Systematic Review of Comorbidity and Competing-risks Assessments for Bladder Cancer Patients

Long-term oncologic outcomes and complications of robot-assisted radical cystectomy for the treatment of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder

INTRODUCTION

To report the long-term outcomes of robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) for the treatment of muscle invasive and high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

METHODS

We reviewed a single tertiary center database of RARC from 2004 to 2020. Concomitant extended pelvic lymph node dissection and extracorporeal urinary diversion were performed. Cox regression analysis and the Kaplan-Meier method were used to identify factors associated with and report time-to-event estimations of recurrence-free survival and overall survival. Clavien-Dindo complications were identified, categorized, and substratified by time from surgery within 90-days and between 90-days and >5-years postoperatively.

RESULTS

A total of 510 patients with median follow-up of 57.1 months (IQR 21.8-103.6) were included. Continent diversion was performed in 259 (51%) patients. Of the 340 (67%) ≥cT2 patients, 153 (45%) received cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Recurrence was identified in 157 (31%) patients, and 118 (23%) died from bladder cancer. The overall complication rate was 52% with 267 (41%) major grade ≥ III events. Infectious (25%) and genitourinary (22%) complications were the most common irrespective of the time interval beyond 90-days. The risk of recurrence or death were increased by extravesical disease (HR 1.91 and 1.97, respectively) and lymph node positivity (HR 4.58 and 2.42, respectively) in multivariable analysis (all, P < 0.001). The estimated 5-, and 10-year recurrence-free and overall survival rates were 69% and 64% and 61% and 44%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

RARC is a durable treatment that optimizes the probability of cure for patients requiring extirpation for bladder cancer. Targeting the modifiable complications of radical surgery may further improve the risk/benefit ratio of RARC.

Correlation analysis of preoperative renal insufficiency with major complications in patients who received a radical cystectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection: results of a retrospective observational analysis from a single center

Objective

The aim of this study was to explore the factors affecting the major complications and the impacts of preoperative renal function on the incidence of complications in radical cystectomy procedures.

Methods

A retrospective review of 705 patients who received radical cystectomy between 2006 and 2021 was conducted. The 90-day complications of patients after a radical cystectomy were reported and the Clavien-Dindo classification (CDC) was used for grading complications. The clinical characteristics and preoperative outcomes were compared among patients with different preoperative renal functions. A logistic regression analysis of all patients was used to identify the risk factors associated with the major complications. Spearman's correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between the classification of renal insufficiency and the CDC. In order to reduce the selection bias, one-to-one propensity score matching was performed, and the comparison of complications after matching was carried out for the sensitivity analysis.

Results

Within 90 days post-surgery, 71% of patients experienced complications, with 4.8% of them being major. Patients with preoperative renal insufficiency had a higher CDC and had a higher rate of major complications (16.7% vs 3.7%, p < 0.001). There was a linear relationship between preoperative serum creatinine and complications. Spearman's correlation analysis showed a slightly positive correlation between the classification of renal insufficiency and the CDC (r=0.094, p = 0.013). Preoperative renal insufficiency was a risk factor for major complications (OR = 6.805 [95%CI: 2.706-17.112]; p < 0.001). After matching, the patients in the preoperative renal insufficiency group had a higher CDC and a higher incidence of major complications (16.9% vs 1.7%, p = 0.004).

Conclusions

In our cohort, patients with preoperative renal insufficiency exhibited a higher incidence of complications following a radical cystectomy, and renal insufficiency was a significant risk factor for major complications.

[Urinary diversion in old patients (80+ years)]

With increasing life expectancy there is also an increased need for the management of older (≥ 80 years) patients with the diagnosis of muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Radical cystectomy with urinary diversion is the state of the art treatment (with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, as long as the patient is fit enough). Choosing the best urinary diversion with respect to morbidity compared to functionality and quality of life remains a challenge in these patients. Physical age alone is not decisive for making a decision. A thorough preoperative assessment of medical features, physical and cognitive impairments is more important. Older patients are generally provided with an ileal conduit as an incontinent urinary diversion, as the intervention involves reduced operating times and complexity compared to continent urinary diversions; however, in the case of good health status with an adequate life expectancy and sufficient compliance, continent diversions may be considered even in aged candidates. In the case of multimorbid patients with a high perioperative risk, ureterostomy with permanent ureteric stents is an important alternative. Most importantly, a thorough preoperative counselling enables patients to reach an informed decision.

Can We Go beyond Pathology? The Prognostic Role of Risk Scoring Tools for Cancer-Specific Survival of Patients with Bladder Cancer Undergoing Radical Cystectomy

Radical cystectomy (RC) remains a mainstay surgical treatment for non-metastatic muscle-invasive and BCG-unresponsive bladder cancer. Various perioperative scoring tools assess comorbidity burden, complication risks, and cancer-specific mortality (CSM) risk. We investigated the prognostic value of these scores in patients who underwent RC between 2015 and 2021. Cox proportional hazards were used in survival analyses. Risk models' accuracy was assessed with the concordance index (C-index) and area under the curve. Among 215 included RC patients, 63 (29.3%) died, including 53 (24.7%) cancer-specific deaths, with a median follow-up of 39 months. The AJCC system, COBRA score, and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) predicted CSM with low accuracy (C-index: 0.66, 0.65; 0.59, respectively). Multivariable Cox regression identified the AJCC system and CCI > 5 as significant CSM predictors. Additional factors included the extent of lymph node dissection, histology, smoking, presence of concomitant CIS, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and model accuracy was high (C-index: 0.80). The internal validation of the model with bootstrap samples revealed its slight optimism of 0.06. In conclusion, the accuracy of the AJCC staging system in the prediction of CSM is low and can be improved with the inclusion of other pathological data, CCI, smoking history and inflammatory indices.

Management of urothelial cancer in patients with chronic kidney disease receiving platinum-based chemotherapy

Despite recent advances in the management of urothelial cancer (UC), cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy regimens remain critical. However, their use can be complicated in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is not uncommon in UC patients. Based on the Galsky criteria for cisplatin ineligibility, most patients with CKD will be excluded from receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy altogether. For patients with borderline kidney function, several strategies - such as the use of split-dose cisplatin, dose reductions, or extra hydration - may facilitate the use of cisplatin, but these need to be prospectively validated. This review highlights the critical need for a multidisciplinary team, including onco-nephrologists, to help manage renal complications and optimize delivery of cancer care in complex UC patients with CKD.

Comprehensive Evaluation of the Ability of Comorbidity and Health Status Indices to Improve the Prediction of Perioperative Morbidity and Long-Term Survival Outcomes After Radical Cystectomy

BACKGROUND

In the era of standardized outcome reporting, it remains unclear if widely used comorbidity and health status indices can enhance predictive accuracy for morbidity and long-term survival outcomes after radical cystectomy (RC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this monocentric study, we included 468 patients undergoing open RC with pelvic lymph node dissection for bladder cancer between January 2009 and December 2017. Postoperative complications were meticulously assessed according to the EAU guideline criteria for standardized outcome reporting. Multivariable regression models were fitted to evaluate the ability of ASA physical status (ASA PS), Charlson comorbidity index (± age-adjustment) and the combination of both to improve prediction of (A) 30-day morbidity key estimates (major complications, readmission, and cumulative morbidity as measured by the Comprehensive Complication index [CCI]) and (B) secondary mortality endpoints (overall [OM], cancer-specific [CSM], and other-cause mortality [OCM]).

RESULTS

Overall, 465 (99%) and 52 (11%) patients experienced 30-day complications and major complications (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥IIIb), respectively. Thirty-seven (7.9%) were readmitted within 30 days after discharge. Comorbidity and health status indices did not improve the predictive accuracy for 30-day major complications and 30-day readmission of a reference model but were associated with 30-day CCI (all P < .05). When ASA PS and age-adjusted Charlson index were combined, ASA PS was no longer associated with 30-day CCI (P = .1). At a median follow-up of 56 months (IQR 37-86), OM, CSM, and 90-day mortality were 37%, 24%, and 2.9%, respectively. Both Charlson and age-adjusted Charlson index accurately predicted OCM (all P < .001) and OM (all P ≤ .002) but not CSM (all P ≥ .4) and 90-day mortality (all P > .05). ASA PS was not associated with oncologic outcomes (all P ≥ .05).

CONCLUSION

While comorbidity and health status indices have a role in predicting OCM and OM after RC, their importance in predicting postoperative morbidity is limited. Especially ASA PS performed poorly. This highlights the need for procedure-specific comorbidity assessment rather than generic indices.

Bladder Cancer and Artificial Intelligence: Emerging Applications

Bladder cancer is a common and heterogeneous disease that poses a significant burden to the patient and health care system. Major unmet needs include effective early detection strategy, imprecision of risk stratification, and treatment-associated morbidities. The existing clinical paradigm is imprecise, which results in missed tumors, suboptimal therapy, and disease progression. Artificial intelligence holds immense potential to address many unmet needs in bladder cancer, including early detection, risk stratification, treatment planning, quality assessment, and outcome prediction. Despite recent advances, extensive work remains to affirm the efficacy of artificial intelligence as a decision-making tool for bladder cancer management.

Feasibility and safety of laparoscopic radical cystectomy for male octogenarians with muscle-invasive bladder cancer

This study was designed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) for male octogenarian patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Briefly, a total of 57 male octogenarian patients (A group) with bladder carcinoma were enrolled and underwent LRC and intracorporeal pelvic lymph node dissection with bilateral cutaneous ureterostomy from May 2016 to December 2022. Besides, 63 male patients (age < 80 years old) with bladder carcinoma undergoing LRC and 17 octogenarian male patients with bladder carcinoma undergoing open radical cystectomy (ORC) were enrolled in B and C groups as control. All perioperative clinical materials and outcomes of long-term follow-up, and complication were collected. The specific results were shown as follows. Compared with C group, the operation time and resected lymph node in A group was increased, and the estimated blood loss, the number of transfusion needed, duration of pelvic drainage and hospital stay after surgery was decreased. The death rate and ileus complication rate were higher in A group (12 cases) than in C group (15 cases). The cases of ureteral stricture in A group (13 cases) was decreased compared with that in C group. Overall, LRC and bilateral cutaneous ureterostomy are safe, feasible and better choices for the treatment of male octogenarian patients with MIBC. The octogenarian receiving cutaneous ureterostomy heals slowly and exists certain incomplete intestinal obstruction after surgery.

Charlson-Deyo Comorbidity Index as a Novel Predictor for Recurrence in Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

PURPOSE

To test the association between the Charlson-Deyo Comorbidity Index (CCI) and the recurrence of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

METHODS

NMIBC (Ta, T1, TIS) patients who underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURB) between 2010 and 2018 were identified within a retrospective data repository of a large university hospital. Kaplan-Meier estimates and uni- and multivariable Cox regression models tested for differences in risk of recurrence according to low vs. high comorbidity burden (CCI ≤ 4 vs. >4) and continuously coded CCI.

RESULTS

A total of 1072 NMIBC patients were identified. The median follow-up time of the study population was 55 months (IQR 29.6-79.0). Of all 1072 NMIBC patients, 423 (39%) harbored a low comorbidity burden vs. 649 (61%) with a high comorbidity burden. Overall, the rate of recurrence was 10% at the 12-month follow-up vs. 22% at the 72-month follow-up. In low vs. high comorbidity burden groups, rates of recurrence were 6 vs. 12% at 12 months and 18 vs. 25% at 72 months of follow-up (p = 0.02). After multivariable adjustment, a high comorbidity burden (CCI > 4) independently predicted a higher risk of recurrence (HR 1.42, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-1.92, p = 0.018). After multivariable adjustment, the hazard of recurrence increased by 5% per each one-unit increase on the CCI scale (HR 1.05, 95% CI 1.00-1.10, p = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Comorbidities in NMIBC patients are common. Our data suggest that patients with higher CCI have an increased risk of BC recurrence. As a consequence, patients with a high comorbidity burden should be particularly encouraged to adhere to NMIBC guidelines and conform to follow-up protocols.

The Characterization of Non-oncologic Chronic Drug Therapy in Bladder Cancer Patients and the Impact on Recurrence-Free and Cancer-Specific Survival: A Prospective Study

We aimed to characterize non-oncologic chronic drug therapy of bladder cancer (BC) patients and evaluate a possible impact on recurrence-free (RFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Patients with a first diagnosis (FD) of BC or radical cystectomy (RC) were included in a prospective, monocentric, observational study. Drugs and medical data was assessed at start and three-monthly for 24 months. Drugs were classified by anatomical-therapeutic-chemical code (ATC). Endpoints for outcome analysis were RFS and CSS in univariate (Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test, Cox regression for Hazard Ratio (HR)) and multivariate (Cox regression models) analyses. Of 113 patients, 52 had FD and 78 RC. Median age was 74 and 72 years, 83% and 82% were male. Drugs of 114 ATC classes were taken by 48 (92%) FD patients (median number 4.5/IQR 2-7.5) and 73 (94%) of RC patients (median 5/IQR 2-9). In univariate analysis (log-rank test (p)/Cox regression (HR, 95% CI, p)), polypharmacy (p = 0.036/HR = 2.83, 95% CI = 1.02-7.90, p = 0.047), calcium channel blockers (p = 0.046/HR = 2.47, 95% CI = 0.97-6.27, p = 0.057) and proton pump inhibitors (p = 0.015/HR = 3.16, 95% CI = 1.18-8.41, p = 0.022) had a significant negative impact on RFS in RC patients, statins (p = 0.025/HR = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.02-1.06, p = 0.057) a positive effect on RFS in FD patients, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (p = 0.008/HR = 10.74, 95% CI = 1.20-96.17, p = 0.034) and magnesium (p = 0.042/HR = 5.28, 95% CI = 0.88-31.59, p = 0.067) a negative impact on CSS in FD patients. In multivariate analysis, the only significant drug effects were the negative impact of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (HR = 15.20, 95% CI = 1.30-177.67, p = 0.030) and magnesium (HR = 22.87, 95% CI = 1.57-333.81), p = 0.022) on CSS in FD patients, and the positive impact of statins (HR = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.01-0.97, p = 0.047) on RFS in FD patients. Impact of non-oncologic drugs on RFS and CSS was small in this prospective study. Thus, appropriate treatment of comorbidities is encouraged.

Competing mortality risk from second primary malignancy in bladder cancer patients following radical cystectomy: Implications for survivorship

INTRODUCTION

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (BC) often occurs in patients with competing mortality risks, while also being associated with the highest rate of second primary nonurothelial cancers (SNUC) of all solid malignancies. We investigated the incidence, risk factors, and timing of SNUC as a competing mortality risk factor in patients with BC who were treated with curative intent radical cystectomy (RC).

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study assessing patients who underwent RC for cT2-4 N0M0 BC from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2018 at a single, high volume tertiary care referral center. The Fine-Gray multivariable regression model was used to evaluate predictive factors for SNUC. Cumulative incidence of mortality (CIM) was estimated with modified Kaplan-Meier analysis.

RESULTS

The median follow-up time for the 693 patients who underwent RC was 3.7 years (interquartile range [IQR] 1.9-5.9 years). SNUC developed in 85 (12.3%) patients at a median 3.0 years post-RC (IQR 1.2-5.5 years). On multivariable analysis, the only significant predictor for developing SNUC was freedom from BC recurrence or metastasis (HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.12-1.76, P = 0.019). The most common SNUCs were primary lung cancer (24, 3.2% of cohort) and colon cancer (9, 1.3% of cohort). BC surveillance imaging diagnosed SNUC in 35/52 (67.3%) patients with solid-organ visceral primaries. The overall mortality rate for any SNUC was 38.8%, with the 3 most lethal cancer types being pancreatic, lung, and colon (62.5%, 54.2%, and 44.4% mortality, respectively). The incidence of SNUC uniformly increased postoperatively, with a cumulative incidence of 22.1% (95% CI, 16.8-27.9%) at 12-years post-RC. 163 patients (23.5%) died from BC, 33 patients (4.8%) died from SNUC, and 94 patients (13.6%) died from other causes. While the CIM for BC plateaued around 5-years post-RC at 24%, the incidence of other-cause mortality uniformly rose throughout the postoperative period. By post-RC year 9 there was no significant difference in CIM between BC (CIM 27.2%, 95% CI, 23.5-31.1%) and other-causes (CIM 20.0%, 95% CI, 15.8-24.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

The cumulative incidence of SNUC at 12-years post-RC was 22%, with the majority identified on BC surveillance imaging. While BC mortality plateaued around 5-years post-RC, mortality related to SNUC or other causes rose steadily in the postoperative period. These data have clinical significance with regards to patient counseling, survivorship and oncologic surveillance in the highly comorbid muscle-invasive BC population.

Reporting and grading of complications for intracorporeal robot-assisted radical cystectomy: an in-depth short-term morbidity assessment using the novel Comprehensive Complication Index®

OBJECTIVE

To assess suitability of Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI^®) vs. Clavien-Dindo classification (CDC) to capture 30-day morbidity after robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 128 patients with bladder cancer (BCa) undergoing intracorporeal RARC with pelvic lymph node dissection between 2015 and 2021 were included in a retrospective bi-institutional study, which adhered to standardized reporting criteria. Thirty-day complications were captured according to a procedure-specific catalog. Each complication was graded by the CDC and the CCI^®. Multivariable linear regression (MVA) was used to identify predictors of higher morbidity.

RESULTS

381 complications were identified in 118 patients (92%). 55 (43%), 43 (34%), and 20 (16%) suffered from CDC grade I-II, IIIa, and ≥ IIIb complications, respectively. 16 (13%), 27 (21%), and 2 patients (1.6%) were reoperated, readmitted, and died within 30 days, respectively. 31 patients (24%) were upgraded to most severe complication (CCI^® ≥ 33.7) when calculating morbidity burden compared to corresponding CDC grade accounting only for the highest complication. In MVA, only age was a positive estimate (0.44; 95% CI = 0.03-0.86; p = 0.04) for increased cumulative morbidity.

CONCLUSION

The CCI^® estimates of 30-day morbidity after RARC were substantially higher compared to CDC alone. These measurements are a prerequisite to tailor patient counseling regarding surgical approach, urinary diversion, and comparability of results between institutions.

Association between Smoking and Overall and Specific Mortality in Patients with Bladder Cancer: A Population-based Study

BACKGROUND

The role of smoking in the prognosis of bladder cancer may significantly impact clinical management. It is also a considerable burden to Taiwan's economy and health of its citizens.

OBJECTIVE

To search Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database to determine whether smoking affected overall and cancer-specific mortality of patients with bladder cancer.

METHODS

We collected data on basic information, tumor stage, and comorbidities. Each smoking case was propensity score-matched by age, sex, and diagnosis year to one control individual among bladder cancer patients. The study comprised a never-smoke and an ever-smoke group, with each group including 4,728 patients after matching. We evaluated the association between smoking and mortalities in patients with bladder cancer. Cox proportional regression modeling was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) of overall and cancer-specific mortality rates. Stratified analysis was also performed to estimate risk ratios of overall and cancer-specific mortalities in bladder cancer patients with and without a history of smoking history among different subgroups.

RESULTS

The overall and specific mortality ratio of patients who were ever smokers were 1.15-fold and 1.16-fold, respectively, compared with those of never smokers (overall: 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.26, P = 0.0014; specific: 95% CI, 1.03-1. 03, P = 0.0176). Patients with bladder cancer who smoked and had significantly higher overall and specific mortality rates were those with Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI)≥3 (overall: P = 0.0119; specific: P = 0.0092), diabetes mellitus (DM; overall: P = 0.0046; specific: P = 0.0419), and non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC; overall: P = 0.0038; specific: P = 0.0014).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall and specific mortality rates were significantly higher in the ever-smoke group than in the never-smoke group. The ever-smoke group with male sex, CCI≥3, DM, and NMIBC had increased risks for overall and specific mortality.

Comorbidity Scores and Machine Learning Methods Can Improve Risk Assessment in Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer

BACKGROUND

Pre-operative risk assessment in radical cystectomy (RC) is an ongoing challenge especially in elderly patients.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the ability of comorbidity indices and their combination with clinical parameters in machine learning models to predict mortality and morbidity after RC.

METHODS

In 392 patients who underwent open RC, complication and mortality rates were reported. The predictive values of the age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity index (aCCI), the Elixhauser Index (EI), the Physical Status Classification System (ASA) and Gagne's combined comorbidity Index (GCI) were evaluated using regression analyses. Various machine learning models (Gaussian naïve bayes, logistic regression, neural net, decision tree, random forest) were additionally investigated.

RESULTS

The aCCI, ASA and GCI showed significant results for the prediction of complications (χ2 = 8.8, p < 0.01, χ2 = 15.7, p < 0.01 and χ2 = 4.6, p = 0.03) and mortality (χ2 = 21.1, p < 0.01, χ2 = 25.8, p < 0.01 and χ2 = 2.4, p = 0.04) after RC while the EI showed no significant prediction. However, areas under receiver characteristic curves (AUROCs) revealed good performance only for the prediction of mortality by the aCCI and ASA (0.81 and 0.78, CGI 0.63) while the prediction of complications was poor (aCCI 0.6, ASA 0.63, CGI 0.58). The combination of ASA, age, body mass index and sex in machine learning models showed a better prediction. Gaussian naïve bayes (0.79) and logistic regression (0.76) showed the best performance using a hold-out test set.

CONCLUSIONS

The ASA and aCCI show good prediction of mortality after RC but fail predicting complications accurately. Here, the combination of comorbidity indices and clinical parameters in machine learning models seems promising.

Prognostic Value of Comorbidity for Patients with Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma after Radical Nephroureterectomy

Simple Summary

Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is a rare malignancy that occurs mostly in elderly individuals with a high prevalence of comorbidities. However, the prognostic impact of comorbidities in these patients is not well evaluated. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the significance of Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 (ACE-27) grade on the clinical outcomes of 409 patients with non-metastatic UTUC who underwent radical nephroureterectomy. We found that a high ACE-27 grade was an independent risk factor for UTUC progression, UTUC-specific death, and all-cause mortality in multivariate analyses. A prognostic model combining ACE-27 grade, tumor stage, and tumor grade showed good predictive performance and accuracy. Integrating the ACE-27 grade with standard pathological features can help physicians in clinical decision-making and risk stratification.

Abstract

Patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) have a high prevalence of comorbidities. However, the prognostic impact of comorbidities in these patients is not well studied. We aimed to outline the comorbidity burden in UTUC patients and investigate its relationship with overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and progression-free survival (PFS). We retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathological data of 409 non-metastatic UTUC patients who received radical nephroureterectomy between 2000 and 2015. The comorbidity burden was evaluated using the Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 (ACE-27). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that high ACE-27 grade was significantly associated with worse PFS, CSS, and OS. In multivariate Cox regression and competing risk analyses, we found that ACE-27 grade, tumor stage, and tumor grade were independent prognosticators of OS, CSS, and PFS. We combined these three significant factors to construct a prognostic model for predicting clinical outcomes. A receiver operating characteristic curve revealed that our prognostic model had high predictive performance. The Harrel’s concordance indices of this model for predicting OS, CSS, and PFS were 0.81, 0.85, and 0.85, respectively. The results suggest that the UTUC patient comorbidity burden (ACE-27) provides information on the risk for meaningful clinical outcomes of OS, CSS, and PFS.

Renal Morbidity Following Radical Cystectomy in Patients with Bladder Cancer

Background

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are poor candidates for standard treatments for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) and may be more likely to experience adverse outcomes when diagnosed with MIBC.

Objective

To investigate factors associated with the development of advanced CKD following radical cystectomy.

Design setting and participants

Using national Veterans Health Administration utilization files, we identified 3360 patients who underwent radical cystectomy for MIBC between 2004 and 2018.

Outcome measurements and statistical analysis

We examined factors associated with the development of advanced CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] of <30 ml/min/1.73 m²) after radical cystectomy using multivariable logistic and proportional hazard regression, with and without consideration of competing risks. We examined survival using Kaplan-Meier product limit estimates and proportional hazard regression.

Results and limitations

The median age at surgery was 67 yr and the mean preoperative eGFR was 69.1 ± 20.3 ml/min/1.73 m². Approximately three out of ten patients (n = 962, 29%) progressed to advanced CKD within 12 mo. Older age (hazard ratio [HR] per 5-yr increase 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-1.20), preoperative hydronephrosis (HR 1.50, 95% CI 1.29-1.76), adjuvant chemotherapy (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.00-1.41), higher comorbidity index (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.11-1.16 per point), and lower baseline kidney function (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.73-0.78) were associated with the development of advanced CKD. Baseline kidney function at the time of surgery was associated with survival. Generalizability is limited due to the predominantly male cohort.

Conclusions

Impaired kidney function at baseline is associated with progression to advanced CKD and mortality after radical cystectomy. Preoperative kidney function should be incorporated into risk stratification algorithms for patients undergoing radical cystectomy.

Patient summary

Impaired kidney function at baseline is associated with progression to advanced chronic kidney disease and mortality after radical cystectomy.

Preliminary Functional Outcome Following Robotic Intracorporeal Orthotopic Ileal Neobladder Suspension with Round Ligaments in Women with Bladder Cancer

BACKGROUND

Chronic urinary retention (CUR) is a frequent complication after orthotopic neobladder (ONB) reconstruction in women. To decrease CUR, several open surgical modifications to provide back support to the ONB have been established on the basis of pelvic anatomical differences between females and males.

OBJECTIVE

To illustrate our technique for robotic intracorporeal reconfiguration of ONB as integrated into our open surgical approach to provide back support to the ONB with round ligaments in women.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

From November 2017 to April 2021, 28 patients underwent robotic intracorporeal ONB with a minimum of 6 mo of follow-up at a single centre.

SURGICAL PROCEDURE

We performed robotic radical cystectomy, pelvic lymphadenectomy, and a complete intracorporeal ONB suspended with round ligaments (rONB). Our surgical procedure is demonstrated in the accompanying video.

MEASUREMENTS

Demographics and clinical and pathological data were collected. Perioperative and 90-d complications and 6-mo functional outcomes were compared for the rONB group (n = 12) and the patients receiving a traditional ONB (tONB; n = 16).

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

The median total operative time was 305 min (interquartile range [IQR] 270-370) for tONB and 303 min (IQR 287-330) for rONB. The median estimated blood loss was 325 ml (IQR 200-700) for tONB and 350 ml (IQR 262-600) for rONB. Some 50% of the tONB group and 41.7% of the rONB group experienced low-grade complications. A total of 12.5% tONB and 8.3% rONB patients experienced high-grade complications with neobladder-vaginal fistula. The cumulative risk of CUR was 37.5% in the tONB group and 16.7% in the rONB group. This study is limited by the small sample size and the short follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS

We established a feasible surgical technique for a robotic intracorporeal ONB configuration suspended with round ligaments. This may prevent the occurrence of emptying dysfunction in women.

PATIENT SUMMARY

We describe our stepwise technique for creating a new bladder within the body that is suspended with round ligaments. Patients undergoing removal of the bladder for bladder cancer may benefit from this technique in terms of better urinary function and the advantages of a robotic surgical approach.

Does neoadjuvant chemotherapy diminish the sex disparity in bladder cancer survival after radical cystectomy?

INTRODUCTION

Sex-specific survival disparities for bladder cancer outcomes after radical cystectomy (RC) have been demonstrated in several studies. However, these studies predate the widespread adoption of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). We evaluated the differences in sex-specific survival between patients who received NAC with those who did not, using a contemporary national outcomes database.

METHODS

The National Cancer Data Base was queried from 2004 to 2015 to identify subjects who underwent RC. Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test was performed to compare all-cause mortality between men and women at each pathologic (p) TNM stage group: T1-4N0, N+ and M+ disease. Associations for all-cause mortality were identified using an adjusted Cox regression analysis, and our findings were confirmed with a subgroup analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 9,835 subjects (7,483 men and 2,532 women) were included in the analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox regression analysis demonstrated female sex was not associated with worse overall survival compared to males (HR 0.947, 95%CI 0.852-1.053, P = 0.947) in the overall cohort. Stratified by pT stage and node positivity, worse overall survival was seen in women with pT4 disease who did not receive NAC compared to men (5-year OS 9.6% women vs. 15.2% men, P < 0.001), but no sex-specific difference was seen across all groups in patients who received NAC. Subgroup multivariable analysis showed that female sex conferred a survival disadvantage for pT4 (HR 1.369, P = 0.026) disease only in patients who did not receive NAC.

CONCLUSIONS

In a contemporary cohort of subjects who underwent RC, administration of NAC narrows the sex survival-gap in advanced stage bladder cancer. Strategies to improve NAC usage in women should be adopted to overcome potential sex-specific differences such as delayed diagnosis, anatomic differences in higher stage disease, or altered tumor biology which may contribute to differences in oncologic outcomes.

Geriatric Assessments Can Predict Functional Outcome and Mortality after Urological Tumor Surgery

INTRODUCTION

Older patients undergoing major urological tumor surgery are at severe risk of functional deterioration, complications, and mortality. We prospectively evaluated geriatric assessment tools and developed a novel easy-to-use assessment tool for clinical use.

METHODS

In 159 patients, geriatric assessment tools were used prior to cystectomy, prostatectomy, and renal tumor surgery, and their peri- and postoperative courses were recorded. Using all the tests, a short and easy-to-use assessment tool was developed, and nomograms were generated to predict functional outcomes and mortality.

RESULTS

Of all the patients, 13.8% underwent radical cystectomy, 37.7% underwent radical prostatectomy, and 48.4% underwent tumor surgery of the kidney at the age of 70 years or older. The average age was 75.6 years. Incomplete functional recovery at day 30 and day 180 was observed in 37.7% and 36.1% of the patients, respectively, and incomplete functional recovery was associated with impaired mobility, previous care dependency, frailty, comorbidities, and a high ASA score. The only predictor for high-grade complications was comorbidities, whereas mortality was associated with the geriatric screening tool scores, impaired mobility, preoperative care dependency, and comorbidities. The Erlangen Index (EI), a combination of the selected assessment tools, showed a good prediction of early (p = 0.002) and medium-term (p = 0.002) functional outcomes and mortality (p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Our prospective evaluation confirms the high risk of incomplete functional recovery, high-grade complications, and mortality in older patients undergoing major urological tumor surgery. The EI is an easy-to-use preoperative assessment tool and therefore should be used in preoperative patient counseling.

Differences between rural and urban prostate cancer patients

BACKGROUND

We hypothesized that the residency status (rural area [RA] vs urban clusters [UC] vs urban areas [UA]) affects stage and cancer-specific mortality (CSM) in contemporary newly diagnosed prostate cancer (PCa) patients of all stages, regardless of treatment.

METHODS

Newly diagnosed PCa patients with available residency status were abstracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (2004-2016). Propensity-score (PS) matching, cumulative incidence plots, multivariate competing-risks regression (CRR) models were used.

RESULTS

Of 531,468 PCa patients of all stages, 6653 (1.3%) resided in RA, 50,932 (9.6%) in UC and 473,883 (89.2%) in UA. No statistically significant or clinically meaningful differences in stage at presentation or CSM were recorded. Conversely, 10-year other cause-mortality (OCM) rates were 27.2% vs 23.7% vs 18.9% (p < 0.001) in RA vs UC vs UA patients, respectively. In CRR models, RA (subhazard ratio [SHR] 1.38; p < 0.001) and UC (SHR 1.18; p < 0.001) were independent predictors for higher OCM relative to UA. These differences remained statistically significant in fully PS-adjusted multivariate CRR models.

CONCLUSION

RA, and to a lesser extent UC, PCa patients are at higher risk of OCM than UA patients. Higher OCM may indicate shorter life expectancy and should be considered in treatment decision making.

Contemporary analysis of the effect of marital status on survival in upper tract urothelial carcinoma patients treated with radical nephroureterectomy: A population-based study

PURPOSE

Unmarried status is an established risk factor for worse cancer control outcomes in various malignancies. Moreover, several investigators observed worse outcomes in unmarried males, but not in females. This concept has not been tested in upper tract urothelial carcinoma and represents the topic of the study.

METHODS

Within Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database (2004-2016), we identified 8833 non-metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma patients treated with radical nephroureterectomy (5208 males vs. 3625 females). Kaplan Meier plots and multivariable Cox regression models predicting overall mortality, other-cause mortality and cancer-specific mortality were used.

RESULTS

Overall, 1323 males (25.4%) and 1986 females (54.8%) were unmarried. Except for lower rates of chemotherapy in unmarried males (15.6 vs. 19.6%, P = 0.001) and unmarried females (13.8 vs. 23.6%, P < 0.001), no clinically meaningful differences were recorded between males and females. In multivariable Cox regression models, unmarried status was an independent predictor of higher overall mortality in both males (Hazard ratio [HR]: 1.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19-1.48, P < 0.001) and females (HR: 1.13, 95%CI: 1.00-1.27, P = 0.04), as well as of higher other-cause mortality in both males (HR: 1.53, 95%CI: 1.26-1.84,P < 0.001) and females (HR: 1.43, 95%CI: 1.15-1.78,P < 0.01). However, higher cancer-specific mortality was only recorded in unmarried males (HR: 1.24, 95%CI: 1.08-1.42, P < 0.01), but not in females (HR: 1.02, 95%CI: 0.89-1.17, P = 0.7).

CONCLUSION

Unmarried status is a marker of worse survival in both males and females and should be flagged as an important risk factor at diagnosis, in both sexes. In consequence, unmarried patients represent candidate for interventions aimed at decreasing the survival gap relative to married counterparts.

Radical prostatectomy improves survival in selected metastatic prostate cancer patients: A North American population-based study

OBJECTIVE

To test whether radical prostatectomy might result in better survival than external beam radiation therapy in metastatic prostate cancer patients.

METHODS

Newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer patients with M1a/b substages, treated with radical prostatectomy or external beam radiation therapy were abstracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database (2004-2016). Temporal trend analyses, propensity score matching, cumulative incidence plots, multivariate competing risks regression models and landmark analyses were used.

RESULTS

Of 4280 patients, 954 (22.3%) were treated with radical prostatectomy. After propensity score matching, 5-year cancer-specific mortality was 47.0 versus 53.0% in radical prostatectomy versus external beam radiation therapy patients (P = 0.003). In propensity score matched competing risks regression models, radical prostatectomy was associated with lower cancer-specific mortality versus external beam radiation therapy (hazard ratio 0.79, 95% confidence interval 0.79-0.90; P = 0.001). Finally, landmark analyses rejected the bias favoring radical prostatectomy. Finally, in subgroup analyses, we relied on selection criteria that most closely resembled the STAMPEDE criteria and a similar hazard ratio of 0.8 (P < 0.001) was recorded.

CONCLUSION

In metastatic prostate cancer, radical prostatectomy results in lower cancer-specific mortality relative to external beam radiation therapy. Even after adjustment for age at diagnosis, prostate-specific antigen and biopsy Gleason grade grouping, lower cancer-specific mortality rates are recorded in radical prostatectomy patients than in external beam radiation therapy patients. As a result, radical prostatectomy should be considered as a treatment option in selected metastatic prostate cancer patients. However, further validation will be provided by ongoing clinical trials.

Systematic review of the association between socioeconomic status and bladder cancer survival with hospital type, comorbidities, and treatment delay as mediators

Objectives

To review the current evidence on the relationship between three proposed mediators (comorbidities, hospital type, and treatment delays) for the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and bladder cancer survival.

Materials and methods

Six different searches using OVID (Medline and Embase) were carried out to collate information available between the proposed mediators with both SES and survival in bladder cancer. This systematic review was conducted according to a pre-defined protocol and in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Results

A total of 49 studies were included in the review across the six searches (one appeared in two searches). There was a wealth of studies investigating the relationship between each of the proposed mediators with survival in bladder cancer patients. In general, a higher SES, lower comorbidities, and a larger hospital volume were all found to be associated with a decreased risk of death in bladder cancer patients. There was, however, a paucity of studies investigating the associations between these mediators and SES in bladder cancer patients.

Conclusions

To gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between SES and survival identified in several observational studies, further investigations into the relationship between the proposed mediators and SES are warranted. Moreover, modifiable mediators, eg, treatment delay, highlight the importance of the standardization of clinical care across SES groups for all bladder cancer patients.

Evaluation of comorbidity indices in determining the most suitable candidates for uro-oncological surgeries in elderly men

Introduction

We aimed to evaluate the superiority of different comorbidity indices in determining the most suitable elderly male candidates for uro-oncological operations. While making this assessment, we also aimed to determine the risk factors that may affect surgery-related major complications and overall survival.

Material and methods

Data of 543 male patients, 60 years or older, who underwent uro-oncological surgery (radical cystectomy, radical prostatectomy, radical or partial nephrectomy, transurethral resection of bladder tumor) between September 2009 and January 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. Demographic, clinical and pathological characteristics of the patients, preoperative comorbidity indices, postoperative complications, length of hospitalization, re-admission rates within 90 days and postoperative follow-up outcomes were recorded. Patients in similar tumor stages were divided into different subgroups. All subgroups were divided into two main categories: middle age (60-69 years-old) and elderly age (≥70-years-old).

Results

No significant difference was found for all types of surgery in terms of postoperative outcomes in both age groups (p >0.05). Age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index (ACCI), Preoperative Score to Predict Postoperative Mortality (POSPOM), Rockwood Frailty Index (RFI) and tumor characteristics were found to be more significant predictors for postoperative major complications and overall mortality than Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification.

Conclusions

Our findings show that patient age alone is not a risk factor for increased postoperative complications and overall mortality. Although many different comorbidity indices have been used in urological practice, ACCI, POSPOM and RFI are more valuable predictors. Uro-oncological surgeries may be performed safely in elderly males after a good clinical decision based on these indices.

A comparison of perioperative outcomes of laparoscopic versus open nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma: a propensity score matching analysis

BACKGROUND

Radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) with the concomitant excision of the distal ureter and bladder cuff is the current standard of care for the treatment of muscle invasive and/or high-risk upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). In small uncontrolled studies, laparoscopic RNU has been suggested to be associated with better perioperative outcomes compared to open RNU. The aim of our study was to compare the perioperative oncological and functional outcomes of open RNU versus laparoscopic RNU after adjusting for preoperative baseline patient-related characteristics.

METHODS

We evaluated a multi-institutional retrospective database composed by 1512 patients diagnosed with UTUC and treated with open or laparoscopic RNU between 1990 and 2016. Perioperative outcomes included operative time, blood loss, and length of hospital stay, as well as postoperative complications, readmission, reoperation, and mortality rates at 30 and 90 days from surgery. A 1:1 propensity score matching estimated using logistic regression with the teffects psmatch function of STATA 13^® (caliper 0.2, no replacement; StataCorp LLC; College Station, TX, USA) was performed using preoperative parameters such as: age, gender, Body Mass Index (BMI), and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Score.

RESULTS

Overall, 1007 (66.6%) patients were treated with open and 505 (33.4%) with laparoscopic RNU. Open RNU resulted into shorter median operative time (180 vs. 230 min, P<0.001) and longer median hospital stay (10 vs. 7 days, P<0.001) in comparison to laparoscopic RNU. No statistically significant difference was identified for the other variables of interest (all P>0.05). At multivariable linear regression after propensity score matching adjusted for lymph node dissection and year of surgery, laparoscopic RNU resulted in longer operative time (coefficient 43.6, 95% CI 27.9-59.3, P<0.001) and shorter hospital stay (coefficient -1.27, 95% CI -2.1 to -0.3, P=0.01) compared to open RNU, but the risk of other perioperative complications remained similar between the two treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

Laparoscopic RNU is associated with shorter hospital stay, but longer operative time in comparison to open RNU. Otherwise, there were no differences in other perioperative outcomes between these surgical modalities even after propensity score matching. The choice to offer laparoscopic or open RNU in the treatment of UTUC should not be based on concerns of different safety outcomes.

Comparison of survival in elderly patients treated with uretero-cutaneostomy or ileal conduit after radical cystectomy

Background

In bladder cancer patients with age ≥ 80 years old, there have been controversies in performing uretero-cutaneostomy or ileal conduit as urinary diversion after radical cystectomy. Limited study evaluated overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) between the two urinary diversions in elderly patients. This study is to compare OS and CSS between uretero-cutaneostomy and ileal conduit after radical cystectomy in bladder cancer patients with age ≥ 80 years old.

Patients and methods

Data were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Bladder cancer patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2016 with age ≥ 80 years old who underwent radical cystectomy with either UC or IC were selected. After propensity score matching, Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used to analyze the survival. We calculated statistical power for survival.

Results

Of 1394 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 1093 underwent ileal conduit and 301 underwent uretero-cutaneostomy. After propensity score matching, 285 patients were included in each group. Multivariable Cox analysis showed urinary diversion was not a risk factor of OS and CSS (HR 1.044, [95% CI 0.867–1.257] and 1.012 [0.748–1.368], respectively). Both OS and CSS were not significantly different, with median survival of ileal conduit and uretero-cutaneostomy were 19 [16–24] months and 19 [15–26] months respectively. Additionally, We found OS had the following risk factors: tumor stage (distant vs regional vs localized, 5.332 [3.610–7.875] vs 1.730 [1.375–2.176] vs 1), node density (>0.2 vs ≤0.2 vs none, 1.410 [1.047–1.898] vs 0.941 [0.658–1.344] vs 1) and age (1.067 [1.032–1.103] for each year). While CSS had the following risk factors: tumor stage (distant vs regional vs localized, 4.035 [2.046–7.959] vs 2.476 [1.651–3.713] vs 1), node density (>0.2 vs ≤0.2 vs none, 2.501 [1.645–3.804] vs 1.062 [0.590–1.914] vs 1) and tumor size (greater than 3 cm vs less than 3 cm, 1.596 [1.057–2.412] vs 1). Our analysis obtained 0.707 power for overall survival.

Conclusion

Urinary diversion by uretero-cutaneostomy or by ileal conduit was not associated with overall and cancer-specific survival. It is reasonable to consider uretero-cutaneostomy as a regular procedure of urinary diversion in elderly bladder cancer patients after radical cystectomy to avoid associate complications.

Safety and Efficacy of Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor Comparing Spinal Anesthesia with Spinal Anesthesia with an Obturator Nerve Block: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Aims: To investigate whether spinal anesthesia with an obturator nerve block (SA+ONB) can be effectively used for transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to improve patient outcomes while also avoiding aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs). We aimed to compare outcomes of TURBTs using spinal anesthesia (SA) alone vs SA+ONB in terms of rates of obturator reflex, bladder perforation, incomplete tumor resection, tumor recurrence, and local anesthetic toxicity. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of electronic databases (MEDLINE, PUBMED, EMBASE, CINAHL, CENTRAL, SCOPUS, Google Scholar, and Web of Science), identifying studies comparing the outcomes of TURBT using SA vs spinal with an ONB. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for observational studies were used to assess the included studies. Random effects modeling was used to calculate pooled outcome data. Results: Four RCTs and three cohort studies were identified, enrolling a total of 448 patients. The use of SA+ONB was associated with a significantly reduced risk of obturator reflex (p < 0.00001), bladder perforation (p = 0.02), incomplete resection (p < 0.0001), and 12-month tumor recurrence (p = 0.005). ONB was not associated with an increased risk of local anesthetic toxicity (0/159). Conclusion: Our meta-analysis suggests that TURBT using SA+ONB is superior to the use of SA alone. During the COVID-19 pandemic, where avoidance of AGPs such as a general anesthesia is paramount, the use of an ONB with SA is essential for the safety of both patients and staff without compromising care. Further high-quality RCTs with adequate sample sizes are required to compare the different techniques of ONB as well as comparing this method with general anesthesia with complete neuromuscular blockade.

Predicting morbidity and mortality after radical cystectomy using risk calculators: A comprehensive review of the literature

INTRODUCTION

Radical cystectomy (RC) with urinary diversion is associated with significant perioperative morbidity and mortality, varying between 30% and 70% and between 0.3% and 10.6%, respectively. Risk calculators have been extensively studied in the general surgery literature to predict 30- and 90-day postoperative morbidity and mortality but have not been widely accepted in the RC literature.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a search of MEDLINE and Embase databases during May 2020 to identify all relevant studies using the following keywords: radical cystectomy, surgical complication predictive model, surgical complication predictive equation, surgical complication predictive nomogram, surgical risk calculator, morbidity, and mortality. We determined the existing surgical predictive nomograms, calculators, and indices and their accuracy in predicting morbidity, mortality, and major complications after RC.

RESULTS

National Surgical Quality Improvement Program had poor accuracy at predicting 30-day morbidity at mortality (AUC 0.5-0.6). LACE index showed good discrimination at predicting 90-day mortality (AUC 0.7). The various frailty and sarcopenia indices have shown poor to fair accuracy at predicting (AUC 0.5-0.7). The Isbarn and Aziz nomograms have equivalent accuracy at predicting 90-day mortality (AUC 0.7) but are limited by inclusion of tumor histology and presence of metastatic disease as variables. POSSUM and P-POSSUM have poor ability at predicting morbidity and mortality (AUC 0.5) and are cumbersome calculators. The surgical Apgar score has been able to predict 30-day morbidity and mortality but can only be used in the postoperative setting.

DISCUSSION

The currently available surgical risk calculators have either poor accuracy at predicting post-RC morbidity and mortality or are limited by types of variables included. An ideal risk calculator would be comprised of preoperative factors only and have a high accuracy to serve as a tool for preoperative patient counseling prior to surgery.

CONCLUSION

There exists a strong need to develop a comprehensive and accurate preoperative risk calculator that predicts morbidity and mortality after RC.

Prediction of the Need for an Extended Lymphadenectomy at the Time of Radical Cystectomy in Patients with Bladder Cancer

BACKGROUND

A prospective randomized trial (LEA AUO AB 25/02) found no survival benefit in extended compared with limited pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) templates in bladder cancer (BCa) patients treated with radical cystectomy (RC). However, the rate of lymph node invasion (LNI) in the standard and extended templates was lower than estimated.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the accuracy of preoperative clinical and pathological parameters to predict LNI and to develop a model to preoperatively select candidates for the extended PLND templates.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A total of 903 BCa patients treated at a single institution were retrospectively identified. The primary outcome was to identify preoperatively the risk of LNI to tailor the type of PLND. The extended PLND templates consisted in the removal of pelvic lymph nodes together with the common iliac, presacral, para-aortocaval, interaortocaval, and paracaval sites up to the inferior mesenteric artery.

INTERVENTION

A total of 903 BCa patients were treated with RC and bilateral extended PLND templates.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Several models predicting LNI were evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration plots and decision curve analyses. A nomogram predicting LNI in the extended pattern was developed and validated internally.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

Overall, 55 patients (6.1%) had LNI in the extended PLND templates at RC. The median number of nodes removed was 19 (interquartile range: 13-26). A model including age, clinical T stage, clinical node stage, lymphovascular invasion, and presence of carcinoma in situ at the last transurethral resection before RC was developed. The AUC of this model is 73%. Using a cutoff of 3%, 108 extended PLNDs (12%) would be spared and only two LNIs (3%) would be missed. The main limitations of our model are the retrospective nature of the data, lack of external validation, and low rate of LNI.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first proposed model to predict LNI in the extended PLND templates. This model might help urologists identify which patients might benefit from an extended PLND at the time of RC, reserving a standard PLND for all the others.

PATIENT SUMMARY

We developed the first nomogram to predict lymph node invasion (LNI) in the extended pelvic lymph node dissection templates in bladder cancer patients treated with radical cystectomy. The adoption of our model to identify candidates for the extended pelvic lymph node dissection templates could avoid up to 12% of these procedures at the cost of missing only 3% of patients with LNI.

Validation of a Questionnaire-Suitable Comorbidity Index in Patients Undergoing Radical Cystectomy

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the capability of a modified self-administrable comorbidity index recommended in the standard sets for neoplastic diseases published by the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) to predict 90-day and long-term mortality after radical cystectomy.

METHODS

A single-center series of 1,337 consecutive patients who underwent radical cystectomy for muscle-invasive or high-risk non-muscle-invasive urothelial or undifferentiated bladder cancer were stratified by the modified self-administrable comorbidity index and Charlson score, respectively. Multivariate logit models (for 90-day mortality) and proportional-hazards models (for overall and non-bladder cancer mortality) were used for statistical workup.

RESULTS

Considering 90-day mortality, both comorbidity indexes contributed independent information when analyzed together with age (p < 0.0001). The Charlson score performed slightly better (area under the curve [AUC] 0.74 vs. 0.72 for the ICHOM-recommended comorbidity index). Considering 5-year overall mortality in 727 patients with complete observation, the performance of both measures was similar (AUC 0.63 vs. 0.62, including age AUC 0.66 for both indexes). With 6-sided stratifications, the modified self-administrable comorbidity index separated the risk groups slightly better (p values for directly neighboring curves: 0.0068-0.1043 vs. 0.0001-0.8100).

CONCLUSION

The ICHOM-recommended modified self-administrable comorbidity index is capable of predicting 90-day mortality and long-term non-bladder cancer mortality after radical cystectomy similarly to the commonly used Charlson score.

Robot-assisted radical cystectomy with intracorporeal urinary diversion decreases postoperative complications only in highly comorbid patients: findings that rely on a standardized methodology recommended by the European Association of Urology Guidelines

INTRODUCTION

The available studies comparing robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with intracorporeal (ICUD) vs. extracorporeal (ECUD) urinary diversion have not relied on a standardized methodology to report complications and did not assess the effect of different approaches on postoperative outcomes.

MATERIALS

Two hundred and sixty seven patients treated with RARC at a single center were assessed. A retrospective analysis of data prospectively collected according to a standardized methodology was performed. Multivariable logistic regression models (MVA) assessed the impact of ICUD vs. ECUD on intraoperative complications, prolonged length of stay (LOS), 30-day Clavien Dindo (CD) ≥ 2 complications and readmission rate. Interaction terms tested the impact of the approach on different patient subgroups. Lowess graphically depicted the probability of CD ≥ 2 after ICUD or ECUD according to patient baseline characteristics.

RESULTS

Overall, 162 ICUD vs 105 ECUD (61 vs. 39%) were performed. Intraoperative complications were recorded in 24 patients. The median LOS and readmission rate were 11 vs. 13 (p = 0.02) and 24 vs. 22% (p = 0.7) in ICUD vs. ECUD, respectively. Overall, 227 postoperative complications were recorded. The overall rate of CD ≥ 2 was 35 and 43% in patients with ICUD vs. ECUD, respectively (p = 0.2). At MVA, the approach type was not an independent predictor of any postoperative outcomes (all p ≥ 0.4). Age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index (ACCI) was associated with an increased risk of CD ≥ 2 (OR: 1.2, p = 0.006). We identified a significant interaction term between ACCI and approach type (p = 0.04), where patients with ICUD had lower risk of CD ≥ 2 relative to those with ECUD with increasing ACCI.

CONCLUSIONS

Relying on a standardized methodology to report complications, we observed that highly comorbid patients who undergo ICUD have lower risk of postoperative complications relative to those patients who received ECUD.

Impact of substratification on predicting oncological outcomes in patients with primary high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer who underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumor

OBJECTIVES

To validate the substratification of high-risk in the European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines and to develop the simplified substratification to improve usefulness and predictive accuracy on oncological outcomes in patients with primary high-risk nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) who underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated 428 patients with primary high-risk NMIBC who underwent TURBT from November 1993 to April 2019. First, the efficacy of the EAU highest-risk on intravesical recurrence-free survival (RFS) and muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC)-free survival was evaluated with univariate analyses. Second, we developed our simplified substratification based on multivariate analysis for intravesical RFS (lower- and higher-risk). We compared predictive accuracy on oncological outcomes using the receiver operating characteristic curve between the EAU and the simplified substratifications.

RESULTS

Median age and median follow-up periods were 72 years and 51 months, respectively. The EAU highest-risk was not associated with shorter intravesical RFS and MIBC-free survival (P = 0.054 and P = 0.350, respectively). In multivariate analysis, tumor size, grade 3, and chronic kidney disease were significantly associated with shorter intravesical RFS, and we developed the simplified substratification including those 3 factors. Of 428 patients, 89 (21%) were substratified into the simplified higher-risk. The predictive accuracy of the simplified substratification on intravesical recurrence, MIBC and metastasis progression, and cancer-specific mortality was significantly superior to the EAU substratification.

CONCLUSION

Our simplified substratification might contribute to improving predictive accuracy on intravesical recurrence, MIBC and metastasis progression, and cancer-specific mortality in patients with primary high-risk NMIBC who underwent TURBT.

Rates of other-cause mortality after radical cystectomy are decreasing over time-A population-based analysis over two decades

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

To investigate other-cause mortality (OCM) rates over time according to several baseline characteristics in bladder cancer (BCa) patients treated with radical cystectomy (RC).

METHODS

Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (1988-2011), we identified 7702 T_1-2 N₀ M₀ urothelial BCa patients treated with RC. Temporal trends and multivariable Cox regression (MCR) analyses assessed 5-year OCM. Data were stratified according to the year of diagnosis (1988-1995 vs 1996-2000 vs 2001-2004 vs 2005-2008 vs 2009-2011), age group (<60 vs 60-75 vs >75 years), sex, race, marital status, and socioeconomic status.

RESULTS

Overall, OCM rates decreased from 13.9% in 1988-1995 to 8.6% in 2009-2011. The greatest decrease was recorded in elderly (>75) patients (32%-16%, slope: -0.55% per year; P = .01), followed by patients aged 60 to 75 (21%-5%, slope: -0.35% per year; P = .01), unmarried patients (16%-10%, slope: -0.26% per year; P < .001), male patients (14%-8.9%, slope: -0.23% per year), and African Americans (16%-11%, slope: -0.27% per year; P < .001). MCR models corroborated these results.

CONCLUSIONS

Most important decrease in OCM after RC over the last decades was recorded in the elderly, unmarried, and male patients. Nonetheless, these three patient groups still represent ideal targets for efforts aimed at minimizing the morbidity and mortality after RC, as their risk of OCM is higher than in others.

Treatment Allocation and Survival in Patients Diagnosed with Nonmetastatic Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer: An Analysis of a National Patient Cohort in England

BACKGROUND

UK Bladder cancer survival remains low. Nonmetastatic muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is potentially curable. It is unclear how many patients receive nonradical treatment owing to advanced age, comorbidities, or alternative factors.

OBJECTIVE

To describe treatments and assess survival by disease stage and sex for all newly diagnosed nonmetastatic MIBC in England in 2016, and to observe associations between comorbidities and treatments.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

All new nonmetastatic MIBC diagnoses in England in 2016 were identified retrospectively using National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service, Radiotherapy Datasets, Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy, and Hospital Episode Statistics databases.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Age, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and treatments were ascertained, and 1-yr survival was estimated using Pohar-Perme and Kaplan-Meier methods.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

Nonmetastatic MIBC diagnoses were registered for 2519 patients (median age 76 yr). Radical cystectomy was performed in 24%, 37% of whom received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Radical radiotherapy was performed in 29%, 48% of whom received NAC. NAC alongside radical treatment was associated with higher 1-yr overall survival (OS)-91% (88-93%) with NAC and 83% (80-85%) without (p = 0.05). Nonradical treatments occurred for 47%, with corresponding lower OS. Females with stage II and III disease had significantly lower net survival (NS). Radically treated patients had lower CCIs.

CONCLUSIONS

This analysis provides an overview of all nonmetastatic MIBC diagnosed in England in 2016. Just over half of the patients received curative-intent treatment. Of them, only 43% received NAC. One-year OS was disparate, correlating with treatment intensity. Those receiving NAC and radical therapy demonstrated highest OS. Female patients had significantly inferior NS. The data highlight a prescient unmet research need to understand the patient demographic and reasons behind treatment allocation, to address the poor survival observed in those treated nonradically, and the low NAC utilisation. The significantly aged population requires specific future focus.

PATIENT SUMMARY

We looked at all patients in England in 2016 who were diagnosed with bladder cancer invading the bladder muscle. Many patients were elderly, and the most intensive treatments aiming for cure were frequently not used. Survival in women was found to be considerably worse, as was survival for less intensively treated patients.

Risk stratification metrics for bladder cancer: Comprehensive Geriatric Assessments

Despite advances in surgical technique and perioperative care pathways, complication rates following radical cystectomy for bladder cancer remain high and perioperative outcomes for elderly patients are suboptimal. Furthermore, subjective risk assessments of patients with bladder cancer, with a high prevalence of complex comorbidity burden and risk of frailty, may result in undertreatment of patients assumed to be poor operative candidates. A critical component of preoperative patient counseling and treatment selection is accurate and objective preoperative risk appraisal. Comprehensive Geriatric Assessments are multi-domain evaluations of the medical, functional, and psychosocial aspects of health designed specifically for use in elderly patients with the objective of identifying vulnerabilities that may be targeted with interventions for improvement. While currently recommended by multiple guideline bodies for use in the preoperative evaluation of elderly patients with bladder cancer there is a paucity of data describing their use in contemporary clinical practice. Herein, then, we will describe the components of a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessments and propose strategies for their integration into the preoperative surgical workflow.

Comparative effectiveness of radical cystectomy and radiotherapy without chemotherapy in frail patients with bladder cancer

Objectives: To evaluate cancer-specific (CSS) and overall survival (OS) in a group of frail patients who were treated with RT without chemotherapy and to compare them with a matched cohort of patients treated with RC.Methods: This study identified 71 patients treated with RT only for high-risk bladder cancer. Patients with metastatic (cN + or cM+) or non-resectable tumors (cT4) and those who received any form of chemotherapy were excluded. Patients where matched 1:1 using propensity scores which adjusted for the effects of age, clinical stage and age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (CCI). OS and CSS were evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards regression model and the Fine and Gray competing risk model.Results: In the overall population, RT was associated with worse OS (HR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.15-2.77, p = 0.01) compared to RC, but not with CSS (HR 1.1, p = 0.74). In the matched cohort, RT was neither associated with OS nor CSS (p > 0.05) compared to RC. In the competing risk analyses no statistically significant association of any of the treatments was observed in the total or in the matched data set (p > 0.05).Conclusion: The use of RT may be an alternative option in well selected patients with limited disease who are considered unfit for systemic chemotherapy and RC. Future research should focus on improving patient selection and assess the quality-of-life as well as the need for reintervention in patients treated with RT.

Which comorbidity classification is best suited to identify patients at risk for 90-day and long-term non-bladder cancer mortality after radical cystectomy?

PURPOSE

There is no consensus on the best comorbidity measure in candidates for radical cystectomy. The aim of this study was to identify tool best suited to identify patients at risk for 90-day or premature long-term non-bladder cancer mortality.

METHODS

We studied 1268 patients who underwent radical cystectomy to identify patients at risk for 90-day and later-than-90-day mortality, respectively. Six classifications were investigated as possible predictors of both types of mortality. Multivariable models including age as continuous variable and each classification separately were calculated. A heuristic ranking was based on the evaluation of the hazard ratios, p values, Akaike's information criteria, and concerning the logit models also the areas under the curve.

RESULTS

The median follow-up was 5.7 years. Within 90 days after surgery, the mortality rate was 4.2%. The greatest independent contribution concerning the prediction of 90-day mortality was seen with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification (classes 3-4 versus 1-2: hazard ratio 7.98, 95% confidence interval 3.54-18.01, p < 0.0001). In the longer term, countable diseases (Canadian Cardiovascular Society classification of angina pectoris, conditions contributing the Charlson score) were of greater importance. The results of heuristic ranking were confirmed by multivariate analyses including age and all classifications together.

CONCLUSIONS

Besides to chronological age, clinicians should pay particular attention to the ASA classification to identify patients at risk for 90-day mortality after radical cystectomy, whereas long-term mortality is more determined by countable comorbid diseases.

Time to Move On: The Impending Need for a New Disease-specific Comorbidity Index for Bladder Cancer Patients Undergoing Robot-assisted Radical Cystectomy

The Charlson comorbidity index is an outdated comorbidity assessment tool which is not disease specific and is not applicable to contemporary BCa patients.

The effect of age and comorbidities on early postoperative complications after radical cystectomy: A contemporary population-based analysis

BACKGROUND

Analyzing the relationship between perioperative outcomes and age in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) patients treated with radical cystectomy (RC) in a continuous fashion may provide detailed information on the increased risk of complications in older patients, even after accounting for different comorbidity profiles. Given the limited data available in the literature, we tested these relationships within a large scale, population-based database.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Within the NIS database (2003-2015), we identified patients who underwent RC for UCB. Multivariable logistic regression (MLoR) and Poisson regression (MPR) models were used after adjustment for clustering and stratification for comorbidity profiles.

RESULTS

Overall, 20,144 patients underwent RC with a median age of 70 years (interquartile range: 62-77). In MLoR models, continuously coded age represented an independent predictor of overall (odds ratio [OR]: 1.008, 95%-confidence interval [CI]: 1.005-1.012), cardiac (OR: 1.042, 95%-CI: 1.035-1.049), vascular (OR: 1.024, 95%-CI: 1.014-1.034), respiratory (OR: 1.016, 95%-CI 1.009-1.022), miscellaneous medical (OR: 1.013, 95%-CI: 1.009-1.017), infectious (OR: 1.012, 95%-CI 1.004-1.019), transfusions (OR: 1.011, 95%-CI 1.007-1.015) and bowel obstruction (OR: 1.009, 95%-CI 1.004-1.013) complications, and in-hospital mortality (OR: 1.057, 95%-CI 1.039-1.075). Conversely, patients age did not predict intraoperative (p = 0.7), genitourinary (p = 0.9), operative wound (p = 0.2) and miscellaneous surgical complications (p = 0.1). In MPR models, patients age predicted longer LOS (relative risk [RR]: 1.002, 95%-CI 1.001-1.003). Finally, a decreasing effect of age was observed in patients low vs high comorbidity burden for cardiac, respiratory and overall complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Most of early postoperative RC complications are related to patients age, but its impact varies according to comorbidity profile. Further studies are needed to validate our findings that may be then considered for individual counselling and informed consent, as well as for health expenditure planning.

[Presurgical assessments]

For the estimation of perioperative risks and mortality in the context of radical urological tumor surgery in elderly patients, the guidelines meanwhile require the use of geriatric assessments. The aim of this work is therefore to explain frequently used geriatric assessments and to give an overview of their predictive significance in radical urological tumor surgery. Comprehensive geriatric assessments provide a good description of the patient's state of health, but are hardly feasible in clinical routine due to their complexity. It is more reasonable to use screening tools with subsequent targeted examination of high-risk patients. Special tools allow the standardized assessment of functional status, mobility, cognition, mood, nutrition, frailty, comorbidities and polypharmacy and have different prognostic significance. Evidence on the predictive value of assessments prior to radical urological tumor surgery is mainly described for the systematic classification of comorbidities. In cystectomy, the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score allow an estimation of the risk of complications and mortality. The focus of assessments prior to prostatectomy is to identify patients with sufficient life expectancy to benefit from radical surgery. CCI and ASA scores as well as the Eastern Co-operative Oncology Group (ECOG) score can help to assess the risk of perioperative complications in kidney tumor surgery.