Shan Zhong

Increased risk of bladder cancer with pioglitazone therapy in patients with diabetes: A meta-analysis

AIMS Emerging studies suggest a possible increased risk of bladder cancer with pioglitazone therapy. We therefore pooled data available to examine the association between pioglitazone therapy and bladder cancer in patients with diabetes. METHODS We searched Medline and Embase to identify studies that reported the effect of pioglitazone on bladder cancer among diabetic patients. Summary effect estimates were derived using a fixed-effects meta-analysis model. RESULTS Five studies included 2,350,908 diabetic patients. Pioglitazone was associated with a significantly higher risk of bladder cancer (relative risk [RR] 1.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-1.32, P=0.013). No relation between pioglitazone and bladder cancer was found for duration of therapy <12 months and cumulative dose <28,000 mg. The RR for bladder cancer in subjects with 12-24 months of pioglitazone use was 1.34 (95% CI 1.08-1.66, P=0.008). The effect was even stronger for cumulative treatment duration >24 months (RR 1.38, 95% CI 1.12-1.70, P=0.003). There was a significant risk for patients with cumulative dose >28,000 mg (RR 1.58, 95% CI 1.12-2.06, P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS Pioglitazone treatment appears to be associated with a significantly increased risk of bladder cancer in patients with diabetes.

Diabetes Mellitus and Risk of Bladder Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies

Background Increasing evidence suggests that diabetes mellitus (DM) may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. To provide a quantitative assessment of this association, we evaluated the relation between DM and incidence and mortality of bladder cancer in an updated meta-analysis of cohort studies. Methods We identified cohort studies by searching the EMBASE and MEDLINE databases, through 31 March 2012. Summary relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with random-effects models. Results A total of 29 cohort studies (27 articles) were included in this meta-analysis. DM was associated with an increased incidence of bladder cancer (RR 1.29, 95% CI: 1.08–1.54), with significant evidence of heterogeneity among these studies (p<0.001, I2 = 94.9%). In stratified analysis, the RRs of bladder cancer were 1.36 (1.05–1.77) for diabetic men and 1.28 (0.75–2.19) for diabetic women, respectively. DM was also positively associated with bladder cancer mortality (RR 1.33, 95% CI: 1.14–1.55), with evident heterogeneity between studies (p = 0.002, I2 = 63.3%). The positive association was observed for both men (RR 1.54, 95% CI: 1.30–1.82) and women (RR 1.50, 95% CI: 1.05–2.14). Conclusion These findings suggest that compared to non-diabetic individuals, diabetic individuals have an increased incidence and mortality of bladder cancer.

Robotic versus open radical cystectomy: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective To critically review the currently available evidence of studies comparing robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with open radical cystectomy (ORC). Methods A comprehensive review of the literature from Pubmed, Web of Science and Scopus was performed in April 2014. All relevant studies comparing RARC with ORC were included for further screening. A pooled meta-analysis of all comparative studies was performed and publication bias was assessed by a funnel plot. Results Nineteen studies were included for the analysis, including a total of 1779 patients (787 patients in the RARC group and 992 patients in the ORC group). Although RARC was associated with longer operative time (p <0.0001), patients in this group might benefit from significantly lower overall perioperative complication rates within 30 days and 90 days (p = 0.005 and 0.0002, respectively), more lymph node yields (p = 0.009), less estimated blood loss (p <0.00001), lower need for perioperative and intraoperative transfusions (p <0.0001 and <0.0001, respectively), and shorter postoperative length of stay (p = 0.0002). There was no difference between two groups regarding positive surgical margin rates (p = 0.19). Conclusions RARC appears to be an efficient alternative to ORC with advantages of less perioperative complications, more lymph node yields, less estimated blood loss, lower need for transfusions, and shorter postoperative length of stay. Further studies should be performed to compare the long-term oncologic outcomes between RARC and ORC.

Risk of bladder cancer in patients with diabetes mellitus: an updated meta-analysis of 36 observational studies

BackgroundIncreasing evidence suggests that a history of diabetes mellitus (DM) may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. We performed a systematic review with meta-analysis to explore this relationship.MethodsWe identified studies by a literature search of Medline (from 1 January 1966) and EMBASE (from 1 January 1974), through 29 February 2012, and by searching the reference lists of pertinent articles. Summary relative risks (RRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with a random-effects model.ResultsA total of 36 studies (9 case–control studies, 19 cohort studies and 8 cohort studies of patients with diabetes) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Analysis of all studies showed that DM was associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer (the summary RR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.17–1.56, p < 0.001, I2 = 94.7%). In analysis stratified by study design, diabetes was positively associated with risk of bladder cancer in case–control studies (RR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.13-1.86, p = 0.005, I2 = 63.8%) and cohort studies (RR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.12-1.62, p < 0.001, I2 = 94.3%), but not in cohort studies of diabetic patients (RR = 1.25, 95% CI 0.86–1.81, p < 0.001, I2 = 97.4%). The RRs of bladder cancer were 1.38 (1.08-1.78) for men and 1.38 (0.90-2.10) for women with diabetes, respectively. Noteworthy, the relative risk of bladder cancer was negatively correlated with the duration of DM, with the higher risk of bladder cancer found among patients diagnosed within less than 5 years.ConclusionsThese findings support the hypothesis that men with diabetes have a modestly increased risk of bladder cancer, while women with diabetes were not the case.

Comparison of peri‐operative outcomes of robot‐assisted vs laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: a meta‐analysis

To conduct a meta‐analysis of the literature on the peri‐operative outcomes of both robot‐assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN).

MicroRNA-145 directly targets the insulin-like growth factor receptor I in human bladder cancer cells

The insulin‐like growth factor receptor I (IGF‐IR) is a proto‐oncogene with potent mitogenic and antiapoptotic activities. It has been reported that expression of IGF‐IR is up‐regulated in bladder cancer. Here, we assessed whether microRNA‐145 (miR‐145) regulates IGF‐IR expression in bladder cancer. In our study, miR‐145 was shown to directly target IGF‐IR 3′‐untranslated region (UTR) in human bladder cancer cells. Small interfering RNA (siRNA)‐ and miR‐145‐mediated IGF‐IR knockdown experiments revealed that miR‐145 promotes cell apoptosis, and suppresses cell proliferation and migration through suppression of IGF‐IR expression. Taken together, our data suggest that miR‐145 may inhibit bladder cancer initiation by affecting IGF‐IR signaling.

Predicting Recurrence and Progression in Chinese Patients With Nonmuscle-invasive Bladder Cancer Using EORTC and CUETO Scoring Models

OBJECTIVE To validate the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) model and the Spanish Urological Club for Oncological Treatment (CUETO) model in Chinese patients with nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective study was performed of 363 Chinese patients with NMIBC treated at our hospital from January 2003 to September 2010. Most of these patients had undergone intravesical chemotherapy after transurethral resection of the bladder tumor. The scores for recurrence and progression were calculated using the 2 models. Next, all the patients were divided into 4 risk groups according to their scores. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the probabilities of recurrence and progression according to both models. Discrimination was assessed using the concordance index. RESULTS The EORTC model successfully stratified our patients into 4 groups with statistically significant different probabilities of recurrence. For progression, only the intermediate- and high-risk groups could be reasonably distinguished using the EORTC model. The CUETO model stratified neither the recurrence nor the progression risks. The concordance index using the EORTC and CUETO model was 0.711 and 0.663 for recurrence and 0.768 and 0.741 for progression, respectively. CONCLUSION Compared with the CUETO risk tables, the EORTC model showed more value in predicting recurrence and progression in Chinese patients with NMIBC, most of whom received intravesical chemotherapy after transurethral resection of the bladder tumor. Prospective multicenter studies should be performed of large cohorts to construct an ideal prognostic model for Chinese patients with NMIBC.

Changes in erectile organ structure and function in a rat model of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome

There is a growing recognition of the association between chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) and erectile dysfunction (ED); however, most of the reports are based on questionnaires which cannot distinguish between organic and functional ED. The purpose of this study was to determine the exact relationship between CP/CPPS and ED, and to investigate the changes in erectile organ structure and function in a rat model of CP/CPPS. We established a rat model of experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP), which is a valid model for CP/CPPS. Erectile function in EAP and normal rats was comparable after cavernous nerve electrostimulation. The serum testosterone and oestradiol levels, ultrastructure of the corpus cavernosum and expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the two groups were similar; however, there was a decrease in smooth muscle‐to‐collagen ratio and alpha‐smooth muscle actin expression and an increase in transforming growth factor‐beta 1 expression was observed in EAP rats. Thus, organic ED may not exist in EAP rats. We speculate that ED complained by patients with CP/CPPS may be psychological, which could be caused by impairment in the quality of life; however, further studies are needed to fully understand the potential mechanisms underlying the penile fibrosis in EAP rats.

Modified U-shaped ileal neobladder after radical cystectomy: assessment of functional outcomes and complications in Chinese patients.

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. After investigation, it was confirmed that there were considerably fewer cases with modified U-shaped ileal neobladder at the research institution than was written about in the manuscript.