Delayed vs. Concomitant Urethrectomy for Non-Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder Undergoing Radical Cystectomy: Perioperative and Survival Outcomes from a Single Tertiary Centre in the United Kingdom.

The role of urethrectomy at the time of Robotic-Assisted or Open Radical Cystectomy (RARC, ORC) is controversial. Whether urethrectomy should be performed at the time of RARC/ORC or delayed up to a 3-6 month interval is unclear. We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of perioperative and survival outcomes in patients with high-risk NMIBCs or non-metastatic MIBCs at our institution who underwent either concomitant or deferred urethrectomy after RC.

Artificial intelligence and radiomics applications in adrenal lesions: a systematic review.

Background: Adrenal lesions, often incidentally detected, present diagnostic challenges in distinguishing benign from malignant or hormonally active lesions. Conventional imaging (computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (CT/MRI)) has limitations, driving interest in artificial intelligence (AI) and radiomics for enhanced accuracy.

Objectives: To systematically evaluate AI and radiomics applications in adrenal lesion characterization, focusing on diagnostic performance, methodologies, and clinical utility.

Emerging biomarkers in bladder cancer: Translating molecular advances into precision oncology.

Bladder cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous malignancy of the urinary tract with significant clinical challenges in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. The rise of precision medicine offers new hope for more personalized management, driven by biomarker discovery and molecular profiling. This review explores the landscape of emerging biomarkers in BC, discussing in detail diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive implications in the present and further scenarios for improving clinical management of BC patients.

Transabdominal and transvaginal repair of vesico-vaginal fistula with bovine pericardium (Tutopatch®). A double case report.

Vesico-vaginal fistula (VVF) is an abnormal connection between the bladder and vagina, usually occurring after complex oncologic gynecologic surgeries. It typically presents as continuous urinary incontinence and is diagnosed through clinical examination, imaging, and cystoscopy. Conservative management rarely achieves healing, making surgical repair the preferred option.

Blood and urine-based biomarkers in prostate cancer: Current advances, clinical applications, and future directions.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most prevalent malignancies in men, characterized by high clinical and molecular heterogeneity. Despite the widespread use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for diagnosis and monitoring, its limited specificity and sensitivity necessitate the development of more accurate biomarkers. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current and emerging diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers in PCa, highlighting their clinical applications and future perspectives.

Enhanced prognostic value of four-tier hybrid grading system in Ta non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Objectives: To compare the predictive performance of the World Health Organization (WHO) 1973, WHO 2004/2022, the three-tier (low grade [LG]/Grade 1 [G1]-G2, high grade [HG]/G2, and HG/G3), and four-tier (LG/G1, LG/G2, HG/G2, and HG/G3) hybrid grading systems in Ta non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), by evaluating recurrence-free survival (RFS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

Patients And Methods: This retrospective multicentre study included 1233 patients with pTa NMIBC treated with transurethral resection of bladder tumour, eventually followed by intravesical instillations as determined by their physicians, between 2010 and 2023, across 18 Italian hospitals. Pathologists graded resected tissues using the WHO 1973, WHO 2004/2022 classifications, and hybrid three-tier (LG, HG/G2, HG/G3) and four-tier (LG/G1, LG/G2, HG/G2, HG/G3) systems.

Predictors of Inguinal Lymph Node Metastasis in Penile Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Insights from a Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the penis accounts for approximately 95% of penile cancers and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. SCC typically develops in uncircumcised men, most commonly affecting the foreskin or glans. While slow-growing, early detection is crucial to improve survival outcomes.

Analysis and adherence to guidelines of mobile health application for bladder cancer, where are we?

Introduction: Mobile health applications (MHAs) represent a tool to assist patients affected by different disease including bladder cancer (BCa), although the scientific quality and adherence to guidelines are not yet addressed.

Materials And Methods: On September 2024, we conducted a search in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. We reviewed all mobile apps from Apple App Store and Google Play Store for BC and evaluated their usage in screening, prevention, management, and adherence to EAU guidelines.

Which Surrogate Marker of Insulin Resistance Among Those Proposed in the Literature Better Predicts the Presence of Non-Metastatic Bladder Cancer?

: Recent evidence has shown that insulin resistance (IR), a hallmark of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, predicts bladder cancer (BC) presence. However, the best surrogate marker of IR in predicting BC is still unclear. This study examined the relationships among ten surrogate markers of IR and the presence of BC.

Sexual Dysfunctions in Chronic Liver Diseases: A Narrative Review on Prevalence and Putative Pathophysiologic Mechanisms.

Background: Chronic liver diseases are associated with impaired sex hormone metabolism and downregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Clinically, this may manifest as a variety of sexual disorders, such as erectile dysfunction, lower urinary tract symptoms, and even infertility. Psychological and mental disturbances associated with liver diseases aggravate sexual dysfunction even further.

Sexual dysfunctions in patients with well-compensated chronic liver disease: role of etiology, Mediterranean diet and quality of life in an observational cross-sectional study.

Background: Sexual dysfunctions (SD) are highly prevalent in Chronic Liver Diseases (CLD). Whether Metabolic dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) carries a higher risk of SD is unknown as is the role of dietary patterns or quality of Life (QoL).

Aim: to assess (1) prevalence of SD in CLD; (2) whether MASLD is a risk factor for SD; (3) the role of adherence to Mediterranean Diet (MD) or QoL.

Rezūm water vapor therapy vs. thulium laser enucleation for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia in patients with large prostates: a multicenter prospective comparative study.

Background: Despite the growing body of evidence supporting the use Rezūm in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and large prostates, comparative studies with the current gold standard in this clinical setting are lacking.

Aim: To compare the efficacy and safety of Rezūm and Thulium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (ThuLEP) in patients with BPH and large prostates.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter prospective comparative study.

Preoperative platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of inguinal lymph node metastasis in penile cancer.

Background: Penile cancer (PC) is a rare malignancy with poor prognosis. To date, reliable preoperative biomarkers for lymph node status and prognosis are still lacking. This study aims to explore the potential role of preoperative platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) as a predictor of inguinal lymph node invasion in PC patients.

Technical Modifications Employed in RARP to Improve Early Continence Recovery: A Literature Review.

Prostate cancer presents a substantial challenge, necessitating a delicate balance between effective treatment and preserving the overall quality of life for men, while robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) stands as the premier surgical approach, with a negligible rate of patients who remained incontinent. This review explores various technical modifications employed in RARP to improve early continence recovery, offering a summary of their implementation and potential benefits. Techniques like bladder neck preservation, subapical urethral dissection, and nerve-sparing approaches are critically discussed, highlighting their role in minimizing continence issues and ensuring a better post-operative experience for patients with prostate cancer.

The impact of the tumor microenvironment in the dual burden of obesity-cancer link.

Obesity induces systemic perturbations of tissue homeostasis, leading to dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and chronic state of inflammation. Evidence from clinical and preclinical studies links excess of adiposity with increased cancer incidence and suggests that chronic inflammation may contribute to increased cancer risk in obese patients. Over the last decades of obesity research, multifaced and complicated effects of abnormal or excessive expansion of Adipose Tissue have been uncovered.

New biomarkers for diagnosis of bladder cancer: a bibliometric analysis.

Background/objectives: Bladder cancer is a multifactorial disease, ranking as the 10th most common cancer globally and the fourth most common cancer in men and the ninth in women in the Western world. This bibliometric analysis aims to identify and evaluate scientific literature addressing new biomarkers for bladder cancer diagnosis, as well as to identify the most prolific organizations, authors, journals, countries, and keywords within this research domain.

Methods: An electronic search was conducted using Elsevier's Scopus database.

The impact of preoperative venous thromboembolism on patients undergoing TURBT: Perioperative outcomes and healthcare costs from US insurance claims data.

Objectives: To assess the impact of a positive history of venous thromboembolism (VTE) on perioperative outcomes, including length of in-hospital stay, readmission rates, 90-day postoperative complications, and healthcare costs in bladder cancer (BCa) patients undergoing transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT) in the United States.

Patients And Methods: Patients aged ≥18 years with a BCa diagnosis undergoing TURBT were identified in the Merative® Marketscan® Research de-identified databases between 2007 and 2021. Multivariable logistic regression adjusted by relevant perioperative confounders was used to investigate the association between diagnosis of VTE before TURBT and 90-day complication rates, new postoperative VTE events, re-hospitalization, and total hospital expenditures (2021 US dollars).

The Role of Butirprost as an Adjuvant in Enhancing the Effect of Antibiotics in Patients Affected by Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis: A Randomized Prospective Trial.

Bacterial prostatitis (BP) is a common prostatic infection characterized by pain and urinary symptoms, often with negative bacterial cultures from prostatic secretions. It affects young and older men bimodally and impacts quality of life (QoL) significantly. : Treatment typically involves antibiotics, but a multimodal approach with additional nutraceuticals may enhance outcomes.

Oncological outcomes and prognostic implications of T1 histo-anatomic substaging in the management of high-Grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: results from a large single centre series.

Purpose: This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the prognostic value of T1 histo-anatomic substaging (T1a/T1b) for high grade (HG) non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) over a large single-centre cohort.

Materials And Methods: Patients with primary HG T1 NMIBC were identified from our Institutional database, between 2011 and 2022. Data from diagnosis to repeated transurethral resection of bladder tumour (RE-TURBT), bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) treatment and follow-up were collected.

HoloLens platform for healthcare professionals simulation training, teaching, and its urological applications: an up-to-date review.

The advancements of technological devices and software are putting mixed reality in the frontline of teaching medical personnel. The Microsoft HoloLens 2 offers a unique 3D visualization of a hologram in a physical, real environment and allows the urologists to interact with it. This review provides a state-of-the-art analysis of the applications of the HoloLens in a medical and healthcare context of teaching through simulation designed for medical students, nurses, residents especially in urology.

Sexual Dysfunctions and Gynecomastia in Male Rheumatological Patients Treated with Methotrexate: A Systematic Review.

The aim of the current review was to elucidate the clinical context and presentation of sexual dysfunction (SD) and gynecomastia in rheumatological patients undergoing methotrexate treatment. Moreover, we aimed also to make physicians aware of the occurrence of these side effects, to adequately inform the patient before starting treatment. : Systematic review (PROSPERO id: CRD42022358275) was performed according to preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses.