Canadian Journal of Urology最新文献

Introduction: Radical cystectomy (RC) is an effective curative treatment option for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). However, chemoradiation (CRT) is an evolving bladder preservation protocol alternative to RC. With the increase in life expectancy, it is essential to understand the survival outcomes among octogenarians treated with RC and CRT. In this study, we use the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to compare the survival outcomes between RC and CRT in octogenarians.

Materials and methods: We collected the data of patients treated for bladder cancer between 2004 to 2018 from the NCDB. Our primary analytic cohort included patients with MIBC (cT2-T4N0M0). We identified the octogenarians and categorized them into RC and CRT arms. The RC arm included those who received RC. The CRT arm included those who received chemotherapy within 90 days of curative radiation therapy. After 1:1 propensity score matching, overall survival (OS) outcomes were compared between both arms.

Results: Among the octogenarians, the median OS for patients treated with RC was 26.1 months (95% CI, 23.9-28.2), and CRT was 28.7 months (95% CI, 26.8-30.6). Our covariate analyses showed that academic institutions performed more RC (49% RC and 29.7% CRT) and community programs served more CRT (45.7% CRT and 24.2% RC). A multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the mortality risk increased as the Charlson-Deyo comorbidity score and T stage increased.

Conclusion: Octogenarians treated with RC and CRT had similar OS. As life expectancy increases, it is essential to individualize the treatment strategy based on risk assessment and its potential benefits.

Introduction: Proper antegrade access for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is essential for success but can be challenging. Previous work evaluating access obtained by interventional radiology (IR), largely in the emergent setting, has shown high rates of additional access at the time of PCNL. We hypothesize that efforts to improve pre-procedural communication between urology and IR can impact the utility of the access for subsequent PCNL.

Material and methods: We conducted a retrospective review of patients undergoing PCNL at a single hospital from January 2011 to December 2022. Adult patients undergoing PCNL with established preoperative access were included.

Results: A total of 141 cases were identified with preoperative access. A total of 111 patients had evidence of planning with IR prior to antegrade access. There were high rates of anatomic abnormality (50%) and staghorn calculus (53%). Patients with planned access had higher body mass index (BMI). While preoperative access was initially utilized in 97% of cases, 6% required additional access to be obtained intraoperatively; this included a low rate of new access in those that were previously discussed with IR (4% vs. 17%, p = 0.02). Overall stone free rates (91%), rates of second stage procedures (55%) and complications (14%) were similar between planned and unplanned groups.

Conclusion: In this retrospective study of complex patients with large stone burden presenting for PCNL with preoperative antegrade access obtained by IR, the rate of new access was far lower than prior reports. This was likely influenced by urologist involvement in planning access.

Introduction: There is an ongoing debate as to the appropriate regimen of antibiotic prophylaxis with transperineal (TP) biopsy. The objective of this study was to report the rate of infection following TP biopsy at a high-volume institution and assess the impact of single dose antibiotics at the time of biopsy versus outpatient antibiotics in preventing postprocedural infections.

Materials and methods: Records of men undergoing TP prostate biopsy from 2012 to 2022 were reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups, those who received single dose intravenous (IV) antibiotics at the time of biopsy (n = 440) and those who received both IV antibiotics at the time of biopsy and outpatient antibiotics before/after biopsy (n = 327). Post biopsy infection was defined as at least one of the following: fever (≥ 38.3°C) with/without symptoms of urinary tract infection or positive urine culture (> 105 colony forming units) within 72 hours post biopsy. The rates of infection were compared between the two groups.

Results: A total of 767 biopsies were included in the study. Infection rate post TP biopsy was 1.83% (n = 14). The infection rate for patients with single dose prophylaxis was 2.05% (n = 9) and 1.53% (n = 5) for those that received the extended antibiotic regimen. No significant difference in infection rates between the different antibiotic regimens was found (p = 0.597).

Conclusions: Overall rates of infection after TP prostate biopsy are very low. Our data indicate that single dose and extended regimen of antibiotic prophylaxis show similar infection rates. These findings support antibiotic stewardship and encourage further research into the appropriate regimen of prophylaxis for TP prostate biopsy.

Calyceal diverticulum (CD) is a rare anatomic anomaly with an incidence of 0.2% to 0.6% in the patients undergoing renal imaging. They are considered benign lesions and malignancy is exceedingly rare. For diagnosis it is suggested to perform a multiphasic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) evidencing a diverticulum of the pelvicalyceal system with thin-walled cavities communicating with the central collecting system. However, they can be usually mistaken as kidney cancers leading to unjustified nephrectomy. Here, we present a case of a 34-year-old patient who underwent surgery in 2022 due to suspected kidney cancer and histopathological analysis surprisingly reported a CD.

Introduction: Difficult and traumatic urethral catheterization is a common reason for urologic consult. Catheter insertion and management is common for patients who are managed in the hospital setting.

Materials and methods: A four-question survey was distributed across three hospitals at a single-institution.

Results: A total of 41 nursing staff responses were recorded. Forty-four percent of the nursing staff reported prior participation in a traumatic catheter insertion. Ninety percent of total responders reported a prior involvement with a difficulty catheter.

Conclusion: Patient morbidity and healthcare costs regarding traumatic and difficult catheterization is significant. Utility of protocols and education could potentially reduce these burdens and enhance patient care.

Introduction: Artificial generative intelligence (AGI) and large language models (LLMs) have gained significant attention in healthcare and hold enormous promise for transforming every aspect of our life and urology is no exception.

Materials and methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature search of electronic databases and included articles discussing AGI and LLMs in healthcare. Additionally, we have incorporated our experiences interacting with the ChatGPT and GPT-4 in different situations with real case reports and case constructs.

Results: Our review highlights the potential applications and likely impact of these technologies in urology, for differential diagnosis, prioritizing treatment options, and facilitating research, surgeon, and patient education. At their current developmental stage, we have recognized the need for concurrent validation and continuous human interaction necessary to induce inverse reinforced learning with human feedback to mature them to authenticity. We need to consciously adjust to the hallucinations and guard patients' confidentiality before their extensive implementations in clinical practice. We propose possible remedies for these shortcomings and emphasize the critical role of human interaction in their evolution.

Conclusion: The integration of these tools has the potential to revolutionize urology, but it also presents several challenges needing attention. To harness the full potential of these models, urologists must consistently engage in training these tools with their clinical sense and experience. We urge the urology community to actively participate in AGI and LLM development to address potential challenges. These models could help us in unleashing our full potential and help us achieve a better work-life balance.

For more than four decades, platinum-based chemotherapy regimens have served as the established standard-of-care for advanced urothelial carcinoma (aUC). However, advancements in our understanding of cancer biology and tumor microenvironment have reshaped the therapeutic landscape and prognosis of this incurable disease. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) that target programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) are firmly established tools in aUC management, leading to enhanced life span and improved quality of life for patients. In patients who achieved stable disease or better following platinum-based chemotherapy, maintenance therapy with the PD-L1 antibody avelumab significantly enhanced overall survival (OS) by approximately 7 months compared to best supportive care in the phase 3 JAVELIN Bladder 100 trial. As a result, avelumab received FDA approval in June 2020 as a maintenance therapy for aUC patients treated with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Therefore, aUC care plans should incorporate maintenance avelumab into standard first-line treatment regimens for these patients. The objective of this brief article is to provide insight into the utilization of avelumab, identify patients who may benefit from this treatment, and review the methodology, advantages, potential side effects and their management.