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Biomedical subjects

Theresa M Koppie

Publications and source records attributed to Theresa M Koppie.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Bilateral cavernous nerve interposition grafting during radical retropubic prostatectomy: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center experience.

PURPOSE: Cavernous nerve graft is an option for men requiring bilateral cavernous nerve resection for cancer control during radical prostatectomy. We determined the success rate and identified determinants of success of bilateral cavernous nerve grafting following resection of the 2 nerves during radical prostatectomy in patients who were potent preoperatively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 44 consecutive patients who underwent bilateral nerve grafting from 1999 to 2004. Postoperative erectile function was defined as the achievement of erections satisfactory for intercourse with or without oral medication. We calculated cumulative erectile function recovery rates using Kaplan-Meier curves. The log rank test was used to compare variables affecting erectile function recovery with p <0.0083 considered significant after adjusting for the number of variables evaluated using the Bonferroni correction. RESULTS: The overall 5-year cumulative recovery of erectile function permitting penetration was 34% and the rate of consistent penetration was 11%. None of the analyzed variables were significantly associated with recovery of postoperative erectile function, including patient age (p = 0.3), incomplete bilateral cavernous nerve resection (p = 0.045), sural nerve grafts compared to genitofemoral or ilioinguinal nerves as donor sites (p = 0.067), post-radiation salvage radical prostatectomy (p = 0.15), neoadjuvant hormone therapy (p = 0.7) and comorbidities (p = 0.15) or medications (p = 0.4) affecting EF. CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral cavernous nerve grafts might be beneficial in select patients. A definitive answer awaits the performance of a multi-institutional, randomized, controlled trial.

Humans↗
PubMed2007

Evaluation of regional lymph node dissection in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The role of the lymph node dissection (LND) in conjunction with nephroureterectomy (NU) in upper tract urothelial cell carcinoma (UT-UCC) remains undefined. We evaluated the manner in which the LND was applied at NU, the patterns of lymph node (LN) involvement and the preoperative variables that could identify patients at high risk for lymph node metastasis (LNM). METHODS: We examined clinical, radiological and pathological records of patients who underwent NU for UT-UCC between 1985 and 2004. The central pathology laboratory reviewed all specimens and graded tumors using the 2002 World Health Organization/International Society of Urologic Pathologists grading system. RESULTS: Of the NU performed in 252 patients for UT-UCC, 105 (42%) were N0, 28 (11%) N+ and 119 (47%) Nx. Some form of LN resection was performed with NU in 53% of patients, with a median of four LN sampled (interquartile range, 2-10). After adjustment for tumor and patient characteristics, surgeon remained a significant predictor of LN resection (P < 0.0005). Of the evaluated variables, suspicious LN on preoperative computed tomography, present in 60% of N+ patients, was the only preoperative variable associated with the pathological finding of LNM (P < 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: LND in patients with UT-UCC is surgeon-dependent. Given the prognostic importance of LN status and the limited accuracy of preoperative staging of the regional LN, surgeons should perform a regional LND at the time of NU.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Standardization of pelvic lymphadenectomy performed at radical cystectomy: can we establish a minimum number of lymph nodes that should be removed?

BACKGROUND: The number of lymph nodes (LNs) removed during radical cystectomy (RC) for transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder affects overall and disease-specific survival, but no consensus exists regarding the minimum number of LNs that should be removed. The goal of the current study was to determine if a threshold number of nodes exists, above which taking additional LNs has no clinical benefit. METHODS: A total of 1121 patients were identified who underwent RC for clinically localized TCC of the bladder between January 1990 and April 2004. To determine the relation of LNs removal and overall survival, a Cox proportional hazards model was used with pathologic stage, age, and comorbidity as covariates. A dose-response curve, adjusted for covariates, was modeled to assess the impact of an increasing number of LNs removed on overall survival. RESULTS: A median of 9 LNs were removed (range, 0-53 LNs). In multivariable analysis, all covariates (number of LNs removed, age, stage of disease, and comorbidity) were found to be predictive of survival. The dose-response curve for number of LNs versus survival revealed that, when adjusted for covariates, the probability of survival did not plateau but instead continued to rise as the number of LNs removed increased. CONCLUSIONS: No evidence was found that a minimum number of LNs is sufficient for optimizing bladder cancer outcomes when a limited or extended pelvic LN dissection is performed during RC. Instead, the probability of survival continues to rise as the number of LNs removed increases. This study supports a more extended LN dissection at the time of RC, and highlights the challenges of interpreting retrospective LN dissection data.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

The clinical features of anterior prostate cancers.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the clinical characteristics of anterior prostate cancers (APCs) and to compare these with posterior prostate cancers (PPCs). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed 1290 consecutive open and laparoscopic radical prostatectomies (RPs) at the authors' institution from January 2000 to March 2004. Prostates were processed using a whole-mount technique. Each surgical specimen was reviewed by one pathologist, and tumour areas were marked, measured and mapped. Positive surgical margins (PSMs) were defined as the presence of cancer cells at the inked surface of the specimen. Specimens were then categorized by the location of their dominant tumour, i.e. pure anterior, anterior > posterior, posterior > anterior, or pure posterior. We compared the clinical and pathological characteristics of 259 patients in the pure-anterior group with the 594 in the pure-posterior group. RESULTS: Before RP, APCs had a significantly lower biopsy Gleason score (78% vs 68% with Gleason 4-6), fewer mean biopsy cores positive (2.0 vs 2.6), a smaller median percentage of positive cores (17% vs 26%), lower clinical stage (T1 in 79% vs 62%), and higher progression-free probability estimated by preoperative nomogram (86% vs 84%) than PPCs. Patients with APCs also had more previous negative biopsy sessions. The pathological analysis of RP specimens showed that those with APCs had higher tumour volume (1.6 vs 0.83 mL) and had a higher PSM rate (12% vs 7%) than those with PPCs, despite specimens with PPCs having higher rates of extraprostatic extension (10% vs 19%). CONCLUSIONS: APCs have lower Gleason grade and lower rates of extraprostatic extension, yet patients with anterior tumours have higher overall tumour volumes and higher PSM rates. Because current tools for detecting and staging prostate cancer can underestimate the extent of anterior prostate disease, improved methods are needed for localizing and characterizing anterior cancers.

Cohort Studies↗
PubMed2006

Impact of renal impairment on eligibility for adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative cisplatin-based chemotherapy has shown benefit in patients with high-risk localized urothelial bladder cancer, but it is not widely used. Renal impairment may be a major factor limiting its use. The current study was designed to determine the proportion of patients ineligible to receive adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy based on inadequate renal function alone. METHODS: Patients who underwent radical cystectomy for urothelial cancer of the bladder with evidence of extravesical disease (> or =pT3 or any N+) were identified. Patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy were excluded. Serum creatinine immediately before and nadir serum creatinine after cystectomy were used to calculate creatinine clearance (CrCl) or glomerular filtration rate (GFR) using the Cockroft-Gault (CG), Jelliffe, and Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) study formulas. A cutoff of CrCl <60 mL/min or GFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 was used to determine ineligibility for cisplatin-based chemotherapy. The proportion of patients ineligible by each formula was compared by univariate logistic regression. Univariate linear regression was performed to determine the effect of age on CrCl or GFR. RESULTS: : Most patients were pT3 or greater; 39% were lymph node-positive. The overall proportion of patients ineligible for cisplatin-based chemotherapy was 28% by the CG formula, 52% by Jelliffe, and 24% by MDRD. Concordance between formulas was low. With all formulas the probability of ineligibility increased with age: by the CG equation, >40% of patients age >70 years were ineligible. CONCLUSIONS: : The widespread use of cisplatin-based perioperative chemotherapy in patients with high-risk localized bladder cancer may be significantly limited by the high prevalence of baseline renal insufficiency in this population. This finding is most striking in the elderly. Better selection of patients who may safely receive cisplatin and more effective regimens devoid of cisplatin are required to optimize outcomes in this group of patients.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2004

Treatment and outcome of invasive bladder cancer in patients after renal transplantation.

PURPOSE: Optimal management and clinical outcome of bladder cancer in renal transplant recipients are not well-defined. We analyzed single institution treatment strategies and outcomes of these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the University of California, San Francisco transplant database which contains information on 6,288 renal transplants performed between 1964 and 2002. The United Network for Organ Sharing database and Israel Penn International Transplant Tumor Registry were also queried to characterize the global nature of bladder cancer in renal transplant recipients. RESULTS: The United Network for Organ Sharing database (1986 to 2001) contained information on 31 patients who were found to have bladder cancer (0.024% prevalence) and the Israel Penn International Transplant Tumor Registry (1967 to 2001) contained information on 135 patients representing 0.84% of all reported malignancies. We identified 7 renal transplant recipients with bladder cancer at our institution. Invasive transitional cell carcinoma developed in 5 patients at a median of 2.8 years after transplant. Three patients underwent uncomplicated radical cystectomy and preservation of the renal allograft. Overall survival at 48 months was 60%. CONCLUSIONS: Bladder cancer after renal transplantation is not common. For patients who present with invasive disease, traditional extirpative surgery should be considered. Moreover, the allograft is rarely the source of transitional cell carcinoma and can be preserved. In our experience the cancer and urinary outcomes compare favorably with nontransplant patient outcomes after treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Transperineal prostate biopsy after abdominoperineal resection.

PURPOSE: Prostate cancer evaluation in men who have undergone abdominoperineal resection poses a challenge for urologists. Diagnosis and staging methods are limited because as access to the prostate via digital rectal examination is not possible. Prostate specific antigen (PSA) has been used to screen for malignancy in this population. However, the conventional diagnostic technique with transrectal ultrasound guided biopsies cannot be used. Transperineal ultrasound and biopsy have been described to evaluate the prostate in this setting. We report our experience with transperineal ultrasound biopsy for evaluating the prostate in patients with elevated PSA who have previously undergone abdominoperineal resection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the records of 28 patients treated at 2 institutions. All patients had a history of abdominoperineal resection and subsequent transperineal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy for evaluating elevated PSA. Mean serum PSA in this population was 22 ng./ml. (median 9.5, range 4.1 to 237). Abdominoperineal resection was done in 16 patients (57%) for colorectal cancer, in 11 (39%) for ulcerative colitis and in 1 (4%) for familial polyposis coli. Average time since resection was 14 years (range 1 to 33). Five patients had previously undergone radiation therapy as part of treatment for colorectal cancer before transperineal ultrasound biopsy. RESULTS: Of the 28 biopsies performed 23 revealed prostate cancer, 2 revealed prostatitis and 3 were benign. Average Gleason grade was 6.6 (range 3 to 9). Of the 23 patients with prostate cancer 22 were treated with androgen deprivation therapy (7), prostatectomy (8), external beam (6) and high dose (1) radiation therapy. Of the 8 patients who underwent prostatectomy pathological stage was T2 in 3 and T3 in 4, while pathological findings were not determined in 1 patient in whom the prostate was removed in pieces. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with a history of abdominoperineal resection and elevated PSA transperineal ultrasound guided biopsy of the prostate can provide an accurate tissue diagnosis.

Abdominal Wall↗
PubMed2003

How potent is potent? Evaluation of sexual function and bother in men who report potency after treatment for prostate cancer: data from CaPSURE.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize the association between potency and comprehensive sexual function. The accurate assessment of sexual function is critical for the evaluation of outcomes after treatment of prostate cancer. The assessments of potency typically used in this context, however, may be oversimplified. METHODS: CaPSURE is a large, observational database of men with prostate cancer. Participants complete health-related quality-of-life questionnaires, including the University of California, Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index, every 6 months after treatment. A total of 5135 men completed at least one questionnaire and did not use medications for erectile function. The men were categorized as potent or impotent based on their ability to have erections and/or intercourse in the prior 4 weeks. Using the remaining questions on the Prostate Cancer Index, sexual function and bother scores were calculated for each group. RESULTS: Of the 5135 men, 27.4% were potent. The mean sexual function scores were 56 and 13 for potent and impotent men, respectively (P <0.0001). The corresponding mean bother scores were 62 and 36 (P <0.0001). The function scores ranged from 0 to 100 and 0 to 92 among potent and impotent men, respectively, and bother scores from 0 to 100 in both groups. Function was inversely associated with age in both groups, but bother did not change among potent men and ameliorated among impotent men. Individual Prostate Cancer Index questions correlated with potency to a variable extent. CONCLUSIONS: Although potent and impotent men have divergent sexual function and bother scores after treatment, the wide range of these scores in both groups denotes a complex picture of sexual function. The simple documentation of potency after treatment provides an insufficient measure of sexual health-related quality of life and should be supplemented with more comprehensive measures.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Pathologic sampling of laparoscopically morcellated kidneys: a mathematical model.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Kidney morcellation permits tissue removal through a port site; however, standard methods of histopathologic examination of the numerous specimen fragments thus produced have not been established. We developed a model to guide pathologic evaluation of the morcellated kidney. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A mathematical model was created to determine the quantity of morcellated tissue needed to establish a diagnosis. Inputs into the equation included estimated lesion size, total specimen volume, and the desired certainty of identifying at least a portion of the lesion on pathologic analysis. Nomograms were calculated to illustrate the model and provide clinically relevant guidelines. RESULTS: The hypergeometric distribution was used to develop the formula: P = 1 - (1 - k/N)(n), where k/N represents the fraction of total specimen with tumor, n is the amount of specimen that must be sampled to yield a diagnosis, and P is the probability of encountering the tumor in the sampled tissue. The model provided nomograms that were feasible and would guide a practical approach to the pathologic analysis of laparoscopically morcellated specimens. CONCLUSIONS: The increasing application of laparoscopy to the removal of solid organs with suspected tumors has raised several important issues. Morcellation of these specimens precludes traditional pathologic examination and necessitates an alternative method of specimen sampling and diagnosis. We describe a novel, systematic model to assist in the histopathologic examination of morcellated specimens. Issues of pathologic staging remain unresolved, but this sampling system provides a nonarbitrary framework to help arrive at a histologic diagnosis.

Humans↗
PubMed2002

Sociodemographic characteristics and health related quality of life in men attending prostate cancer support groups.

PURPOSE: Prostate cancer can be associated with anxiety, depression and fears of recurrence and side effects of treatment. Support groups may help meet the needs of patients with cancer by providing treatment information and emotional support. We describe men in prostate cancer support groups and compare them to a national registry. METHODS AND METHODS: Men attending prostate cancer support groups in the San Francisco Bay area completed a questionnaire including sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, health related quality of life items, satisfaction with treatment, relief of prostate cancer symptoms and bother from perceived side effects of treatment. Patients in support groups were compared to men enrolled in a national prostate cancer registry (Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urological Research Endeavor). RESULTS: Men attending support groups had higher annual income and education levels, lower median serum prostate specific antigen and higher cancer grades than men in Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urological Research Endeavor. Clinical stage was comparable for the 2 groups. Men in support groups were satisfied with treatment and alleviation from symptoms. Adjusting for ethnicity, marital status, age and type of treatment, sexual function scores were higher in men who attended support groups (p = 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in bowel and urinary function between groups, although urinary function approached statistical significance at p = 0.05. Sexual and bowel bother scores indicated less bother for men in support groups (p < or = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Men enrolled in support groups have unique sociodemographic characteristics. Their health related quality of life appears to be better than that of other men with prostate cancer. Whether this is related to support group participation is not known. Additional studies are required to determine whether routine support group participation improves outcomes in men with prostate cancer.

Aged↗