Mutational landscape of epidermoid carcinoma of the penis in a Brazilian cohort.

Aim: Penile cancer (PeCa) is a rare malignancy strongly associated with poor genital hygiene and is more prevalent in regions with low socioeconomic status. PeCa accounts for approximately 2% to 4% of all male cancers in Brazil, with higher incidence in the North and Northeast regions. Despite its aggressive nature, the molecular mechanisms underlying PeCa remain poorly understood.

Comparative Analysis of Cytokine Expression Profiles in Prostate Cancer Patients.

This study aimed to identify the cytokine expression profile in prostate cancer (PCa) patients compared to healthy individuals. Plasma samples from 75 PCa patients and 14 healthy controls were analyzed using Multiplex ELISA (Luminex) to measure the expression levels of 12 cytokines: IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-1β, IL-17A, IL-12p70, MCP-1/CCL2, MIP-1α/CCL3, MIP-1β/CCL4, TNF-α, and IFN-γ. Differences in cytokine expression levels were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test, Wilcoxon's rank-sum test, Spearman's rank correlation, and K-means Clustering unsupervised machine learning to validate cytokine expression patterns.

Pilot Study Examining the Use of DCE MRI With Pharmacokinetic Analysis to Evaluate Hypoxia in Prostate Cancer.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the association between tumor hypoxia, assessed through anti-HIF (hypoxia-inducible factor) staining, and aggressiveness in prostate cancer using a pharmacokinetic model, particularly those derived from the Tofts model, in predicting tumor aggressiveness.

Material And Methods: From January 2019 to April 2021, we conducted a retrospective search of patients with confirmed prostate cancer and a previous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination. After exclusions, a total of 57 consecutive patients were enrolled.

MRI-detected extranodal extension as a marker of prostate cancer aggressiveness.

Objective: Extranodal extension (ENE) is a histological marker of aggressiveness for various cancers. We evaluated if clinical ENE, detected by Magnetic Resonance Imaging, can also serve as a biological marker of Prostate Cancer (PCa) aggressiveness.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective, single-center study analyzed patients diagnosed with PCa and had MRI on a 3-T scanner from January 2013 to December 2017.

Is body mass index a risk factor for lymphnode metastasis in penile cancer?

Introduction: Obese patients with penile cancer may have more advanced disease. This study evaluated the association of obesity with penile cancer and the risk of lymph node metastases in patients who underwent inguinal lymphadenectomy.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 197 penile cancer (PC) patients from January 2000 to December 2011.

Urinary Diversion Can Improve the Chance of Implementing New Therapeutic Lines in Patients with Malignant Ureteral Obstruction: A Multicenter Study.

Purpose: Malignant ureteral obstruction is generally associated with a poor disease prognosis; therefore, managing these cases is challenging. We describe our experience in treating malignant ureteral obstruction with urinary diversion and the impact of these procedures on the indication for new antineoplastic therapy and survival.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of patients with advanced cancer associated with malignant ureteral obstruction who underwent urinary diversion at three tertiary institutions between January 2013 and July 2022.

Comparison of Morphological and Functional MRI Assessments of Periprostatic Fat for Predicting Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether morphological (linear measurements) and functional (ADC value) assessments of periprostatic fat can predict the aggressiveness of prostate cancer (PCa) over a 5-year follow-up period.

Material And Methods: This retrospective study included patients with histologically proven PCa who underwent 3.0T MRI between July 2016 and June 2018.

The incremental value of histogram analysis in the differentiation between hyperdense cysts and solid renal masses on unenhanced CT images.

Objective: To investigate the utility of voxel histogram analysis (HA) for differentiating hyperdense renal cysts from small solid masses on unenhanced CT scans.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 99 hyperdense cystic lesions and 28 solid malignant lesions was conducted using a radiological database (from 2015 to 2021) and a pathological database (from 2010 to 2020). The study investigated the distribution of voxel attenuation values using percentiles to establish reliable criteria for differentiation after drawing a region of interest (ROI) in the centre of the lesions.

Mesentery-Sparing Technique: a New Intracorporeal Approach for Urinary Diversion in Robot-Assisted Radical Cystectomy.

Background: Robotic-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with intracorporeal urinary diversion (ICUD) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We present an alternative technique that preserves the complete mesenteric vascularization during the isolation of the intestinal segment used in ICUD, including distal vessels. This approach aims to minimize the risk of ischemia in both the ileal anastomosis and the isolated loop at the diversion site.

Investigating the Role of and Expression in Prostate Cancer Progression and Immune Modulation of the Tumor Microenvironment.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is an immunologically cold tumor and the molecular processes that underlie this behavior are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated a primary cohort of intermediate-risk PCa ( = 51) using two NanoString profiling panels designed to study cancer progression and immune response. We identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and pathways associated with biochemical recurrence (BCR) and clinical risk.

Multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of kidney cancer identifies 63 susceptibility regions.

Here, in a multi-ancestry genome-wide association study meta-analysis of kidney cancer (29,020 cases and 835,670 controls), we identified 63 susceptibility regions (50 novel) containing 108 independent risk loci. In analyses stratified by subtype, 52 regions (78 loci) were associated with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and 6 regions (7 loci) with papillary RCC. Notably, we report a variant common in African ancestry individuals ( rs7629500 ) in the 3' untranslated region of VHL, nearly tripling clear cell RCC risk (odds ratio 2.

Germline variants in early and late-onset Brazilian prostate cancer patients.

Background: The median age for Prostate Cancer (PCa) diagnosis is 66 years, but 10% are diagnosed before 55 years. Studies on early-onset PCa remain both limited and controversial. This investigation sought to identify and characterize germline variants within Brazilian PCa patients classified as either early or later onset disease.

Identification of tumor-agnostic biomarkers for predicting prostate cancer progression and biochemical recurrence.

The diverse clinical outcomes of prostate cancer have led to the development of gene signature assays predicting disease progression. Improved prostate cancer progression biomarkers are needed as current RNA biomarker tests have varying success for intermediate prostate cancer. Interest grows in universal gene signatures for invasive carcinoma progression.

Isolation and primary culture of human abdominal aorta smooth muscle cells from brain-dead donors: an experimental model for vascular diseases.

Primary cell cultures are essential tools for elucidating the physiopathological mechanisms of the cardiovascular system. Therefore, a primary culture growth protocol of cardiovascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) obtained from human abdominal aortas was standardized. Ten abdominal aorta samples were obtained from patients diagnosed with brain death who were organ and tissue donors with family consent.

Precision medicine for prostate cancer-improved outcome prediction for low-intermediate risk disease using a six-gene copy number alteration classifier.

A multiplex 6-gene copy number classifier was used to distinguish between low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients. The study analysed a cohort of 448 patients and previously published datasets from radical prostatectomies. The classifier performs better than conventional stratification methods, is low cost, and can be performed easily in clinical laboratories.

PD1.5 variant on gene, regulator of T lymphocyte activity, influences non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer risk.

Background: Since failure in recognition of abnormal cells by the immune system has an important role in bladder cancer development and progression, this study aimed to evaluate whether PD1 (c.627+252C>T) and PD1.5 (c.

A comprehensive analysis of penile cancer in the region with the highest worldwide incidence reveals new insights into the disease.

Background: Although penile cancer (PC) is uncommon in developed countries, it is widespread in developing countries. The state of Maranhão (Northeast, Brazil) has the highest global incidence recorded for PC, and, despite its socioeconomic vulnerability, it has been attributed to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. This study aimed to determine the histopathological features, the prevalence of HPV infection, and the immunohistochemical profile of PC in Maranhão.

Obesity influence on bladder inflammation and cancer: a cystitis model.

Background: Recently, the role of subclinical inflammation in obesity has gained prominence. An association between obesity and chronic inflammation has been observed in several studies that show a relationship between increased morbidity and high Body Mass Index (BMI). This study aims to compare inflammatory pathways in obese (by high-fat diet) and non-obese mice after exposure to an intravesical carcinogen in a cystitis model.

What is the impact of dynamic contrast-enhancement sequence in the Vesical Imaging, Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS)? A subgroup analysis.

Background: A scoring system focusing on the risk of muscle layer invasion by Bladder cancer (BCa) has been released, Vesical Imaging - Radiological and Data System (VI-RADS), with a growing interest in evaluating its diagnostic accuracy. Our goal was to assess the accuracy and reproducibility of the VI-RADS score for assessment of the vesical muscular layer with (multiparametric-mp) and without (biparametric-bp) a dynamic-contrast enhancement (DCE) sequence.

Methods: Retrospective study conducted from July 2018 to July 2020.

VI-RADS score system - A primer for urologists.

Bladder cancer (BCa) is one of the most common cancers worldwide and is also considered to be one of the most relapsing and aggressive neoplasms. About 30% of patients will present with muscle invasive disease, which is associated with a higher risk for metastatic disease. The aim of this article is to review the state of art imaging in Radiology, while providing a complete guide to urologists, with case examples, for the rationale of the development of the Vesical Imaging Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS), a scoring system emphasizing a standardized approach to multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (mpMRI) acquisition, interpretation, and reporting for BCa.

Implications of Regionalizing Care in the Developing World: Impact of Distance to Referral Center on Compliance to Biopsy Recommendations in a Brazilian Prostate Cancer Screening Cohort.

Given growing specialization in medical care, optimal care may require regionalization, which may create access barriers. We tested this within a large prostate cancer (PC) screening program in Brazil. In 2004-2007, Barretos Cancer Hospital prospectively screened men for PC throughout rural Brazil.