Urologic oncology
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Bladder cancer is the fifth most common human malignancy and the second most frequently diagnosed genitourinary tumor after prostate cancer. The majority of malignant tumors arising in the urinary bladder are urothelial carcinomas. Clinically, superficial bladder tumors (stages Ta and Tis) account for 75% to 85% of neoplasms, while the remaining 15% to 25% are invasive (T1, T2-T4) or metastatic lesions at the time of initial presentation. ⋯ On the contrary, "umbrella" cells display a p63 negative phenotype and are characterized by expression of 2 specific low molecular weight CKs: CK18 and CK20. Neither urothelial stem cells nor bladder cancer stem cells have been identified to date. In this review, we will further expand on the issues discussed above.
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Renal cell carcinoma is a potentially devastating cancer, and when metastatic, remains incurable with currently available systemic therapy. Surgical nephrectomy remains the only proven modality which can offer curative options for patients with resectable disease. ⋯ Immediate questions regarding preoperative treatment with VEGF pathway targeted therapy include issues surrounding the safety of these agents in use in the perioperative time period, the expectations for response in the primary tumor, the optimal duration of therapy, and the clinical settings in which this therapy may be most beneficial. This review will discuss the current experience with neoadjuvant or preoperative therapy in locally advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma and will overview the challenges and opportunities which lie ahead for this form of multimodality therapy.
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In light of the aging population and the high incidence of urologic malignancies in the elderly in the United States, we review issues surrounding radical urologic surgery in the elderly. Specifically, we examine the safety, efficacy, techniques, and special concerns related to elderly patients. We found in multiple series that well selected, elderly patients can safely undergo major, extirpative urologic surgery with acceptable morbidity, comparable to their younger counterparts. Tools, such as the ASA score, Karnofsky index, and Charlson index may help guide patient selection and counseling.