Faculty Bibliography

A 71-year-old male with history of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) 6-years status post nephrectomy presented for gross hematuria. Cystoscopy revealed a bulge of the right ureteral orifice, and transurethral resection confirmed RCC metastasis to the ureteral stump. Ureterectomy with bladder cuff excision was performed, and the patient is currently undergoing aggressive imaging surveillance. This is the 57th case of metastasis of RCC to the ureteric stump, and this case occurred beyond baseline surveillance recommendation of five years. Potential mechanisms of metastasis of RCC are reviewed, and RCC surveillance is discussed.

BACKGROUND:Bladder cancer affects life quality, overall health, and mortality negatively. The effect of bladder cancer on activities of daily living (ADLs) is not well established. OBJECTIVE:To examine the effect of bladder cancer diagnosis on ADLs, in addition to physical, mental, and overall health measures. DESIGN SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS/METHODS:Using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (MHOS) registry, responses regarding ADLs and overall health were evaluated in bladder cancer patients over time. The Short Form 12 health survey responses were analyzed to determine the change in physical and mental health scores following bladder cancer diagnosis. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS/METHODS:test. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: = 0.0003, respectively). CONCLUSIONS:Patients with bladder cancer report a significant decline in functional status and overall health, including both physical and mental well-being after diagnosis. Further study is needed for factors that may be most predictive of the decline in functional independence for this population. PATIENT SUMMARY/RESULTS:There is a decreased ability to perform daily activities following bladder cancer diagnosis, and patients report a decrease in their physical and mental health. This information can help patients and their caregivers anticipate patient needs following bladder cancer diagnosis, in addition to helping manage their expectations when making decisions regarding treatment options.

Treatment paradigms for patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) are typically extrapolated from studies of bladder cancer despite their distinct clinical and molecular characteristics. The advancement of UTUC research is hampered by the lack of disease-specific models. Here, we report the establishment of patient derived xenograft (PDX) and cell line models that reflect the genomic and biological heterogeneity of the human disease. Models demonstrate high genomic concordance with the corresponding patient tumors, with invasive tumors more likely to successfully engraft. Treatment of PDX models with chemotherapy recapitulates responses observed in patients. Analysis of a HER2 S310F-mutant PDX suggests that an antibody drug conjugate targeting HER2 would have superior efficacy versus selective HER2 kinase inhibitors. In sum, the biological and phenotypic concordance between patient and PDXs suggest that these models could facilitate studies of intrinsic and acquired resistance and the development of personalized medicine strategies for UTUC patients.