Urologic oncology
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The reported long-term safety of kidney donation is inconsistent with the impairment of kidney function observed following nephrectomy for renal cell cancer. We aimed to investigate if indication for nephrectomy (kidney cancer vs. living donation) was an independent risk factor for kidney function deterioration. ⋯ Renal cell carcinoma is not an independent risk factor for kidney function impairment following nephrectomy. Selected kidney cancer patients with few morbidities face the same deterioration of meanly 30% of kidney function compared with living donors, but their lower baseline function results in an increased risk for CKD.
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To compare the efficacy and toxicity profiles of 3 intravesical regimens, including doxorubicin alone, bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), and a cocktail regimen, in the prevention of bladder cancer recurrence. ⋯ Compared with maintenance BCG, the MDP group had a similar recurrence rate but less side effects. Large randomized study is warranted to further determine the benefit of MDP adjuvant intravesical therapy.
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Testicular cancer (TC) is one of the most curable cancers. Given survival rates of close to 100% with appropriate therapy, ensuring proper treatment is essential. We reviewed and summarized the literature on the association of socioeconomic position (SEP) along the cancer control spectrum from risk factors to survivorship. ⋯ The strongest evidence for SEP impact on testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) was found for the risk of developing cancer as well as survival. The association of SEP with TGCT risk appears to have changed over the last decade. Given the highly curable nature of TGCT, more research is needed to understand how SEP impacts diagnosis and treatment for TGCT and to design interventions to address disparities in TGCT outcomes and SEP.
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Prostate specific antigen (PSA) was introduced as a prostate cancer screening tool more than 20 years ago. However, there is continuing debate regarding its utility in screening for prostate cancer. Mass screening is costly, may result in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancers that never become clinically significant, and the evidence of a subsequent reduction in mortality is inconclusive. ⋯ However, its use in monitoring castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is more controversial, particularly in the context of novel targeted treatments, which may have little impact on PSA levels. These issues highlight the urgent need to identify prostate cancer biomarkers that will improve early disease detection, increase accuracy of diagnosis, determine the aggressiveness of disease, and monitor treatment efficacy, particularly in late-stage disease. This review discusses the key issues associated with the use of PSA as an early screening tool for prostate cancer, as a prognostic marker to measure disease progression in both early- and late-stage prostate cancer, and as a surrogate endpoint in clinical trials with new agents.