Robot-assisted radical cystectomy with totally intracorporeal urinary diversion: surgical and early functional outcomes through the learning curve in a single high-volume center

The aim of the study is to report surgical and early functional outcomes of first 100 patients undergoing robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with totally intracorporeal urinary diversion (ICUD) in a single center. The main surgeon (A.P.) attended a modular training program at a referring center mentored by a worldwide-recognized robotic surgeon (P.W.). The program consisted of: (a) 10 h of theoretical lessons; (b) video session (c) step-by-step in vivo modular training. Each procedure was performed as taught, without any technique variation. Demographics, intra-operative data and post-operative complications, along with early functional outcomes, were recorded for each patient. We retrospectively evaluated the first consecutive 100 patients submitted to RARC with totally ICUD from July 2015 to December 2018. Median age at surgery was 69 years (IQR 60-74). 52 (52%), 32 (32%), and 17 (17%) patients received orthotopic neobladder, ileal conduit and uretero-cutaneostomy, respectively. Median operative time was 410 min. A median number of lymph nodes retrieved were 27 and median estimated blood loss was 240 mL with median hospitalization time of 7 days. All procedures were completed successfully without open conversion. A statistically significant improvement was found in the late (30-90 post-operative days) post-operative complications (p = 0.02) and operative time for urinary derivation. At multivariate logistic regression model ASA score ≥ 3 (OR = 4.2, p = 0.002) and number of lymph nodes retrieved (OR = 1.16, p = 0.02) were found to be predictors of 90-day complications. An adequate modular training is paramount to obtain successful results and reduce the learning curve of RARC, as demonstrated by our experience.

Abstract P6-09-02: Effects of palbociclib on thymidine kinase-1 (TK1) in hormone receptor positive (HR+) breast cancer cell lines

Introduction: TK1 plays a crucial role in DNA synthesis and is a well-established marker of cell proliferation. We and others have previously described the potential role of TK1 activity (TKa) as predictive biomarker of response to endocrine therapy in HR+/HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer patients. TK1 synthesis is regulated by the E2F pathway, the target pathway of CDK4/6 inhibitors, and TKa has recently been reported as a potential circulating pharmacodynamic marker of CDK4/6 inhibition in breast cancer. However, modulations of TK1 levels and activity during palbociclib treatment and in the development of treatment resistance are unknown. Here, we report how TK1 expression and TKa are modulated in response to palbociclib in a panel of HR+ breast cancer cell lines: both palbociclib-sensitive (PDS) and with acquired resistance to (PDR).

Material and methods: We used a panel of 7 PDR HR+ breast cancer models previously developed in our lab via chronic exposure of parental cells (MCF7, T47D, ZR75-1, BT474, MDAMB361 and two MCF7 endocrine resistant derivatives) to escalating doses of palbociclib, from a Starting Treatment Concentration (STC) of 50 nM or 350 nM according to the cell line, up to 1 μM. We analyzed gene expression profiles of PDS cells treated with drug vehicle (DMSO) as a control or palbociclib at STC for 3 days, and PDR cells grown with palbociclib 1 μM. Cell proliferation was assessed by methylene blue assay in MCF7 and BT474 PDS and PDR treated for 3, 6 and 9 days with DMSO, palbociclib STC and 1 μM. In parallel, TKa was measured in cell lysates at 3 days of treatment using the DiviTumTM assay (Biovica, Sweden).

Results: Among E2F target genes, gene expression data demonstrated that TK1 was one of the most differentially expressed genes between PDR and PDS treated cells. In PDS cells compared to control, treatment with palbociclib resulted in reduced TK1 expression, with the HER2 positive models (BT474 and MDAMB361) showing the highest reduction. In PDR cells, TK1 expression was higher, but remained slightly inhibited compared to untreated PDS cells. TKa was significantly reduced in PDS cells treated with palbociclib for 3 days compared to vehicle (p<0.05). TKa response to palbociclib was more dramatic in BT474 cells as compared to MCF7. As expected, palbociclib inhibited cell proliferation in PDS models, with a significant reduction observed only after 6 days of treatment, suggesting that TKa may be an early marker of growth inhibition in response to palbociclib. No significant alterations in TKa were observed in PDR cells, at any dose of palbociclib. Similarly, proliferation rate was not affected by palbociclib in PDR cells.

Conclusions: TK1 expression and activity are regulated by palbociclib in HR+ breast cancer cell lines, particularly in HER2 positive models. Ongoing studies of TKa in patients treated with palbociclib will assess the role of TKa as a circulating biomarker for predicting and monitoring response to CDK4/6 inhibitors.

Citation Format: Bonechi M, Migliaccio I, Benelli M, Romagnoli D, Bergqvist M, Mattsson K, Boccalini G, Capaccioli G, De Luca F, Galardi F, Biagioni C, Risi E, McCartney A, Rossi L, Osborne CK, Schiff R, De Angelis C, Guarducci C, Di Leo A, Malorni L. Effects of palbociclib on thymidine kinase-1 (TK1) in hormone receptor positive (HR+) breast cancer cell lines [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-09-02.

Retroperitoneal approach for robot-assisted partial nephrectomy: technique and early outcomes

OBJECTIVES

The aim of our study is to present early outcomes of our series of retroperitoneal-RAPN (Robot Assisted Partial Nephrectomy).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From September 2010 until December 2015, we performed 81 RAPN procedures (44 at left kidney and 37 at right). Average size was 3cm (1-9). Average PADUA score 7.1 (5-10). Average surgical time (overall and only robot time), ischemia time, blood loss, pathological stage, complications and hospital stay have been recorded.

RESULTS

All of the cases were completed successfully without any operative complication or surgical conversion. Average surgical time was 177 minutes (75-340). Operative time was 145 minutes (80-300), overall blood loss was 142cc (60-310cc). In 30 cases the pedicle was late clamped with an average ischemia time of 4 minutes (2-7). None of the patient had positive surgical margins at definitive histology (49pT1a, 12pT1b, 3pT2a, 2pT3a). Hospital stay was 3 days (2-7).

CONCLUSIONS

The retroperitoneal robotic partial nephrectomy approach is safe and allows treatment of even quite complex tumors. It also combines the already well known advantages guaranteed by the da Vinci® robotic surgical system, with the advantages of the retroperitoneoscopic approach.

Weekly ventilator circuit changes. A strategy to reduce costs without affecting pneumonia rates

BACKGROUND

Mechanical ventilator circuits are commonly changed at 48-h intervals. This frequency may be unnecessary because ventilator-associated pneumonia often results from aspiration of pharyngeal secretions and not from the ventilator circuit. We compared the ventilator-associated pneumonia rates and costs associated with 48-h and 7-day circuit changes.

METHODS

Ventilator circuits were changed at 48-h intervals during the control period (November 1992 to April 1993) and at 7-day intervals during the study period (June 1993 to November 1993). Nosocomial pneumonias were prospectively identified using the criteria of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The annual cost difference of changing circuits at 48-h and 7-day intervals was calculated using the distribution of ventilator days for the control and study periods.

RESULTS

There were 1,708 patients, 9,858 ventilator days, and a pneumonia rate of 9.64 per 1,000 ventilator days in the control group (48-h circuit changes). There were 1,715 patients, 9,160 ventilator days, and 8.62 pneumonias per 1,000 ventilator days when circuits were changed at 1-week intervals (study group). Using a logistic regression model, there were significantly greater odds of developing a ventilator-associated pneumonia in surgical patients (odds ratio 1.77, P = 0.02) and patients in critical care units (odds ratio 1.54, P = 0.05), but no significant risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia in patients in whom circuits were changed at 1-week intervals (odds ratio 0.82, P = 0.22). Changing circuits at 7-day intervals resulted in a 76.6% ($111,530) reduction in the annual cost for materials and salaries.

CONCLUSIONS

We found no difference in pneumonia rates with ventilator circuit changes at 48-h and 7-day intervals. Ventilator circuits can be safely changed at weekly intervals, resulting in large cost savings.

[Pre- and postoperative radiotherapy of oral carcinoma of a locally advanced stage. An analysis of the results and complications]

The combination of radiotherapy and surgery in the treatment of advanced oral carcinoma (T3 and T4 lesions) yields good possibilities of recovery; whether radiotherapy should be given before or after surgery is still debated. Fifty patients with advanced oral carcinomas were analyzed: 24 of them were irradiated before and 26 after surgery; doses ranged from 40 to 56 Gy for the first group of patients, and from 50 to 68 Gy for the second one. The disease-free survival 48 months after the diagnosis was 36% in patients who received preoperative irradiation, and 53.6% in patients who received postoperative radiotherapy; the latter allowed local control of the disease to be significantly improved (chi 2 3.99, 0.01 less than p less than 0.05). The quality of survival was worse in the group receiving preoperative irradiation, because of radiation-induced surgical complications, which were especially observed in patients with diffuse disease. Our findings suggest that postoperative radiotherapy may be advisable if the tumor is resectable, since tolerance and local control rate were acceptable. On the contrary, nearly inoperable masses and massive neck diseases often require preoperative irradiation.

Treatment of advanced head and neck tumors with PEV-B regimen: a pilot study

Thirty-seven patients with advanced head and neck tumors were treated with a polychemotherapy regimen (PEV-B: platinum 30 mg/m2 i.v., epirubicin 30 mg/m2 i.v., etoposide 75 mg/m2 i.v. on days 1 and 2 every 28 days, and bleomycin 15 mg i.m. weekly up to the total dose of 300 mg). All but 7 patients were pretreated with surgery and/or radiotherapy. Thirty-six patients were evaluable for response. Partial response (PR) was observed in 19 cases (53%), no change (NC) in 13 cases (36%) and progression (P) in 4 cases (11%). The median duration of PR was 5 months. The most frequent side-effects were leukopenia (78%), vomiting (57%) and alopecia (46%). The median duration of survival was 8 months for the responders and 5 months for the non-responders.

[Incidence of lymph node metastases in epithelial neoplasms of the oral cavity: risk factors]

The incidence of pathological neck nodes metastases in a group of 60 patients with a diagnosis of oral squamous carcinoma is reviewed. Risk factors are a size of primary more than 4 cm and tumors of the anterior two-third of the tongue. Carcinomas of oral tongue, also of a size less than 4 cm (T1,T2), have a high incidence of subclinical metastases.

[2 cases of mandibular ameloblastoma treated by a conservative surgical method]

The Authors describe two cases of jaw adamantinoma which have been treated with preserving surgical operation. The first was a very cyst which has been completely enucleated, after one year since the operation the clinical investigation and screening show a complete healing. The second, equally of cyst shape, has been treated with curettage, after 15 months since the operation it shows no sign of recurrence. The Authors conclude by saying that, while bony resection, is always efficient as surgical therapy of choice in jaw adamantinoma in other particular cases it is right to resort to having a definitive recovery.

[Althesin or CT 1341 as a drug to induce balanced anesthesia with ethrane or fluothane associated with type II NLA in dental, maxillofacial and plastic surgery of the head area]

The Authors have tried Althesin as a medicine for the induction and maintainement of the narcosis in the stomatological, maxillo-facial and extra and intra-oral surgery. They have deduced that CT 1341 does not constitute to the anaesthetics Ethrane and Fluothane because of the anaesthetic-level instability (restlessness of the patient and clonic movements of the limbs during the most painful operations in particular). The Authors, supporters of the balanced anaesthesia, suggest using Althesin in the narcosis induction, the maintaining of which is carried on by the N.L.A. type II medicine and by the Ethrane or Fluothane. The latest ones are to be given in very small, not dangerous quantities. The Authors have so obtained a remarkable oxygenation of the patient, a ready, calm and lucid awakening without any collateral and dangerous consequences.

[Preventive therapy in stomatological and maxillofacial surgery. Clinical considerations on the administration of cephaloridine, using a new technic (short-term prophylaxis)]

The "Short term prophylaxis" technique was used in 100 patients who had undergone Stomatologic surgery and Maxillo-facial surgery for post-operative prophylaxis of surgical infections according to analogous researches conducted in other surgical branches by various authors. The results obtained can be summarized as following: 1) a marked reduction in administered antibiotics (cefaloridina); 2) a marked reduction of post-operative fever; 3) a maintainment of average febrile levels at 37,8 degrees-38 degrees. The above tecnique thus allowed a more rapid mobilization of patients who had undergone surgical intervention, a reduction of the recovery period and the therapeutic costs.