Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M L Blute

Publications and source records attributed to M L Blute.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Prognostic factors for survival of patients with pathological Gleason score 7 prostate cancer: differences in outcome between primary Gleason grades 3 and 4.

PURPOSE: We evaluated differences in clinical and pathological outcomes between Gleason 3 + 4 and 4 + 3 prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The radical prostatectomy whole mounted specimens from 263 men with pathological Gleason 7 tumors were identified. Gleason 3 + 4 and 4 + 3 tumors were compared in regard to pathological variables and outcome. Significance of clinical and pathological data on progression-free survival was analyzed. RESULTS: Of the tumors 34% had a primary Gleason grade of 4, and were more likely than those with primary grade 3 to have seminal vesicle involvement (34% versus 18%, p = 0.006), a higher pathological stage (pT3 55% versus 42%, N+ 13% versus 3%, 0.001), extraprostatic extension (58% versus 38%, 0.001) and higher median preoperative prostate specific antigen (PSA) (13.5 versus 9.0 ng./ml., respectively <0.001). Mean followup plus or minus standard deviation was 6.8 +/- 1.9 years. The overall 10-year crude, cancer specific and progression-free survival rates were 83%, 99% and 58%, respectively. Primary Gleason grade was significantly associated with progression-free (risk ratio 1.6, 95% confidence interval 1.08 to 2.5, p = 0.02) but not crude and cancer-specific survival. Univariately, primary Gleason grade 4 was associated with progression-free survival, as were percent Gleason 4, seminal vesicle invasion, lymph node involvement, pT stage, margin status, DNA ploidy, preoperative PSA, cancer volume and extent of extraprostatic extension. Multivariately, only preoperative PSA (p <0.001), seminal vesicle invasion (<0.001) and DNA ploidy (0.002) were associated with progression-free survival. Primary Gleason grade and percent Gleason 4 were not identified as independently associated with progression-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with Gleason 7 score prostate cancer primary Gleason grade 3 and 4 cancers are different in pathological parameters and prognosis. However, primary Gleason grade does not provide any additional information than other known prognostic factors, such as preoperative PSA, seminal vesicle invasion and DNA ploidy.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Role of early adjuvant hormonal therapy after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: Recent prospective randomized studies have shown that adjuvant hormonal therapy combined with local treatment can significantly improve overall survival in patients with locally advanced disease. This finding challenges the previous belief that adjuvant hormonal therapy may not be beneficial for minimal stages TxN + M0 or less prostate cancer, particularly when combined with local treatment. We reviewed the benefits of adjuvant hormonal therapy in patients at risk for disease progression, especially when administered after radical prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the current literature and evaluated clinical information on stage pT3b cancer from a large single institution prostate cancer database to determine the current role of adjuvant hormonal therapy after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. RESULTS: Retrospective experimental and clinical studies have proved the impact of adjuvant hormonal therapy for decreasing prostate specific antigen (PSA) and clinical disease progression in patients with regionally limited prostatic cancer. This finding applies to stage pT3b as well as to lymph node positive cancer. Our literature review and current data from the Mayo Clinic database show that adjuvant hormonal therapy after prostatectomy has a significant impact on prostate specific antigen (PSA) progression but it also decreases systemic progression and cause specific death in patients with stage pT3b and lymph node positive disease. After adjusting for preoperative PSA, margins, grade, ploidy and patient age the risk ratio for stage pT3b disease in 707 cases was 0.3 (95% confidence interval 0.2 to 0.7). A recent prospective randomized trial showed a significant decrease in cancer death in N+ cases when adjuvant hormonal therapy was administered after radical prostatectomy, supporting previous Mayo Clinic data on N+ disease that favors combination therapy. In the PSA era, that is 1987 and after, our database data on stage pTxN+ cancer indicates that radical prostatectomy and hormonal therapy for single node positive disease resulted in 94% 10-year cause specific survival, which was not significantly different from the rate in patients with N0 disease after adjusting for local stage, Gleason grade, margins, ploidy, PSA and adjuvant hormonal therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Our literature review, including prospective randomized studies, and more recent results in the PSA era from our database indicate that early adjuvant hormonal therapy has a significant impact on time to progression and cause specific survival in patients with seminal vesicle invasion and limited lymph node disease who undergo radical prostatectomy, although in a retrospective nonrandomized study. Future prospective studies with longer followup are needed to evaluate the potential benefit of adjuvant treatment in regard to survival for stages pT2 and pT3a disease with unfavorable pathological variables.

Aged↗

Proximity of prostate cancer to the urethra: implications for minimally invasive ablative therapies.

OBJECTIVES: The delivery of thermotherapy, cryotherapy, and interstitial radiation with minimal morbidity is dependent on the preservation of the prostatic urethra. Our aim was to determine the distribution of the distance between the urethra and the nearest prostate cancer. METHODS: We determined the location of cancer in 350 prostate cancers treated by radical prostatectomy between 1991 and 1993. Each pathologic specimen was totally embedded, serially sectioned, and whole mounted. For each prostate, the radial distance from the urethra to the nearest cancer was determined (urethral-cancer distance). The urethra-cancer distance was correlated with the clinical, pathologic, and laboratory factors. Univariate and multivariate associations with progression-free survival were determined. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 6.1 years. Ninety-three patients had biochemical, local, or systemic cancer recurrence. The mean +/- SD distance from the urethra to the nearest cancer was 3 +/- 3 mm (range 0 to 18). In 58 patients (17%), the cancer touched the urethra. A decreasing urethra-cancer distance was associated with increasing rates of cancer recurrence (P = 0.009). The urethra-cancer distance correlated with each of the following preoperative factors: preoperative prostate-specific antigen (r = -0. 22, P <0.001), Gleason score in biopsy specimen (r = -0.13, P = 0.02), and percentage of Gleason score 4 or 5 in the biopsy specimen (r = -0.17, P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: The distance between the urethra and the nearest cancer was associated with prostate cancer outcome. Many patients have cancer close to the urethra. This finding may have implications for nonsurgical ablative therapies for prostate cancer.

Aged↗

Linkage analyses at the chromosome 1 loci 1q24-25 (HPC1), 1q42.2-43 (PCAP), and 1p36 (CAPB) in families with hereditary prostate cancer.

Recent studies suggest that hereditary prostate cancer (PRCA) is a complex disease, involving multiple susceptibility genes and variable phenotypic expression. Through linkage analysis, potential prostate cancer susceptibility loci have been mapped to 3 regions on chromosome 1. To investigate the reported linkage to these regions, we conducted linkage studies on 144 PRCA families by using microsatellite markers in regions 1q24-25 (HPC1) and 1q42.2-43 (PCAP). We also examined the 1p36 (CAPB) region in 13 PRCA families with at least one case of brain cancer. No significant evidence of linkage to the HPC1 or PCAP region was found when the entire data set was analyzed. However, weak evidence for linkage to HPC1 was observed in the subset of families with male-to-male transmission (n=102; maximum multipoint nonparametric linkage [NPL] 1.99, P=.03). Weak evidence for linkage with heterogeneity within this subset was also observed (HLOD 1.21, P=.02), with approximately 20% of families linked. Although not statistically significant, suggestive evidence for linkage to PCAP was observed for the families (n=21) that met the three criteria of male-to-male transmission, average age of diagnosis <66 years, and >/=5 affected individuals (maximum multipoint NPL 1.45, P=.08). There was no evidence for linkage to CAPB in the brain cancer-prostate cancer subset. These results strengthen the argument that prostate cancer is a heterogeneous disease and that multiple genetic and environmental factors may be important for its etiology.

Aged↗

Management and extended outcome of patients with synchronous bilateral solid renal neoplasms in the absence of von Hippel-Lindau disease.

OBJECTIVE: To gain information regarding long-term follow-up in patients with synchronous bilateral solid renal neoplasms in whom renal-preserving surgery is imperative. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We examined our surgical experience and the survival outcome, as evaluated by Kaplan-Meier and log-rank analysis, of 94 patients (64 men and 30 women) who presented to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, from 1973 to 1998 with bilateral synchronous solid renal neoplasms in the absence of von Hippel-Lindau disease. Follow-up of these patients ranged from 1 to 25 years, with a mean of 5.86 years and a median of 4.18 years. Tumors were staged according to the TNM classification. Pathologic staging and grading were usually performed on the kidney with the most extensive cancer. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the relationship of grade (1-4), tumor size, and enucleation as opposed to extended (1 cm) partial nephrectomy on overall, cancer-specific, local recurrence-free, and metastasis-free survival. RESULTS: Seventy-one patients (76%) had bilateral synchronous renal cell carcinoma, and 14 patients (15%) had a unilateral renal cell carcinoma with a contralateral benign solid neoplasm. Nine patients (10%) had bilateral benign solid lesions. Sixty-six patients (70%) underwent a single procedure, whereas 28 (30%) underwent staged surgical procedures. Fifty-one patients (54%) are alive, and 43 (46%) have died. Twenty patients (21%) died of metastatic disease, and 5 (5%) had a local recurrence. Cancer-specific survival of the 85 patients with at least 1 renal cell carcinoma still under observation was 81% (+/- 4.9% SE) and 59% (+/- 8.1% SE) at 5 and 10 years, respectively, and survival to local recurrence was 96% (+/- 2.6% SE) at 5 years and 93% (+/- 3.7% SE) at 10 years with 14 patients still under observation. Grade 3 was a statistically significant factor for metastasis (P < .001). A significant difference in metastasis-free survival and cancer-specific survival was noted dependent on pathologic T stage (P < .001 and P = .02, respectively), with patients with local pT3 disease having a higher rate of metastasis and cancer-specific death. Multivariate analysis revealed that tumor grade was associated with metastasis-free survival (P = .002) and tumor size with cancer-specific survival (P = .04). There was no statistical significance on survival outcome end points according to procedure performed, i.e., enucleation vs extended partial nephrectomy. CONCLUSION: Long-term results of renal-preserving procedures for a series of patients with bilateral solid renal neoplasms indicate that grade, stage, and tumor size are significant predictors of outcome. Mean follow-up of over 5 years supports nephron-sparing techniques in selected patients because local recurrence was infrequent compared with distant metastasis.

Adult↗

Matched comparison of radical nephrectomy vs nephron-sparing surgery in patients with unilateral renal cell carcinoma and a normal contralateral kidney.

OBJECTIVE: To report the long-term follow-up of a matched comparison of radical nephrectomy (RN) and nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) in patients with single unilateral renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and a normal contralateral kidney. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between August 1966 and March 1999, 1492 and 189 patients with unilateral RCC and a normal contralateral kidney underwent RN and NSS, respectively. Patients with renal impairment, previous nephrectomy, bilateral or multiple RCCs, metastasis, and familial cancer syndromes were excluded. A total 164 patients in each cohort were matched according to pathological grade, pathological T stage, size of tumor, age, sex, and year of surgery. The Kaplan-Meier method and stratified Cox proportional hazards model were used to estimate and compare overall, cancer-specific, local recurrence-free, and metastasis-free survival and survival free of chronic renal insufficiency. The 2 groups were evaluated for early (< or = 30 days) complications and proteinuria at last follow-up. RESULTS: At last follow-up, 126 RN patients (77%) and 130 NSS patients (79%) were alive with no evidence of disease. There was no significant difference observed between patients who had RN and those who had NSS with respect to overall survival (risk ratio, 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52-1.74; P = .88) or cancer-specific survival (risk ratio, 1.33; 95% CI, 0.30-5.95; P = .71). At 10 years, similar rates of contralateral recurrence (0.9% for RN vs 1% for NSS) and metastasis (4.9% for RN vs 4.3% for NSS) were seen in each group, whereas the rate of ipsilateral local recurrence for patients who underwent RN and NSS was 0.8% and 5.4%, respectively (P = .18). There was no significant difference in the early complications between the RN and NSS groups. However, patients who underwent RN had a significantly higher risk for proteinuria as defined by a protein/osmolality ratio of 0.12 or higher (55.2% vs 34.5%; P = .01). At 10 years, the cumulative incidence of chronic renal insufficiency (creatinine > 2.0 mg/dL at least 30 days after surgery) was 22.4% and 11.6%, respectively, for the RN and NSS groups (risk ratio, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.2-11.2; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective study of patients with unilateral RCC and a normal contralateral kidney suggests that NSS is as effective as RN for the treatment of RCC on long-term follow-up. The increased risk of chronic renal insufficiency and proteinuria after RN supports use of NSS.

Carcinoma, Renal Cell↗

Radiotherapy for isolated serum prostate specific antigen elevation after prostatectomy for prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: Elevated serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) may be the initial and only indication of disease recurrence after prostatectomy for prostate cancer. External beam radiotherapy may be given in this setting in an attempt to eradicate the disease but therapeutic outcomes after this approach require further description. We describe the intermediate term outcome in a large group of patients treated with radiotherapy and identify pre-therapy factors associated with disease outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied a cohort of 166 consecutive patients treated with radiotherapy between July 1987 and May 1996. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to describe patient outcome for the overall study group, and statistical associations of pre-therapy variables with outcome were sought to identify predictive factors. RESULTS: At a median followup of 52 months 46% (95% confidence interval 38 to 55) of patients were expected to be free of biochemical relapse 5 years after radiotherapy. Multivariate analysis identified pathological classification (seminal vesicle invasion), tumor grade and preradiotherapy serum PSA as independent factors associated with biochemical relapse. Although in 1 of 6 patients a chronic complication was attributed to radiotherapy, it was often mild and self-limited in nature. CONCLUSIONS: In our current series approximately half of the patients treated with radiotherapy for an isolated elevation of serum PSA after prostatectomy were free of biochemical relapse at 5 years of followup. Radiotherapy may be given in this setting with modest long-term morbidity.

Adult↗

Benefit of adjuvant radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer with a positive surgical margin.

PURPOSE: Positive surgical margins are common after radical prostatectomy, and the role of adjuvant therapy in such cases is controversial. We determined the benefit of postoperative external beam radiation therapy in patients with margin positive prostate cancer with respect to biochemical progression or cancer recurrence. To decrease confounding factors that may affect the likelihood of biochemical progression our study was limited to men with organ confined cancer and a single positive margin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the records of a nested matched cohort of 76 patients with pathological stage T2N0 prostate cancer and a single positive margin who underwent adjuvant radiation therapy within 3 months of radical prostatectomy. There was a positive margin at the prostatic apex in 35 cases, prostatic base in 18, posterior prostate in 11, urethra in 7, and prostatic apex and urethra in 5. These patients were matched 1:1 with 76 controls who did not receive adjuvant radiation therapy. Neither group received androgen deprivation therapy. Patients and controls were matched exactly for the margin positive site, age at surgery, preoperative serum prostate specific antigen, Gleason score and DNA ploidy. Biochemical relapse was defined as posttreatment PSA greater than 0.2 ng./ml. RESULTS: Overall there was significant estimated improvement plus or minus standard error in 5-year clinical and biochemical progression-free survival in 88%+/-5% versus 59%+/-11% of patients treated with adjuvant radiation therapy versus no radiation therapy (p = 0.005). No patient who received radiation therapy had local or distant recurrence, while 16% of controls had recurrence (p = 0.015). When stratified by site of margin positivity, the 5-year estimated clinical and biochemical progression-free rate in 18 cases and controls with a positive base margin was 95%+/-15% and 65%+/-13%, respectively (p = 0.02). The rate in 35 cases and cases with a positive apex margin was 95%+/-5% and 64%+/-15%, respectively (p = 0.07). Limited sample size precluded analysis of the other sites. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with localized prostate cancer and a singe positive surgical margin appear to have a lower rate of biochemical relapse at 5 years when adjuvant radiation therapy is administered. Definitive evidence of the beneficial effect of adjuvant radiation therapy for patients with involved surgical margins awaits conclusion of randomized clinical trials.

Adult↗

The cell cycle inhibitors p21WAF1 and p27KIP1 are associated with survival in patients treated by salvage prostatectomy after radiation therapy.

We evaluated p27KIP1 and p21WAF1 expression in 52 patients treated by salvage radical prostatectomy and bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy for biopsy-proven locally persistent or recurrent prostate cancer after external beam radiation therapy. We defined low and high expression based on the median value observed in our sample. Five-year distant metastasis-free survival and cancer-specific survival were 71 and 82%, respectively, for patients with low expression of p21 (< or =5%), compared with 94 and 100%, respectively, for those with high expression of p21 (>5%; P = 0.02 and 0.01, respectively). Five-year distant metastasis-free survival and cancer-specific survival were 71 and 82%, respectively, for patients with low expression of p27 (<50%), compared with 88 and 96%, respectively, for those with high expression of p27 (> or =50%; P = 0.06 and 0.01, respectively). These findings indicate that p21 and p27 expression levels are significant predictors of survival for patients selected for salvage prostatectomy for recurrent prostate cancer.

Aged↗

Long-term hazard of progression after radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer: continued risk of biochemical failure after 5 years.

PURPOSE: Cure from malignancy is commonly defined as a disease-free state lasting 5 years after treatment. We analyzed clinical and biochemical progression rates after radical prostatectomy for men with clinically localized prostate cancer with particular attention to recurrence beyond 5 years. Annual hazard rates of progression were calculated to determine the probability of recurrence at specific intervals following surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The records of 2,782 men with clinically localized prostate cancer (cT1-T2) undergoing radical prostatectomy between 1987 and 1993 were reviewed. All patients were treated in the prostate specific antigen (PSA) era so that serial followup PSA values were available from the time of surgery. Analysis was limited to patients who did not receive adjuvant treatment within 90 days of radical prostatectomy. Disease progression was defined as documented local recurrence, systemic progression and/or PSA 0.4 ng./ml. or greater. Lymph node positive cases were eliminated from analysis since almost all received adjuvant hormonal therapy. Annual hazard rates for progression were calculated using the formula: [No. events / No. patients at risk] x 100. Progression-free survival probabilities were determined using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Pathological stage was pT2a-b, N0 (68%), pT3a, N0 (21%) and pT3b, N0 (11%). Biochemical progression-free survival at 5 and 10 years was 76% and 59%, respectively, for the entire study population while those with pathologically organ confined (pT2, N0) cancers had progression-free survival rates of 82% and 68% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. A total of 819 patients (29%) eventually had disease progression, including 160 (6%) with progression after 5 years. Annual hazard rates were highest during the first 2 years after radical prostatectomy for the entire population. Patients with adverse prognostic features (pT3b, PSA 10 ng./ml. or greater, Gleason score 8-10 and nondiploid cancers) had high initial hazard rates that decreased with time to lower levels. Those with pathologically organ confined cancer had low but constant hazard rates throughout followup. CONCLUSIONS: Although progression after radical prostatectomy usually occurs early, reflecting the impact of clinical under staging, a significant number of men, including those with organ confined cancers, will continue to have disease progression after 5 years. Patients undergoing radical prostatectomy should be subjected to long-term followup to allow the option of early intervention should progression occur.

Adult↗

Outcome of isolated renal cell carcinoma fossa recurrence after nephrectomy.

PURPOSE: Local recurrence of renal cell carcinoma in the renal fossa after complete radical nephrectomy is uncommon. We characterize and determine outcome in a small subset of patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1970 to 1998 the incidence of isolated renal bed recurrence among 1,737 T1-3N0M0 unilateral nephrectomy cases was 1. 8% (standard error [SE] 0.4) at 5 years. There were 30 patients in whom isolated local fossa carcinoma recurred after complete radical nephrectomy without evidence of metastatic disease. Patients with any nodal involvement at radical nephrectomy were excluded from study as were those who had undergone any form of partial nephrectomy. Patient charts were reviewed for clinical presentation, stage, treatment, development of metastatic disease and survival. Pathological stage was assigned according to the 1997 TNM staging system. Recurrence was identified in 12 (40%) patients during routine followup and the remaining 18 (60%) presented with symptoms related to the recurrent tumor. Patients were divided into 3 treatment groups of observation (9), therapy excluding surgical extirpation (11) and complete surgical resection alone or in conjunction with additional therapy (10). Mean time from local recurrence to development of metastatic disease was calculated. Survival from local recurrence to overall death and disease specific death was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Survival curves for the different treatment groups were then compared. RESULTS: There were 30 patients identified with an ipsilateral renal fossa recurrence of renal cell carcinoma after complete nephrectomy in the absence of disseminated disease. Mean followup was 3.3 years (range 0.006 to 14.8) and no patient was lost to followup. The T stage of the primary tumor was T1/T2 in 13 cases, T3a in 4, T3b in 12, and T3c in 1, and all were node negative. Mean time to metastasis was 1. 6 years (range 0.006 to 7.3) in the 19 patients who had documented interval metastatic disease after local recurrence. There were 26 deaths, of which 25 were disease specific. Estimated overall crude and cause specific survival at 1 and 5 years was 66% and 28%, respectively. Calculating survival among symptomatic and asymptomatic patients revealed no discernible difference in outcome (p = 0.94). The 5-year survival rate with surgical resection was 51% (SE 18) compared to 18% (12) treated with adjuvant medical therapy and only 13% (12) with observation alone. The differences in cause specific survival were significant (p </=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Isolated local recurrence is rare with less than a 2% incidence at 5-year followup. Presently long-term survival with locally recurrent renal cell carcinoma is poor with a 28% survival rate at 5 years. However, patients who underwent surgical resection had an improved 5-year cause specific survival rate of 51% compared to 18% treated with adjuvant medical therapy and 13% with observation alone. This finding suggests that select patients may benefit from an aggressive surgical approach.

Adult↗

1999 American Urological Association Gallup Survey: changes in physician practice patterns, treatment of incontinence and bladder cancer, and impact of managed care.

PURPOSE: The Health Policy Survey and Research Committee of the American Urological Association and the Gallup Organization have performed a yearly survey of American urologists since 1992 to assess practice patterns. The results of the 1999 survey are presented. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A random sample of 503 urologists was interviewed in February and March 1999. Major content areas were physician practice patterns, the impact of managed care, and the treatment of pediatric patients, prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia, female incontinence and bladder cancer. RESULTS: The average urologist is 46.8 years old, certified by the American Board of Urology, sees 78 patients and performs 3.1 major surgical procedures weekly, refers moderate and complex pediatric procedures to specialists, and receives 40.6% of practice income from managed care. CONCLUSIONS: In an era when large group practices seem to be the norm remarkably 32% of urologists remain in solo practice. There has been a shift in where urologists spend their time, that is more in the office and less in the operating room. Minor and major open surgical procedures increased from 12.4 weekly to 16.4 and 2.9 to 3.1 in 1995 and 1999, respectively. Most urologists are comfortable treating straightforward pediatric problems such as cryptorchidism but refer more complex problems to pediatric urologists. Managed care represents an ever increasing proportion of urologist practice income, while office expenses continue to increase.

Adult↗

Validation of Partin tables for predicting pathological stage of clinically localized prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: The accurate prediction of pathological stage of prostate cancer using preoperative factors is a critical aspect of treatment. In 1997 Partin et al published tables predicting pathological stage using clinical stage, Gleason score and prostate specific antigen (PSA). We tested the validity of the Partin tables. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1990 to 1996 inclusively 5,780 patients underwent bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy and radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer at the Mayo Clinic. However, only 2,475 of these patients met all inclusion criteria of no preoperative treatment, known biopsy Gleason score, available preoperative PSA done either before biopsy or more than 28 days after biopsy and clinical stage T1, T2 or T3a. Among the 2,475 patients 15 had positive lymph nodes and planned prostatectomy was abandoned. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve area, observed and predicted Partin rates of each pathological stage, and positive and negative predictive values were used to compare the Mayo study to the Partin tables. RESULTS: The distribution of pathological stage was organ confined in 67% of Mayo cases versus 48% in the Partin study, extracapsular without seminal vesicle or node involvement in 18% versus 40%, seminal vesicle involvement without nodes in 9% versus 7% and were positive nodes in 6% versus 5%. Using the predicted probabilities of Partin et al the ROC curve area for predicted node positive disease was 0.84 for Mayo cases compared to an estimated 0. 82 in the Partin series. The ROC curve area for predicting organ confined cancer was 0.76 for the Mayo Clinic compared to an estimated 0.73 for the Partin series. The observed rates of node positive disease were similar to those predicted (Partin) based on clinical stage, PSA and Gleason score. For organ confined disease Mayo rates were consistently higher than those predicted from the Partin series using a cut point of 0.50 or greater. Positive and negative predictive values were 0.83 and 0.49 versus 0.63 and 0.70 for the Mayo Clinic and Partin series. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides strong evidence that sensitivity and specificity of the Partin tables for external clinical sites are similar to what was reported.

Humans↗

Predictors of cancer progression in T1a prostate adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The biologic behavior of T1a prostate adenocarcinoma is variable. A critical issue in the management of patients with T1a prostate adenocarcinoma is to distinguish those who will develop cancer progression from those who will not. Predictive factors that identify those at high risk of cancer progression are needed to stratify patients for treatment. In the current study the authors attempted to identify such predictors of cancer progression in a large series of untreated patients with lengthy follow-up. METHODS: The authors studied 102 patients who were diagnosed with T1a prostate adenocarcinoma (incidental tumor involving < or = 5% of the resected prostatic tissue) at the time they underwent transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) at the Mayo Clinic between 1960-1970. None of these patients were treated. Patient ages ranged from 48-91 years (mean +/- standard deviation, 69 +/- 7 years). The average weight of the resected prostate tissue was 24 +/- 18 g (range, 3-115 g; median, 18 g). Tumor volume was measured by the grid method. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify factors associated with cancer progression. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Five-year and 10-year progression free survival rates were 93% and 87%, respectively. During the mean follow-up of 9.5 +/- 6.8 years (range, 0.3-31 years; median, 9.0 years), 14 patients developed clinical cancer progression, including 5 patients with systemic progression (1 with distant metastases and 4 who died of prostate adenocarcinoma). The interval from diagnosis to clinical cancer progression ranged from 1-23 years (mean, 7.3 years). The amount of resected prostate tissue (TURP weight) was associated with progression (P = 0.04). Patients with a TURP weight > or = 30 g had 100% progression free survival at 10 years compared with a progression free survival rate of 73% in patients with a TURP weight < 12 g. Gleason score, tumor volume, number of chips involved by tumor, number of tumor foci, and the presence of high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia were not significant in predicting cancer progression. There was a trend toward a worse prognosis with the increasing number of chips involved by cancer (P = 0.16). Patients with < 3 chips involved by cancer had a 88% 10-year progression free survival rate compared with 73% in patients with > or = 3 chips involved by cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical course of T1a prostate adenocarcinoma is variable. If left untreated, a small but significant proportion of patients are at risk for disease progression and death. However, the current study found that patients with a TURP weight > or = 30 g have an excellent prognosis and can be managed conservatively.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Cystic renal cell carcinoma is cured by resection: a study of 24 cases with long-term followup.

PURPOSE: The true incidence and biological behavior of cystic renal cell carcinoma are not known. To our knowledge we present the largest series of patients with cystic renal cell carcinoma with long-term followup. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the Mayo Clinic surgical pathology files of renal cell cancer cases with a cystic component resected from 1969 to 1997, and arbitrarily chose 75% tumor involvement by cysts as a cutoff for inclusion in the study. RESULTS: We identified 24 cases of clear cell renal cell carcinoma with 75% or greater involvement by cysts comprising 0.79% of 3,047 renal cell cancer cases resected at our institution between 1969 and 1997. Mean patient age was 62.7 years (range 40 to 83). A total of 11 patients (46%) underwent radical nephrectomy, 4 (17%) simple nephrectomy, 3 (12%) partial nephrectomy and 6 (25%) tumor enucleation. Mean tumor involvement by cysts was 84% (range 75 to 95) and in 11 cases (46%) involvement was 90% or greater. Cancer stage was T1 in 20 patients (83%), T2 in 1 (4.4%) and T3a in 4 (12.5%). Cancers were diploid in all but 1 case. Mean followup was 77.6 months (range 8 to 428, median 51). A total of 22 patients (92%) had no evidence of cancer and 2 died of intercurrent disease. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that cystic renal cell carcinoma is uncommon and usually cured by resection, regardless of size, stage or number of cysts. These patients may benefit from nephron sparing surgery, such as partial nephrectomy.

Adult↗

1998 American Urological Association Gallup Survey: changes in physician practice patterns, treatment of ureteral stones and impact of managed care.

PURPOSE: The American Urological Association first commissioned the Gallup Organization to conduct a study to assess urologist practice patterns in 1992. We present the results of the seventh consecutive Gallup Survey performed for the Association. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A random sample of 537 American urologists who completed urological residency and practiced at least 20 hours weekly in 1997 were interviewed by telephone in March 1998. Major topic areas included general demographics, practice patterns, treatment of ureteral stones and experience with managed care. RESULTS: Demographic trends indicated a significant decrease in average urologist age from 49.4 years in 1992 to 46.8 in 1998. Of the urologists 99% reported that they treat ureteral stones. Managed care had an increasingly larger role in most practices, particularly in the western United States, where 73% of urologists reported that they contract with a Medicare health maintenance organization. CONCLUSIONS: The average age of practicing urologists significantly decreased, which may be due to an increasing number of urologists retiring at an earlier age, although this finding is not clear. Nearly all urologists treated ureteral stones with considerable consistency. Finally, managed care appeared to have a major impact on most urologists throughout the United States.

Adult↗