OBJECTIVES: We designed the study to compare the oncologic and renal function outcomes of off-clamp, laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (OCLPN) and conventional laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (HCLPN) for renal tumors. METHODS: Between March 2008 and July 2015, 114 patients who underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) of a renal neoplasm were studied. We performed LPN without hilar clamp on 40 patients (OCLPN, Group 1), and conventional LPN with hilar control and renorrhaphy on another 40 patients (HCLPN, Group 2). We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of each patient's age, sex, R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score (RNS), operation time, complications, hospitalization period, tumor size, positive resection margin, histologic classification of tumor, pathologic stage, Fuhrman grade, estimated blood loss (EBL), warm ischemic time (WIT), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) before and one year after surgery. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in age, sex, preoperative eGFR, EBL, surgical (anesthesia) time, and tumor size between the two groups. The mean eGFR was not significantly different between the OCLPN and HCLPN groups 1 month (95 and 86.2 mL/min/1.73 m², respectively; P = 0.106), 6 months (92.9 and 83.6 mL/min/1.73 m², respectively; P = 0.151) and 12 months (93.8 and 84.7 mL/min/1.73 m², respectively; P = 0.077) postoperatively. The change in eGFR after one year was 3.9% in the OCLPN group and −7.9% in the HCLPN group. CONCLUSIONS: OCLPN was superior to HCLPN in preserving renal function one year after surgery, and there was no statistically significant difference in tumor treatment results.
Classification ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; Medical Records ; Nephrectomy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Warm Ischemia

Prostate cancer is increasing in frequency in Korea. Among them, ductal adenocarcinoma (DCP) has a more aggressive and poor prognosis than acinar adenocarcinoma (ACP), despite its low incidence. Patients usually present with symptoms of lower urinary tract symptoms and hematuria due to increasing tumor mass within the lumen of the prostatic urethra, making diagnosis of DCP by the transrectal prostate biopsy difficult. DCP is often metastasized at the time of diagnosis. DCP is transferable to most other organs but the metastasis to the anterior urethra is rare. There is no doubt that localized DCP requires radical prostatectomy (RP) but the guidelines for adjuvant therapy after RP have not yet been established. Methods of the treatment are confounded by individual differences, and arriving at a consensus is challenging due to insufficient data. We report a case of DCP and urethral metastasis after RP, thus aiding in the determination of treatment guidelines.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Biopsy ; Consensus ; Diagnosis ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Incidence ; Individuality ; Korea ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Prognosis ; Prostate ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Urethra

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between RENAL nephrometry score (RNS) and operative approach for renal masses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 206 consecutive patients who underwent renal tumor surgery between January 2008 and October 2012. We divided the patients into four groups by surgical approach: open radical nephrectomy (ORN, 53 patients), laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN, 83 patients), open partial nephrectomy (OPN, 31 patients), and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN, 39 patients). We retrospectively assessed the RNS for each surgery group and evaluated the relationship between this score and operative approach. RESULTS: The mean RNSs of the ORN, LRN, OPN, and LPN groups were 9.75, 8.35, 6.72, and 5.76, respectively. When the RNS was analyzed according to nephron-sparing, the mean RNSs of the RN groups (ORN and LRN) and the PN groups (OPN and LPN) were significantly different (8.89 and 6.09, respectively; p<0.001). All the individual components of the RNS were significantly different between RN and PN. In the RN groups, the criteria for open versus laparoscopic surgery were based on tumor size ('R' score=2.43 for open, 1.54 for laparoscopic, p<0.001) and tumor location relative to the polar line ('L' score=2.55 for open, 2.09 for laparoscopic, p=0.006). In the PN groups, the criteria for open or laparoscopic surgery were based only on exophytic/endophytic property ('E' score=1.87 for open, 1.41 for laparoscopic, p=0.046). CONCLUSIONS: The RNS was significantly different in all surgery groups. The decision to take a laparoscopic approach was primarily influenced by the R and L scores for RN and by the E score for PN.
Humans ; Kidney ; Laparoscopy ; Nephrectomy ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: To evaluate alterations in renal function after laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN) and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) for renal tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2008 to August 2011, we performed 175 cases of laparoscopic kidney resection. Among these, we excluded patients who received perioperative immunotherapy or target therapy and also patients with a preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min. A total of 32 patients undergoing LPN and 92 patients undergoing LRN were enrolled. We retrospectively reviewed the changes in eGFR (by the modification of diet in renal disease method) at the following time points: preoperative, postoperative 1 week, and postoperative 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. RESULTS: The mean warm ischemia time of the LPN group was 22 minutes (range, 0 to 47 minutes). Mean eGFR values (mL/min/1.73 m2) during postoperative week 1 and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months were 70.8, 71.5, 76.7, 76.0, and 75.3 in the LPN group and 52.1, 50.6, 52.8, 53.4, and 52.4 in the LRN group, respectively. One year after the operation, 6.3% (2 patients) of LPN patients and 68.5% (63 patients) of LRN patients had progressed to chronic renal insufficiency (eGFR<60 mL/min/1.73 m2). CONCLUSIONS: Renal function recovered slightly after LPN and LRN and was maintained constantly after 3 months. However, renal function showed different patterns of decrease. Despite the concern for warm ischemia, LPN can preserve renal function better than can LRN. LPN should be considered for selected patients to prevent chronic renal insufficiency.
Diet ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Kidney ; Laparoscopy ; Nephrectomy ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Retrospective Studies ; Warm Ischemia

PURPOSE: HER-2/neu overexpression is documented in some bladder cancers. To our knowledge, there are no current studies evaluating urine HER-2/neu levels. Therefore, we examined the clinical significance of serum and urine HER-2/neu protein in bladder cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Urothelial bladder carcinoma patients (n=38, including 31 men and 7 women) and healthy controls (n=25, including 20 men and 5 women) were included in the study. Urine cytology and serum and urine HER-2/neu levels were measured before the transurethral resection of bladder tumor procedure. Prognostic factors including tumor stage, histologic grade, tumor size, multiplicity, and preoperative urine cytology and their association with urinary HER-2/neu were analyzed by simple and multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in serum HER-2/neu between the two groups (p=0.489). The mean urinary HER-2/neu was 7,586.82 relative luminescence unit (RLU) in bladder cancer patients and 4,245.84 RLU in healthy controls. The mean RLU values of urinary HER-2/neu in the bladder cancer patient group were significantly higher than in healthy controls (p=0.012). An receiver operating characteristic curve was generated, and using the cutoff value of > or =4,800 RLU of urinary HER-2/neu, 71.1% sensitivity and 84.0% specificity were obtained. Among the clinical factors, only positive preoperative urine cytology samples were associated with urinary HER-2/neu levels by both simple and multiple regression analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Bladder cancer patients demonstrated significantly higher urinary HER-2/neu than did healthy controls. These findings suggest that urinary HER-2/neu may be valuable as a new urinary marker. The application of urinary HER-2/neu needs additional investigation.
Humans ; Luminescence ; Male ; Pilot Projects ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms

PURPOSE: We reviewed the records of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients with brain metastases, analyzed about survival and prognosis after several palliative management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between June 1998 and January 2008, 22 patients diagnosed to have brain metastases from RCC. We retrospectively reviewed their medical records, and analyzed clinical properties. RESULTS: Of 278 patients with RCC, 22 patients (7.9%) diagnosed to have brain metastases. The pathological T stages and Fuhrman nuclear grade of RCC at the time of initial diagnosis were various (T1: 1 patient, T2: 5, T3: 8, T4: 3, Fuhrman grade 1: 0, 2: 4, 3: 10, 4: 6, unknown: 2). Most of RCC was clear cell carcinoma (17/22). Most symptoms suggesting brain metastases were neurologic. Median cancer specific survival (CSS) of WBRT, radiosurgery, or surgery group (13/22) was 4 months, conservative management group (9/22) was 1.5 months and CSS of the former group was significantly better. Median duration of development of brain metastasis after diagnosis of RCC was 28 month (1-120). There was no difference in CSS between patients with brain metastasis developed before and after 28 month (p=0.361). CONCLUSIONS: Brain metastases of RCC have poor prognostic course. Development interval of brain metastases did not affect survival. WBRT, radiosurgery or surgery group showed better survival. Active intervention may improve survival.
Brain ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Radiosurgery ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of patients who received primary androgen deprivation therapy (PADT) for clinically localized prostate cancer and the clinical efficacy of this treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 1998 and August 2007, patients who underwent PADT for clinically localized prostate adenocarcinoma were analyzed. The patients studied could not receive definitive therapy owing to old age or medical comorbidities. All patients' Gleason score, pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value, time to PSA progression, and D'Amico's risk criteria were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 72 patients were analyzed. The patients' mean age was 75.29 years (range, 57-92 years) and their median pretreatment PSA was 13.52 ng/ml (range, 1.27-74.82 ng/ml). The median follow-up duration was 39 months (range, 18-115 months). Thirteen patients (18.57%) had PSA progression after reaching a PSA nadir. The mean time to PSA progression was 14 months (range, 7-55 months). Among these 13 patients, 2 patients had low-risk prostate cancer and 11 patients had high-risk prostate cancer by D'Amico's risk criteria. Three of the 13 patients are now receiving chemotherapy, 2 patients died from cancer progression, 3 patients died of a non-cancer cause, and 5 patients are now being conservatively managed. Of the total 72 patients, 70.83% of the patients are still receiving PADT. A total of 11 patients died; however, only 2 deaths were caused by prostate cancer. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with localized prostate cancer who could not receive definitive therapy for several reasons, the cancer-caused death rate was very low, even in patients with PSA progression. PADT is an effective therapeutic option in patients with localized prostate cancer.
Adenocarcinoma ; Androgens ; Comorbidity ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Neoplasm Grading ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Neoplasms

We developed nomograms to predict disease recurrence in patients with Ta, T1 transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Thirty-eight training hospitals participated in this retrospective multicenter study. Between 1998 and 2002, a total of 1,587 patients with newly diagnosed non-muscle invasive bladder cancer were enrolled in this study. Patients with prior histories of bladder cancer, non-transitional cell carcinoma, or a follow-up duration of less than 12 months were excluded. With univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, we constructed nomograms to predict disease recurrence, and internal validation was performed using statistical techniques. Three-year and five-year recurrence-free rates were 64.3% and 55.3%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that age (hazard ratio [HR]=1.437, p<0.001), tumor size (HR=1.328, p=0.001), multiplicity (HR=1.505, p<0.001), tumor grade (HR=1.347, p=0.007), concomitant carcinoma in situ (HR=1.611, p=0.007), and intravesical therapy (HR=0.681, p<0.001) were independent predictors for disease recurrence. Based on these prognostic factors, nomograms for the prediction of disease recurrence were developed. These nomograms can be used to predict the probability of disease recurrence in patients with newly diagnosed Ta, T1 transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. They may be useful for patient counseling, clinical trial design, and patient follow-up planning.
Aged ; Carcinoma in Situ/diagnosis/epidemiology ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell/*diagnosis/*epidemiology ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; *Nomograms ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Recurrence ; Regression Analysis ; Reproducibility of Results ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/*diagnosis/*epidemiology

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify the clinical baseline factors that affect failure of medical treatment(and especially surgical treatment) for benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH) in spite of long-term medication. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 802 men who were over 50 years of age with BPH were enrolled for this study. Patients were allocated to a medication group and a surgical treatment group(after having at least a 12 month duration of medication). We compared the differences between the two groups for their initial International Prostate Symptom Score(IPSS), the uroflowmetry, the prostate volume, the postvoid residual urine and the serum prostate specific antigen(PSA). RESULTS: 397 patients had surgical treatment following medication due to BPH progression(acute urinary retention, aggravating LUTS) and 405 patients were given maintenance medical treatment during follow-up. Statistically significant differences were found in the IPSS(23.3+/-6.6 vs. 12.7+/-8.4), the prostate volume(53.5+/-28.1ml vs. 38.3+/-12.6ml), the maximal flow rate(7.8+/-4.7ml/sec vs. 12.7+/-5.4ml/sec), the postvoid residual urine volume(92.7+/-144.4cc vs. 36.5+/-147.1cc), and the PSA(6.1+/-7.6ng/ml vs. 2.8+/- 2.8ng/ml) between the surgical and medication groups. According to the area under the curve(AUC), the IPSS, prostate volume, maximal flow rate, postvoid residual urine volume and PSA are important in descending order. According to the receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve- based prediction of the surgical intervention, the best cutoff value for the IPSS and prostate volume were 17(area under ROC curve: 0.83) and 40ml (area under ROC curve: 0.68), respectively. Conclusions: The results show that BPH patients with more severe IPSS (>or=17) and a larger prostate volume(>40ml) have a higher risk of surgical intervention, and this suggests that the IPSS and prostate volume may be useful predictors at the initial visit for surgical intervention.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Prostate ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Treatment Failure ; Urinary Retention

PURPOSE: We analyzed the clinical experiences of patients with renal, perinephric, and mixed abscesses during the last 10 years in a single center. MATERIALS AND METHOS: We reviewed the medical records of 33 patients with renal, perinephric, and mixed abscesses treated at our hospital between January 1998 and March 2008. The medical records, including predisposing conditions, clinical manifestations, physical examination, laboratory and radiologic findings, duration of hospitalization, types of uropathogens, time to clinical improvement, time to laboratory improvement, treatment, and clinical outcomes, were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Renal, perinephric and mixed abscesses occurred in 22(66.7%), 4(12.1%), and 7(21.2%) patients. The most common predisposing conditions were diabetes mellitus(39.4%) and liver disease(27.3%). Flank pain (57.6%) and fever(54.5%) were the most common symptoms. Urine and blood cultures were positive in 23.3 and 19.2% of patients, respectively. The most common isolated uropathogen in the urine, blood, and purulent cultures was E. coli. The time to clinical and laboratory improvement was not significantly different between the patients with renal, perinephric, and mixed abscesses. Patients with renal, perinephric, and mixed abscesses received antibiotic therapy only in 59.1, 50.0, and 42.9% of cases, respectively. Similarly, patients with renal, perinephric, and mixed abscesses underwent percutaneous or surgical drainage in 22.7, 50.0, and 14.3% of cases, respectively. Patients required a nephrectomy in 18.2 and 42.9% of renal and mixed abscess cases, respectively. Most patients were cured(54.5%) or improved(42.4%) at the time of discharge from the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that renal, perinephric, and mixed abscesses are successfully managed by proper medical or interventional treatment. However, the cases suspicious for renal cancer or with non-functioning kidneys must be evaluated carefully for nephrectomy.