Purpose: In men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), new bone lesions are sometimes not properly categorized through a confirmatory bone scan, and clinical significance of the test itself remains unclear. This study aimed to demonstrate the performance rate of confirmatory bone scans in a real-world setting and their prognostic impact in enzalutamide-treated mCRPC. Materials and Methods: Patients who received oral enzalutamide for mCRPC during 2014-2017 at 14 tertiary centers in Korea were included. Patients lacking imaging assessment data or insufficient drug exposure were excluded. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes included performance rate of confirmatory bone scans in a real-world setting. Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed. Results: Overall, 520 patients with mCRPC were enrolled (240 [26.2%] chemotherapy-naïve and 280 [53.2%] after chemotherapy). Among 352 responders, 92 patients (26.1%) showed new bone lesions in their early bone scan. Confirmatory bone scan was performed in 41 patients (44.6%), and it was associated with prolonged OS in the entire population (median, 30.9 vs. 19.7 months; p < 0.001), as well as in the chemotherapy-naïve (median, 47.2 vs. 20.5 months; p=0.011) and post-chemotherapy sub-groups (median, 25.5 vs. 18.0 months; p=0.006). Multivariate Cox regression showed that confirmatory bone scan performance was an independent prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio 0.35, 95% confidence interval, 0.18 to 0.69; p=0.002). Conclusion Confirmatory bone scan performance was associated with prolonged OS. Thus, the premature discontinuation of enzalutamide without confirmatory bone scans should be discouraged.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the short-term outcomes and safety profiles of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT)+abiraterone/prednisone with those of ADT+docetaxel in patients with de novo metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). Materials and Methods: A web-based database system was established to collect prospective cohort data for patients with mHSPC in Korea. From May 2019 to November 2022, 928 patients with mHSPC from 15 institutions were enrolled. Among these patients, data from 122 patients who received ADT+abiraterone/prednisone or ADT+docetaxel as the primary systemic treatment for mHSPC were collected. The patients were divided into two groups: ADT+abiraterone/prednisone group (n=102) and ADT+docetaxel group (n=20). We compared the demographic characteristics, medical histories, baseline cancer status, initial laboratory tests, metastatic burden, oncological outcomes for mHSPC, progression after mHSPC treatment, adverse effects, follow-up, and survival data between the two groups. Results: No significant differences in the demographic characteristics, medical histories, metastatic burden, and baseline cancer status were observed between the two groups. The ADT+abiraterone/prednisone group had a lower prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression rate (7.8% vs. 30.0%; p=0.011) and lower systemic treatment discontinuation rate (22.5% vs. 45.0%; p=0.037). No significant differences in adverse effects, oncological outcomes, and total follow-up period were observed between the two groups. Conclusions ADT+abiraterone/prednisone had lower PSA progression and systemic treatment discontinuation rates than ADT+docetaxel. In conclusion, further studies involving larger, double-blinded randomized trials with extended follow-up periods are necessary.

Background: Benign bladder tumors are rare disease entities, and insufficient studies have assessed their epidemiological characteristics. The authors investigated the prevalence of benign bladder tumors by retrospectively investigating pathology reports of transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) procedures over the past 20 years. Methods: We analyzed 1,674 pathology reports of TURBT conducted in 1,160 patients from January 1, 2000, to April 30, 2022. The prevalence of benign tumors and histological classification according to the presence of primary (group 1) and recurrent (group 2) bladder lesions were retrospectively investigated. Results: The mean age of patients was 65.2±11.5 years, and 1,284 cases (79.1%) were in men. Benign bladder tumors comprised 278 cases (248 patients) accounting for about 17.1% of the total TURBT cases (278/1,624). Furthermore, 184 patients (16.0%, 184/1,147) belonged to group 1 and 78 patients (27.4%, 78/285) belonged to group 2. Among all benign lesions that underwent TURBT, cystitis was the most common (41.0%, 114/278), and this rate was higher in group 2 (64/184 [34.8%] vs. 50/94 [53.2%], p<0.001). The prevalence of non-neoplastic lesions was higher in group 1 (44/184 [23.9] vs. 11/94 [11.7%], p<0.001). There was no difference in the prevalence of noninvasive urothelial neoplasms between the two groups (22/184 [12.0%] vs. 8/94 [8.5%], p=0.86). Conclusions The probability of benign lesions in TURBT was 17.1%, among which cystitis was the most common. When TURBT was performed for recurrent lesions, the frequency of benign tumors was higher than that of primary benign bladder tumors.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to investigate the clinical value of Rab27a as a urinary biomarker, and its efficiency in the prediction of bladder cancer grade. Materials and Methods: The expression of Rab27a in urine samples of patients with bladder cancer, cell line (T-24), and tissue samples of patients with bladder cancer was estimated via quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The Rab27a expression level was investigated according to sex, age, and histological grade via qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Results: Rab27a was also expressed at high levels in urine compared to cell lines and tissues from bladder cancer patients. In addition, Rab27a expression varied significantly according to tumor grade (p<0.001). Rab27a was expressed at high levels in male and elderly patients, however, there was not statistically significant. Conclusions Our results indicated that Rab27a is valuable as a urinary diagnostic biomarker for bladder cancer. In addition, it may serve as a predictive factor for determining bladder cancer grade.

Purpose: The Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference (APCCC) 2015 was based on topics withcontroversy in the field of advanced prostate cancer. To understand the Korean urologists perspective regardingthe issues, we have conducted a questionnaire named Prostate Cancer Summit (PCAS) 2016, with 9 importantsubtopics. Materials and Methods: Total 9 subtopics have been decided and questions were developed regarding eachsubtopic. The questions were based on that of APCCC 2015 and translated into Korean for better understanding.Total 51 panelists have voted online on 85 different questions. Results: The survey concluded that testosterone should be measured as a diagnostic criterion for castrationresistance prostate cancer (CRPC) and that consensus was reached on issues such as the use of androgenreceptor pathway inhibitors in the treatment of predocetaxel and postdocetaxel in CRPC patients. In addition,76% of the participants agreed that imaging tests were needed before new treatment in CRPC patients, anda majority of participants agreed that periodic imaging tests are necessary regardless of symptoms during treatmentfor CRPC. However, some issues, such as the use of prostate-specific antigen-based triggers for remediationin CRPC patients, the endocrine manipulation in nonmetastatic CRPC patients, and the onset of treatment inasymptomatic metastatic CRPC patients, were not agreed. Conclusions The results from PCAS 2016 has addressed some of the issues with controversy. Although thevoting results are subjective, it will help guide treatment decisions in topics with less evidence.

PURPOSE: To determine prognostic significance of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in prostate cancer patients who underwent adjuvant or salvage postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) after radical prostatectomy (RP) MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 168 patients with prostate cancer received PORT after RP, with a follow-up of ≥12 months. Biochemical failure after PORT was defined as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ≥0.2 ng/mL after PORT or initiation of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for increasing PSA levels regardless of the value. We analyzed the clinical outcomes including survivals, failure patterns, and prognostic factors affecting the outcomes. RESULTS: In total, 120 patients (71.4%) received salvage PORT after PSA levels were >0.2 ng/mL or owing to clinical failure. The 5-year biochemical failure-free survival (BCFFS), clinical failure-free survival (CFFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), overall survival, and cause-specific survival rates were 78.3%, 94.3%, 95.0%, 95.8%, and 97.3%, respectively, during a follow-up range of 12–157 months (median: 64 months) after PORT. On multivariate analysis, PSA level of ≤1.0 ng/mL at the time of receiving PORT predicted favorable BCFFS, CFFS, and DMFS. LVI predicted worse CFFS (p = 0.004) and DMFS (p = 0.015). Concurrent and/or adjuvant ADT resulted in favorable prognosis for BCFFS (p < 0.001) and CFFS (p = 0.017). CONCLUSION: For patients with adverse pathologic findings, PORT should be initiated as early as possible after continence recovery after RP. Even after administering PORT, LVI was an unfavorable predictive factor, and further intensive adjuvant therapy should be considered for these patients.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Radiotherapy ; Survival Rate

Müllerian duct aplasia-renal aplasia-cervicothoracic somite dysplasia (MURCS) association is a unique development disorder with four common types of malformations that include uterine aplasia or hypoplasia, renal ectopy or agenesis, vertebral anomalies, and short stature. The majority of MURCS patients are diagnosed with primary amenorrhea from late-adolescence. However, a few cases with MURCS association are not well diagnosed during childhood and long-term outcomes are not well reported. We report a case of an 8-year-old girl with MURCS association who presented with recurrent urinary tract infections and multiple congenital malformations, and who was followed for 10 years until adulthood. MURCS association should be considered as one of the differential diagnoses when evaluating prepubertal females with vertebral and renal malformations.
Amenorrhea ; Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Somites ; Urinary Tract Infections

BACKGROUND: Various methods have been reported for the improvement of widened or depressed scars. However, scars can be complex at presentation. If a widened but flat portion is combined with a tethered or a depressed area, a scar revision method that can effectively resolve all issues is needed. The authors utilized a dermal portion of the widened scar as a re-adhesion barrier and filled tissue after the release of the tethering or depression. METHODS: From July 2014 to December 2017, a total of eight patients presented with combined scars with both widened and depressed areas and underwent scar revisions with scar dermal transposition flaps. The scar flap of the widened scar was de-epithelialized, leaving the dermo-cutaneous pedicle near the depressed area. Without any additional skin incision on the depressed site, the tethering was released by making a skin incision at the scar flap. The de-epithelialized scar dermal flap was transpositioned under the depressed area of the scar. RESULTS: The surgical wounds of all eight patients healed without any complications. The mean follow-up period was 5.25 months. The filling effect of the scar flap persisted without the conspicuous relapse of a depression or tethering. The patients were satisfied with the final results and the fact that no additional incision was needed for the tethered and depressed scar. CONCLUSIONS: If the depressed site is near a widened scar, a scar dermal transposition flap may be a versatile option for improving the depression without an additional skin incision.
Autografts ; Cicatrix ; Depression ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Methods ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Surgical Flaps ; Wounds and Injuries

The intrauterine device (IUD) is a widely used contraceptive method. One of the most serious and rare complications of using an IUD is colon perforation. We report a case of colonoscopic removal of an IUD that had perforated into the rectosigmoid colon in a 42-year-old woman who presented with no symptoms. Colonoscopy showed that the IUD had penetrated into rectosigmoid colon wall and that an arm of the IUD was embedded in the colon wall. We were able to remove the IUD easily by using colonoscopy. The endoscopic approach may be considered the first choice therapy for selected patients.
Adult ; Arm ; Colon* ; Colonoscopy ; Contraception ; Female ; Humans ; Intrauterine Devices*

BACKGROUND: To investigate whether addition of amikacin to fluoroquinolone (FQ) antimicrobial prophylaxis reduces infections after transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TRUSPB). METHODS: A total of 503 patients undergoing rectal swab were divided into three groups. Patients with FQ-sensitive rectal flora (group 1, n = 248) were administered ciprofloxacin before TRUSPB, and patients with FQ-resistant rectal flora were either administered ciprofloxacin (group 2, n = 97) or amikacin and ciprofloxacin (group 3, n = 158) before TRUSPB. RESULTS: Based on the rectal swab, FQ resistance was 54.9%, and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) positivity was 17.2%. The incidence of infectious complication in group 1 was 1.6%. Groups 2 and 3, with FQ-resistant rectal flora, tended to have increased infectious complications (5.2% and 4.4%, respectively) but the difference between those results is not statistically significant. The most common pathogens of infectious complications in patients with FQ-resistant rectal flora were FQ-resistant and ESBL-producing Escherichia coli. E. coli pathogens isolated in Group 3 were amikacin-susceptible species. The operation history and ESBL positivity of rectal flora increased the incidence of infectious complications (odds ratio [OR] = 3.68; P = 0.035 and OR = 4.02; P = 0.008, respectively). DM and antibiotics exposure were risk factors for FQ resistance (OR = 2.19; P = 0.002) and ESBL positivity of rectal flora (OR = 2.96; P = 0.005), respectively. CONCLUSION: Addition of amikacin to ciprofloxacin prophylaxis could not reduce infectious complications in patients with FQ-resistant rectal flora. Despite the amikacin sensitivity of infectious complications, single-dose amikacin addition to ciprofloxacin prophylaxis has limitations.