Objective Age is known to have an impact on outcomes after radical prostatectomy (RP). However, age differences can be investigated from a cross-sectional as well as from a longitudinal perspective. This study combines both perspectives. Materials and methods LAP-01 is the first multicenter randomized patient blinded trial comparing outcomes after robotic-assisted and laparoscopic RP. This study stratified the entire population that received nerve-sparing surgery and was potent at baseline by the following ages: ≤ 60 years, 61–65 years, and > 65 years. Potency was assessed using the IIEF-5. The EORTC QLQ-C30 was used for global health perception and the EORTC QLQ-PR25 for urinary symptoms. Continence was assessed by the number of pads used. Longitudinal change was assessed using either validated anchor-based criteria or the 1 or 0.5-standard-deviation criterion. Worsening of continence was measured by increasing numbers of pads. Results 310 patients were included into this study. Older patients had a significantly higher risk for worsening of continence at 3 and 6 months (OR 2.21, 95% CI [1.22, 4.02], p = 0.009 and OR 2.00, 95% CI [1.16, 3.46], p = 0.013, respectively); at 12 months, the odds of worsening did not differ significantly between age groups. Potency scores were better in younger patients from a cross-sectional perspective, but longitudinal change did not differ between the age groups. In contrast, global health perception was better in older patients from a cross-sectional perspective and longitudinal decreases were significantly more common among the youngest patients, at 12 months (36.9% vs. 24.4%, p = 0.038). Conclusion From a cross-sectional perspective, function scores were better in younger patients, but from a longitudinal perspective, age differences were found in continence only. In contrast, global health scores were better in older patients from a cross-sectional and longitudinal perspective.

Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

Background: The optimal extent of the prostate biopsy remains controversial. There is a need to avoid detection of insignificant cancer but not to miss significant and curable tumors. In alternative treatments of prostate cancer, repeated sextant biopsies are used to estimate the response. The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability of a repeated systematic sextant biopsy as the standard biopsy technique in patients with significant tumors which are being considered for curative treatment. Methods: Systematic sextant biopsy was performed in vitro in 92 radical prostatectomy specimens. Of these patients, 81 (88.0%) had palpable lesions. Results: Of the 92 investigated patients, 70 (76.1%) had potentially curable pT2-3pN0 prostate cancers. In these patients, the cancer was detected only in 72.9% of cases by a repeated in vitro biopsy. In the pT2 tumors, there was a detection rate of only 66.7%. Conclusions: This study underlines the fact that a considerable number of significant and potentially curable tumors remain undetected by the conventional sextant biopsy. A negative sextant biopsy does not rule out significant prostate cancer. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

The guidelines for the curative treatment of prostate cancer presented by the German Society of Urology are discussed. They are based on the current knowledge of the outcomes of surgical and radiotherapeutic treatment for prostate cancer. Radical prostatectomy is recommended as the first-line treatment for organ-confined prostate cancer in patients with an individual life expectancy of at least 10 years. Radiotherapy can be considered as an alternative treatment modality, although current knowledge does not allow a definite assessment of the relative value of radiotherapy compared to radical prostatectomy. Locally advanced cT3 prostate cancer is overstaged in about 20% and curative treatment is possible in selected cases. Guidelines represent rules based on the available evidence. This implies that exceptions must be made whenever appropriate and that guidelines have to be reviewed regularly as new information becomes available. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

Belastungsharninkontinenz (BHI) geht mit einem großen Verlust an Lebensqualität einher. Während bei der Frau durch Einführung der suburethralen Schlingen auf der Grundlage der Integraltheorie (Petros und Ulmsten) seit Jahren eine wirksame Therapieoption der BHI existiert, gibt es für den Mann bisher kein derart gereiftes theoretisches Konzept zur Erklärung der Inkontinenzmechanismen. Ein bestehendes Problem ist hier die noch immer kontrovers diskutierte Mikroanatomie, vor allem aber die Verankerung und das funktionelles Zusammenspiel der Kontinenz erzeugenden Einzelstrukturen. Anliegen dieser Arbeit ist es, eine Analyse der anatomischen Schnittstellen zwischen Beckenwand und Organen im Spatium retropubicum (ventraler vesikourethraler Suspensionsapparat, VVUS) beim Mann durchzuführen, um eine Ableitung von Aufgaben bei der Miktion und Erzeugung von Kontinenz herzustellen. Fernziele sind dabei, klinisch brauchbare Therapieformen der männlichen BHI voranzutreiben und einen Nutzen für die anatomische Lehre abzuleiten. Methodisch basiert die Arbeit auf makroskopisch-anatomischen Präparationen der sogenannten „puboprostatischen Bänder“ (PPL), des Arcus tendineus fasciae pelvis (ATFP) und der Beckenfaszien, ferner des M. pubococcygeus an Alkohol- und Thiel-fixierten männlichen Becken (n=11) mit kontinuierlicher Fotodokumentation. Die histologische Analyse ausgewählter Gewebeblöcke dient der Festlegung von Kontaktstellen der einzelnen Gewebe. Ein Pool aus 650 Dünnschnittpräparaten in HE- und Crossmon-Färbung wurde durch immunhistochemisch mit α-SMCA-AK markierten Schnitten zur exakten Differenzierung der muskulären Grundstruktur komplettiert. Die Schnittstelle zur Klinik bildet eine Pilotserie von MRT-Untersuchungen des VVUS bei 3 gesunden männlichen Probanden, die mit dem Präparationssitus verglichen wurde und Potenzial für zukünftige Studien aufzeigt. Wesentliche Erkenntnisse sind: 1. „Puboprostatische Bänder“ existieren nicht. Ein Komplex aus Einzelstrukturen, die vor allem Assoziation zur Harnblase haben, bildet das makroskopische Korrelat. 2. Die Mm. pubovesicales zeigen einen fächerförmigen Verlauf, daher sollte eine Neubezeichnung als M. collaris vesicae erfolgen. 3. Der ATFP dient als Aponeurose für die Mm. pubovesicales neben der Stabilisierung des vesikourethralen Überganges. 4. Die Endopelvine Faszie existiert, sie trägt zum Erhalt einer bestimmten Höhenlage des vesikourethralen Überganges bei und stabilisiert die Urethra durch ihren langstreckigen lateralen Verlauf. Die Evaluation der Abbildungsweise des VVUS in anatomischen Lehrmedien ist der studentischen Ausbildung geschuldet. Dabei wird auf seine ungleiche Darstellung hingewiesen und eine Revision angeregt. Die Voraussetzung für die Optimierung der männlichen Harnkontinenz bleibt in jedem Fall die enge Zusammenarbeit zwischen Anatomie und Klinik bei der Aus- und Fortbildung.

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Adjuvant hormonal therapy has been demonstrated to be able to delay disease progression in nonmetastatic prostate cancer. To date, however, a favorable impact on survival has only been demonstrated in lymph-node-positive disease and in external-beam radiotherapy series with locally advanced and probably mainly micrometastatic tumors. The Bicalutamide Early Prostate Cancer Program is the largest study under way to define the role of adjuvant treatment in early prostate cancer and identify subgroups of patients likely to benefit from immediate hormonal therapy. At the time of the most recently published analysis, the risk of objective clinical progression was significantly reduced in the bicalutamide arm (hazards ratio 0.58, 95% confidence interval 0.51–0.66, p < 0.0001). However, further maturation of data is needed to see whether this difference will lead to a survival advantage. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

The treatment of clinically locally advanced prostate carcinoma (stage cT3) remains controversial. One of the main reasons for this controversy results from the substantial staging error attached to the clinical diagnosis cT3 with overstaged T2 tumors and understaged node-positive cases. Treatment options in this situation include radical prostatectomy, external beam radiotherapy, immediate or delayed androgen deprivation treatment and the so-called ‘watchful waiting’. Acceptable and often surprisingly good tumor-specific survival rates have been reported for radical prostatectomy in pT3 series – based on good clinical case selection – approaching those of pT2 series. In lymph node-positive pT3 cases, adjuvant hormone deprivation seems to prolong survival which it does not in lymph node-negative pT3 disease. A benefit of adjuvant external beam radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy for pT3 cases in prolonging overall survival has not been shown, despite the fact that it can prevent or delay biochemical and local recurrence. External beam radiotherapy as the only treatment for cT3 disease results in unfavorable tumor-specific survival rates, which can be significantly improved with adjuvant hormonal treatment with LHRH agonists. If, in case of advanced age and/or significant comorbidity, primary hormonal treatment is chosen, early hormonal deprivation therapy seems to offer marginal benefits in survival compared to delayed treatment. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and distribution of comorbidity and its association with perioperative complications in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (RPE). Methods: In 431 unselected RPE patients, the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification (ASA-PS), the New York Heart Association classification of cardiac insufficiency (NYHA), the classification of angina pectoris of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS), height, weight, the body mass index (BMI), and the number of concomitant diseases (NCD) were assessed and related to perioperative cardiovascular complications. Results: In RPE patients less than 70 years old, comorbidity rose nearly continuously with increasing age. However, after reaching an age of 70 years, the proportion of NYHA-0 patients increased (60–64 years, 86%; 65–69 years, 85%; ≥70 years, 87%). Furthermore, the severe comorbidities decreased in patients selected for RPE aged 70 or more years. There was a nonsignificant trend towards higher comorbidity in patients with perioperative cardiovascular complications. Conclusions: These data suggest that documentation of the distribution of ASA-PS, CCS, NYHA and of concomitant diseases might be helpful to characterize the general health status and the degree of selection of prostate cancer treatment populations especially in series with a high portion of patients aged 70 or more years. Concerning perioperative complications, the individual predictive value of comorbidity seems to be poor in the radical prostatectomy setting. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.