Faculty Bibliography

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are burgeoning technologies that have the potential to greatly enhance patient care. Visualizing patient-specific three-dimensional (3D) imaging data in these enhanced virtual environments may improve surgeons' understanding of anatomy and surgical pathology, thereby allowing for improved surgical planning, superior intra-operative guidance, and ultimately improved patient care. It is important that radiologists are familiar with these technologies, especially since the number of institutions utilizing VR and AR is increasing. This article gives an overview of AR and VR and describes the workflow required to create anatomical 3D models for use in AR using the Microsoft HoloLens device. Case examples in urologic oncology (prostate cancer and renal cancer) are provided which depict how AR has been used to guide surgery at our institution.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:The natural history of T1b (4-7 cm) or T2a (> 7-10 cm) kidney cancers managed with observation is not well-understood. The aim of our study was to determine if the addition of histologic subtype to a predictive model of overall survival (OS) that includes covariates for competing risks in observed, biopsy-proven, T1b and T2a renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) improves the model's performance. MATERIALS AND METHODS/METHODS:We queried the National Cancer Database for patients with biopsy-proven stage T1b or T2a RCC and managed nonoperatively between 2004 and 2015. OS was estimated by Kaplan-Meier curves based on histologic subtype. The concordance index (c-index) from a Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the extent to which histologic subtypes predict survival for each stage when included in a model along with competing risks of age, gender, race/ethnicity, insurance status, area-level socioeconomic indicators, Charlson-Deyo index, and tumor grade. RESULTS:A total of 937 patients (754 with T1b and 185 with T2a) with biopsy-proven RCC were identified. Kaplan-Meier analysis suggested differences in OS by histologic subtype where sarcomatoid, followed by clear cell, papillary, and chromophobe, had the highest mortality risk at 1, 3, and 5 years. However, there was marginal improvement in the multivariable model of OS using competing risks and histology (c-index, 0.64 and 0.697) compared with competing risks alone (c-index, 0.631 and 0.671) for T1b and T2a RCCs, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:In patients with T1b or T2a RCC managed with observation, incorporation of histologic subtype into a risk-stratification model to determine prognostic OS did not improve modeling of OS compared with variables representing competing risks. Histologic subtype of observed T1b and T2a RCC appears to have prognostic OS value when not considering competing risks. These findings may impact the usefulness of renal biopsy to inform decision-making when managing patients with T1b and T2a renal tumors with observation.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:To demonstrate the generalizability of PRECISION findings and apply the PRECISION biopsy strategy to a contemporary cohort to characterize cancers missed by employing this strategy. MATERIALS AND METHODS/METHODS:629 men biopsied between 2/2015-9/2018 met PRECISION inclusion criteria. Men with PI-RADS 1-2 MRI were only biopsied if high clinical suspicion for cancer. Missed cancers were defined as prostate cancer (PCa) identified uniquely on systematic biopsy (SB) in men with PI-RADS 3-5 MRI, or on either SB or MRI-targeted prostate biopsy (MRI-TB) in men with PI-RADS 1-2 MRI. Outcomes included 1) clinically-significant PCa (csPCa), ≥Gleason grade group (GG) 2, detection rate (CDR), 2) missed csPCa rate upon application of PRECISION biopsy strategy, 3) GG distribution, core size, spatial orientation, and oncologic risk among missed cancers. RESULTS:Application of the PRECISION biopsy strategy to the study cohort resulted in avoidance of biopsy in 28%, similar MRI-TB CDR to PRECISION, reduction of GG1 CDR by 60%, and reduction of csPCa CDR by 19%. Missed csPCa were often <6 mm (54.5%), GG2 (67.3%), and low-risk by clinical nomogram (74.6%). GG1 cancers identified uniquely on SB were often contralateral to MRI target (46.4%), while missed csPCa was predominantly ipsilateral (81%). Limitations include biopsy of only men with high-risk clinical features among PIRADS 1-2 MRI, potentially overestimating the csPCa CDR. CONCLUSIONS:The study cohort demonstrated generalizability of PRECISION findings. Applying the PRECISION biopsy strategy greatly reduces GG1 CDR, while missing a small number of csPCa, typically small volume, low-risk, and GG2. Missed csPCa are predominantly ipsilateral to MRI target, possibly representing targeting error.

Despite advances in systemic therapy and immunotherapy, surgery continues to have a role in management of advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC). Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is considered standard of care for smaller, localized tumors due to faster recovery without compromising oncologic outcomes. There are concerns about MIS for aRCC due to a potential risk of inferior oncologic outcomes and unusual patterns of disease recurrence. Recent studies, however, suggest that in properly selected patients with aRCC, MIS can provide improved peri-operative outcomes without compromising oncologic control.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:The aim of the present study is to investigate the impact of the near-infrared (NIRF) technology with indocyanine green (ICG) in robotic urologic surgery by performing a systematic literature review and to provide evidence-based expert recommendations on best practices in this field. METHODS:and Web of Science™ databases (up to April 2019). Experts in the field provided detailed pictures and intraoperative video-clips of different NIRF/ICG-guided robotic surgeries with recommendations for each procedure. A unique QRcode was generated and linked to each underlying video-clip. This new exclusive feature makes the present the first "dynamic paper" that merges text and figure description with their own video providing readers an innovative, immersive, high-quality and user-friendly experience. RESULTS:Our electronic search identified a total of 576 papers. Of these, 36 studies included in the present systematic review reporting the use of NIRF/ICG in robotic partial nephrectomy (n = 13), robotic radical prostatectomy and lymphadenectomy (n = 7), robotic ureteral re-implantation and reconstruction (n = 5), robotic adrenalectomy (n = 4), robotic radical cystectomy (n = 3), penectomy and robotic inguinal lymphadenectomy (n = 2), robotic simple prostatectomy (n = 1), robotic kidney transplantation (n = 1) and robotic sacrocolpopexy (n = 1). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:NIRF/ICG technology has now emerged as a safe, feasible and useful tool that may facilitate urologic robotic surgery. It has been shown to improve the identification of key anatomical landmarks and pathological structures for oncological and non-oncological procedures. Level of evidence is predominantly low. Larger series with longer follow-up are needed, especially in assessing the quality of the nodal dissection and the feasibility of the identification of sentinel nodes and the impact of these novel technologies on long-term oncological and functional outcomes.

Introduction/UNASSIGNED:To evaluate overall survival (OS) of T1a kidney cancers stratified by histologic subtype and curative treatment including partial nephrectomy (PN), percutaneous ablation (PA), and radical nephrectomy (RN). Materials and Methods/UNASSIGNED:We queried the National Cancer Data Base (2004-2015) for patients with T1a kidney cancers who were treated surgically. OS was estimated by Kaplan-Meier curves based on histologic subtype and management. Cox proportional regression models were used to determine whether histologic subtypes and management procedure predicted OS. Results/UNASSIGNED:= 0.392) were observed. Adjusted Cox regression showed worse OS for PA than PN among patients with clear cell (HR 1.58, 95%CI [1.44-1.73], papillary RCC (1.53 [1.34-1.75]), and chromophobe RCC (2.19 [1.64-2.91]). OS was worse for RN than PN for clear cell (HR 1.38 [1.28-1.50]) papillary (1.34 [1.16-1.56]) and chromophobe RCC (1.92 [1.43-2.58]). Predictive models using Cox proportional hazards incorporating histology and surgical procedure alone were limited (c-index 0.63) while adding demographics demonstrated fair predictive power for OS (c-index 0.73). Conclusions/UNASSIGNED:In patients with pathologic T1a RCC, patterns of OS differed by surgery and histologic subtype. Patients receiving PN appears to have better prognosis than both PA and RN. However, the incorporation of histologic subtype and treatment modality into a risk stratification model to predict OS had limited utility compared with variables representing competing risks.

Electronic-cigarettes (E-cigs) are marketed as a safe alternative to tobacco to deliver the stimulant nicotine, and their use is gaining in popularity, particularly among the younger population. We recently showed that mice exposed to short-term (12 wk) E-cig smoke (ECS) sustained extensive DNA damage in lungs, heart, and bladder mucosa and diminished DNA repair in lungs. Nicotine and its nitrosation product, nicotine-derived nitrosamine ketone, cause the same deleterious effects in human lung epithelial and bladder urothelial cells. These findings raise the possibility that ECS is a lung and bladder carcinogen in addition to nicotine. Given the fact that E-cig use has become popular in the past decade, epidemiological data on the relationship between ECS and human cancer may not be known for a decade to come. In this study, the carcinogenicity of ECS was tested in mice. We found that mice exposed to ECS for 54 wk developed lung adenocarcinomas (9 of 40 mice, 22.5%) and bladder urothelial hyperplasia (23 of 40 mice, 57.5%). These lesions were extremely rare in mice exposed to vehicle control or filtered air. Current observations that ECS induces lung adenocarcinomas and bladder urothelial hyperplasia, combined with our previous findings that ECS induces DNA damage in the lungs and bladder and inhibits DNA repair in lung tissues, implicate ECS as a lung and potential bladder carcinogen in mice. While it is well established that tobacco smoke poses a huge threat to human health, whether ECS poses any threat to humans is not yet known and warrants careful investigation.

OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:Our aim was to determine whether using an organ transplant-based(TB) approach reduces postoperative complications(PCs) following radical nephrectomy(RN) and tumor thrombectomy(TT) in renal cell carcinoma(RCC) patients with level II-IV thrombi. METHODS:A total of 390(292 non-TB/98 TB) IRCC-VT Consortium patients who received no preoperative embolization/IVC filter were included. Stepwise linear/logistic regression analyses were performed to determine significant multivariable predictors of intraoperative estimated blood loss(IEBL), number blood transfusions received, and overall/major PC development within 30days following surgery. Propensity to receive the TB approach was controlled. RESULTS:The TB approach was clearly superior in limiting IEBL, blood transfusions, and PC development, even after controlling for other significant prognosticators/propensity score(P < .000001 in each case). Median IEBL for non-TB/TB approaches was 1000 cc/300 cc and 1500 cc/500 cc for tumor thrombus Level II-III patients, respectively, with no notable differences for Level IV patients(2000 cc each). In comparing PC outcomes between non-TB/TB patients with a non-Right-Atrium Cranial Limit, the observed percentage developing a: i) PC was 65.8%(133/202) vs. 4.3%(3/69) for ECOG Performance Status(ECOG-PS) 0-1, and 84.8%(28/33) vs. 25.0%(4/16) for ECOG-PS 2-4, and ii) major PC was 16.8%(34/202) vs. 1.4%(1/69) for ECOG-PS 0-1, and 27.3%(9/33) vs. 12.5%(2/16) for ECOG-PS 2-4. Major study limitation was the fact that all TB patients were treated by a single, experienced, high volume surgeon from one center (non-TB patients were treated by various surgeons at 13 other centers). CONCLUSIONS:Despite this major study limitation, the observed dramatic differences in PC outcomes suggest that the TB approach offers a major breakthrough in limiting operative morbidity in RCC patients receiving RN and TT.