Faculty Bibliography

The nephroureterectomy (NU) is the standard of care for invasive upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) and has been around for well over one hundred years. Since then new operative techniques have emerged, new technologies have developed, and the surgery continues to evolve and grow. In this article, we review the various surgical techniques, as well as present the literature surrounding current areas of debate surrounding the NU, including the lymphatic drainage of the upper urinary tract, management of UTUC involvement with the adrenals and caval thrombi, surgical management of the distal ureter, the use of intravesical chemotherapy as well as perioperative systemic chemotherapy, as well as various outcome measures. Although much has been studied about the NU, there still is a dearth of level 1 evidence and the field would benefit from further studies.

Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer can be a challenging disease to manage. In recent years, hyperthermia therapy in conjunction with intravesical therapy has been gaining traction as a treatment option for bladder cancer, especially if Bacillus Calmette-Guerin might not be available. Trials of intravesical chemotherapy with heat are few and there has been considerable heterogeneity between studies. However, multiple new trials have accrued and high-quality data are forthcoming. In this review, we discuss the role of combined intravesical hyperthermia and chemotherapy as a novel approach for the treatment of bladder cancer.

Background/UNASSIGNED:Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are extremely expensive and most patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) do not benefit significantly from their use. Objective/UNASSIGNED:We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine response rates and survival outcomes on patients with mUC progressing despite prior platinum-based chemotherapy receiving ICI stratified by biomarker status. Methods/UNASSIGNED:We performed a comprehensive literature search for all articles in PubMed and Embase up to 06/15/2019 to identify all studies pertaining to programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and programmed death 1 (PD-1) receptor targeted therapies for mUC that reported biomarkers. Given that biomarkers are reported on different scales and with different metrics, we defined each biomarker as either positive or negative using the definitions implemented in each individual trial. We meta-analyzed the data, reconstructed overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) curves, and analyzed response rates by biomarker status. OS and PFS were analyzed in a pooled Kaplan-Meier analysis and pseudo-individualized patient data (IPD) extracted. Results/UNASSIGNED: < 0.001) when compared to the biomarker positive group. Response data was available for 1641 patients and random effects proportion show complete response in 8% and 3% in biomarker positive and negative patients, respectively. Conclusions/UNASSIGNED:ICI therapy for metastatic UC post platinum therapy has a higher overall response rate, OS and PFS in patients who are biomarker positive compared to those who are negative. However, some patients who are biomarker negative do achieve complete responses. A better biomarker for patient selection is essential before biomarkers can be used to stratify candidates for ICI therapy.

The original version of this article contained an error in the name of author Alfredo Mena Lora. This has now been corrected.

IMPORTANCE:Fluoroquinolone (FQ)-resistant rectal vault flora is associated with infectious complications in men undergoing transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate needle biopsy (TRUS-PNB). OBJECTIVE:To determine the patient factors that predict FQ-resistant rectal cultures in men who are undergoing transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate needle biopsy. METHODS:An IRB approved retrospective review of 6183 consecutive men who had undergone a rectal swab culture in preparation for TRUS-PNB between January 2013 and December 2014 was performed. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the clinical and demographic factors associated with FQ-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in the rectal vault. RESULTS:Of the 6179 rectal swabs analyzed, 4842 (78%) were FQ-sensitive, and 1337 (22%) were FQ-resistant. On univariable analysis, increasing age, prior TRUS-PNB, higher number of biopsy cores obtained, diabetes mellitus, antimicrobial use within the past 6 months and non-Caucasian race were predictors of FQ-resistance (all p < 0.05). Men with FQ-resistant cultures were more likely to have benign pathology on TRUS-PNB (p = 0.004). On multivariable analysis, increasing patient age (OR = 1.01/year [1.00-1.02]), use of antimicrobials in the last 6 months (OR = 2.85[2.18-3.72]), African American (OR = 1.99 [1.66-2.37]), Asian (OR = 3.39 [2.63-4.37]), and Hispanic (OR = 2.10 [1.72-2.55]) races were independently associated with FQ-resistant rectal cultures. The overall infectious rate was 1.1% (56/5214) and the sepsis rate was 0.46% (24/5214). The infection rate in the FQ-resistant group was 3.9% (43/1107) compared to FQ-sensitive group 0.3% (13/4107), p < 0.001. CONCLUSION:In this cohort, increasing age, recent antimicrobial-use, and non-Caucasian race were independent predictors of FQ-resistance in the rectal vault. As FQ-resistance is associated with infectious complications from transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate needle biopsy, understanding risk factors may assist infection control efforts.