Radical retropubic prostatectomy: time trends, morbidity and mortality in Japan

Preoperative CT findings of subclinical hernia can predict for postoperative inguinal hernia following robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy

PURPOSE

To evaluate preoperative CT features that predict the development of postoperative inguinal hernia after robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP).

METHODS

We enrolled 160 men who underwent CT, subsequent RALRP, and at least three years of follow-up. CT was retrospectively reviewed in consensus by two radiologists for the presence of asymmetric spermatic cord fat and scrotal fluid collection. The diagnostic power of each CT feature for the development of postoperative inguinal hernia was calculated. Multiple logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association between CT features, clinical variables, and postoperative inguinal hernia.

RESULTS

Surgically confirmed postoperative inguinal hernia developed in 17 patients. Asymmetric spermatic cord fat was demonstrated in 13 patients, and scrotal fluid collection was seen in 59 patients. The diagnostic values of asymmetric spermatic cord fat and scrotal fluid collection for postoperative inguinal hernia were 58.8% and 88.2% sensitivity, 97.9% and 69.2% specificity, 76.9% and 25.4% positive predictive value, 95.2% and 98.0% negative predictive value, and 93.8% and 71.3% accuracy, respectively. On multiple logistic regression analysis, asymmetric spermatic cord fat, scrotal fluid collection, and low BMI were significant predictive factors for the development of postoperative inguinal hernia (odds ratios: 135.8, 31.6, and 0.7, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The presence of asymmetric spermatic cord fat or scrotal fluid collection was significantly associated with the development of postoperative inguinal hernia.

Do androgen deprivation and the biologically equivalent dose matter in low-dose-rate brachytherapy for intermediate-risk prostate cancer?

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the biologically equivalent dose (BED) on treatment outcomes after iodine‐125 low‐dose‐rate brachytherapy (LDR‐BT) with or without supplemental external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for intermediate‐risk prostate cancer (PCa). We retrospectively evaluated 292 Japanese patients. The impact of the BED and ADT on treatment outcomes was investigated. Cox proportional hazard models were used for univariate and multivariate analysis with biological progression‐free survival (bPFS) and clinical progression‐free survival (cPFS) as the primary outcome measures. The median follow‐up was 66 months. The bPFS and cPFS rates at 5‐/7‐years were 91.6/87.7% and 95.9/94.0%, respectively. When stratified by BED levels, the bPFS rates at 5‐/7‐years were 92.1/89.3% for <178.0 Gy_2, and 91.2/86.0% for ≥178.0 Gy₂, respectively (P > 0.05). Based on ADT duration, the bPFS rates at 5‐/7‐years were 89.8/83.5%, 89.7/89.7%, and 97.5/97.5% for none, 1–3 months, and 4–12 months, respectively (P = 0.03). For the univariate analysis, the use of ADT and its duration were significant predictors for bPFS, whereas BED was not significant. A multivariate analysis did not indicate the use of ADT itself was significant, however, when covariates were accounted for by the duration of ADT, the longer use of ADT was found to significantly improve bPFS. Although cPFS was associated neither with the BED levels nor ADT duration (P > 0.05), ADT duration had a trend of improving cPFS (P = 0.053). The higher levels of BED did not significantly impact bPFS for intermediate‐risk PCa after LDR‐BT with or without supplemental EBRT and ADT. The longer duration of ADT could provide an additional benefit in the context of high‐dose irradiation generated by LDR‐BT.

Mid-term outcome of permanent prostate iodine-125 brachytherapy in Japanese patients

OBJECTIVES

To analyze mid-term oncological outcomes of low-dose rate brachytherapy in Japanese patients.

METHODS

Between 2003 and 2010, 604 consecutive patients with clinically localized prostate cancer were treated with low-dose rate brachytherapy at Jikei University Hospital in Tokyo, Japan. Median follow up was 48 months. Of these patients, 260 (43%) were treated with neoadjuvant therapy, 45 (7.5%) with adjuvant hormonal therapy and 75 (12.4%) with supplemental external beam radiation therapy. Biochemical recurrence was defined as the prostate-specific antigen nadir plus 2 ng/mL.

RESULTS

Of the 604 patients, 219 (36.2%) were low risk, 361 (59.8%) were intermediate risk and 24 (4.0%) had high-risk disease. The median biologically effective dose was 174.4 Gy2. At 8 years, biochemical recurrence-free survival, cancer-specific survival, and overall survival were 82.2%, 100% and 95.6%, respectively. Biochemical recurrence-free survival at 8 years was 89.9%, 79.4% and 52.5%, for the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups, respectively. Biochemical recurrence-free survival for the high-risk group was significantly lower than the low- and intermediate-risk groups (P < 0.001). Biochemical recurrence-free survival did not differ significantly by biologically effective dose stratification. In multivariate analysis, younger age (P = 0.045), higher prostate-specific antigen (P = 0.004), higher Gleason score (P = 0.006) and higher clinical T stage (P = 0.008) were significant covariates associated with biochemical recurrence. The addition of hormonal therapy or external beam radiation therapy was associated with significantly better outcomes than low-dose rate brachytherapy monotherapy (P = 0.0021 and 0.010). Just four patients experienced G3 genitourinary or gastrointestinal toxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

Low-dose rate brachytherapy results in excellent mid-term oncological outcomes and acceptable toxicity in Japanese patients. In our experience, biologically effective dose does not represent a significant predictor for biochemical recurrence.

Retropubic versus robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy for prostate cancer: a comparative study of postoperative complications

Purpose

To compare the complications of radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) with those of robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) performed by a single surgeon for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Materials and Methods

The postoperative complications of 341 patients who underwent RRP and 524 patients who underwent RALP for prostate cancer at the Asan Medical Center between July 2007 and August 2012 were retrospectively reviewed and compared. Complications were classified according to the modified Clavien classification system.

Results

RALP was associated with a shorter length of hospital stay (mean, 7.9 days vs. 10.1 days, p<0.001) and duration of urethral catheterization (6.2 days vs. 7.5 days, p<0.001) than RRP. Major complications (Clavien grade III-IV) were less common in the RALP group than in the RRP group (3.4% vs. 7.6%, p=0.006). There were no significant differences in medical complications between procedures. Considering surgical complications, urinary retention (7.0% vs. 2.7%, p=0.002) and wound repair (4.1% vs. 0.2%, p<0.001) were more common after RRP than after RALP. Extravasation of contrast medium during cystography was more common in the RRP group than in the RALP group (10.0% vs. 2.1%, p<0.001).

Conclusions

RALP is associated with a lower complication rate than RRP.

Analysis of late toxicity associated with external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer with uniform setting of classical 4-field 70 Gy in 35 fractions: a survey study by the Osaka Urological Tumor Radiotherapy Study Group

We aimed to analyse late toxicity associated with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for prostate cancer using uniform dose-fractionation and beam arrangement, with the focus on the effect of 3D (CT) simulation and portal field size. We collected data concerning patients with localized prostate adenocarcinoma who had been treated with EBRT at five institutions in Osaka, Japan, between 1998 and 2006. All had been treated with 70 Gy in 35 fractions, using the classical 4-field technique with gantry angles of 0°, 90°, 180° and 270°. Late toxicity was evaluated strictly in terms of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 4.0. In total, 362 patients were analysed, with a median follow-up of 4.5 years (range 1.0-11.6). The 5-year overall and cause-specific survival rates were 93% and 96%, respectively. The mean ± SD portal field size in the right-left, superior-inferior, and anterior-posterior directions was, respectively, 10.8 ± 1.1, 10.2 ± 1.0 and 8.8 ± 0.9 cm for 2D simulation, and 8.4 ± 1.2, 8.2 ± 1.0 and 7.7 ± 1.0 cm for 3D simulation (P < 0.001). No Grade 4 or 5 late toxicity was observed. The actuarial 5-year Grade 2-3 genitourinary and gastrointestinal (GI) late toxicity rates were 6% and 14%, respectively, while the corresponding late rectal bleeding rate was 23% for 2D simulation and 7% for 3D simulation (P < 0.001). With a uniform setting of classical 4-field 70 Gy/35 fractions, the use of CT simulation and the resultant reduction in portal field size were significantly associated with reduced late GI toxicity, especially with less rectal bleeding.

Risk of venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

People with cancer are known to be at increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), and this risk is believed to vary according to cancer type, stage of disease, and treatment modality. Our purpose was to summarise the existing literature to determine precisely and accurately the absolute risk of VTE in cancer patients, stratified by malignancy site and background risk of VTE.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

We searched the Medline and Embase databases from 1 January 1966 to 14 July 2011 to identify cohort studies comprising people diagnosed with one of eight specified cancer types or where participants were judged to be representative of all people with cancer. For each included study, the number of patients who developed clinically apparent VTE, and the total person-years of follow-up were extracted. Incidence rates of VTE were pooled across studies using the generic inverse variance method. In total, data from 38 individual studies were included. Among average-risk patients, the overall risk of VTE was estimated to be 13 per 1,000 person-years (95% CI, 7 to 23), with the highest risk among patients with cancers of the pancreas, brain, and lung. Among patients judged to be at high risk (due to metastatic disease or receipt of high-risk treatments), the risk of VTE was 68 per 1,000 person-years (95% CI, 48 to 96), with the highest risk among patients with brain cancer (200 per 1,000 person-years; 95% CI, 162 to 247). Our results need to be considered in light of high levels of heterogeneity, which exist due to differences in study population, outcome definition, and average duration of follow-up between studies.

CONCLUSIONS

VTE occurs in greater than 1% of cancer patients each year, but this varies widely by cancer type and time since diagnosis. The absolute VTE risks obtained from this review can aid in clinical decision-making about which people with cancer should receive anticoagulant prophylaxis and at what times.

[Perioperative management of radical prostatectomy: a nationwide survey in Japan]

PURPOSE

Recently, various types of radical surgery have been performed in Japan. To elucidate the surgical consequences, morbidity and mortality, and perioperative care, we conducted a nationwide survey.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Assisted by the Japanese Society of Endourology, perioperative data from 156 hospitals participating in this survey in 2007 were analyzed. Using a spreadsheet database, data were collected from each institution.

RESULTS

Open radical prostatectomy was performed in 3,138 patients at 143 hospitals, minimum incision endourological radical prostatectomy in 361 at 15 hospitals, laparoscopic radical prostatectomy via transperitoneal approach in 143 at 11 hospitals and laparoscopic radical prostatectomy via extraperitoneal approach in 337 at 13 hospitals. For open and minimum incision endourological radical prostatectomy, the surgical duration was shorter but the bleeding volume was greater than that in laparoscopic radical prostatectomy via both approaches. As a whole, perioperatvie mortality rate was 0.05% and morbidity rate was 23.4%. Rectal injury was similarly infrequent among the four types of surgery. Superficial surgical site infection was most frequent in open radical prostatectomy. Perioperative management significantly varied among the four types of surgery. In laparoscopic radical prostatectomy via extraperitoneal approach, urethral catheter was removed earlier but acute urinary retention frequently occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

In Japan, open radical prostatectomy was the most frequently performed surgery for prostate cancer. Surgical volume per hospital was small, however, mortality was low and morbidity was acceptable. Comparisons of complications and outcomes among the types of currently performed surgery should be useful to promote standardization of the perioperative care.

Minimum incision endoscopic radical prostatectomy: clinical and oncological outcomes at a single institute

AIMS

The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical and oncological outcomes of prostatectomy patients undergoing minimum incision endoscopic radical prostatectomy (MIE-RP).

METHODS

Between September 2005 and May 2010, 541 patients underwent MIE-RP with bilateral lymphadenectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer at Hirosaki University Hospital. The present retrospective study enrolled 375 patients who had not received neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy. MIE-RP was performed through a 6-cm suprapubic midline incision. A 30° laparoscope was conveniently positioned on the head side of the patient for precise observation and monitoring.

RESULTS

The median operating time was 119 min, and the estimated blood loss was 900 ml. The most frequent perioperative complication was leakage from the vesicourethral anastomosis (6.7%), and rectal injury occurred in 1.0%. Overall, 31.2% of the patients had a positive surgical margin, including 11.1% with pT2, 52.9% with pT3 and 100% with pT4 diseases. The post-operative median follow-up period was 40.5 months (range, 2-56.5 months). The 5-year PSA-free survival rate was 71.6%. In multivariate analysis, high-risk patients (according to the D'Amico risk criteria), pathological T stage and positive surgical margins were identified as independent predictors of PSA-free survival. The limitations of this study included a retrospective study, relatively short follow-up period and single-institution nature of the study.

CONCLUSIONS

MIE-RP is a safe and minimally invasive procedure that may represent a reliable alternative to laparoscopic and robotic-assisted RP.

Radical retropubic prostatectomy: a review of outcomes and side-effects

BACKGROUND

Radical prostatectomy (RP) is worldwide probably the most common procedure to treat localized prostate cancer (PC). Due to a more widespread use of Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) testing, patients operated today are often younger and have organ confined disease justifying a more preservative surgery. At the same time, surgical technique has improved resulting in lower risk of permanent side-effects. This paper aims to give an overview of results from modern surgery regarding cancer control and side-effects. A brief overview of the history is given.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A literature research identified recently published papers focusing on outcome and side-effects after RP.

RESULTS

One large randomized study (SPCG-4) compared RP and watchful waiting (WW). The study showed that RP was superior to WW in preventing local progression (RR = 0.36), distant metastasis (RR = 0.65) and death from PC (RR = 0.65). Observational studies also show a better outcome for men treated with RP compared to WW. Peri-operative mortality after RP is low in most material around 0.1%. The risk of stricture of the vesico-urethral anastomosis has decreased with improved technique from historically 10-20% to a low incidence of around 2-9% today. Also the risk of incontinence has declined with improved technique. However, while the rates of severe incontinence is usually very low, as many as 30% still report light incontinence after long-term follow-up. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is still a frequent side-effect after RP. This risk is dependent on age, pre-operative sexual function, surgical technique and other risk factors for ED such as smoking, diabetes, etc. In selected subgroups the risk of ED is low. Inguinal hernia is a more recently described complication after open retropubic RP with a postoperative incidence of 15-20% within three years of surgery.

CONCLUSION

RP is an effective method to achieve cancer control in selected patients. With modern technique it is a safe procedure with a low risk of permanent side-effects except for ED.

[Incidence of nosocomial infection in open prostate surgery]

OBJECTIVES

To know the rate of nosocomial infections in open prostate surgery and to assess the application of pre-surgery preparation and preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis protocols at three public hospitals in the Autonomous Community of Madrid.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Prospective observational and multicentre study, including all the patients operated on at the services monitored and admitted for more than 48 hours between 1 January and 31 December 2009. They were monitored from admittance until their discharge.

RESULTS

The rate of hospital infection observed was 3.38%. The most frequent infection was surgical localization, with an incidence rate of 2.77% (superficial=1.23%; deep=0.31%; organ-space=1.23%). The percentage of appropriate surgical prophylaxis, both in the indication and in the selection of antibiotics, initiation and duration, with respect to all those patients that received it, was 47.42%. According to the data obtained from their clinical records, the percentage of patients in which the pre-surgery preparation protocol was correctly complied with, was 92%.

CONCLUSIONS

The results obtained in this multicentre study can serve not only as a reference to other public hospitals, but they are also comparable to other international monitoring systems. Monitoring and controlling infections associated with healthcare must be a key aspect in Patient Care and Safety programmes.

Clinical evaluation of minimum-incision endoscopic radical prostatectomy in initial 50 patients

OBJECTIVE

To assess the feasibility of minimum-incision endoscopic radical prostatectomy (MIERP) in the management of localized prostate cancer.

METHODS

We conducted clinical evaluations of mean blood loss, operation time, and postoperative course in 50 cases of MIERP performed at Osaka Medical College Hospital from June 2006 to October 2009. The operations were performed according to the MIERP development protocol at our department, with incisions of 10 cm or less in the early cases and 6-7 cm in later cases.

RESULTS

In all 50 cases, average bleeding was significantly shortened compared with 19 cases by the conventional method at our institution. The postoperative start of oral intake, start of ambulation, use of analgesics, timing of catheter removal, and duration of hospitalization were all significantly improved with MIERP compared with the conventional method. MIERP patients were divided into 3 consecutive groups (initial 16 cases, midterm 17 cases, and latest 17 cases); mean operation time/mean blood loss were 253 min/1,485 mL, 253.4 min/2,340.9 mL, and 177 min/1,274 mL, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Surgical experience involving approximately 30 cases was required to achieve stable clinical results. MIERP is less invasive than conventional retropubic radical prostatectomy and may be safely introduced to resident urologists.

Simple prophylactic procedure of inguinal hernia after radical retropubic prostatectomy: isolation of the spermatic cord

To reduce the incidence of inguinal hernia (IH) after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP), a simple prophylactic procedure was carried out during RRP. A consecutive 82 patients who had undergone RRP for clinically localized prostate cancer between July 2002 and October 2006 at Toride Kyodo General Hospital were enrolled. From July 2002 to November 2003, 20 patients underwent conventional RRP. Thereafter, 62 patients underwent conventional RRP with blunt dissection of the peritoneum at the internal inguinal ring and isolation of the spermatic cord from the peritoneum as a prophylactic procedure for IH. There was no significant difference in patient characteristics between the two groups. In the conventional RRP group, IH occurred in 10 patients during a median range follow-up period of 41 (1 to 73) months. In contrast, in the RRP plus prophylactic procedure group, IH occurred in one patient (1.6%) during a median range follow-up period of 41 (25 to 59) months. The incidence of IH after RRP plus the prophylactic procedure was significantly lower than that after conventional RRP, indicating the efficacy of the presented procedure.

Perioperative blood loss in open retropubic radical prostatectomy - Is it safe to get operated at an educational hospital?

Introduction

Blood loss during radical prostatectomy has been a long term issue. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the training level of the first assistant regarding blood loss in open retropubic radical prostatectomy at an educational hospital.

Material and methods

364 patients underwent radical prostatectomy from 11/2006 to 10/2007 at one institution operated by one surgeon. In 319 patients all predefined parameters were obtained. Training level was determined by year of residency (1-5 yrs) or consultant status. Perioperative blood loss was calculated using three parameters: Hemoglobin level before and after surgery, postoperative sucker volume and weight of compresses. Furthermore the influence of prostatic size and BMI was analyzed.

Results

The Hb-decrease 24 h postoperatively was 2.4 g/dl median (-0.4-7.6 g/dl); sucker volume was 250 ml median (10-1500 ml); weight of compresses and swabs was 412 g median (0-972 g). One patient needed a transfusion with two erythrocyte concentrates one day after the surgery. There was no significant correlation regarding Hb-decrease (p = 0.86) or sucker volume plus weight of compresses (p = 0.59) in regard to the years of residency of the assisting physician. Also the number of assisted operations (n = < or > 20) had no significant influence on calculated blood loss (p = 0.38).

Conclusions

For an experienced surgeon the impact of the assistant regarding blood loss seems negligible. The training level of the assistant was not significantly correlated to a rise or decrease of perioperative blood loss. In our data radical prostatectomy could be safely performed at an educational hospital independent of the training level of the first assistant.

[Clinical study of radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer from a single institution]

PURPOSE

To investigate the outcomes for single institution with prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy (RP).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed on 406 patients who underwent RRP from January 1991 to December 2005 for cT1-3N0M0 prostate cancer. To evaluate the change of the patient background, we divided the 15 years into the 5 periods whose span was 3 years each and examined. Biochemical recurrence was defined as a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) of > or = 0.2 ng/ml. Clinical recurrence was defined as metastases or local recurrence. Actual probability of cancer specific mortality was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The Log rank test was used to determine statistical difference between actual curves. Preoperative parameters analyzed were patient age, preoperative PSA, clinical stage, Gleason score, and Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy. Multivariate analyses (logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard model) for the dependent variables (organ-confined prostate cancer, clinical recurrence free survival and cancer specific mortality) were performed. Perioperative complications between cT1/2 with cT3 were compared.

RESULTS

The number of the operation increased every period. High recurrence risk group and cT3 were tended to decrease. Median follow-up and median patient age were 55 month and 69 year. Of the 406 men, 35 (8.6%) developed clinical recurrence, 15 men (3.7%) died from prostate cancer within the follow-up period. For pT0/2, pT3a, pT3b and pN +, the 10-yr cancer specific survival rate was 100%, 92%, 81% and 67%, respectively. Preoperative PSA (p < 0.0001), clinical stage (p = 0.004), Gleason score (p < 0.0001) and neoadjuvant hormone therapy (p = 0.0003) are predictive variables for organ confined prostate cancer. Preoperative PSA (p = 0.002) and clinical stage (p = 0.03) are prognostic variables for cancer specific mortality. There was significant difference in surgery time (p = 0.04) and blood loss (p = 0.0007) in cT1/2 cases compared with cT3 cases.

CONCLUSION

The number of the operation increased every period. High recurrence risk group and cT3 were tended to decrease. Neoadjuvant hormone therapy prior to prostatectomy was a significant improvement in the organ confined rates. However neoadjuvant hormone therapy did not improve patient prognosis. Preoperative PSA and clinical stage are prognostic variable for cancer specific mortality.

External-beam radiotherapy for clinically localized prostate cancer in Osaka, Japan, 1995-2006: time trends, outcome, and risk stratification

PURPOSE

To establish an initial database of external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for clinically localized prostate cancer used in Osaka, Japan, and, by analyzing the results of the Osaka multicenter cooperative study, to determine time trends, outcome, and applicability of existing and the authors' original risk stratification methods.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data of 652 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer (T1-4 N0 M0) were accrued from July to December 2007. These patients had been treated from 1995 through 2006 with consecutive definitive EBRT of > or = 60 Gy at eleven institutions, mainly in Osaka. Altogether, 436 patients were eligible for analysis using several risk stratification methods, namely, those of D'Amico et al., the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), and Seattle, as well as the authors' original Prostate Cancer Risk Index (PRIX).

RESULTS

The number of patients showed a tenfold increase over 10 years, together with a rapid spread of the use of Gleason Score from 0% to > 90% of cases. The dominant RT dose fractionation was 70 Gy/35 fractions (87%). Hormone therapy had been administered to 95% of the patients and the higher PRIX corresponded to the higher rate of hormone usage. 3- and 5-year biochemical relapse-free survival (bRFS) rates were 85% and 70%, respectively. The D'Amico (p = 0.132), NCCN (p = 0.138), Seattle (p = 0.041) and PRIX (p = 0.044) classifications showed weak or no correlation with bRFS, while the own modified three-class PRIX (PRIX 0, 1-5, 6) showed a strong correlation (p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

The use of prostate EBRT in Japan is still in its infancy, but is rapidly expanding. The short-term outcomes have been satisfactory considering the moderate RT dose. A very high rate of hormone usage may affect the outcome favorably, but also may compromise the usefulness of current risk stratification.

Sonographic imaging of the puborectalis

INTRODUCTION

The aim of the present study was to compare the appearance of the normal male puborectalis using transrectal ultrasound with anatomy examinations to enhance the understanding of the relationship of the prostate to the adjacent pelvic floor. This information may help prevent damage to the puborectalis during transperineal ultrasound-guided biopsies and interventional therapies.

METHODS

Ten formalin-fixed cadavers were dissected to examine the appearance and structure of the puborectalis and its relationship with the peripheral organs. The puborectalis was also observed in a fresh male cadaver using transrectal ultrasound. In the fresh male cadaver, the puborectalis was located using transrectal sonography, the muscle was confirmed by anatomy, and the thickness was measured.

RESULTS

The ultrasonographic observations of the location of the puborectalis were confirmed by anatomy for the fresh cadaver. Bilateral, symmetrical, hypoechoic strips were observed beside the prostate in cross-section, and strip fibers were observed in the longitudinal section. The right and left puborectalis thickness measurements were 6.1 and 6.2 mm, respectively, in the sonographic image, and the measurements were 5.85 and 5.89 mm, respectively, in the formalin-fixed fresh cadaver.

CONCLUSIONS

Transrectal ultrasound provides a new imaging method to observe the male puborectalis, establishing a foundation for recognizing pelvic floor abnormalities with ultrasonography in the future.

The Japanese guideline for prostate cancer screening

In 2005, there were 9264 deaths from prostate cancer, accounting for 4.7% of the total number of cancer deaths in Japan. As the population continues to age, interest in prostate cancer screening has increased, and opportunistic screening for prostate cancer has been conducted worldwide. The guideline for prostate cancer screening was developed based on the established method. The efficacies of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and digital rectal examination (DRE) were evaluated. Based on the balance of the benefits and harms, recommendations for population-based and opportunistic screening were formulated. Two methods of prostate cancer screening were evaluated. Based on the analytic framework involving key questions, 1186 articles published from January 1985 to October 2006 were selected using MEDLINE and other methods. After the systematic literature review, 28 articles were identified as providing evidence of mortality reduction from prostate cancer, including 5 observational studies for DRE screening, 1 meta-analysis, 3 randomized controlled trials and 19 observational studies for PSA screening. Although several studies showed that PSA screening had a beneficial effect, the results of the selected studies were inconsistent. Overall, the evidence that screening reduced mortality from prostate cancer was insufficient. Furthermore, prostate cancer screening is associated with serious harms, including overdiagnosis, adverse effects of needle biopsy and adverse effects of local prostatectomy. At present, the evidence for the effect of prostate cancer screening is insufficient. Both PSA and DRE were not recommended for population-based screening programs, but they could be conducted as individual-based screening if basic requirements were met.

Five-year longitudinal effect of radical perineal prostatectomy on health-related quality of life in Japanese men, using general and disease-specific measures

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the longitudinal alteration of health-related quality of life (HRQL) up to 5 years after radical perineal prostatectomy (RPP) among Japanese patients with localized prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 194 patients who had RPP were included in this longitudinal survey. The validated RAND 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36) and the University of California, Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA-PCI) were used to evaluate the HRQL.

RESULTS

Among the UCLA-PCI urinary domains, urinary function scores decreased at 3 months after RPP, but they increased 6 months after RPP. Likewise, urinary bother showed a transient decrease at 3 months, but had returned to the baseline level 6 months after RPP. Sexual function (SF) was drastically decreased at 3 months after RPP, but had slightly increased 1 year after RPP. Patients who had a nerve-sparing (NS) RPP showed better SF-related HRQL than those who did not at 6 months after RPP. This favourable alteration involving SF-related HRQL was closely associated with the NS procedure, but not with the patient age. Multivariate analysis showed that later recovery of SF was essentially related to the use of NS RPP, while early recovery of sexual bother was closely related to the patient age.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results confirmed the positive effect of RPP on the long-term HRQL in Japanese patients. Although NS surgery conferred the benefit of the recovery of SF, older Japanese patients were not greatly concerned about their decreased SF-related HRQL. The current results provide primary evidence for predicting the alteration of HRQL and understanding the effect of patient age and NS surgery on HRQL after RPP.

Quality of life after radical prostatectomy in Japanese men: a 5-Year follow up study

OBJECTIVES

To measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after radical prostatectomy (RP) in Japanese men with localized prostate cancer.

METHODS

A total of 154 patients who underwent RP were included in this 5-year longitudinal survey. The Short Form 36-Item Health Survey, the University of California, Los Angeles, Prostate Cancer Index and the International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaires were administered at diagnosis and nine times afterwards.

RESULTS

Patients undergoing RP showed problems in some physical domains of general HRQOL, but these problems diminished over time. Mental health and social functions significantly improved during the follow-up period. The urinary function substantially declined at 3 months and continued to recover gradually but never returned to baseline. Most patients (95%) recovered to their baseline urinary bother score within 60 months. The overall mean total International Prostate Symptom Score progressively improved with time. On the other hand, at 60 months after RP, only 34% of subjects had fully returned to baseline sexual function. By 5 years postoperatively, 78% of the men had reached baseline sexual bother and the mean recovery time was 8.6 months. Adverse effects of RP on sexual function and bother were mitigated by bilateral nerve-sparing procedures up to 5 years after the operation.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite reported problems with sexuality and urinary continence, general HRQOL was mostly unaffected by RP after 6 months in our survey with functional outcomes remaining relatively stable in the majority of patients.

Psychological distress in Japanese men with localized prostate cancer

OBJECTIVE

To investigate: (i) the level of psychological distress; and (ii) the relationships between the level of psychological distress and general or disease-specific HRQOL of Japanese men with localized prostate cancer following surgery or radiotherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study was a retrospective cross-sectional survey of 253 men with localized prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy and 87 with external beam radiotherapy were collected. The measures used four questionnaires including: (i) the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Health Survey; (ii) The University of California, Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index; (iii) International Prostate Symptom Score; and (iv) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

RESULTS

Mean anxiety and depression scores were 4.0 and 4.7, respectively (standard deviation, 3.3 and 3.7). On the anxiety section of HADS, 291 patients (85%) scored 7 points or less; and on the depression scale, 183 (54%) patients scored 4 points or less. Those 'cases' (HADS total, >10) with psychological distress scored lower in all domains of the general and disease related health-related quality of life (HRQOL) than the 'non-cases' (HADS total, <or=10) except for sexual domains. Logistic regression modeling suggested that the men who tended to experience moderate to high distress suffered from worse urinary and bowel symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Most patients who underwent radical prostatectomy or external beam radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer experienced low levels of psychological distress after treatment. However, men who were experiencing urinary and bowel symptoms tended to suffer from moderate to higher distress compared with men reporting no or fewer such symptoms.

Impact of salvage therapy for biochemical recurrence on health-related quality of life following radical prostatectomy

OBJECTIVE

To determine the impact of salvage therapy for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) recurrence on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RP).

METHODS

Between January 2000 and December 2003, a total of 249 patients who underwent RP were available for 2-year follow up. Of the respondents, 203 men did not show evidence of recurrence (group A), and 46 men received salvage hormonal therapy and/or radiotherapy after RP because of a rise in PSA (group B). The general and prostate-target HRQOL was assessed with the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form and University of California, Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index, respectively. Patients completed the HRQOL instruments by mail at baseline and at 24 months after RP.

RESULTS

All of the patients completed both questionnaires. At baseline no significant differences were found between the two groups in any of the HRQOL domains. There were significant improvements in mental health and social function for the patients without biochemical recurrence postoperatively. Repeated measure anova revealed significantly different patterns of alteration in several general HRQOL domains among the treatment groups. The urinary and bowel domains were equivalent between the two treatment groups at baseline and 24 months after RP. The patients treated with salvage hormonal therapy tended to show delayed recovery of sexual function.

CONCLUSION

Using a self-administered questionnaire, biochemical recurrence following RP was found to impose a substantial burden in patients with localized prostate cancer.

Impact of unilateral sural nerve graft on recovery of potency and continence following radical prostatectomy: 3-year longitudinal study

PURPOSE

We conducted a 3-year longitudinal study assessing the impact of unilateral sural nerve graft on recovery of potency and continence following radical prostatectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 113 patients undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy were classified into 3 groups according to the degree of nerve sparing, that is unilateral nerve preservation with contralateral sural nerve graft interposition, bilateral nerve sparing and unilateral nerve sparing. Urinary continence and potency were estimated by the UCLA Prostate Cancer Index questionnaire.

RESULTS

Patients in the nerve sparing plus sural nerve graft group were younger than those in the bilateral nerve sparing or unilateral nerve sparing groups. At baseline the unilateral nerve sparing plus sural nerve graft group and the bilateral nerve sparing group reported better sexual function than the unilateral nerve sparing group (62.1 and 61.5 vs 49.9, p<0.05). The bilateral nerve sparing group showed more rapid recovery than the unilateral nerve sparing plus sural nerve graft group after radical retropubic prostatectomy (p<0.01). After 24 months there were no significant differences observed between the bilateral nerve sparing and the unilateral nerve sparing plus sural nerve graft group (28.7 vs 32.9). The bilateral nerve sparing group reported a better sexual function score than the unilateral nerve sparing group throughout the postoperative period (p<0.05). The bilateral nerve sparing group maintained significantly better urinary function at 1 month after radical retropubic prostatectomy than the unilateral nerve sparing plus sural nerve graft group (p <0.05). After 3 months these groups were almost continent. The unilateral nerve sparing group reported lower urinary function scores during the first year compared to the other groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The nerve graft procedure may contribute to the recovery of urinary function as well as sexual function after radical retropubic prostatectomy. This finding needs to be validated in a randomized trial.

Impact of unilateral interposition sural nerve graft on the recovery of sexual function after radical prostatectomy in Japanese men: a preliminary study

PURPOSE

To determine the effect of an interposition nerve graft on sexual function after radical prostatectomy.

METHODS

This study includes 64 patients, without hormonal therapy, who underwent a radical prostatectomy and intraoperative electrophysiological confirmation of cavernous nerve preservation. Twelve patients underwent a unilateral interposition sural nerve graft (UNG) for the resected neurovascular bundle. Twenty-one and 31 patients underwent bilateral nerve-sparing (BNS) and unilateral nerve-sparing (UNS) surgery without a nerve graft, respectively. As the age of patients was significantly younger in the UNG group than in the other groups, age-matched analysis also was conducted. Sexual function, evaluated by a self-administered questionnaire using the University of California Los Angeles-Prostate Cancer Index, was compared statistically among the three groups.

RESULTS

In the age-matched analysis, the postoperative sexual function (SXF) score of the UNG group showed an intermediate level of recovery between those of the BNS and UNS groups at 12 months and reached the same level as the score at 12 months of the BNS group at 18 months postoperatively. The difference in the SXF score between the UNG and UNS groups began to appear after 6 months postoperatively and increased steadily with time. However, the background factors, such as the baseline SXF score, the usage rate of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors, and the rate of comorbidities were different between the UNG and UNS groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The difference of the SXF score between the UNG and UNS groups increased with time after 6 months postoperatively. However, it might be difficult at present to attribute a better recovery of the SXF score to the nerve graft because of the difference in the background factors between the groups.

Quality of life after brachytherapy or radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer: A prospective longitudinal study

OBJECTIVES

To investigate health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Japanese men with localized prostate cancer who underwent prostate brachytherapy (BT) or retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP).

METHODS

A total of 70 patients who underwent BT and 67 who underwent RRP were enrolled in our study. The Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form (SF-36), University of California, Los Angeles, Prostate Cancer Index, and the International Prostate Symptom Score were administered before and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment. No patients received neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy.

RESULTS

The RRP group reported significantly lower scores in several domains of the SF-36 at 1 month (P <0.05), but these domains returned to baseline within 6 months. The BT patients reported no significant changes in any of the general HRQOL domains throughout the follow-up period. The RRP group reported a lower posttreatment urinary function score, which reflected leakage, than the BT group. However, the BT patients experienced a significantly delayed recovery of the urinary bother score. The data from the International Prostate Symptom Score showed adverse effects from BT on voiding symptoms for the initial 6 months after treatment. No differences were found in bowel symptoms. RRP was associated with worse sexual function than BT, although nerve-sparing surgery minimized the difference.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study have indicated that BT and RRP have meaningfully different profiles in the recovery of general QOL. The differences in the recovery of disease-specific HRQOL were pronounced during the first 12 months after treatment.

Antibiotic prophylaxis in radical prostatectomy: 1-day versus 4-day treatments

OBJECTIVE

The standard protocol of antibiotic prophylaxis in radical prostatectomy remains to be established. We retrospectively compared the occurrence of perioperative infections following radical prostatectomy between two different protocols of antibiotic prophylaxis.

METHODS

This study included 106 cases of radical retropubic prostatectomy managed on the clinical pathways. Two different protocols of antibiotic prophylaxis were used in otherwise identical pathways. Between January and December 2004, 50 patients received a second generation cephem, cefotiam, for 4 days, beginning 30 min before surgery (4-day group), whilst between December 2004 and July 2005, only two doses of cefotiam were given on the day of operation in 56 patients (1-day group). The incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) and remote infection (RI) was retrospectively investigated.

RESULTS

Superficial incisional SSI occurred in one (1.8%) patient in the 1-day group, whereas no patient in the 4-day group developed SSI. No RI was observed in either the 1-day or 4-day group. Intravenous antibiotics were administered besides the pathway in a patient in the 1-day group because unexplained fever more than 38 degrees C continued postoperative day (POD) 2 through POD 4 without signs of SSI or RI. Excluding this case, postoperative more than 38 degrees C was rare and transient after POD 2.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of SSI and RI was low and not significantly different between the 1-day and 4-day groups. Therefore, the 1-day protocol of prophylactic antibiotic treatment seems adequate for preventing perioperative infections in radical prostatectomy.

Relevance of postcatheter removal incontinence to postoperative urinary function after radical prostatectomy

AIM

We examined whether postoperative urinary function after radical prostatectomy is associated with immediate incontinence just after catheter removal.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The current study included 80 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer, who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy between January 2002 and May 2004. The amount of immediate incontinence was measured with a 24-h pad test just after catheter removal. The patients were categorized into the three groups based on the stratified grade of immediate urinary incontinence: groups I (0 g; 47 patients), II (1-99 g; 23 patients) and III (100 g and above; 10 patients), respectively. Urinary function and bother were assessed by a self-administered questionnaire using the University of California Los Angeles, Prostate Cancer Index at baseline, and at 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. The differences in scores of urinary function, bother and clinicopathological parameters were assessed in the three groups with one-way analysis of variance.

RESULTS

No significant difference was observed in the clinicopathological parameters in the three groups. Preoperatively significant difference of urinary function scores was not evident and that of urinary bother scores was not observed in the three groups. Postoperatively urinary function scores were significantly different throughout the postoperative periods investigated, whereas difference in urinary bother scores observed at 3 months tended to disappear with time.

CONCLUSION

Postcatheter removal incontinence might be related to postoperative urinary function after radical prostatectomy, although further investigation is necessary regarding the criteria for categorization because of a small number of the patients.

Natural history of voiding function after radical retropubic prostatectomy

OBJECTIVES

To report results from a 2-year longitudinal survey of lower urinary tract function and quality of life (QOL) in men after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RP) for localized prostate cancer.

METHODS

Between November 2001 and September 2003, self-report assessments were provided to 225 patients who underwent RP alone. The University of California Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA PCI), the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and the IPSS QOL score were administered before and 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after RP.

RESULTS

The overall mean total IPSS and IPSS QOL score progressively improved with time. The mean scores of several components improved significantly postoperatively. No significant difference was observed in nocturia between the baseline assessment and any of the postoperative follow-up assessments. The IPSS of the younger patients continued to recover significantly more rapidly than that of the older patients after RP. According to the UCLA PCI scores, urinary function substantially declined just after RP and continued to recover but scored lower than the baseline. The mean total IPSS and IPSS QOL scores observed in men with a UCLA PCI urinary function score of 80 or more were significantly better than in men with scores less than 80 at 24 months postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS

Radical retropubic prostatectomy has a significant beneficial effect on lower urinary tract symptoms. The rate of improvement was lowest for nocturia among the seven symptoms of IPSS. Urinary continence after RP and age can affect the recovery of voiding function.

Radical retropubic prostatectomy through a minimal incision with portless endoscopy: Our initial experience

Twenty-one patients with clinically localized prostate cancer underwent minilaparotomy radical retropubic prostatectomy through a single 5-cm midline or Pfannenstiel incision. A 30 degrees laparoscope was usually positioned around the edge of the incision to facilitate the procedure. The mean operating time was 255 min. The mean blood loss was 859 mL, and no patient required an allogenic blood transfusion. Postoperative pain was noticeably reduced, especially in the Pfannenstiel incision group. Endoscope-assisted minilaparotomy did not involve a learning curve, and could be useful for most urologic surgeons as minimally invasive surgery.

Changes in quality of life in first year after radical prostatectomy by retropubic, laparoscopic, and perineal approach: Multi-institutional longitudinal study in Japan

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the health-related quality of life of patients who underwent radical prostatectomy performed using retropubic, laparoscopic, and perineal approaches.

METHODS

A total of 218 men who underwent retropubic prostatectomy, 65 who underwent laparoscopic prostatectomy, and 66 who underwent perineal prostatectomy were enrolled in our survey. A baseline interview was conducted before treatment. Follow-up interviews were conducted in person at scheduled study visits 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. We measured two validated questionnaires that assessed the general and disease-specific health-related quality of life.

RESULTS

The retropubic group reported substantial deterioration in physical limitations, emotional limitations, social function, and bodily pain at 1 month. The perineal group reported less bodily pain just after surgery than the retropubic and laparoscopic groups. After 6 months, however, no significant differences were found among the three groups. Postoperative urinary function remained substantially lower than the baseline level in every treatment group. Each approach with a nerve-sparing procedure showed a similar recovery profile of urinary function postoperatively. The perineal group reported no significant difference in bowel function compared with the other two groups. All of the groups continued to have decrements in sexual function.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study have demonstrated that retropubic, laparoscopic, and perineal prostatectomy have differences in the recovery of general and disease-specific quality of life in the early postoperative period. When performed by an experienced surgeon, the retropubic, laparoscopic, and perineal approaches appear to be equivalent in terms of health-related quality of life.

Treatment of localized prostate cancer using high-intensity focused ultrasound

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the biochemical disease-free survival (DFS), predictors of clinical outcome and morbidity of patients with localized prostate cancer treated with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), a noninvasive treatment that induces complete coagulative necrosis of a tumour at depth through the intact skin.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 63 patients with stage T1c-2bN0M0 localized prostate cancer underwent HIFU using the Sonablate system (Focus Surgery, Inc., Indianapolis, IN, USA). None of the patients received neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant therapy. Biochemical recurrence was defined according to the criteria recommended by the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology consensus definition, i.e. three consecutive increases in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level after the nadir. The median (range) age, PSA level and follow-up were 71 (45-87) years, 8.5 (3.39-57.0) ng/mL and 22.0 (3-63) months, respectively.

RESULTS

The overall biochemical disease-free rate was 75% (47 patients). The 3-year biochemical DFS rates for patients with a PSA level before HIFU of <10, 10.01-20 and >20 ng/mL were 82%, 62% and 20% (P < 0.001), respectively. The 3-year biochemical DFS rates for patients with a PSA nadir of <0.2, 0.21-1 and >1 ng/mL were 100%, 74% and 21% (P < 0.001), respectively. Final follow-up sextant biopsies showed that 55 (87%) of the patients were cancer-free. Multivariate analysis showed that the PSA nadir (P < 0.001) was a significant independent predictor of relapse.

CONCLUSION

HIFU therapy appears to be a safe, effective and minimally invasive therapy for patients with localized prostate cancer, and the PSA nadir is a useful predictor of clinical outcome.

Is a limited lymphadenectomy targeting obturator nodes alone an adequate procedure for Japanese men undergoing radical prostatectomy?

BACKGROUND

The objective of the present study was to investigate the significance of pelvic lymphadenectomy during radical prostatectomy in Japanese men with prostate cancer.

METHODS

A total of 178 consecutive patients who underwent radical prostatectomy and standard pelvic lymphadenectomy targeting the external iliac nodes and obturator fossa for clinically localized prostate cancer were studied. The median observation period of this series was 18 months (range: 3-36 months).

RESULTS

Lymph node metastases were detected in 13 patients; that is, positive nodes were located in the external iliac nodes alone in seven patients, the obturator fossa alone in four patients, and both external iliac nodes and obturator fossa in two patients. Of these 13 patients, all of the seven with more than one positive node demonstrated biochemical recurrence, whereas five of the six with single node involvement remained without signs of biochemical recurrence. Furthermore, a single positive node was located in the external iliac region in five of the six patients. When a group at high-risk for lymph node metastasis was defined as those meeting more than two of the following three criteria: (i) pretreatment serum prostate specific antigen value > or = 20 ng/mL; (ii) biopsy Gleason sum > or = 8; or (iii) percentage of positive biopsy core > or = 50%, the incidence of lymph node metastasis was 24.5% in the high-risk group and 0.8% in the low-risk group.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that limited dissection of the obturator node alone may not be sufficient for Japanese men undergoing radical prostatectomy; therefore, we recommend performing standard pelvic lymphadenectomy targeting both the external iliac nodes and the obturator fossa for patients at high-risk of lymph node involvement.

Outcomes of radical prostatectomy in thai men with prostate cancer

OBJECTIVE

Radical prostatectomy remains the standard treatment for early prostate cancer. Few data in the literature are from South East Asia. This study was conducted to evaluate the outcome of radical prostatectomy in Thai men.

METHODS

A total of 151 patients with prostate cancer underwent radical prostatectomy at Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, between 1994 and 2003. Clinical staging, preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and Gleason score were evaluated with pathological stage and margin status. Follow-up PSA monitoring and survival were analysed.

RESULTS

Of 121 patients with clinical localized disease, 79 (65.3%), 40 (33.1%) and two (1.6%) had localized, locally advanced and metastatic disease, respectively, on pathology. The chance of localized disease with a preoperative PSA of 10 ng/mL or less, more than 10-50 ng/mL and more than 50 ng/mL was 75.5%, 50% and 12.5%, respectively (all p < 0.001). The chance of localized disease with a Gleason score of 2-4, 5-7 and 8-10 was 85%, 55.1% and 20.8%, respectively (all p < 0.02). Mean follow-up was 30 months. Among 140 evaluable patients, 51 (36.4%) had adjuvant therapy and 136 (97.1%) had undetectable PSA without clinical progression. The cumulative PSA progression-free survival among patients with pathological T1N0, T2N0 and T3N0 disease was 0.83 at 82 months, 0.48 at 85 months and 0.31 at 57 months, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Radical prostatectomy in Thai men shows excellent results. The trend is the same as in Western series. The chance of organ-confined disease and free margin was high in patients with clinical T2 or less, PSA less than 10 ng/mL and low Gleason score. PSA progression-free survival was high in patients with organ-confined disease.

Adverse effect of radical prostatectomy on nocturia and voiding frequency symptoms

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the impact of retropubic radical prostatectomy (RP) on urinary incontinence and obstructive/irritative urinary symptoms, according to global self-assessment instruments.

METHODS

Self-report assessments were provided by 120 patients who underwent RP alone. The University of California, Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA PCI), the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and the IPSS quality of life (QOL) score were administered before and 12 months after RP.

RESULTS

Overall mean total IPSS and IPSS QOL scores showed statistically significant improvement (both P < 0.001). There were no differences between baseline and postoperative scores in "Voiding frequency" or "Nocturia" related to irritative symptoms. Moreover, RP had adverse effects on the nocturia and voiding frequency composites score when the analysis was limited to those men who reported scores of 0 or 1 for each symptom preoperatively (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). The urinary function score according to the UCLA PCI had substantially declined at 12 months compared with baseline (P < 0.001); however, no significant differences were observed in urinary bother between the baseline and postoperative scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Although a significant proportion of men complained of urinary incontinence, RP significantly improved IPSS and IPSS QOL scores in men with moderate or severe urinary symptoms. However, RP seems to have a deleterious effect on nocturia and voiding frequency for some men with only mild symptoms.

Intraoperative Electrophysiological Confirmation of Neurovascular Bundle Preservation during Radical Prostatectomy: Long-term Assessment of Urinary and Sexual Function

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the longitudinal recovery of urinary and sexual function after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RP) using an intraoperative electrophysiological test to confirm the functional preservation of the neurovascular bundle (NVB).

METHODS

A total of 70 patients who underwent RP for localized prostate cancer were prospectively enrolled in our survey. During RP, electrophysiological testing was performed to confirm the NVB preservation. The NVB was electrostimulated and the responses were observed by monitoring the intracavernous or intraurethral pressure changes. All patients were classified into three groups according to the degree of nerve-sparing [a bilateral nerve-sparing group (BNS), a unilateral nerve-sparing group (UNS) and a non-nerve-sparing group (NNS)] based on the macroanatomical as well as the electrophysiological assessment. Both urinary and sexual function were measured before and 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after RP by a self-administered questionnaire.

RESULTS

The concordance rate of nerve-sparing or non-nerve-sparing between the electrophysiological and macroanatomical assessment was 80%. According to the electrophysiological data, the BNS maintained significantly better urinary function at 3 months after RP than the NNS and UNS. After 6 months, each group had almost recovered continence. When considering sexual function, the BNS showed better sexual function scores than the NNS throughout the post-operative periods and the UNS at 2 years. According to the macroanatomical assessment, however, these differences were significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Nerve-sparing RP as confirmed by intraoperative electrophysiological test may contribute significantly to the early recovery of continence and greater rate of sexual function after RP.

Predicting risk factors for inguinal hernia after radical retropubic prostatectomy

OBJECTIVES

To determine the risk factors for postprostatectomy inguinal hernia development.

METHODS

From January 1998 to June 2004, we investigated the medical records of 201 consecutive patients who had undergone radical retropubic prostatectomy. Postoperatively, 25 (12.4%) of 201 patients developed an inguinal hernia. The preoperative factors, including age, presence of diabetes mellitus, smoking, and previous unilateral hernioplasty, of this group were compared with those of the 176 patients who did not develop an inguinal hernia. The postoperative parameters, including pathologic stage, specimen weight, adjuvant radiotherapy, and postoperative wound-related problems, were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The patients who had undergone previous unilateral hernioplasty developed a groin hernia after prostatectomy more frequently than those who did not (P = 0.001, Fisher's exact test). Additionally, once a postoperative wound-related problem occurred, the incidence of postprostatectomy groin hernia increased substantially (P = 0.025, logistic regression analysis).

CONCLUSIONS

We suggest routine repair of the contralateral groin for patients who have undergone previous unilateral hernioplasty. Prevention of wound-related problems appears to decrease the incidence of postprostatectomy groin hernias.

Quality of Life after Radical Prostatectomy in Japanese Men: 2 year Longitudinal Study

OBJECTIVE

We performed a 2 year longitudinal survey of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RP) in Japanese men with localized prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We measured 112 patients who underwent RP with SF-36 and University of California, Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index before and 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after surgery.

RESULTS

Patients who underwent RP showed problems in some domains of general HRQOL, but these problems diminished over time. Mental health significantly improved throughout the follow-up period. The urinary function substantially declined at 3 months and continued to recover gradually but never returned to the baseline. Urinary bother at 3 months showed a significant decrease, but at 6 months it returned to baseline. The data of sexual function and bother showed a substantially lower score after RP. Patients lost their sexual desire significantly throughout the post-operative period. After 12 months, the nerve sparing group had significantly better improvement in sexual function than the non-nerve sparing group and this improvement continued up to 2 years after operation.

CONCLUSION

Despite reports of problems with sexuality and urinary continence, general HRQOL was mostly unaffected by RP after 6 months. RP had a favorable impact on mental health. Although urinary function did not completely return to the baseline level even at 2 years after RP, recovery from urinary bother was rapid. RP had serious consequences on libido, erectile function and sexual activity. In the second year, the sexual function of those who underwent RP with bilateral nerve sparing procedure continued to improve.

Clinical characteristics of prostate cancer in Japanese men in the eras before and after serum prostate-specific antigen testing

BACKGROUND

We retrospectively reviewed a large series of Japanese men with histologically proven prostate cancer to assess the clinical characteristics of the cancer in three different eras of prostate cancer management since prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing started in 1988.

METHODS

The medical records of 1125 patients treated between 1975 and 2002 were reviewed with respect to age, chief complaints, clinical stage, tumor grade, treatment options at each stage, and prognosis. We classified the patients as follows: those treated in the pre-PSA era between 1975 and 1988 (n=182), those treated in the PSA era between 1988 and 1997 (n=301; PSA era phase 1) and the PSA era between 1998 and 2002 (n=642; PSA era phase 2).

RESULTS

Compared with the pre-PSA era, there were significant increases in the proportion of well-differentiated adenocarcinoma with respect to the biopsy tumor grade (24 vs 35%, P<0.01), in the proportion of linically organ-confined disease (21 vs 43%, P<0.001), and in the proportion of patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (13%vs 20%, P<0.01) after PSA testing was introduced. In addition, there was a significant difference in the proportion of subjects who were 70--79 years of age between the pre-PSA era (52%, 95/182) and the PSA era phase 2 (42%, 270/642, P<0.05). There was also a significant difference in the proportion of patients who underwent surgical castration between the pre-PSA era (78%) and PSA era phase 2 (10%, P<0.001). The proportion of patients participating in prostate cancer screening increased from 3% (pre-PSA era) to 11% (PSA era phase 1 and PSA era phase 2, P<0.05). In all clinical stages, there were significant differences between the pre- and post-PSA eras in cause-specific survival rates (5-year: 74 vs 94% in stages A and B, P<0.01; 54 vs 89% in stage C, P<0.001; 32 vs 53% in stage D, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Migrations in the age of patients (toward younger patients), the stage of the cancer (towards earlier stages) and the histological findings (toward favorable findings), in addition to changes in treatment options, have contributed to the prolonged survival of Japanese men with prostate cancer after the PSA testing was introduced.

Use of acute normovolemic hemodilution in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy. Preoperative autologous blood donation (PAD) is widely accepted as a means of reducing the need for allogeneic blood transfusion in radical prostatectomy. ANH is an alternative method for obtaining autologous blood.

METHODS

On the basis of our previous report that showed the equivalence of PAD and ANH, we prospectively replaced PAD with ANH as a standard practice for radical prostatectomy after September 1999. Of 174 radical prostatectomy patients between September 1999 and June 2004, 153 underwent ANH alone, 15 chose to receive both PAD and ANH, and ANH was contraindicated in 15 because of comorbidities.

RESULTS

For the 153 patients undergoing ANH alone, 1032 +/- 201 mL of autologous blood was collected. With an intraoperative blood loss of 1602 +/- 926 mL, 14 patients (9.2%) received allogeneic blood transfusion. The preoperative, intraoperative nadir, and postoperative hematocrit value was 43.6% +/- 3.4%, 25.8% +/- 3.8%, and 31.9% +/- 4.3%, respectively. No patient experienced a perioperative adverse event related to hemodilution or blood transfusion.

CONCLUSIONS

Our continued experience has shown that ANH is a safe and effective means of autologous blood procurement. Given its advantages, including lower cost, lower risk, and simplicity, we conclude that ANH can replace conventional PAD for use in radical prostatectomy, although the true value of ANH should be determined by future randomized studies including a no-treatment control group.

A retrospective study of the treatment of locally advanced prostate cancer by six institutions in eastern and north-eastern Japan

OBJECTIVE

To investigate patients with locally advanced prostate cancer treated at six academic institutions in eastern and north-eastern Japan from 1988 to 2000, to facilitate the establishment of Japanese guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of locally advanced prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study included 391 eligible patients with locally advanced prostate cancer who were treated by radical prostatectomy (RP), radiotherapy and/or primary hormone therapy. Disease-specific survival rates for these patients were assessed in relation to their clinicopathological characteristics and the types of treatment they received. The Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal-Wallis, chi-square and log-rank test were used for statistical analysis, as appropriate.

RESULTS

In all, 128 patient with lower prostate-specific antigen levels (P = 0.023) and/or better performance status (P = 0.001) had RP. Neoadjuvant hormone therapy before RP was the treatment in 68 (53%) of these 128 patients; 66 (52%) received immediate adjuvant hormone therapy. Of 87 patients treated with radiotherapy, 75 (86%) had external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) as the primary treatment with no brachytherapy, and 12 (14%) had brachytherapy as the primary method. Neoadjuvant hormone therapy was given to 56 of the 87 patients (64%); 48 (55%) received immediate adjuvant hormone therapy. Of the 176 patients treated with primary hormone therapy alone, combined androgen blockade and surgical or medical castration was the treatment in 76 (43%) and 85 (48%), respectively. Disease-specific survival rates at 5 years for patients treated with RP, EBRT and primary hormone therapy were 90%, 98%, and 89%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The treatments provided by the participating institutions did not differ significantly from those set out in European and American guidelines, and short-term disease-specific survival rates for each treatment did not differ significantly from those of historical controls. Further investigation may facilitate the establishment of Japanese guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of locally advanced prostate cancer.

An evaluation of urinary function after radical prostatectomy in Japanese men: concordance with definitions of urinary continence

OBJECTIVE

To determine how well various definitions of continence outcome after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RP) corresponded with each other, using published health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) questionnaires.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 198 patients undergoing RP alone were enrolled in a study between November 2000 and June 2003. The baseline interview was conducted before RP and 3, 6 and 12 months afterward. The disease-specific HRQoL was assessed using the University of California-Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index; the correspondence among definitions of incontinence was investigated.

RESULTS

The urinary function score substantially declined at 3 months, continued to recover at 6 and 12 months, but remained lower than at baseline (P < 0.001). The correspondence among definitions of continence varied widely; 97% of men who did not have urine leakage at all claimed to use no pads, but only 63% of those claiming no use of pads had no urine leakage at all. Interestingly, this concordance rate progressively changed from 46% at 3 months to 60% at 12 months, whereas it was 82% at baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on self-reported questionnaire data, different definitions of continence gave different results when applied to the same patients at the same time. The correspondence among definitions may vary with time after RP. No single question adequately assesses the urinary HRQoL outcome after treatment for prostate cancer.