The Effect of Patient and Surgical Characteristics on Renal Function After Partial Nephrectomy

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the study was to identify patient and disease characteristics that have an adverse effect on renal function after partial nephrectomy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of 387 patients who underwent partial nephrectomy for renal tumors between 2006 and 2014. A line plot with a locally weighted scatterplot smoothing was generated to visually assess renal function over time. Univariable and multivariable longitudinal regression analyses incorporated a random intercept and slope to evaluate the association between patient and disease characteristics with renal function after surgery.

RESULTS

Median age was 60 years and most patients were male (255 patients [65.9%]) and white (343 patients [88.6%]). In univariable analysis, advanced age at surgery, larger tumor size, male sex, longer ischemia time, history of smoking, and hypertension were significantly associated with lower preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). In multivariable analysis, independent predictors of reduced renal function after surgery included advanced age, lower preoperative eGFR, and longer ischemia time. Length of time from surgery was strongly associated with improvement in renal function among all patients.

CONCLUSION

Independent predictors of postoperative decline in renal function include advanced age, lower preoperative eGFR, and longer ischemia time. A substantial number of subjects had recovery in renal function over time after surgery, which continued past the 12-month mark. These findings suggest that patients who undergo partial nephrectomy can experience long-term improvement in renal function. This improvement is most pronounced among younger patients with higher preoperative eGFR.

Blinded review of archival radical prostatectomy specimens supports that contemporary Gleason score 6 prostate cancer lacks metastatic potential

BACKGROUND

Retrospective identification of Gleason pattern 4 in metastatic Gleason score 3 + 3 = 6 (GS6) radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens has suggested true GS6 prostate cancer (CaP) lacks metastatic potential. However, pathologist awareness of study design and metastasis outcomes at the time of RP review might have introduced upgrading bias. We used pathologist-blinded methodology for unbiased characterization of metastasis rates for contemporarily defined pathologic GS6 (pGS6) CaP.

METHODS

An institutional RP database was queried to identify pGS6 patients with metastasis or concern for micrometastasis based on: 1) biochemical failure (BF) despite negative surgical margins or 2) incomplete biochemical response to salvage/adjuvant radiation. RP specimens were regraded independently by two genitourinary pathologists blinded to study aims or clinical outcomes. Additional blinding was performed by random inclusion of pGS6 control specimens from BF-free patients. Only upgrading identified independently by both pathologists was considered.

RESULTS

Among 451 pGS6 patients identified, none had synchronous lymph node metastases and 43/451 (10%) suffered BF. Two patients (0.4%) developed metachronous metastasis during a 110-month median follow-up for BF patients. Both metastatic cases had Gleason pattern 4 on blinded RP review, as did 88% of cases with concern for micrometastasis versus 38% of control cases (P = 0.02). All BF patients (29/29) undergoing postoperative radiation had a complete biochemical response or Gleason pattern 4 on blinded RP review.

CONCLUSIONS

Unbiased pathologist review of archival RP specimens supports absent metastatic potential for contemporarily defined GS6 CaP. Reduced postoperative monitoring is appropriate for pGS6, but may require pathology review to confirm absent Gleason pattern 4.

Impact of perioperative blood transfusion on oncologic outcomes in patients treated with radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma

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Background: Patients treated for urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder treated with radical cystectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection have worse clinical outcomes if they receive perioperative blood transfusion. We evaluated the impact of perioperative blood transfusion on oncologic outcomes in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) treated with radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). Methods: We conducted a single-center, retrospective review of 405 patients treated with RNU for UTUC. Clinicopathologic characteristics were recorded. Hospital charts were reviewed to determine if patients received perioperative blood transfusion. Characteristics were compared between groups based on transfusion status using Chi-square analyses. Survival was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression analysis addressed cancer-specific mortality (CSM). Results: Median age was 71.4 years (IQR 63.7-76.5) and the majority of patients were male (64%). Median follow up was 43.4 months (IQR 16.7-86.6). CSM occurred in 26.2% of patients. Perioperative transfusion was associated with higher rates of invasive T stage (>/=T2), (62% vs. 47%, p=0.019) and lymph node positive disease (23% vs. 10.3%, p=0.029). Three year disease-specific survival (DSS) was 80% for the entire cohort. DSS was significantly shorter (p=0.003) for patients receiving transfusion (66.3%, 95% CI 53.7%-76.3%) than those who did not (83.3%, 95% CI 78.3%-87.3%). Transfusion was an independent predictor of CSM on multivariable analysis including gender, grade, invasive T stage, nodal status, and transfusion (Table 1). Conclusions: Perioperative blood transfusion may be associated with adverse pathologic and oncologic outcomes in patients undergoing RNU for UTUC. [Table: see text]