Impact of multiple deprivations on detection, progression and interventions in small renal masses (less than 4 cm) in a population based study

Change in Nephrometry Scoring in Small Renal Masses (<4 cm) on Active Surveillance: Preliminary Observations From Tayside Active Surveillance Cohort (TASC) Study

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

Prediction of growth, in particular knowing the possibility of aggressive cancer in small renal masses on active surveillance, remains poorly understood. The study was designed to determine whether serial nephrometry score measurements could predict possibility of aggressive malignancy (grade of cancer) in patients with small renal masses opting for active surveillance initially.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred sixteen patients between January 2000 and December 2016 undergoing partial nephrectomy were recruited. Out of these, 97 were analyzed using different nephrometry scoring systems. Measurement of nephrometry scores (Radius of tumors, Exo/Endophytic; Nearness of tumors to the collecting system or sinus; Anterior/posterior; Location in relation to polar lines, Preoperative Aspects and Dimensions Used for Anatomical, Centrality Index) was performed by two researchers. Among the patients opting for partial nephrectomy, 40 were on active surveillance for at least 12 months (mean 32; 12-60 months) before partial nephrectomy. Computed tomography scan images of these patients were retrieved and analyzed including comparison to histopathology.

RESULTS

Nephrometry scores measured on serial computed tomography scan images showed a significant correlation between change in score and grade of cancer on multivariate analysis (P value .001). Addition of multivariate analysis to nomogram based on change in size alone did not improve predictive value of area under the curve significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

Change in nephrometry scoring measurements correlates with grade of cancer in small renal masses but falls short of significantly predicting presence of malignancy or grade of cancer on nomogram in patients opting for active surveillance for small renal masses. At present, this approach may be inadequate for decision-making.

Outcomes of synchronous and metachronous bilateral small renal masses (< 4 cm): a population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To report longitudinal outcomes of a population-based cohort of patients diagnosed with bilateral small renal masses from a period of over 11 years.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Consecutive patients diagnosed with bilateral small renal masses (synchronous or metachronous) of a defined geographical area were recorded in a large database (TUCAN database) between January 2005 and December 2016. Patients had a unique identifier number and followed during this period using an agreed upon protocol. Clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of bilateral small renal masses on active surveillance were analysed and compared to propensity score-matched sporadic unilateral small renal masses. Data were analysed for renal mass growth rate, rate of intervention and development of metastatic disease and patient survival.

RESULTS

A total of 1060 patients were diagnosed with renal cancer, of which bilateral small renal masses accounted for 70 (6.6%) cases. Synchronous SRMs were observed in 63 patients, whereas metachronous lesions were found in seven patients during the study period. Metachronous lesion mean time to appearance was 62 ± 41 months (range 9-149 months). While most cases were sporadic, four were found to be hereditary. Growth rate of bilateral small renal masses did not differ from that of unilateral sporadic small renal masses. Similarly, there were no differences between the groups for rate of interventions and survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Progression, rate of metastases and survival for patients diagnosed with bilateral small renal masses are similar to those diagnosed with unilateral disease.

Social deprivation and prognosis in Scottish patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension

Several demographic and clinical factors have prognostic significance in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). Studies in China and the USA have suggested an association between low socioeconomic status and reduced survival. The impact of social deprivation on IPAH survival in the UK is not known.

280 patients with IPAH and hereditary PAH (HPAH) attending the Scottish Pulmonary Vascular Unit (Glasgow, UK) were assigned to social deprivation quintiles using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation database. The association between survival and social deprivation quintile was assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.

The distribution of IPAH/HPAH patients was more socially deprived than would be expected based on Scottish citizenry as a whole (Chi-squared 16.16, p=0.003), suggesting referral and access to care is not impeded by socioeconomic status. Univariate analysis demonstrated no significant association between social deprivation and survival (p=0.81), and this association failed to reach significance with inclusion of time, sex and age as covariates in the model (p=0.23). There were no statistically significant correlations between social deprivation and baseline clinical variables of prognostic importance except for age, sex and quality of life.

Social deprivation is not a significant referral barrier or prognostic factor for IPAH and HPAH in Scotland.

Impact of tumor size on the outcome of patients with small renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

​This study aims to establish potential correlation between tumor size and outcomes in patients with T1a kidney cancer registered within the surveillance, epidemiology and end results (SEER) database.

METHODS

SEER database (2004-2013) has been accessed through SEER*Stat program to determine the correlation between tumor size and cancer-specific survival in patients with T1a kidney cancer.  Survival analysis was conducted through Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank testing.

RESULTS

Five year kidney cancer-specific survival rates show progressive decline with increasing tumor size.  Moreover, kidney cancer-specific survival has been compared according to the initial local treatment modality (observation, ablation, partial or radical nephrectomy) across different size categories (<1 cm, 1-2 cm, 2-3 cm and 3-4 cm).  Survival curves of different treatment modalities were almost overlapping for patients with renal mass < 1cm. For patients with tumor size 1-2 cm, treatment modalities were overlapping at the first 60 months then the curve of observation diverged (P <0.0001). For patients with tumor size 2-3 cm and 3-4 cm, the curve of observation diverged early in the time course (P <0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Primary tumor size is an important factor that should be taken into consideration when evaluating the different treatment options for patients with small kidney cancers.​.

Early oncological and functional outcomes following radical treatment of high-risk prostate cancer in men older than 70 years: A prospective longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Assess early oncological and functional outcomes following radical treatment of men with high-risk prostate cancer and aged more than 70 years.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 335 men with high-risk prostate cancer (prostate-specific antigen ≥20ng/ml or biopsy Gleason score 8 to 10 or≥cT2c) received radical treatment between 2007 and 2014. Men were identified from comprehensive clinical databases hosted at a tertiary cancer center in the UK. The data included basic demographics, and follow-up on functional and oncological outcomes using validated patient-reported outcome questionnaires. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used.

RESULTS

In all, 117 patients received radical radiotherapy (RT) alone, 167 patients received neoadjuvant hormone therapy and RT, and 54 patients underwent radical prostatectomy with extended lymph node dissection. Mean age was 72.8, standard deviation (SD) = 2.1, mean follow-up of 40.9 months, SD = 25.5 months. Patients who underwent laparoscopic prostatectomy = 24 (44.4%) had positive surgical margins, and mean lymph nodes dissected were 18.7, SD = 6.7. Further, 5 men experienced postoperative complications in the form of pseudoaneurism of internal iliac branch, leg ischemia, high CO2 retention, and 2 men experienced sepsis. Incidence of biochemical recurrence was significantly lower at 16.7% in the surgery group, compared with RT 51.3% and RT and hormone therapy 30.5%, and Kaplan-Meier analysis P<0.001 over 3 years of follow-up

CONCLUSION

Radical surgery with extended lymph nodes dissection appears to have good short-term oncological and functional outcomes compared with RT with or without hormones in high-risk men older than 70 years of age. Based on these findings, treatment decisions and surgical therapy should be considered on individual basis in older men with high-risk disease.

Carcinoma in situ is significantly underdetected by prenephroureterectomy ureteroscopy in the management of upper tract urothelial cancers

Objective. Diagnostic reliability of prenephroureterectomy ureteroscopy (PNU) for the detection of upper tract carcinoma in situ (CIS) remains unproven in particular and underreported in general. Methods. Patients who underwent radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) in a large multicentre retrospective study for upper tract transitional cell carcinoma (UT-TCC) between January 2002 and December 2013 were identified from our hospitals databases. PNU appearances, stage, and grade of ureteroscopic biopsy were compared with final histology results of RNU to assess the diagnostic reliability of PNU for carcinoma in situ (CIS). Results. Three hundred patients underwent RNU for UT-TCC. 106 (106/300; 35.3%) of the cohort had PNU using white light with biopsies taken in most (92/106; 86.7%). Postnephroureterectomy histology of the cohort showed CIS in 65 (65/300; 21.6%) patients. Thirty nine of patients with CIS (39/65; 60%) had prenephroureterectomy ureteroscopy biopsies. Out of ten patients with CIS on ureteroscopic biopsies, six did not show CIS on final histopathology (6/10; 60%). Moreover, grading and staging on PNU biopsies of obvious tumours showed a significant nonconcordance with final histopathology of RNU specimen (P = 0.02). Overall survival was also shorter in patients with CIS compared with those without; this showed strong statistical significance (P = 0.004). Conclusions. There is a high incidence of CIS in upper tract with significant underdetection and discordance rate between the histopathology of biopsy samples obtained by white light PNU and resected specimen of radical nephroureterectomy. The presence of concomitant CIS and high stage disease in the upper tract TCC carried a poor prognosis following radical nephroureterectomy.

Socio-economic deprivation and outcomes following radical nephroureterectomy for clinically localized upper tract transitional cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the effects of socio-economic deprivation on the oncological outcomes of surgically treated upper tract transitional cell carcinoma.

METHODS

From January 1998 to December 2012, 161 patients underwent nephroureterectomy for upper urinary tract cancer at our tertiary medical centre. We included 124 patients where complete data were available for further analysis. This study also analysed the impact of the reported risk factors such as grade, stage, multifocality in addition to socio-economic deprivation on the long-term oncological outcomes after nephroureterectomy.

RESULTS

One hundred and twenty-four (77 %) patients with complete data for socio-economic status were analysed in this study. The median age of the cohort was 73 years (interquartile range 45-86). There were 20, 18, 17, 40 and 29 patients in different socio-economic categories ranging from 1 to 5, respectively. The median duration of follow-up was 68 months (9-174). A statistically higher grade (p value 0.005) and higher stage (p value 0.0005) disease was seen in patients from less deprived categories on both univariate and multivariate analyses. The cancer-specific mortality and follow-up recurrences, however, did not significantly differ between the different socio-economic categories on multivariate analysis (p value 0.13; 0.6) and on univariate and multivariate analyses. A higher number of patients with multifocal disease and concomitant carcinoma in situ (CIS) had disease recurrences which were statistically significant (p values 0.026 and 0.014, respectively) on multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

A lower recurrence-free survival was observed in patients with multifocal disease and those with concomitant CIS following nephroureterectomy for clinically localized disease. Long-term follow-up did not show any significant differences in cancer-specific survival between different deprivation categories.