients with bladder cancer. Although gemcitabine with cisplatin has become a standard NAC regimen, a dose-dense combination of methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (ddMVAC) is being adopted at some institutions. Objective To assess the association of neoadjuvant ddMVAC vs standard regimens with downstaging and overall survival among patients treated with radical cystectomy for bladder cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants Cross-sectional analysis of data extracted from the medical records of a consecutive sample, after exclusions, of 1113 patients with bladder cancer of whom 824 had disease stage T2 or greater, who were treated with cystectomy at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, a tertiary care cancer center, between January 1, 2007, and May 31, 2017. Data were collected between November 14, 2016, and July 21, 2017, and analyzed between August 21, 2017, and December 8, 2017. Patients were compared based on type of NAC. Those who did not receive NAC were included as controls. Main Outcomes and Measures Comparative rates and the association of any downstaging, complete response, and overall survival with ddMVAC and other NAC regimens and surgery alone. Outcomes were examined using Kaplan-Meier, adjusted logistic, Cox regression, and propensity-weighted models. Results Of the 1113 patients who underwent cystectomy for bladder cancer, 861 (77.4%) were male, the median (interquartile range) age was 67 (60-74) years, 1051 (94.4%) were white, 27 (2.4%) black, 37 (3.3%) Hispanic/Latino, and 35 (3.1%) other race/ethnicity. Of 824 patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, 332 (40%) received NAC. Downstaging rates were 52.2% for ddMVAC, 41.3% for gemcitabine-cisplatin, and 27.0% for gemcitabine with carboplatin, and complete response (pT0N0) rates were 41.3% for ddMVAC, 24.5% for gemcitabine-cisplatin, and 9.4% for gemcitabine-carboplatin (2-sided P < .001). Adjusted analysis comparing ddMVAC with gemcitabine-cisplatin demonstrated a higher likelihood of downstaging (odds ratio [OR], 1.84; 95% CI, 1.10-3.09) and complete response (OR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.50-4.77) with ddMVAC. Similar results were achieved with propensity score matching (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 0.99-2.35). Patients who received ddMVAC had better overall survival than those treated with other chemotherapy regimens, although the observed survival benefit did not reach statistical significance in adjusted or propensity-matched models (hazard ratio, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.14-1.38; P = .16). Conclusions and Relevance This study suggest that neoadjuvant ddMVAC followed by cystectomy is associated with a higher complete response (ypT0N0) rate than standard NAC. These data highlight and suggest the need to further investigate ddMVAC vs standard NAC in a prospective, randomized fashion.

Surgical and Oncological Outcomes in Patients After Vascularised Flap Reconstruction for Locoregionally Advanced Penile Cancer

BACKGROUND Treatment of locoregionally advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma (LAPSCC) is challenging. The exact role (in terms of oncological benefit) of extensive surgery is not well established. Moreover, surgery invariably leads to large defects requiring reconstructive surgery. Rectus abdominis myocutaneous (RAM) and abdominal advancement flaps have an independent and constant blood supply, are easily harvested, and provide substantial skin coverage and soft tissue. OBJECTIVE To determine the surgical and oncological outcomes in patients with LAPSCC undergoing surgical resection with RAM flaps. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS From 2002 to 2016, a multi-institutional database identified 15 LAPSCC patients undergoing flap reconstructions. INTERVENTION Local surgical resection with RAM or abdominal advancement flap reconstruction. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Perioperative and pathologic data were collected. Postoperative complications were identified using the Clavien-Dindo classification for surgical complications. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS Fifteen patients (median age 61 yr) were treated, ten with curative intent. Thirteen patients received induction chemotherapy. Thirteen of the 15 patients (87%) experienced wound complications, including five Clavien-Dindo grade III complications. In 11/15 patients (73%), the disease recurred (median recurrence-free interval 106 d). The majority of recurrences (91%) were locoregional, and in four cases the patient also had lesions in distant organs. Ten of the 15 patients (67%) died of their disease. The overall median follow-up interval was 10.5 mo. The study was limited by its retrospective design, the absence of quality-of-life measurements, and the cohort size. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study show that surgical resection with reconstruction is associated with a risk of perioperative complications, including high-grade Clavien-Dindo complications. With a cure rate of 27%, surgery must be carefully considered and there is a need for alternative treatments. Lack of robust quality-of-life-data is also a serious shortcoming in the decision process for this patient category. PATIENT SUMMARY Surgery in locoregionally advanced penile cancer has a low cure rate. Reconstruction of defects is surgically feasible, albeit with a high risk of complications. Furthermore, decision-making lacks robust data on quality of life after surgery.

The Value of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio in Patients Undergoing Cytoreductive Nephrectomy with Thrombectomy

BACKGROUND The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an established signature of inflammation used for evaluating renal cell carcinoma (RCC). OBJECTIVE To determine the utility of NLR and its relationship with known risk factors associated with poor survival in patients with metastatic RCC and tumor thrombus undergoing cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Prognostic variables were reviewed for patients undergoing CN with thrombectomy between 2000 and 2014 from six different institutions. Patients were stratified for NLR >4.0 based on cut point analysis. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Kaplan-Meier curves compared overall survival of the total cohort and established risk models (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center [MSKCC], International Metastatic Renal-Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium [IMDC], and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center [MDACC]) stratified by NLR. Multivariable Cox regression determined predictors of overall survival. Receiver operator characteristic curves tested the predictive accuracy of survival ≥12 mo, and area under the curve (AUC) was compared between models. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS In total, 332 patients were identified. Patients with NLR ≤4.0 had longer median survival (24.7 vs 15.2 mo, p=0.004). NLR >4.0 distinguished patients with significantly shorter survival for non-poor-risk groups defined by MSKCC, IMDC, and MDACC criteria. Systemic symptoms, low hemoglobin, elevated lactate dehydrogenase, retroperitoneal adenopathy, level IV thrombus, elevated absolute neutrophil count, and NLR >4 were independent predictors of decreased survival (p<0.05). These factors had higher predictive accuracy for survival at 12 mo (AUC=0.755) than MKSCC, IMDC, and MSKCC models. CONCLUSIONS NLR >4.0 independently predicts poor survival and further distinguishes established risk model survival curves. We identified seven preoperative risk factors related to poor survival for patients with metastatic RCC with tumor thrombus undergoing CN. PATIENT SUMMARY The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and six additional preoperative variables can be used to better council patients regarding survival after surgery for metastatic renal cell carcinoma with tumor thrombus.

Survival Outcomes Associated With Female Primary Urethral Carcinoma: Review of a Single Institutional Experience

Micro‐Abstract Female primary urethral carcinoma is rare, and treatment standards are nonexistent, particularly for the use of multimodal therapy in locally advanced disease. We reviewed 39 patients with primary urethral carcinoma in regard to presentation, treatment, and outcomes. Multimodal therapy shows a nonsignificant interval increase in overall and recurrence‐free survival, but the sequence, type, and delivery of multimodal therapy is poorly defined. Background Primary urethral carcinoma (PUC) is rare, and standard treatment recommendations are lacking. We examined the variation in treatments and survival outcomes of female PUC at a single, tertiary referral cancer center. Methods Records of women with PUC referred to our multidisciplinary genitourinary oncology service between 2003 and 2017 were reviewed. Clinical, demographic, pathologic, primary and salvage therapy details, and overall (OS) and recurrence‐free survival (RFS) were recorded. Survival outcomes were analyzed for the entire cohort, and cases of locally‐advanced (≥ T2 tumor), non‐metastatic PUC were evaluated according to treatment intensity. Multimodal treatment (cystourethrectomy + concomitant therapy) was compared with non‐multimodal therapy. Contingency analyses and Kaplan‐Meier estimates were performed. Results Thirty‐nine women with PUC were identified. In total, median OS was 36 months (95% confidence interval, 10.6‐61.4 months). Twenty‐four had T3 to T4 disease, 12 were node‐positive, and 3 had distant metastases. Histology included 22 adenocarcinomas, 11 urothelial, 5 squamous, and 1 neuroendocrine. Patients with locally advanced, non‐metastatic disease (n = 25) had significantly reduced OS (36 vs. 99 months; P = .016) and RFS (46 months vs. unmet; P = .011) compared with patients with locally confined tumors. Approximately one‐half of locally advanced cases were managed with multimodal therapy (4 with neoadjuvant therapy + cystourethrectomy, 8 with cystourethrectomy + adjuvant therapy, and 1 with chemoradiation + consolidative cystourethrectomy). Multimodal therapy had nonsignificant longer OS (36 vs. 16 months) and RFS (58 vs. 16 months), P > .05. Conclusions Locally advanced female PUC has relatively poor survival outcomes. Although we observed a nonsignificant interval improvement in survival with multimodality therapy, the treatment paradigm is inconsistent. Because it is a rare disease, collaborative multi‐institutional studies are needed.