Artificial Intelligence Reveals Distinct Prognostic Subgroups of Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer on Histology Images

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is a highly heterogeneous and costly disease with significant morbidity and mortality. Understanding tumor histopathology leads to tailored therapies and improved outcomes. In this study, we employed a weakly supervised learning and neural architecture search to develop a data-driven scoring system. This system aimed to capture prognostic histopathological patterns observed in H&E-stained whole-slide images. We constructed and externally validated our scoring system using multi-institutional datasets with 653 whole-slide images. Additionally, we explored the association between our scoring system, seven histopathological features, and 126 molecular signatures. Through our analysis, we identified two distinct risk groups with varying prognoses, reflecting inherent differences in histopathological and molecular subtypes. The adjusted hazard ratio for overall mortality was 1.46 (95% CI 1.05-2.02; z: 2.23; p = 0.03), thus identifying two prognostic subgroups in high-grade MIBC. Furthermore, we observed an association between our novel digital biomarker and the squamous phenotype, subtypes of miRNA, mRNA, long non-coding RNA, DNA hypomethylation, and several gene mutations, including FGFR3 in MIBC. Our findings underscore the risk of confounding bias when reducing the complex biological and clinical behavior of tumors to a single mutation. Histopathological changes can only be fully captured through comprehensive multi-omics profiles. The introduction of our scoring system has the potential to enhance daily clinical decision making for MIBC. It facilitates shared decision making by offering comprehensive and precise risk stratification, treatment planning, and cost-effective preselection for expensive molecular characterization.

The effect of cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy on the renal function of patients undergoing radical cystectomy

INTRODUCTION

Cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is the standard of care for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) undergoing radical cystectomy (RC). Cisplatin, however, can induce renal toxicity. Furthermore, RC is an independent risk factor for renal injury, with decreases in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of up to 6 mL/min/1.73 m2 reported at one year postoperatively. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of cisplatin-based NAC and RC on the renal function of patients undergoing both.

METHODS

We analyzed a multicenter database of patients with MIBC, all of whom received cisplatin-based NAC prior to RC. eGFR values were collected at time points T1 (before NAC), T2 (after NAC but before RC), and T3 (one year post-RC). eGFR and proportion of patients with eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73m2 (chronic kidney disease [CKD] stage ≥3) were compared between these time points. As all patients in this dataset had received NAC, we identified a retrospective cohort of patients from one institution who had undergone RC during the same time period without NAC for context.

RESULTS

We identified 234 patients with available renal function data. From T1 to T3, there was a mean decline in eGFR of 17% (13 mL/min/1.73 m2) in the NAC cohort and an increase in proportion of patients with stage ≥3 CKD from 27% to 50%. The parallel cohort of patients who did not receive NAC was comprised of 236 patients. The mean baseline eGFR in this cohort was lower than in the NAC cohort (66 vs. 75 mL/min/1.73 m2). The mean eGFR decline in this non-NAC cohort from T1 to T3 was 6% (4 mL/min/1.73 m2), and the proportion of those with stage ≥3 CKD increased from 37% to 51%.

CONCLUSIONS

Administration of NAC prior to RC was associated with a 17% decline in eGFR and a nearly doubled incidence of stage ≥3 CKD at one year after RC. Patients who underwent RC without NAC had a higher rate of stage ≥3 CKD at baseline but appeared to have less renal function loss at one year.

Co-expression and clinical utility of AR-FL and AR splice variants AR-V3, AR-V7 and AR-V9 in prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

Androgen receptor (AR) splice variants (AR-Vs) have been discussed as a biomarker in prostate cancer (PC). However, some reports question the predictive property of AR-Vs. From a mechanistic perspective, the connection between AR full length (AR-FL) and AR-Vs is not fully understood. Here, we aimed to investigate the dependence of AR-FL and AR-V expression levels on AR gene activity. Additionally, we intended to comprehensively analyze presence of AR-FL and three clinically relevant AR-Vs (AR-V3, AR-V7 and AR-V9) in different stages of disease, especially with respect to clinical utility in PC patients undergoing AR targeted agent (ARTA) treatment.

METHODS

AR-FL and AR-V levels were analyzed in PC and non-PC cell lines upon artificial increase of AR pre-mRNA using either drug treatment or AR gene activation. Furthermore, expression of AR-FL and AR-Vs was determined in PC specimen at distinct stages of disease (primary (n = 10) and metastatic tissues (n = 20), liquid biopsy samples (n = 422), mCRPC liquid biopsy samples of n = 96 patients starting novel treatment). Finally, baseline AR-FL and AR-V status was correlated with clinical outcome in a defined cohort of n = 65 mCRPC patients undergoing ARTA treatment.

RESULTS

We revealed rising levels of AR-FL accompanied with appearance and increase of AR-Vs in dependence of elevated AR pre-mRNA levels. We also noticed increase in AR-FL and AR-V levels throughout disease progression. AR-V expression was always associated with high AR-FL levels without any sample being solely AR-V positive. In patients undergoing ARTA treatment, AR-FL did show prognostic, yet not predictive validity. Additionally, we observed a substantial clinical response to ARTA treatment even in AR-V positive patients. Accordingly, multivariate analysis did not demonstrate independent significance of AR-Vs in neither predictive nor prognostic clinical utility.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrate a correlation between AR-FL and AR-V expression during PC progression; with AR-V expression being a side-effect of elevated AR pre-mRNA levels. Clinically, AR-V positivity relies on high levels of AR-FL, making cells still vulnerable to ARTA treatment, as demonstrated by AR-FL and AR-V positive patients responding to ARTA treatment. Thus, AR-FL and AR-V might be considered as a prognostic, yet not predictive biomarker in mCRPC patients.

Multicenter evaluation of neoadjuvant and induction gemcitabine-carboplatin versus gemcitabine-cisplatin followed by radical cystectomy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer

PURPOSE

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy followed by radical cystectomy (RC) is recommended in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). However, up to 50% of patients are cisplatin ineligible. The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcomes after ≥ 3 cycles of preoperative gemcitabine-carboplatin (gem-carbo) versus gemcitabine-cisplatin (gem-cis).

METHODS

We identified 1865 patients treated at 19 centers between 2000 and 2013. Patients were included if they had received ≥ 3 cycles of neoadjuvant (cT2-4aN0M0) or induction (cTanyN + M0) gem-carbo or gem-cis followed by RC.

RESULTS

We included 747 patients treated with gem-carbo (n = 147) or gem-cis (n = 600). Patients treated with gem-carbo had a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (p = 0.016) and more clinically node-positive disease (32% versus 20%; p = 0.013). The complete pathological response (pCR; ypT0N0) rate did not significantly differ between gem-carbo and gem-cis (20.7% versus 22.1%; p = 0.73). Chemotherapeutic regimen was not significantly associated with pCR (OR 0.99 [95%CI 0.61-1.59]; p = 0.96), overall survival (OS) (HR 1.20 [95%CI 0.85-1.67]; p = 0.31), or cancer-specific survival (CSS) (HR 1.35 [95%CI 0.93-1.96]; p = 0.11). Median OS of patients treated with gem-carbo and gem-cis was 28.6 months (95%CI 18.1-39.1) and 45.1 months (95%CI 32.7-57.6) (p = 0.18), respectively. Median CSS of patients treated with gem-carbo and gem-cis was 28.8 months (95%CI 9.8-47.8) and 71.0 months (95%CI median not reached) (p = 0.02), respectively. Subanalyses of the neoadjuvant and induction setting did not show significant survival differences.

CONCLUSION

Our results show that a subset of cisplatin-ineligible patients with MIBC achieve pCR on gem-carbo and that survival outcomes seem comparable to gem-cis provided patients are able to receive ≥ 3 cycles and undergo RC.

[Peri-interventional management of platelet aggregation inhibition and anticoagulation in urology]

Perioperative management of anticoagulation in patients receiving long-term anticoagulation or platelet aggregation inhibitors requires an individual consideration of competing risks. If the risk for bleeding is low, anticoagulation can often be continued. If it is necessary to pause anticoagulation, the necessity and dosage of bridging must be determined based on the individual risk of thromboembolism. Only patients with a high risk of thromboembolism should receive bridging in the full therapeutic dosage. The timing of pausing anticoagulation depends on the risk of bleeding from the urological intervention and the renal function of the patient. Platelet aggregation inhibitors should not be discontinued in the first month after coronary stent implantation, especially after acute coronary syndrome.

The Treatment of Metastatic, Hormone-Sensitive Prostatic Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

For many years, the standard treatment of metastatic, hormone-sensitive prostatic carcinoma (mHSPC) was androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) alone. By lowering the testosterone level into the castration range, ADT deprives the tumor of a key growth factor.

METHODS

For this article, we evaluated the treatment recommendations contained in national and international guidelines (German S3 guidelines and those of the European Society for Medical Oncology [ESMO], European Association of Urology [EAU], and National Comprehensive Cancer Network [NCCN]), as well as pertinent publications revealed by a PubMed search and the congress abstracts of the ESMO and of the American Society of Clinical Oncology [ASCO].

RESULTS

The past few years have witnessed fundamental changes in the treatment of mHSPC. Treatment intensification with docetaxel or with the new drugs directed against the androgen receptor signal pathway (abiraterone, apalutamide and enzalutamide) has been found to lower mortality by 19-40% and is now an integral component of first-line therapy. Relevant new findings have also been obtained with threefold combinations of ADT, docetaxel, and abiraterone or darolutamide. For patients with a light tumor burden, local radiotherapy of the primary tumor improves the probability of survival at 3 years by 8% (45.4 versus 49.1 months, difference 3.6 months; 95% confidence interval, 1.0 to 6.2 months).

CONCLUSION

The treatment of mHSPC is constantly changing. Phase III trials that are now in the recruitment stage, as well as our continually improving understanding of the underlying molecular-pathological mechanisms, will be altering the treatment landscape still further in the years to come.

ALP bouncing and LDH normalization in bone metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients under therapy with Enzalutamide: an exploratory analysis

Background

In bone metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (bmCRPC) treated with Enzalutamide commonly used prostate-specific antigen (PSA) can be misleading since initial PSA-flares may occur. In other therapies, bouncing of alkaline phosphatase (ALP-bouncing) was shown to be a promising surrogate for survival outcome. Low lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is usually associated with better outcome. We evaluated the prognostic ability of ALP-bouncing, LDH, PSA, and the combination of these markers after initiation of Enzalutamide.

Methods

Eighty-nine patients with bmCRPC and dynamic changes of PSA, LDH and ALP were analyzed. ALP-bouncing, an increase after therapy start followed by a decline below baseline during the first 8 weeks, LDH-normalization and PSA-decline were analyzed regarding their association with survival using Kaplan-Meier analyses and uni- and multivariate (UV and MV) Cox-regression models.

Results

In Kaplan-Meier analysis a PSA-decline >50%, LDH-normalization and ALP-bouncing were associated with longer median progression-free survival (PFS) with 7 [95% confidence interval (CI): 4.2-9.8] vs. 3 (2.3-3.7) months for PSA-decline (log-rank P<0.01), 6 (4.1-8) vs. 2 (1.2-2.8) for LDH-normalization (P<0.01) and 8 (0-16.3) vs. 3 (1.9-4.1) for ALP-bouncing (P=0.01). Analysis of overall survival (OS) showed similar, not for all parameters significant, results with 17 (11.7-22.3) vs. 12 (7.0-17.1) months for PSA (P=0.35), 17 (13.2-20.8) vs. 7 (5.8-8.2) for LDH-normalization (P<0.01) and 19 (7.9-30.1) vs. 12 (7.7-16.3) for ALP-bouncing (P=0.32). In UV analysis, ALP-bouncing [hazard ratio (HR): 0.5 (0.3-1.0); P=0.02], PSA-decline >50% [HR: 0.5 (0.3-0.7); P<0.01] and LDH-normalization [HR: 0.4 (0.2-0.6); P<0.01] were significantly associated with longer PFS. For OS, LDH-normalization significantly prognosticated longer survival [HR: 0.4 (0.2-0.6); P<0.01]. In MV analysis, LDH-normalization was associated with a trend towards better OS [HR: 0.5 (0.2-1.1); P=0.09]. Comparing ALP-bouncing, LDH-normalization and PSA-decline with a PSA-decline alone, Kaplan-Meier analysis showed significantly longer PFS [11 (0.2-21.8) vs. 4 (0-8.6); P=0.01] and OS [20 (17.7-22.3) vs. 8 (0.3-15.7); P=0.02] in favor of the group presenting with the beneficial dynamics of all three markers. In UV analysis, the presence of favorable changes in the three markers was significantly associated with longer PFS [HR: 0.2 (0.1-0.7); P<0.01] and OS [HR: 0.3 (0.1-0.8); P=0.02].

Conclusions

ALP-bouncing and LDH-normalization may add to identification of bmCRPC-patients with favorable prognosis under Enzalutamide.

Discrepancy between German S3 Guideline Recommendations and Daily Urologic Practice in the Management of Nonmuscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: Results of a Binational Survey

INTRODUCTION

Guideline recommendations are meant to help minimize morbidity and to improve the care of nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients but studies have suggested an underuse of guideline-recommended care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of adherence of German and Austrian urologists to German guideline recommendations.

METHODS

A survey of 27 items evaluating diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations (15 cases of strong consensus and 6 cases of consensus) for NMIBC was administered among 14 urologic training courses. Survey construction and realization followed the checklist for reporting results of internet e-surveys and was approved by an internal review board.

RESULTS

Between January 2018 and June 2019, a total of 307 urologists responded to the questionnaire, with a mean response rate of 71%. The data showed a weak role of urine cytology (54%) for initial diagnostics although it is strongly recommended by the guideline. The most frequently used supporting diagnostic tool during transurethral resection of the bladder was hexaminolevulinate (95%). Contrary to the guideline recommendation, 38% of the participants performed a second resection in the case of pTa low-grade NMIBC. Correct monitoring of Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) response with cystoscopy and cytology was performed by only 34% of the urologists.

CONCLUSIONS

We found a discrepancy between certain guideline recommendations and daily routine practice concerning the use of urine cytology for initial diagnostics, instillation therapy with a low monitoring rate of BCG response, and follow-up care with unnecessary second resection after pTa low-grade NMIBC in particular. Our survey showed a moderate overall adherence rate of 73%. These results demonstrate the need for sharpening awareness of German guideline recommendations by promoting more intense education of urologists to optimize NMIBC care thus decreasing morbidity and mortality rates.

Presence of CTCs and its prognostic potential compared to AR-V7 expression in mCRPC undergoing androgen-deprivation therapy

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Background: Biomarkers predicting response to mCRPC treatment are rare. CTCs and AR-V7 status have been discussed as potential prognosticators. Methods: We evaluated 64 patients (pts.) treated with abiraterone (n=47) or enzalutamide (n=17), determined CTCs and analyzed AR-V7 status in correlation with survival using Kaplan-Meier-estimates and Cox-regression-models. Results: For PSA response, CTC- vs. CTC+ were not different (p=0.25) whereas AR-V7 status was predictive (68.2% AR-V7- and 33.3% AR-V7+ pts. (p=0.01)). Median PSA PFS was 17 mo. (CI 9.5-24.5) for CTC- and 6 (CI 5.2-6.9) for CTC+ pts. (p<0.01) with 9 mo. (CI 4.2-13.8) for CTC+/AR-V7- and 5 (CI 3.0–7.0) for CTC+/AR-V7+ pts. (p=0.04). In univariate cox regression analysis (UV), prior abiraterone or enzalutamide (A/E) (p=0.01), bone metastases (p=0.03), CTC+ (p=0.01), AR-V7+ (p=0.01), Hb ≤12 g/dl (p=0.01) and PSA decline ≥50% (p<0.01) were significant prognosticators. Within the CTC+ subgroup, AR-V7+ (p=0.02) and PSA decline ≥50% (p=0.03) showed a relevant difference. In multivariate analysis (MV), for CTC+ pts, AR-V7+ (p=0.02), PSA decline ≥50% (p=0.02) and visceral metastases (p=0.02) remained independent prognosticators. The analysis for PFS resulted in 22 mo. (CI NA) for CTC- compared to 9 (CI 7.7-10.3) for CTC+ (p=0.01) and 10 mo. (CI 8.2-11.8) for CTC+/AR-V7- vs. 6 (CI 1.9-10.1) for CTC+/AR-V7+ (p=0.07). Performing UV, prior A/E (p<0.01), CTC+ (p=0.01), AR-V7+ (p=0.01), Hb ≤12 (p<0.01), PSA decline ≥50% (p<0.01) and ALP elevated at baseline (p=0.03) showed statistically significant differences. Within the CTC+ subgroup, prior A/E (p=0.01), visceral metastases (p=0.02), Hb ≤12 (p=0.01) and PSA decline ≥50% (p=0.03) were significant prognosticators, whereas AR-V7+ was not. In MV of CTC+ pts, visceral metastases (p=0.02), PSA decline ≥50% (p=0.02) and Hb ≤12 (p=0.05) remained independent prognosticators. Median OS was not reached for CTC- and 17 mo. (CI 9.8–24.2) for CTC+ (p<0.01) with 27 (CI 10.6-43.4) vs. 14 (CI 10.4-17.7) mo. for AR-V7- and AR-V7+, respectively (p=0.06). UV resulted in statistically relevant differences for prior docetaxel (p=0.01), prior A/E (p<0.01), visceral metastases (p=0.02), CTC+ (p=0.01), AR-V7+ (p<0.01) and Hb ≤12 (p< 0.01). Within CTC+, prior docetaxel (p<0.01), prior A/E (p=0.01), visceral metastases (p<0.01) and Hb ≤12 (p<0.01) were statistically relevant parameters. UV for AR-V7 status did not result in a significant difference for OS either. In MV, CTC status as well as Hb ≤12 remained independent prognosticators (p=0.04 and p<0.01, respectively). For MV of CTC+, visceral metastases (p=0.01), Hb ≤12 (p<0.01) and prior docetaxel (p=0.01) were independent prognosticators of OS. Conclusions: Presence of CTCs seems to prognosticate PFS and OS in mCRPC patients undergoing Androgen-deprivation while presence of AR-V7 does not despite its predictive potential.

Pretreatment Risk Stratification for Endoscopic Kidney-sparing Surgery in Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: An International Collaborative Study

BACKGROUND

Several groups have proposed features to identify low-risk patients who may benefit from endoscopic kidney-sparing surgery in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate standard risk stratification features, develop an optimal model to identify ≥pT2/N+ stage at radical nephroureterectomy (RNU), and compare it with the existing unvalidated models.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This was a collaborative retrospective study that included 1214 patients who underwent ureterorenoscopy with biopsy followed by RNU for nonmetastatic UTUC between 2000 and 2017.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

We performed multiple imputation of chained equations for missing data and multivariable logistic regression analysis with a stepwise selection algorithm to create the optimal predictive model. The area under the curve and a decision curve analysis were used to compare the models.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

Overall, 659 (54.3%) and 555 (45.7%) patients had ≤pT1N0/Nx and ≥pT2/N+ disease, respectively. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis of our model, age (odds ratio [OR] 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0-1.03, p = 0.013), high-grade biopsy (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.37-2.40, p < 0.001), biopsy cT1+ staging (OR 3.23, 95% CI 1.93-5.41, p < 0.001), preoperative hydronephrosis (OR 1.37 95% CI 1.04-1.80, p = 0.024), tumor size (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01-1.17, p = 0.029), invasion on imaging (OR 5.10, 95% CI 3.32-7.81, p < 0.001), and sessile architecture (OR 2.31, 95% CI 1.58-3.36, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with ≥pT2/pN+ disease. Compared with the existing models, our model had the highest performance accuracy (75% vs 66-71%) and an additional clinical net reduction (four per 100 patients).

CONCLUSIONS

Our proposed risk-stratification model predicts the risk of harboring ≥pT2/N+ UTUC with reliable accuracy and a clinical net benefit outperforming the current risk-stratification models.

PATIENT SUMMARY

We developed a risk stratification model to better identify patients for endoscopic kidney-sparing surgery in upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

Novel Classification for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma to Better Risk-stratify Patients Eligible for Kidney-sparing Strategies: An International Collaborative Study

BACKGROUND

The European Association of Urology risk stratification dichotomizes patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) into two risk categories.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the predictive value of a new classification to better risk stratify patients eligible for kidney-sparing surgery (KSS).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This was a retrospective study including 1214 patients from 21 centers who underwent ureterorenoscopy (URS) with biopsy followed by radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for nonmetastatic UTUC between 2000 and 2017.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

A multivariate logistic regression analysis identified predictors of muscle invasion (≥pT2) at RNU. The Youden index was used to identify cutoff points.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

A total of 811 patients (67%) were male and the median age was 71 yr (interquartile range 63-77). The presence of non-organ-confined disease on preoperative imaging (p < 0.0001), sessile tumor (p < 0.0001), hydronephrosis (p = 0.0003), high-grade cytology (p = 0.0043), or biopsy (p = 0.0174) and higher age at diagnosis (p = 0.029) were independently associated with ≥pT2 at RNU. Tumor size was significantly associated with ≥pT2 disease only in univariate analysis with a cutoff of 2 cm. Tumor size and all significant categorical variables defined the high-risk category. Tumor multifocality and a history of radical cystectomy help to dichotomize between low-risk and intermediate-risk categories. The odds ratio for muscle invasion were 5.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-24.0; p = 0.023) for intermediate risk versus low risk, and 12.7 (95% CI 3.0-54.5; p = 0.0006) for high risk versus low risk. Limitations include the retrospective design and selection bias (all patients underwent RNU).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with low-risk UTUC represent ideal candidates for KSS, while some patients with intermediate-risk UTUC may also be considered. This classification needs further prospective validation and may help stratification in clinical trial design.

PATIENT SUMMARY

We investigated factors predicting stage 2 or greater cancer of the upper urinary tract at the time of surgery for ureter and kidney removal and designed a new risk stratification. Patients with low or intermediate risk may be eligible for kidney-sparing surgery with close follow-up. Our classification scheme needs further validation based on cancer outcomes.

Prognostic Implications of Immunohistochemical Biomarkers in Non-muscle-invasive Blad Cancer and Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer

Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) is a very heterogeneous disease and divided into invasive and non-invasive disease. In non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), recurrence after transurethral resection or instillation-therapy, and progression to invasive disease are issues of concern. In muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), systemic recurrence after radical treatment is a pressing problem, as the available therapies in this setting are of limited efficacy. For both entities there are only few clinicopathological prognostic biomarkers to identify subgroups at risk to aid in decision making to whom to offer early radical cystectomy in case of NMIBC or neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy in case of MIBC to improve outcomes. Despite advances in surgery and intravesical therapy, up to 30% of NMIBC-patients suffer progression to MIBC. After cystectomy around 50% of MIBC patients suffer local or systemic recurrence and subsequently succumb to the disease. Standard features, like pathological staging and grading, are not sufficient to identify patients at risk beyond doubt. Recent advances in molecular diagnostics in combination with standard pathological features could be used to improve risk stratification of patients, guide treatment plans and ultimately improve outcomes. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis can detect altered regulatory pathway-products. Until now a plethora of prognostic IHC-biomarkers has been reported on in UCB, but only few have been validated and no biomarker is in routine use or recommended by guidelines. In this review we discuss the prognostic potential of the most promising IHC-biomarkers in NMIBC and MIBC with a focus on prognostication of recurrence and stage progression in NMIBC as well as recurrence-free, cancer-specific and overall survival in MIBC.

Nomogram Predicting Bladder Cancer-specific Mortality After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Radical Cystectomy for Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer: Results of an International Consortium

BACKGROUND

Cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is associated with improved overall and cancer-specific survival. The post-NAC pathological stage has previously been reported to be a major determinant of outcome.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a postoperative nomogram for survival based on pathological and clinical parameters from an international consortium.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Between 2000 and 2015, 1866 patients with MIBC were treated at 19 institutions in the USA, Canada, and Europe. Analysis was limited to 640 patients with adequate follow-up who had received three or more cycles of NAC.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

A nomogram for bladder cancer-specific mortality (BCSM) was developed by multivariable Cox regression analysis. Decision curve analysis was used to assess the model's clinical utility.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

A total of 640 patients were identified. Downstaging to non-MIBC (ypT1, ypTa, and ypTis) occurred in 271 patients (42 %), and 113 (17 %) achieved a complete response (ypT0N0). The 5-yr BCSM was 47.2 % (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 41.2-52.6 %). On multivariable analysis, covariates with a statistically significant association with BCSM were lymph node metastasis (hazard ratio [HR] 1.90 [95% CI: 1.4-2.6]; p < 0.001), positive surgical margins (HR 2.01 [95 % CI: 1.3-2.9]; p < 0.001), and pathological stage (with ypT0/Tis/Ta/T1 as reference: ypT2 [HR 2.77 {95 % CI: 1.7-4.6}; p < 0.001] and ypT3-4 [HR 5.9 {95 % CI: 3.8-9.3}; p < 0.001]). The area under the curve of the model predicting 5-yr BCSM after cross validation with 300 bootstraps was 75.4 % (95 % CI: 68.1-82.6 %). Decision curve analyses showed a modest net benefit for the use of the BCSM nomogram in the current cohort compared with the use of American Joint Committee on Cancer staging alone. Limitations include the retrospective study design and the lack of central pathology.

CONCLUSIONS

We have developed and internally validated a nomogram predicting BCSM after NAC and radical cystectomy for MIBC. The nomogram will be useful for patient counseling and in the identification of patients at high risk for BCSM suitable for enrollment in clinical trials of adjuvant therapy.

PATIENT SUMMARY

In this report, we looked at the outcomes of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer in a large multi-institutional population. We found that we can accurately predict death after radical surgical treatment in patients treated with chemotherapy before surgery. We conclude that the pathological report provides key factors for determining survival probability.

Combinatorial expression of androgen receptor splice variants: No predictive value in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients treated with enzalutamide (enza) or abiraterone (abi)

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Background: Playing an important role in prostate cancer, androgen receptor (AR) signaling is a common therapeutic target. Novel hormonal treatment (NHT) using enza or abi prolongs overall survival in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). However, biomarkers predicting therapy response are limited. AR-V7, as the most abundant AR splice variant, has gained clinical interest. Nonetheless, current discussions on its predictive power are diverse. Given that AR-V7 as a sole biomarker is not efficient in predicting response to NHT, we aimed to increase the predictive potential by analysis of combinatorial AR splice variant (AR-V) expression in mCRPC patients undergoing NHT. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 60 patients who started on either abi or enza. Presence of circulating tumor cells (CTC) as well as expression of AR-V3, -7 and -9 were assessed. Outcomes in CTC-, CTC+/AR-V- and CTC+/AR-V+ patients were analyzed considering PSA reduction, PSA-PFS, PFS and OS. Results: PSA reduction of 50% was predominantly found in CTC- patients (78.5%) compared to CTC+/AR-V- (55.5%) and CTC+/AR-V+ (39.3%) without statistical significance (P = 0.059). When taking co-expression of two or more AR-V into account there was no difference in PSA response either (one AR-V 42.9%, two AR-V 33.3%, three AR-V 41.6%, P = 0.154). Median PSA-PFS was 17 months (95%CI 15.7 – 18.3), 13 months (95%CI 6.8 – 19.2) and 5 months (95%CI 3.6 – 6.4) for CTC- pts, CTC+/AR-V- pts and CTC+/AR-V+ pts, respectively (P = 0.005). However, comparing CTC- and CTC+ pts, differences become even more apparent (P = 0.004), CTC+/AR-V- and AR-V+ pts showed less statistically significant differences (P = 0.029). Median PFS and OS were not reached for CTC- pts. PFS was 10 months (95%CI 6.2 – 13.8) for CTC+/AR-V- pts and 9 months (95%CI 1.1 – 16.9) for CTC+/AR-V+ pts (P = 0.004, only CTC- vs. CTC+ P = 0.002). OS was 28 months (95%CI 16.8 – 39.2) for CTC+/AR-V- pts and 15 months (95%CI 7.9 – 22.1) for CTC+/AR-V+ pts (P = 0.014, only CTC- vs. CTC+ P = 0.006). Regarding PFS and OS, there was no difference comparing only CTC+/AR-V- and AR-V+ pts (P = 0.356 and P = 0.244). Conclusions: AR splice variants have prognostic power in stratifying mCRPC patients suffering from a more advanced stage of disease. Nonetheless, our study clearly demonstrates the lack of predictive power of AR splice variants for response to NHT. Additionally, we prove the importance of CTC analysis rather than AR-V expression being more valuable in mCRPC.

The prognostic value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radical cystectomy

INTRODUCTION

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an attractive marker because it is derived from routine bloodwork. NLR has shown promise as a prognostic factor in muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) but its value in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) before radical cystectomy (RC) is not yet established. Since NLR is related to an oncogenic environment and poor antitumor host response, we hypothesized that a high NLR would be associated with a poor response to NAC and would remain a poor prognostic indicator in patients receiving NAC.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed on patients with nonmetastatic MIBC (cT2-4aN0M0) who received NAC prior to RC between 2000 and 2013 at 1 of 19 centers across Europe and North America. The pre-NAC NLR was used to split patients into a low (NLR ≤ 3) and high (NLR > 3) group. Demographic and clinical parameters were compared between the groups using Student's t test, chi-squared, or Fisher's exact test. Putative risk factors for disease-specific and overall survival were analyzed using Cox regression, while predictors of response to NAC (defined as absence of MIBC in RC specimen) were investigated using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Data were available for 340 patients (199 NLR ≤ 3, 141 NLR > 3). Other than age and rate of lymphovascular invasion, demographic and pretreatment characteristics did not differ significantly. More patients in the NLR > 3 group had residual MIBC after NAC than the NLR ≤ 3 group (70.8% vs. 58.3%, P = 0.049). NLR was the only significant predictor of response (odds ratio: 0.36, P = 0.003) in logistic regression. NLR was a significant risk factor for both disease-specific (hazard ratio (HR): 2.4, P = 0.006) and overall survival (HR:1.8, P = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

NLR > 3 was associated with a decreased response to NAC and shorter disease-specific and overall survival. This suggests that NLR is a simple tool that can aid in MIBC risk stratification in clinical practice.

[Radical prostatectomy through the years]

The operative aspect of radical prostatectomy has changed dramatically in the past 200 years as significant technological advances have been made, particularly during the past 50 years. The work of Dr. Walsh in the late 1970 s and early 1980 s led to a significant reduction in surgical morbidity and is considered an important milestone of radical prostatectomy, as is the introduction of minimally-invasive (robotic-assisted) surgical techniques. Yet there is no absolute gold standard regarding surgical approaches. Innovative tools, e. g. the addition of "augmented reality", are currently under investigation. This review article for the anniversary issue of "Der Urologe" aims to cover the milestones of the evolution of this "signature" surgery in the field of urology.

External validation of a postoperative nomogram for the prediction of disease-specific survival in patients with papillary renal cell carcinoma using a large multicenter database

PURPOSE

Based on data retrieved from a comprehensive multicenter database, we externally validated a published postoperative nomogram for the prediction of disease-specific survival (DSS) in patients with papillary renal cell carcinoma (papRCC).

METHODS

A multicenter database containing data of 2325 patients with surgically treated papRCC was used as validation cohort. After exclusion of patients with missing data and patients included in the development cohort, 1372 patients were included in the final analysis. DSS-probabilities according to the nomogram were calculated and compared to actual DSS-probabilities. Subsequently, calibration plots and decision curve analyses were applied.

RESULTS

The median follow-up was 38 months (IQR 11.8-80.7). Median DSS was not reached. The c-index of the nomogram was 0.71 (95% CI 0.60-0.83). A sensitivity analysis including only patients operated after 1998 delivered a c-index of 0.84 (95% CI 0.77-0.92). Calibration plots showed slight underestimation of nomogram-predicted DSS in probability ranges below 90%: median nomogram-predicted 5-year DSS in the range below 90% was 55% (IQR 20-80), but the median actual 5-year DSS in the same group was 58% (95% CI 52-65). Decision-curve analysis showed a positive net-benefit for probability ranges between a DSS probability of 5% and 85%.

CONCLUSIONS

The nomogram performance was satisfactory for almost all DSS probabilities; hence it can be recommended for application in clinical routine and for counseling of patients with papRCC.

A prognostic score for overall survival in patients treated with abiraterone in the pre- and post-chemotherapy setting

Background: Therapy resistance remains a serious dilemma in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) with primary or secondary resistance frequently occurring against any given therapy. Available prognostic models for Abiraterone Acetate (AA) are specifically designed for either pre- or post-chemotherapy settings and mostly based on trial datasets not necessarily reflecting real-life.

Results: A score of 0–2 (low-risk) is associated with an OS-probability of 80.0% (95%CI: 71.3–90.6) and 50.5% (95%CI: 38.7–66.0) after 1 and 2 years while a score of 3–4 (high risk) is associated with an OS-probability of 35.3% (95%CI: 22.3–55.8) and 5.7% (95%CI: 1.5–21.8), respectively. The bootstrapping survival analysis of the scoring-system revealed a median c-index of 0.80 (IQR: 0.79–0.82).

Material and Methods: We developed a scoring-system using four real-life parameters 117 mCRPC patients treated with AA either pre- or post-chemotherapy. These parameters were evaluated using COX regression analysis. The scoring-system consists of binary-categorized parameters; when any of these exceeds the given cut-off, one point is added up to a final score ranging between 0–4 points. The final score was stratified by a median threshold of 2 into low- and high-risk groups. We evaluated the discriminative ability of our scoring-system using concordance probability (C-index) and Kaplan–Meier-analysis and applied a 100-times bootstrap for survival analysis.

Conclusions: Our study introduces a novel prognostic scoring-system for OS of real-life mCRPC patients receiving AA treatment irrespective of the line of therapy. The scoring-system is simple and can be easily utilized based on PSA and LDH values, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, and ECOG performance status.

Development and external validation of a pathological nodal staging score for patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

To develop and externally validate a model that quantifies the likelihood that a pathologically node-negative patient with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (cRCC) has, indeed, no lymph node metastasis (LNM).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data from 1389 patients treated with radical nephrectomy (RN) and lymph node dissection (LND) were analyzed. For external validation, we used data from 2270 patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. We estimated the sensitivity of pathologic nodal staging using a beta-binomial model and developed a pathological nodal staging score (pNSS), which represents the probability that a patient is correctly staged as node negative as a function of the number of examined lymph nodes (LNs).

RESULTS

The mean and median number of LNs removed were 7.0 and 5.0 (standard deviation, SD 6.6; interquartile range, IQR 7.0) in the development cohort and 5.6 and 2.0 (SD 8.6, IQR 5.0) in the validation cohort, respectively. The probability of missing a positive LN decreased with increasing number of LNs examined. In both the validation and the development cohort, the number of LNs needed for correctly staging a patient as node negative increased with higher pathological tumor stage and Fuhrman grade.

CONCLUSIONS

The number of examined LNs needed for adequate nodal staging in cRCC depends on pathological tumor stage and Fuhrman grade. We developed here and then externally validated a pNSS, which could help to refine patient counseling, decision-making regarding risk-stratified surveillance regimens and inclusion criteria for clinical trials of adjuvant therapy.

Therapeutic strategies for upper tract urothelial carcinoma

INTRODUCTION

Many controversies exist regarding the appropriate management of patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), including staging, surgical management, use of systemic therapy, and prevention of bladder recurrence. Due to the rarity of this condition, high-level evidence is often lacking and in many cases guidelines are extrapolated from existing evidence on urothelial bladder cancer. Areas covered: This review paper summarizes the evidence on proper diagnosis and staging, surgical techniques, prevention of bladder recurrences, the use of local or systemic treatments in both neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings as well as special consideration for hereditary UTUC. Expert commentary: UTUC is a rare malignancy and slow progress is being made in the acquisition of high-quality evidence in this field. Treatments that facilitate preservation of the kidney are being explored such as advanced endoscopic techniques or partial resection of ureteral disease with seemingly acceptable oncological results. Further prospective evidence is needed.

Multi-institutional evaluation of the prognostic significance of EZH2 expression in high-grade upper tract urothelial carcinoma

PURPOSE

Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 is a methyltransferase encoded by the EZH2 gene, whose role in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is poorly understood. We sought to evaluate the prognostic value of EZH2 expression in UTUC.

METHODS

We reviewed a multi-institutional cohort of patients who underwent radical nephroureterectomy for high-grade UTUC from 1990 to 2008. Immunohistochemistry for EZH2 was performed on tissue microarrays. Percentage of staining was evaluated, and the discriminative value of EZH2 was tested, with EZH2 positivity defined as>20% staining present. Clinicopathologic characteristics and oncologic outcomes (recurrence-free (RFS), cancer-specific (CSS), and overall survival (OS)) were compared, stratified by EZH2 positivity. The prognostic role of EZH2 was assessed using Kaplan-Meier, univariate (UVA), and multivariate (MVA) Cox regression analyses. Significance was defined for P<0.05.

RESULTS

A total of 376 patients were included for analysis, with median follow-up 36.0 months. Overall, 78 (20.7%) were EZH2-positive. EZH2 expression was more often associated with ureteral location, lymphovascular invasion, sessile architecture, necrosis, and concomitant carcinoma in situ. On UVA, increased EZH2 expression was a significant predictor for inferior RFS (HR 1.63, P = 0.033), CSS (HR 2.03, P = 0.003), and OS (HR 2.11, P<0.001). On MVA EZH2 remained a significant predictor of worse CSS (HR 1.99 [95% CI: 1.21-3.27], P = 0.007) and OS (HR 1.54 [95% CI: 1.06-2.24], P = 0.024), while significance was lost for RFS.

CONCLUSION

Increased EZH2 expression is associated with adverse pathologic features and inferior oncologic outcomes in patients with high-grade UTUC. The role of EZH2 biology in UTUC pathogenesis remains to be further elucidated.

Prediction of outcome in bone metastatic, castration-resistant prostate-cancer-patients under enzalutamide by combining biomarkers

334

Background: Under early Enzalutamide (Enza) treatment of bone mCRPC (bmCRPC), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) might be misleading, since a PSA-flare may occur. Bouncing of alkaline phosphatase (APB) was shown as a promising surrogate for survival outcome. Low lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) usually predicts better outcome. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic ability of APB, LDH, PSA and information of the pooled markers after initiation of Enza. Methods: 89 bmCRPC-patients were analyzed. PSA, LDH and AP were monitored at 2, 4, 8, 12 and 20 weeks. APB was defined as an increase of AP after initiation of Enza with a subsequent, significant decline below baseline during the first 8 weeks of therapy. APB vs. no Bounce as well as LDH and PSA increase vs. decline were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier analyses (KMA) and uni- and multivariate (UV/MV) cox-regression models. Results: In KMA declining PSA and LDH as well as APB were associated with longer median PFS with 7 (95% confidence interval: 4.2-9.8) vs. 3 months (2.3-3.7) for PSA, 6 (4.1-8) vs. 2 (1.2-2.8) for LDH and 8 (0-16.3) vs. 3 (1.9-4.1) for APB. Analysis of OS showed similar results with 17 (11.7-22.3) vs. 12 months (7.0-17.1) for PSA, 17 (13.2-20.8) vs. 7 (5,8-8.2) for LDH and 19 (7.9-30.1) vs. 12 (7.7-16.3) for APB. In UV APB (Hazard Ratio (HR): 0.52 (0.3-1.0); p = 0.02), PSA-decline ≥50% (HR: 0.49 (0.3-0.7); p < 0.01) and LDH-normalization (LDHnorm) (HR: 0.39 (0.2-0.6); p < 0.01) were significantly associated with longer PFS. Considering OS LDHnorm was a significant prognosticator for longer survival (HR: 0.39 (0.2-0.6); p < 0.01). In MV only LDHnorm showed a trend towards better OS (HR: 0.49 (0.2.-1.1); p = 0.09). Combining those markers and separating a group with APB, LDHnorm and PSA-decline and a group with PSA-decline alone KMA showed better PFS (11 (0.2-21.8) vs. 4 (0-8.6)) and OS (20 (17.7-22.3) vs. 8 (0.3-15.7)) in favor of the group with 3 beneficial markers. In UV the presence of all 3 markers was significantly associated with longer PFS (HR: 0.23 (0.1-0.7); p < 0.01) and OS (HR: 0.26 (0.1-0.8); p = 0.02). Conclusions: APB and LDHnorm may add to identifying bmCRPC-patients with favorable prognosis during early Enza-therapy.

Utility of lymph node dissection for clinical node negative upper tract urothelial cell carcinoma: A multicenter study

474

Background: Upper tract urothelial cell carcinoma (UTUC) is an uncommon malignancy with disparate outcomes. Although use of lymph node dissection (LND) for urothelial cell carcinoma of the bladder has survival benefit even in setting of negative nodal status, therapeutic benefit of LND in the setting of clinical node negative disease for UTUC is unclear. We evaluated survival outcomes for UTUC after LND. Methods: Multicenter retrospective analysis of UTUC patients undergoing nephroureterectomy (NU) for clinical node negative, non-metastatic disease from 2001-2016 (cTis/1-T3N0M0). The cohort was divided based on pathologic lymph node status (pNx, pN0, and pN+). Primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Secondary outcome was recurrence free survival (RFS). Cox regression (CR), logistic regression (LR) and Kaplan−Meier (KMA) analyses were utilized. Results: 191 patients were analyzed (mean age 71.1 years, mean follow up 30.4 months, 27% ureteral location). LND was performed in 40.8% (78) and pN+ was noted in 11.0% (21). Mean number of nodes removed for pN0 = 6.6 and pN+ = 3.9 (p = 0.22). On CR for worsened all-cause mortality, significance was noted for ≥pT2 (OR 1.9, p = 0.031), recurrence (OR 2.3, p = 0.003), and pN+ (OR 2.8, p = 0.004). On KMA, 5 year OS stratified by pathologic node status and nuclear grade (grade 1-2 = LG; grade 3-4 = HG) noted negative survival effect associated with pN+ and HG disease (pN0 LG 85.7%, pN0 HG 41.2%, pNx LG 58.1%, pNx HG 51.1%, pN+ HG 10.7%, log-rank p < 0.001). No patient with pN+ had LG disease. On LR HG disease was predicted only by increasing clinical tumor size (OR 1.3, p = 0.032). No significant difference in complications was noted between the groups (p = 0.1). Conclusions: In clinical node negative disease, LND for UTUC did not have survival benefit; however, LND for UTUC provided prognostic information without significantly increasing risk of complications. Finding of pN+ disease was associated with worsened prognosis. LND may be omitted in LG disease yet should be considered in patients with HG disease and increasing tumor size. Further investigation is requisite.

Size-focality-invasion in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (SFI-UTUC): A novel imaging-based score to predict survival outcomes

475

Background: Upper tract urothelial cell carcinoma (UTUC) is an uncommon malignancy with disparate outcomes. We developed a novel morphometric scoring system for prediction of oncologic and survival outcomes before nephroureterectomy (NU). Methods: Retrospective, multicenter analysis of UTUC patients who underwent NU after negative metastatic workup. Preoperative CT-urography was used to evaluate scores, based on 3 factors (Tumor Size, Focality, Invasion of architecture) with a score of 1-3 based on degree of each factor (total score 3-9). Primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes were recurrence and recurrence free survival (RFS). Multivariable (MVA) and Kaplan-Meier (KMA) analyses were utilized. Results: We analyzed 244 patients (mean age 70.9, mean follow up 29.5 months). 61% with SFI-UTUC score 3-6 and 39% were score 7-9. No difference in age, gender, comorbid conditions, surgical approach, or complications between groups. Score 7-9 had a higher rate of pN+ disease (24.2% vs. 8.1%, p=0.002) but similar nuclear grade. All-cause mortality was higher for score 7-9 (47.4% vs. 28.9%, p=0.004). On MVA for all-cause mortality, age (OR 1.1), recurrence (OR 4.4) and score 7-9 (OR 2.0) were significant (p<0.05). KMA for OS demonstrated 5 year OS of 57.0% for score 3-6 and 34.1% for score 7-9 (p<0.01). KMA for RFS was significant for renal UTUC location with 5 year RFS of 72.3% for score 3-6 and 54.2% for score 7-9, (p<0.01). Conclusions: A novel scoring system for UTUC preoperative imaging may predict OS for tumors in renal and ureteral locations, as well as RFS for renal locations. Renal location. [Table: see text]

Utilization and survival implications of a delayed approach to targeted therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma: A nationwide cancer registry study

586

Background: Targeted therapy (TT) is the first-line option for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) however, it is not curative and associated with a high-cost and adverse events. Preliminary data suggests TT may be safely delayed in appropriately selected patient, however the utilization and impact of delayed TT has not been evaluated on larger-scale. Methods: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried from 2006-2012 for patients with mRCC treated with cytoreductive nephrectomy and TT. Time to initiation of TT was defined as ‘early’ (within 2 months), ‘moderately delayed’ (2-4 months), and ‘delayed’ (4-6 months), and ‘late’ ( > 6 months) based on time from diagnosis to initiation of therapy. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine factors associated with delayed TT. The impact time to initiation of TT on OS was estimated by Kaplan-Meier and Cox multivariable survival analysis. Results: For2,716 patients in the analysis, the median (interquartile range [IQR]) follow-up was 18.8 (9.1-32.9) months, and 71.8% of patients had died at last follow-up. The median (IQR) time from diagnosis to initiation of TT was 2.1 (1.3-3.23) months, with the longest delay being 20.1 months. 1,255 patients (46.2%) had early TT, 1,072 patients (39.5%) had moderately delayed TT, 284 patients (10.5%) had delayed TT, and 105 patients (3.9%) had late TT. Delay in TT was not found to be a predictor of mortality in multivariable analysis; early TT (reference), moderately delayed TT (HR 0.98, p = 0.74), delayed TT (HR 0.95, p = 0.51), and late TT (HR 0.86, p = 0.20). Time from diagnosis to initiation of TT and time from initiation of TT to patient death were not correlated after control for covariates ( r= 0.04, p = 0.08). Conclusions: Delay in initiation of TT for mRCC was not an independent predictor of worse OS. Although this study is subject to limitations of observation study design and selection bias, the results are consistent with the notion that in carefully selected patients, outcomes might not be compromised with initial observation. Prospective, randomized evaluation is warranted.

Dose escalation of cabozantinib as a viable option for the treatment of mRCC

636

Background: Cabozantinib (C) is a tyrosin kinase inhibitor (TKI) specific for VEGFR, MET and AXL. The phase-3 registration trial METEOR showed that C significantly improved progression-free and overall survival compared to Everolimus in patients with advanced/metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after failure of at least one VEGFR TKI and C was granted approval. In METEOR, starting dose for C was 60 mg once daily and dose de-escalation to 40 or 20 mg or stopping of C was done based on toxicity. The median dose was 43 mg. The dose had to be reduced in 62% of patients. By packing insert of C the recommended starting dose is 60 mg. We assumed that starting with 40 mg of C and escalating to 60 mg after getting accustomed to side effects may lead to a higher median dose of C. Methods: We report 20 RCC patients all started with C 40 mg and escalated to 60 mg when possible. We calculated the median time on therapy and the median dose and determined the best response. Results: The median time on C was 77 days for the patients having stopped therapy (n = 9). The median dose of C for the whole cohort was 46.0 mg. For the patients still on therapy (n = 11), the median dose was 47.7 mg. Eleven (55%) patients could be escalated to 60 mg (10 (91%) remained on 60 mg) and only 5 (25%) of patients had to be de-escalated to 20 mg. C did not have to be stopped due to toxicity. For best response, 47% reached partial remission, 13% stable and 40% progressive disease. Conclusions: Starting with 40 mg of C and escalating to 60 mg when possible may lead to a higher median dose of C compared to standard vice versa and seems to achieve responses comparable with the METEOR trial. These findings are limited by the small number of patients but warrant a prospective trial directly comparing both the escalating and de-escalating dosing schemes.

Discordance between Ureteroscopic Biopsy and Final Pathology for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma

PURPOSE

We evaluated the discordance between ureteroscopic biopsy and surgical pathology findings for grading and staging upper tract urothelial carcinoma. We also sought to establish preoperative predictors of aggressive tumors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the records of 314 patients who underwent ureteroscopic biopsy followed by surgical management of upper tract urothelial carcinoma from 2000 to 2016 at a total of 3 institutions. Our primary outcomes were muscle invasive (pT2 or greater) disease at surgical pathology and upgrading of clinical low grade tumors to pathological high grade.

RESULTS

At biopsy 61% of the patients had clinical high grade tumors and 21% had subepithelial connective tissue invasion (cT1+). On final pathology 79% of the patients had pathological high grade tumors and 45% had stage pT2 or greater. On multivariate analysis advanced patient age, clinical high grade and cT1+ were independently associated with pT2 or greater. The combined presence of clinical high grade and cT1+ had 86% positive predictive value for muscle invasion while the combined absence of clinical high grade and cT1+ had 80% negative predictive value. The likelihood of missing invasion on biopsy in patients with muscle invasive disease was increased when biopsy fragments were limited to 1 mm or less. Of clinical low grade cases on biopsy 51% were upgraded at surgery. The presence of positive urine cytology was associated with an increased risk of upgrading but this was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical high grade, cT1+ on biopsy and advanced patient age are independent risk factors for muscle invasive upper tract urothelial carcinoma. There is a significant risk of upgrading in patients with clinical low grade tumors on biopsy, especially when urine cytology is positive. The predictive value of biopsy can likely be improved by more extensive ureteroscopic sampling.

The Rho GTPase signalling pathway in urothelial carcinoma

Urothelial carcinoma remains a clinical challenge: non-muscle-invasive disease has a high rate of recurrence and risk of progression, and outcomes for patients with advanced disease are poor, owing to a lack of effective systemic therapies. The Rho GTPase family of enzymes was first identified >30 years ago and contains >20 members, which are divided into eight subfamilies: Cdc42, Rac, Rho, RhoUV, RhoBTB, RhoDF, RhoH, and Rnd. Rho GTPases are molecular on-off switches, which are increasingly being understood to have a critical role in a number of cellular processes, including cell migration, cell polarity, cell adhesion, cell cycle progression, and regulation of the cytoskeleton. This switch is an evolutionarily conserved system in which GTPases alternate between GDP-bound (inactive) and GTP-bound (active) forms. The activities of these Rho GTPases are many, context-dependent, and regulated by a number of proteins that are being progressively elucidated. Aberrations of the Rho GTPase signalling pathways have been implicated in various malignancies, including urothelial carcinoma, and understanding of the role of Rho GTPases in these diseases is increasing. This signalling pathway has the potential for therapeutic targeting in urothelial carcinoma. Research in this area is nascent, and much work is necessary before current laboratory-based research can be translated into the clinic.

Prospects and progress of immunotherapy for bladder cancer

INTRODUCTION

With recent advances in immunooncology and the introduction of checkpoint inhibitors into clinical practice for many cancers, the treatment landscape of urothelial carcinoma has changed dramatically and will continue to change further. Currently, a number of compounds and combinations are under investigation in numerous clinical trials and various clinical scenarios for bladder cancer. Areas covered: In this review, the authors provide an overview of the history and rationale for immunotherapy in bladder cancer. They also provide the currently available data evaluating checkpoint inhibitors for bladder cancer, and discuss ongoing trials and future perspectives for urothelial carcinoma treatment. Expert opinion: The introduction of checkpoint inhibitors into the management of bladder cancer marks a significant milestone for this disease. Checkpoint inhibitors have the potential to impact patients across multiple disease states from non-muscle-invasive disease to metastatic tumors refractory to conventional treatment. That being said, validated biomarkers, including genetic signatures, to accurately predict response, and the establishment of optimal sequencing and combination of these immunotherapeutic agents with chemo/radiotherapy are urgently needed.

Organ Preservation Is Less Frequently Performed in Women Surgically Treated for Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma-Results of a Comprehensive Multicenter Study

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the impact of gender on the clinicopathologic features and survival of patients with surgically treated papillary renal cell carcinoma (papRCC) using a comprehensive international multicenter database.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data of 2325 patients undergoing surgery for unilateral papRCC between 1984 and 2015 in 17 European and North American centers were retrospectively collated. The impact of clinicopathologic features on the likelihood of nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) was evaluated using a multivariable logistic regression model. The influence on cancer-specific mortality (CSM) and other-cause mortality was analyzed by multivariable competing-risk regression models. Finally, subgroup analyses were conducted for organ-confined (n = 2075) and non-organ-confined tumors (n = 250). The median follow-up was 47 months.

RESULTS

The study cohort included 1782 (77%) male patients (male-to-female ratio 3.3:1.0). Considering age, symptoms at presentation, performance status, pathologic tumor size, stage, and grade, we observed that there were no significant gender-specific differences. In contrast, female patients underwent NSS significantly less frequently (P <.001). On multivariable analysis, the likelihood of NSS was 72% higher in male patients after adjusting for all relevant cofactors (P <.001). No significant gender-specific differences in terms of CSM and other-cause mortality were demonstrated, but CSM was 59% lower in female patients in the subgroup of organ-confined tumors (P = .001).

CONCLUSION

No impact of gender on survival was found analyzing this large cohort of patients undergoing surgery for papRCC. However, CSM appears to be lower in female patients with organ-confined disease. In this context, it is interesting that the likelihood of NSS seems to be significantly higher in male patients.

Increased use of antihypertensive medications after partial nephrectomy vs. radical nephrectomy

PURPOSE

A prospective study of partial vs. radical nephrectomy demonstrated worse overall survival in patients undergoing partial nephrectomy which appeared to be driven by cardiovascular outcomes. We sought to determine if the blood pressures or use of antihypertensive medications differed between patients who underwent partial or radical nephrectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A tertiary-referral institutional renal mass database was queried for patients between 2006 and 2012 undergoing partial or radical nephrectomy. Serial blood pressure follow-up, clinicopathologic variables, and changes in medications were collected. Patients were excluded for inadequate data, noncurative-intent surgery, noncancer surgical indication, and absence of medication information. Time-dependent hemodynamic changes were compared by split-plot analysis of variance and addition to antihypertensive regimen was studied as time-to-event survival analyses with Kaplan-Meier curves and a Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

A final cohort of 264 partial nephrectomy and 130 radical nephrectomy cases were identified. Patients undergoing partial nephrectomy were younger, more likely to have T1 tumors, and had lower preoperative creatinine (P<0.001 for all). No differences were noted on postoperative hemodynamics (P>0.05). Significantly more patients who underwent partial nephrectomy added antihypertensive medications postoperatively (P≤0.001) and surgical treatment remained as a significant independent predictor on Cox regression (hazard ratio = 2.51, P = 0.002). Limitations include the retrospective nature of the study and potential for unidentified confounders.

CONCLUSION

Hemodynamic parameters after radical or partial nephrectomy may be different. The etiology of this observation, is currently unexplored. Additional prospective mechanistic investigations are warranted.

Biomarkers for early prognostication of outcome in patients with bone-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer treated with enzalutamide

e16507

Background: Enzalutamide (Enza) prolongs survival in men with mCRPC in pre- and post chemotherapy setting. Commonly used prostate-specific antigen (PSA) may lead to non-straightforward prognosis. This is especially true for bone mCRPC (bmCRPC) in which initial bone-flare may add to difficult decision making. During other therapies, bouncing of alkaline phosphatase (ALP-Bounce) was shown as a promising surrogate for survival outcome. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic ability of ALP-Bounce compared to standard PSA and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) after initiation of Enza. Methods: Patients with bmCRPC were included and analyzed. PSA, LDH and ALP were monitored at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks under very early Enza treatment. ALP-Bounce vs. no Bounce was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier estimates and uni- and multivariate (UV/MV) cox-regression models. ALP-Bounce was defined as an increase of ALP after initiation of Enza with a subsequent, significant decline below baseline during the first 8 weeks of therapy. Results: Eighty-nine men were evaluable for analysis. The median overall survival (OS) of men with ALP-Bounce was 19 months (95% confidence interval: 7.9-30.1) compared to 12 months (7.7-16.3) for no Bounce. Analysis of progression-free survival (PFS) showed similar results with 8 (0-16.3) vs. 3 months (1.9-4.1). In UV no ALP-Bounce (Hazard Ratio (HR): 1.9 (1.1-3.3); p = 0.02), no PSA-decline ≥50% (HR: 2.3 (1.5-3.7); p < 0.01) and no LDH-Normalization (HR: 2.5 (1.6-4.1); p < 0.01) were significantly associated with worse PFS. In MV only no ALP-Bounce showed a trend towards worse PFS (HR: 2.1 (0.9-4.5); p = 0.09). In UV no LDH-normalization was a significant prognosticator of poor OS (HR: 2.6 (1.6-4.2); p < 0.01) while ALP-Bounce and PSA decline ≥50% were non-prognostic. In MV no LDH-normalization remained an independent prognosticator of poor OS (HR: 2.0 (1.1.-3.5); p = 0.02). Conclusions: ALP-Bounce and LDH-Normalization may add to identification of bmCRPC-patients with favorable prognosis during early therapy with Enza. The early occurence of ALP-Bounce might be beneficial. These results have to be validated in a prospective trial.