Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND: Postchemotherapy surgery is an essential component in the management of patients with metastatic germ cell tumors (GCT). The authors assessed their institutional experience of retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) after multiple chemotherapy regimens for advanced GCT. METHODS: By analyzing the institutional prospective surgical database from 1989 to 2004, 71 patients were identified who underwent RPLND after multiple chemotherapy regimens. Clinicopathologic and treatment trends were characterized, and predictors of disease-specific survival (DSS) were evaluated. RESULTS: The histologic findings at RPLND were fibrosis in 36 men (51%), GCT in 20 men (28%), and teratoma in 15 men (21%). Patients who underwent RPLND from 1989 to 1998 (n = 47), compared with patients who underwent RPLND from 1999 to 2004 (n = 24) were more likely to have GCT (36% vs 13%; P = .04). Patients who received taxane-containing chemotherapy regimens as salvage therapy had lower rates of GCT at RPLND (14% vs 42%; P = .01), higher rates of fibrosis (63% vs 39%; P = .04), and similar rates of teratoma (31% vs 33%; P = .9). The 5- and 10-year DSS rates were 74% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 62-86%) and 70% (95% CI, 56-84%), respectively. Five-year DSS based on worst histology of RPLND and extraretroperitoneal specimens was 87% (95% CI, 75-99%) for fibrosis, 87% for teratoma (95% CI, 63-100%), and 47% for GCT (95% CI, 23-71%; P = .004). On multivariable analysis, retroperitoneal mass > or = 5 cm and GCT were predictors of worse DSS (P = .03 and P = .005, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Taxane-based salvage chemotherapeutic regimens appear to have decreased the rate of GCT at RPLND. The current data support RPLND in select patients after salvage chemotherapy, because a considerable proportion has teratoma or GCT, and the 10-year DSS rate after resection is 70%.

PURPOSE: Several studies suggest that obesity may be associated with more aggressive prostate cancer. Similarly the rate of serum prostate specific antigen change is associated with adverse tumor features and prostate cancer specific mortality rates after radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy. We examined the associations among obesity, prostate specific antigen velocity and adverse tumor features in men treated with radical prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 587 men with documented preoperative height and weight measurements underwent radical prostatectomy. Prostate specific antigen velocity and other clinicopathological features were compared among men with a body mass index of less than 25, 25 to 29.9 and 30 or greater. RESULTS: Although Gleason score and prostate volume were similar among groups, there was a significantly lower proportion with organ confined disease and fewer low volume tumors as body mass index increased. Of patients with a body mass index of 30 or greater 52% had a preoperative prostate specific antigen velocity of more than 2 ng/ml yearly compared to 34% with a body mass index of 25 to 29.9 and 26% with a body mass index of less than 25 (p = 0.04). Although on univariate analysis body mass index was associated with adverse clinical and pathological tumor features, on multivariate analysis with other preoperative variables body mass index did not add significant independent predictive information concerning pathological stage (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.96-1.08). CONCLUSIONS: Obesity was significantly associated with several adverse pathological features. However, it did not provide independent predictive information concerning final pathological tumor stage. Nevertheless, obesity was significantly associated with increased preoperative prostate specific antigen velocity. Additional studies are needed to further clarify the links between body mass index, prostate specific antigen velocity and prostate cancer progression, and determine whether weight reduction could lead to improved outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: No consensus has been reached about the optimal follow-up for patients with an isolated finding of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HG-PIN) on prostate biopsy. Early studies reported that approximately one half of men with HG-PIN were diagnosed with prostate cancer (CaP) within a few years. However, more recent studies, using extended biopsy protocols, have shown that HG-PIN may be less predictive of CaP on repeat biopsy in the short term. Thus, our objective was to identify the clinical factors that could help predict which men with isolated HG-PIN were at the greatest risk of subsequent CaP detection. METHODS: In 190 men from a CaP screening study with an initial biopsy finding of HG-PIN, we compared the prostate-specific antigen velocity (PSAV) between patients who were later diagnosed with CaP and those who were not. Multivariate models were constructed for the ability to predict CaP detection. RESULTS: The median PSAV was significantly greater in the men with HG-PIN who were subsequently diagnosed with CaP (P = 0.03). A PSAV threshold of 0.75 ng/mL/yr predicted which men with HG-PIN would ultimately be diagnosed with CaP (P = 0.007). On multivariate analysis, including PSAV, age, and initial PSA level, PSAV was the only significant predictor of subsequent CaP detection. CONCLUSIONS: Among the men with an isolated finding of HG-PIN on prostate needle biopsy, PSAV helps to identify those men who are subsequently diagnosed with CaP. Thus, we advocate the use of the PSAV to help guide the need for repeat biopsy in men with HG-PIN.

PURPOSE: There are conflicting reports concerning whether prostate cancer in families with multiple affected members has different clinical and pathological features than sporadic cases. In our study we compared the clinical characteristics, pathological outcomes and the 7-year biochemical progression-free rate in patients with apparent sporadic prostate cancer, affected sibling pairs, families with multiple affected members and families meeting the Johns Hopkins criteria for hereditary prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1983 to 2003, 3,478 men underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy by a single surgeon (WJC). Of these men 1,186 reported family history status. We compared age at surgery, prostate specific antigen at diagnosis, pathological tumor stage, Gleason score, tumor characteristics and 7-year biochemical progression-free survival rates in the groups using chi-square, 1-way ANOVA or Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. RESULTS: The 7-year biochemical progression-free survival rates were 81% for sporadic cases, 71% for sibling pairs, 72% for hereditary cases and 81% for high density family members (p = 0.3). Of the clinical and pathological features examined only age (p <0.0001) and positive surgical margin rate (p = 0.03) were significantly different among groups. CONCLUSIONS: In our study population clinicopathological features and progression-free survival are similar between sporadic and familial prostate cancer cases. The sibling pairs had a trend toward less favorable tumor features and progression-free survival, but the difference was not statistically significant.

PURPOSE: Prostate specific antigen velocity is frequently calculated using regression analysis of multiple prostate specific antigen measurements during an interval of 18 to 24 months. It has been reported that the prostate specific antigen velocity in the year before prostate cancer diagnosis is associated with the cancer specific mortality rate following radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy. There are limited data comparing alternate methods of calculating prostate specific antigen velocity. In this study we compared simple arithmetic prostate specific antigen velocity calculations to the more complicated regression analysis using prostate specific antigen measurements from varying intervals to determine whether the methods were interchangeable. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2003 to 2005 a total of 540 men underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer. Preoperative prostate specific antigen velocity was calculated using arithmetic and linear regression methods during 12 and 18-month intervals. The correlation, mean and median prostate specific antigen velocity were compared among methods. RESULTS: Prostate specific antigen velocity calculations using simple arithmetic and linear regression had a strong correlation when restricted to prostate specific antigen values from 12 months before diagnosis (r = 0.92). When prostate specific antigen measurements beyond 1 year were included in the calculation, prostate specific antigen velocity was significantly lower than in the 12 months before cancer diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Using a simple arithmetic prostate specific antigen velocity calculation yields results comparable to those of the more complicated regression analysis when restricted to prostate specific antigen values from within the year before diagnosis in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer. In this manner arithmetic prostate specific antigen velocity calculations may be used in daily clinical practice to help predict the outcome following definitive therapy. Prostate specific antigen velocity is significantly lower when calculated during a longer interval before prostate cancer diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: Screening using a standardized protocol may improve outcomes of patients undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. We compared the 7- year progression-free survival rates after radical retropubic prostatectomy in patients whose prostate cancer was detected through a formal screening program with those of patients referred for treatment by other physicians who did not use a standardized screening/referral protocol. METHODS: A single surgeon (W.J.C.) performed radical retropubic prostatectomy in 3,177 consecutive patients between 1989 and 2003. Of these patients, 464 had cancer detected in a screening study, and 2,713 were referred from outside institutions. We compared the screened and referred cohorts for age at surgery, clinical stage, pathologic stage, Gleason sum, preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, and adjuvant radiation therapy. Kaplan-Meier product limit estimates were used to calculate 7-year progression-free probabilities, and Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the clinical and pathologic parameters associated with cancer progression in each group. RESULTS: The overall 7-year progression-free survival rates were 83% for the screened patients compared with 77% for the referred patients (P = 0.002). Preoperative PSA, Gleason sum, clinical stage, pathologic stage, and adjuvant radiotherapy were all significantly associated with cancer progression. There was a significantly higher proportion of referred patients with a preoperative PSA > or =10, Gleason sum > or =7, and nonorgan-confined disease. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with screened-detected prostate cancer have more favorable clinical and pathologic features, and 7-year progression-free survival rates than referred patients. On multivariate analysis, including other clinical variables, screening status was a significant independent predictor of biochemical outcome.

Hemostasis during laparoscopic partial nephrectomy continues to be a challenging problem for the laparoscopic surgeon. We have found BioGlue to be highly effective as a hemostatic agent during laparoscopic partial nephrectomy.