Publications by authors named "Tarek Ajami"

Purpose: To investigate whether expression signatures from Grade Group 1 (GG1) biopsy cores can detect the presence of higher-grade cancer elsewhere in the prostate.

Materials And Methods: We enrolled 205 men with low to favorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer undergoing active surveillance on a prospective protocol. All participants underwent MRI and confirmatory biopsy at enrollment, followed by annual biopsies for 3 more years.

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Objectives: This study compares postoperative outcomes of radical cystectomy (RC) with ileal conduit urinary diversion (ICUD) using paediatric feeding tubes versus single-J ureteral stents.

Materials And Methods: Patients underwent RC with ICUD for bladder cancer between 2011 and 2018. Prospective preoperative clinical, operative and postoperative data were collected.

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Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is an aggressive disease, with substantial recurrence risk after radical cystectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection alone. In cisplatin-eligible patients, administration of neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy followed by radical cystectomy has been shown to improve overall survival (OS) and has become the standard of care. Nevertheless, approximately 40%-50% of patients will still experience disease recurrence after curative-intent treatment.

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Purpose: Despite the growing adoption of HIFU treatment for localized prostate cancer (PC), standardized criteria for evaluating success and predicting recurrence remain undefined. Herein, we analyze the predictive value of noninvasive tools such as PSA dynamics and MRI to determine recurrence.

Methods: We identified from our HIFU therapy prospective registry patients who developed biopsy-proven recurrence, between 2016 and 2023.

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Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been associated with the pathogenesis of multiple solid tumors and chronic kidney disease (CKD) is related to higher incidence of urinary tract malignancy. Both MetS and CKD are prevalent in the same population of bladder cancer patients and are potentially modifiable risk factors. However, it is unclear whether they impact nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) outcomes.

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Introduction: Active surveillance (AS) is a safe strategy for small renal masses (SRM) suspicious of renal cell carcinoma. In this study we analyze real world outcomes of active surveillance SRM from 5 tertiary Spanish centers, assessing clinical, radiological, and pathological characteristics, as well as therapeutic options.

Methods: A multicenter retrospective review was conducted including patients on AS from January 2012 to September 2024.

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Introduction: Open ureteroenteric reimplantation (OUER) of ureteroenteric strictures (UESs) is related to important morbidity. Robot-assisted ureteroenteric reimplantation (RUER) has been proposed to provide similar outcomes with lower morbidity. We aimed to compare perioperative and functional outcomes between RUER and OUER.

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Purpose: In patients with prostate cancer (PCa), focal therapy with High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) combined with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) surgery has been used to improve immediate post-operative voiding symptoms. Our study aimed to evaluate the functional outcomes of patients undergoing simultaneous holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) + HIFU and compare them to those who underwent HoLEP for bladder outlet obstruction secondary to BPH.

Methods: We performed retrospective review of patients who underwent HoLEP + HIFU or HoLEP between June 2017 and May 2024.

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Objective: To assess the association of being overweight or obese with Nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) recurrence, stage progression, and grade progression.

Methods: Patients with NMIBC were included and categorized into 3 groups based on their body mass index (BMI): normal weight, overweight, and obese. Recurrence was defined as any histologically proven bladder cancer on subsequent transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT).

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Background And Objective: Prostate cancer (PC) heterogeneity can result in sampling discrepancies during biopsy, leading to inaccurate molecular classifications that affect treatment decisions. We evaluated transcriptomic profile variability between multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI)-targeted biopsy (TBx) and systematic biopsy (SBx) methods using the Decipher GRID platform.

Methods: The study included 205 men from the MAST trial.

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Purpose: To examine prostate cancer (PCa) screening disparities among ethnic groups in the U.S. using the All of Us database.

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Background And Objective: Focal therapy is increasingly being used as a treatment for localized prostate cancer (PC). Our aim was to evaluate oncological outcomes, recurrence patterns, and survival after high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), to discuss the lessons learned from our experience, and to propose strategies to enhance patient selection for HIFU treatment.

Methods: Between 2016 and 2023, 113 patients underwent focal HIFU treatment for PC.

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Article Synopsis
  • In a study of 4011 patients who had unilateral cT1a-b renal mass treated with partial nephrectomy, researchers aimed to explore how a surgeon's experience affects surgical outcomes, specifically acute kidney injury (AKI) and kidney function a year post-surgery.
  • Previously, it was known that complications and ischemia times improved with surgeon experience, but there was limited data on long-term kidney function.
  • The findings revealed no significant association between surgical experience and AKI or recovery of kidney function in either laparoscopic or robot-assisted techniques, suggesting other factors may play a more crucial role in these outcomes.
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Background: The need for increased clinical efficacy and efficiency has been the main force in developing artificial intelligence (AI) tools in medical imaging. The INCISIVE project is a European Union-funded initiative aiming to revolutionize cancer imaging methods using AI technology. It seeks to address limitations in imaging techniques by developing an AI-based toolbox that improves accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, interpretability, and cost-effectiveness.

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Purpose: The aim of the present study is to assess the role of indocyanine green (ICG) to evaluate distal ureteral vascularity during robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with intracorporeal urinary diversion and its impact on the incidence of benign ureteroenteric strictures (UES).

Methods: The study included patients who underwent RARC for bladder cancer between 2018 and 2023. All patients included underwent intracorporeal urinary diversion with ileal conduit or neobladder.

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Objective: This study aims to investigate the impact of risk group classification, restaging transurethral resection (re-TURBT), and adjuvant treatment intensity on recurrence and progression risks in high-grade Ta tumours in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Materials And Methods: Data from a comprehensive bladder cancer database were utilized for this study. Patients with primary high-grade Ta tumours were included.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) is divided into two main types: HPV-associated and HPV-independent, with the prognosis being influenced by the status of the p53 protein, which is somewhat debated.
  • - A study involving 122 PSCC patients explored the correlation between HPV and p53 status, categorizing tumors into three subtypes based on immunohistochemistry and HPV tests.
  • - Results showed that patients with HPV-independent tumors and abnormal p53 patterns had significantly worse outcomes, with a higher rate of disease-related deaths compared to those with HPV-associated or HPV-independent/p53-normal tumors.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the clinical and radiologic characteristics that can predict clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) in men with PI-RADS 3 lesions identified via multiparametric MRI, addressing an unmet need for risk-adapted approaches in clinical practice.
  • Data from 230 patients revealed that factors like PSA density (PSAd) and 4Kscore were significant predictors of csPCa, with PSAd showing the best performance in terms of prediction capability.
  • The findings suggest that combining PSAd with clinical factors is more effective for risk stratification of csPCa in patients with PI-RADS 3 lesions, particularly highlighting the predictive strength of 4Kscore in those with low PSAd.
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  • Deterioration of kidney function can lead to higher mortality rates, and it's unclear how different surgical options (partial nephrectomy [PN] vs. radical nephrectomy [RN]) for large renal masses impact long-term kidney health.
  • A study analyzing data from 23 institutions showed that patients undergoing PN experienced significantly lower rates of acute kidney injury (AKI) and better recovery of kidney function at one year compared to those undergoing RN.
  • The findings suggest that avoiding RN, when possible, is beneficial for preserving kidney function and reducing the risk of serious complications related to kidney health after surgery.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study evaluates the combined effectiveness and safety of High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) and Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP) for patients with localized prostate cancer (PCa) and large prostate sizes (> 60 g).
  • It reviewed data from 100 patients treated between 2016 and 2023, comparing outcomes between those who underwent only HIFU and those who had the combined approach.
  • Results showed that while the combined treatment led to better PSA results initially, both treatment groups had similar cancer recurrence rates, and although the combined treatment resulted in more initial urinary issues, long-term functionality appeared comparable between both treatments.
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Objectives: The objectives of this study are to evaluate the impact of incidental prostate cancer (iPCa) and its different grade group (GG) on the surgical outcomes of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) and, furthermore, to assess the independent risk factors associated with the detection of iPCa.

Patients Or Materials And Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted at a single institution for HoLEP cases that were performed between 2017 and 2022. Patients with a preoperative diagnosis of prostate cancer and those without baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels within 1 year were excluded.

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The transplant community is focused on prolonging the preservation time of kidney grafts to allow for long-distance kidney graft transportation, assess the viability of marginal grafts, and optimize a platform for the translation of innovative therapeutics to clinical practice, especially those focused on cell and vector delivery to organ conditioning and reprogramming. We describe the first case of feasible preservation of a kidney from a donor after uncontrolled circulatory death over a 73-h period using normothermic perfusion and analyze hemodynamic, biochemical, histological, and transcriptomic parameters for inflammation and kidney injury. The mean pressure and flow values were 71.

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Background: Cancer poses significant challenges for healthcare professionals across the disease pathway including cancer imaging. This study constitutes part of the user requirement definition of INCISIVE EU project. The project has been designed to explore the full potential of artificial intelligence (AI)-based technologies in cancer imaging to streamline diagnosis and management.

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