Prostate Patients Research Articles

Impact of the integration of remote clinical oncology pharmacists into routine precision medicine workflows on biomarker testing rates within The US Oncology Network community-based practices.

e13813 Background: The US Oncology Network implemented a centralized, remote clinical oncology pharmacist review program (ClinReview) into select community-based practices. Initially, pharmacists were integrated into a precision medicine workflow process to increase biomarker testing rates among patients receiving adjuvant treatment for non-small cell lung cancer, with recommendations achieving a 100% acceptance rate. Following this success, metastatic prostate cancer patients were incorporated into the established workflow, following updated guideline recommendations for both germline and somatic testing and the 2023 approvals of PARP inhibitors in the first-line treatment setting. With previously reported testing rates only reaching 60%, we sought to evaluate the impact of the pharmacist integration into the precision medicine workflow on biomarker testing in metastatic prostate patients. Methods: Over a 4-month period, ClinReview remotely identified patients with metastatic prostate cancer during normal order review. The EMR was reviewed to assess germline and somatic testing status. If testing was not ordered, the pharmacist sent a recommendation to the treating provider. Initial testing rates for germline and somatic testing, BRCA+ status and provider acceptance rates for testing recommendations were collected. Additional data was collected utilizing a de-identified database. While additional data collection is ongoing, descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze data and the impact of the pharmacists’ interventions. Results: Across 9 practices, 142 patients were initiated on treatment for metastatic prostate cancer. At the time of initial assessment, germline and somatic testing was not ordered in 50% and 37% of patients, respectively. Pharmacists recommended additional testing in 61 patients (43%) with a 73% provider acceptance rate. Findings showed equitable testing rates across racial demographics. Pharmacist workflow integration enhanced combined germline and somatic testing rates, demonstrating an improvement from a baseline of 57% up to 77% currently. Conclusions: Community oncology practices seek to provide high-value care, including offering the most current evidence-based precision medicine testing. These findings highlight the continued need for improved somatic and germline testing in metastatic prostate cancer. However, the implemented precision medicine pharmacist workflow demonstrates the positive impact a clinical pharmacist can have on both testing rates and the potential to improve therapeutic offerings within this growing treatment space. [Table: see text]

Scrotal calcinosis cutis an unrelated finding in benign prostatic hyperplasia patient, is treatment sine qua non? A case report

Calcinosis cutis is a reactive and nonmalignant lesion characterized by solitary or multiple cutaneous nodules that can affect different parts of the body including the scrotum among other structures. Treatment is often sought because of cosmesis, itching, or pain. Despite this, it remains unclear or unimaginable why patients will be reluctant to accept treatment in the face of disfigurement. Several reasons have been documented, but the fear of genital mutilation from open surgical intervention is an unfamiliar reason advanced by the index case for declining open surgical intervention. Its diagnosis requires careful clinical evaluation and is confirmed by lesional biopsy for histological confirmation. This is a case of a 50-year-old trader who presented to our facility with a 35-year history of multiple, painless scrotal nodules and difficulty in passing urine for six months’ duration. He was diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with the indication for surgical therapy and idiopathic scrotal calcinosis cutis. He consented and had endoscopic therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) but was reluctant to open surgical intervention for idiopathic scrotal calcinosis cutis despite disfigurement because of the fear of genital mutilation. The current treatment options include follow-up observation, medications, cryotherapy, laser, and surgical excision, depending on the patient’s choice, availability, and surgical expertise. The surgical option is often favored and encouraged due to its associated reduced chances of recurrence. Therefore, it is pertinent to respect the patient’s opinion and should override other considerations in clinical practice. The lesson herein can assist other clinicians in avoiding justifiable medical litigations, hence, the need for this case report and a review of the literature.

Perioperative Outcomes and Complication Rates in Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate Patients After Prior Prostate Biopsy-Does It Really Make a Difference? A Propensity Score Matched Analysis.

Introduction: Before holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP), many patients have undergone short-term prostate biopsy (PB) to rule out the presence of prostate cancer. The aim of this study is to determine whether a short-term PB before HoLEP has an impact on the perioperative outcomes or complications of HoLEP. Methods: In total, 734 consecutive patients treated with HoLEP at a tertiary care university hospital between January 2021 and July 2023 were retrospectively enrolled. Patients who had PB within 6 months before HoLEP were matched to patients who underwent PB more than 6 months or had no PB before HoLEP using propensity score matching (PSM) based on age, prostate volume (PV), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), preoperative urinary tract infection (UTI), and surgeon. Perioperative parameters, such as operation time (OT), enucleation efficiency (EF), as well as complications according to the Satava classification, the Clavien-Dindo classification (CDC), and the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI) were evaluated. Results: In total, 206 patients were matched. Age, PV, PSA, as well as the presence of a preoperative UTI and surgeons did not differ significantly between both groups after PSM. There were no significant differences in mean OT (75 vs. 81 minutes, p = 0.28) and EF (2.13 vs. 2.13 g/min, p = 0.99). No differences were noted regarding intraoperative (16 vs. 25, p = 0.16) or postoperative complications graded by CDC (p = 0.53) and CCI (p = 0.92). Conclusion: PB within 6 months preoperatively before HoLEP showed no effect on perioperative outcomes or intra- and postoperative complications.

THE ROLE OF LATE-ONSET HYPOGONADISM IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF MORPHO-FUNCTIONAL CHANGES IN THE URINARY BLADDER DUE TO BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA

Introduction. One of the key characteristics of the lower urinary tract is its hormone dependence. Pathophysiological mechanisms of lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia include infravesical obstruction, formation of a fibrous framework in the urinary bladder, disruption of the urothelial barrier, and changes in the nervous and vascular networks of the pelvis. However, to date, there is a lack of data on the pathophysiological relationship between testosterone deficiency and morpho-functional changes of the bladder. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of age-related hypogonadism in the pathogenesis of morpho-functional changes in the urinary bladder among patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. The results of the examination of 70 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, aged from 47 to 83 years (mean age 67.94 ± 7.42 years), were analyzed. The first group consisted of 20 patients, whose disease duration was 4 ± 1.8 years. They had an International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) of 16 ± 4.5 points, a maximum flow rate (Qmax ) of 15.8 ± 2.4 ml/s, an average flow rate (Qave) of 12.8 ± 2.8 ml/s, and no post-void residual. The second group included 20 patients with incomplete bladder emptying, with a disease duration of 5.8 ± 3.5 years. Their IPSS was 26 ± 3.9 points, Qmax was 10.8 ± 2.5 ml/s, Qave was 4.4 ± 1.4 ml/s, and post-void residual was 150.1 ± 80.8 ml. The third group comprised 30 patients who had undergone cystostomy, with a disease duration of 10.6 ± 3.3 years. Before cystostomy, their IPSS was 33.1 ± 1.88 points, and post-void residual was 1093.3 ± 458.8 ml. During surgery, all patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia were taken a biopsy from the anterior wall of the bladder. In benign prostatic hyperplasia patients in the stage of bladder compensation, the level of testosterone was 15.39±1.44 nmol/l, the Aging Males Symptoms indicator was 24.80±5.78 points. Morphometric analysis of bladder tissue demonstrated the following: the diameter of the lumen of arterioles was 27.96±2.14 μm, the thickness of the arteriole wall was 16.03±1.83 μm, the Kernoghan index for arterioles was 1.22±0.17, the specific gravity of connective tissue made 4.48±0.82%, the diameter of SMCs was 7.46±1.66 μm. In benign prostatic hyperplasia patients in the stage of bladder subcompensation, the level of testosterone was 10.92±2.24 nmol/l, the Aging Males Symptoms index was 37.9±8.0 points. Morphometric analysis of bladder tissue revealed the following: the diameter of the arteriole lumen was 23.78±1.62 μm, the thickness of the arteriole wall was 18.30±1.32 μm, the Kernoghan index for arterioles was q1.65±0.18, the specific gravity of the connective tissue made up 11.80±1.22%, the diameter of SMCs was 7.07±1.93 μm. In benign prostatic hyperplasia patients in the stage of bladder decompensation, the level of testosterone is 9.66±2.13 nmol/l, the Aging Males Symptoms index is 55.80±6.69 points. Morphometric analysis of bladder tissue showed the following: the diameter of the arteriole lumen was 19.0±2.08 μm, the thickness of the arteriole wall – 21.01±1.57 μm, the Kernoghan index for arterioles was 2.41±0.32, the specific gravity of the connective tissue made up 29. 46±1.35%, the diameter of SMCs was 4.75±1.87 μm. The obstructive component is not the only causal factor of bladder decompensation in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. A decrease in the level of testosterone triggers a cascade of pathological processes that negatively affect the morpho-functional state of the prostate gland and worsen the results of surgical treatment of patients with benign prostatic obstruction.

Management of the Devastated Bladder Outlet after Prostate CANCER Treatment.

Devastating complications of the bladder outlet resulting from prostate cancer treatments are relatively uncommon. However, the combination of the high incidence of prostate cancer and patient longevity after treatment have raised awareness of adverse outcomes deteriorating patients' quality of life. This narrative review discusses the diagnostic work-up and management options for bladder outlet obstruction resulting from prostate cancer treatments, including those that require urinary diversion. The devastated bladder outlet can be a consequence of the treatment of benign conditions, but more frequently from complications of pelvic cancer treatments. Regardless of etiology, the initial treatment ladder involves endoluminal options such as dilation and direct vision internal urethrotomy, with or without intralesional injection of anti-fibrotic agents. If these conservative strategies fail, surgical reconstruction should be considered. Although surgical reconstruction provides the best prospect of durable success, reconstructive procedures are also associated with serious complications. In the worst circumstances, such as prior radiotherapy, failed reconstruction, devastated bladder outlet with end-stage bladders, or patient's severe comorbidities, reconstruction may neither be realistic nor justified. Urinary diversion with or without cystectomy may be the best option for these patients. Thorough patient counseling before treatment selection is of utmost importance. Outcomes and repercussions on quality of life vary extensively with management options. Meticulous preoperative diagnostic evaluation is paramount in selecting the right treatment strategy for each individual patient. The risk of bladder outlet obstruction, and its severest form, devastated bladder outlet, after treatment of prostate cancer is not negligible, especially following radiation. Management includes endoluminal treatment, open or robot-assisted laparoscopic reconstruction, and urinary diversion in the worst circumstances, with varying success rates.

Analysis of Postoperative Urinary Incontinence and Influencing Factors of Transurethral Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate

Introduction: Aims of the study were to investigate the related factors of urinary incontinence after transurethral holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) and to provide guidance for clinical urinary control of HoLEP. Methods: The clinical data of 548 patients who underwent HoLEP were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were followed up for the occurrence of urinary incontinence in the short term (2 weeks), medium term (3 months), and long term (6 months) after HoLEP. Results: Among the 548 benign prostatic hyperplasia patients, 79 cases (14.42%) had urinary incontinence at 2 weeks, 19 cases (3.47%) at 3 months, and 2 cases (0.36%) at 6 months after surgery. Logistic regression analysis showed that age, prostate volume, diabetes mellitus, operation time, prostate tissue weight, and histological prostatitis were risk factors for recent urinary incontinence (p < 0.05). Age, diabetes, and operation time were risk factors for mid-term urinary incontinence (p < 0.05). The incidence of long-term urinary incontinence was low and no risk factor analysis was performed. Conclusions: For good urinary control after HoLEP, in addition to surgery-related factors such as surgical skills, proficiency, and precise anatomy, patients’ risk factors should also be paid attention to in order to improve postoperative urinary control more effectively and reduce the incidence of urinary incontinence.

THE EFFECT OF TAMSULOSIN 0.4 MG ADMINISTRATION TOWARDS ALTERATION OF PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN (PSA) LEVELS IN BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA (BPH) PATIENTS IN PADANG CITY

Objective: This study aims to determine the effect of tamsulosin administration on alteration in PSA levels in BPH patients in Padang. Material &amp; Methods: This study employed an analytical method with a prospective cohort design. The research was conducted at M. Djamil General Hospital, BMC Hospital, Hermina Hospital, and Semen Padang Hospital in August - December 2022. Sampling was carried out by consecutive sampling. Results: At the end of the study, there were 23 patients with BPH. The mean age was 67.5 ± 7.7, which most of them having good education. Patients were mostly self-employed. The highest IPSS score is the severe stage. The PSA levels before and after tamsulosin administration were 1.7 ± 0.9 ng/ml and 1.6 ± 0.8 ng/ml, respectively. Bivariate analysis showed that tamsulosin administration affects PSA levels in benign prostatic hyperplasia patients in Padang. Conclusion: There is an effect of tamsulosin administration on PSA levels. Keywords: Benign prostatic hyperplasia, tamsulosin, prostate-specific antigen.

A Model for Predicting Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer Using Prostate MRI and Risk Factors

PurposeThe aim of this study was to develop and validate a predictive model for clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) using prostate MRI and patient risk factors. MethodsIn total, 960 men who underwent MRI from 2015 to 2019 and biopsy either 6 months before or 6 months after MRI were identified. Men diagnosed with csPCa were identified, and csPCa risk was modeled using known patient factors (age, race, and prostate-specific antigen [PSA] level) and prostate MRI findings (location, Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System score, extraprostatic extension, dominant lesion size, and PSA density). csPCa was defined as Gleason score sum ≥ 7. Using a derivation cohort, a multivariable logistic regression model and a point-based scoring system were developed to predict csPCa. Discrimination and calibration were assessed in a separate independent validation cohort. ResultsAmong 960 MRI reports, 552 (57.5%) were from men diagnosed with csPCa. Using the derivation cohort (n = 632), variables that predicted csPCa were Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System scores of 4 and 5, the presence of extraprostatic extension, and elevated PSA density. Evaluation using the validation cohort (n = 328) resulted in an area under the curve of 0.77, with adequate calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow P = .58). At a risk threshold of >2 points, the model identified csPCa with sensitivity of 98.4% and negative predictive value of 78.6% but prevented only 4.3% potential biopsies (0-2 points; 14 of 328). At a higher threshold of >5 points, the model identified csPCa with sensitivity of 89.5% and negative predictive value of 70.1% and avoided 20.4% of biopsies (0-5 points; 67 of 328). ConclusionsThe point-based model reported here can potentially identify a vast majority of men at risk for csPCa, while avoiding biopsy in about 1 in 5 men with elevated PSA levels.

2550: Analysis of contouring methods in online treatment adaptation of intermediate risk prostate patients

2550: Analysis of contouring methods in online treatment adaptation of intermediate risk prostate patients

Clinical evaluation of the efficacy of limbus artificial intelligence software to augment contouring for prostate and nodes radiotherapy.

To determine if Limbus, an artificial intelligence (AI) auto-contouring software, can offer meaningful time savings for prostate radiotherapy treatment planning. Three clinical oncologists recorded the time taken to contour prostate and seminal vesicles, lymph nodes, bladder, rectum, bowel, and femoral heads on CT scans for 30 prostate patients (15 prostate, 15 prostate and nodes). Limbus 1.6.0 was used to generate these contours on the 30 CT scans. The time taken by the oncologists to modify individual Limbus contours was noted and compared with manual contouring times. The geometric similarity of Limbus and expert contours was assessed using the Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), and the dosimetric impact of using un-edited Limbus organs at risk contours was studied. Limbus reduced the time to produce clinically acceptable contours by 26 minutes for prostate and nodes patients and by 13 minutes for the prostate only patients. DSC values of greater than 0.7 were calculated for all contours, demonstrating good initial agreement. A dosimetric study showed that 5 of the 20 plans optimized using unmodified AI structures required unnecessary compromise of PTV coverage, highlighting the importance of expert review. Limbus offers significant time saving and has become an essential part of our clinical practice. This article is the first to include bowel and lymph nodes when assessing potential time savings using Limbus software. It demonstrates that Limbus can be used as an aid for prostate and node radiotherapy treatment planning.

Neural blind deconvolution for deblurring and supersampling PSMA PET.

Objective. To simultaneously deblur and supersample prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) images using neural blind deconvolution.Approach. Blind deconvolution is a method of estimating the hypothetical 'deblurred' image along with the blur kernel (related to the point spread function) simultaneously. Traditionalmaximum a posterioriblind deconvolution methods require stringent assumptions and suffer from convergence to a trivial solution. A method of modelling the deblurred image and kernel with independent neural networks, called 'neural blind deconvolution' had demonstrated success for deblurring 2D natural images in 2020. In this work, we adapt neural blind deconvolution to deblur PSMA PET images while simultaneous supersampling to double the original resolution. We compare this methodology with several interpolation methods in terms of resultant blind image quality metrics and test the model's ability to predict accurate kernels by re-running the model after applying artificial 'pseudokernels' to deblurred images. The methodology was tested on a retrospective set of 30 prostate patients as well as phantom images containing spherical lesions of various volumes.Main results. Neural blind deconvolution led to improvements in image quality over other interpolation methods in terms of blind image quality metrics, recovery coefficients, and visual assessment. Predicted kernels were similar between patients, and the model accurately predicted several artificially-applied pseudokernels. Localization of activity in phantom spheres was improved after deblurring, allowing small lesions to be more accurately defined.Significance. The intrinsically low spatial resolution of PSMA PET leads to partial volume effects (PVEs) which negatively impact uptake quantification in small regions. The proposed method can be used to mitigate this issue, and can be straightforwardly adapted for other imaging modalities.

Effects of natural extract interventions in prostate cancer: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

BackgroundOver years, there has been a widespread quest for effective dietary patterns and natural extracts to mitigate prostate cancer risk. However, despite numerous experimental studies conducted on various natural extracts, the evidence substantiating their efficacy remains largely insufficient. This dearth of compelling evidence presents a significant challenge in advocating for their widespread use as preventive measures against prostate cancer. ObjectiveOur study endeavors to undertake a network meta-analysis to evaluate the influence of natural extracts on prostate cancer. MethodsResearchers systematically searched through Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases until December 2023. The main focus was on assessing primary outcomes comprising prostate-specific antigen (PSA), insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). We conducted data analysis utilizing StataMP 15.0 software. Therapeutic effects were ranked based on the probability values derived from Surface Under the Cumulative Ranking curve (SUCRA). Additionally, cluster analysis was employed to assess the impacts of natural extracts on three distinct outcomes. ResultsFollowing screening procedures, the 28 eligible studies were incorporated, the selected studies encompassed 1,566 prostate cancer patients and evaluated 16 different natural extract treatments. Specifically, 24 trials included PSA indicators, 10 included IGF-1 indicators, and 8 included IGFBP-3 indicators. The findings revealed that, based on the SUCRA values, the combined therapy of silybin with selenium (74%) appears to be the most effective approach for reducing serum PSA levels. Simultaneously, silybin alone (84.6%) stands out as the most promising option for decreasing serum IGF-1 levels. Lastly, concerning IGFBP-3, silybin alone (67.7%) emerges as the optimal choice. Twelve studies provided comprehensive information on adverse drug reactions/events (ADR/ADE), whereas five articles did not report any significant ADR/ADE. ConclusionThe NMA suggests that, compared to placebo, utilizing silybin either alone or in combination with selenium has been shown to enhance therapeutic effects, offering potential benefits to patients with prostate cancer. This study can offer valuable insights for prostate patients considering natural extract treatments. Further evidence is required to confirm the safety profile of these treatments.

Treatment planning evaluation and experimental validation of the magnetic resonance-based intrafraction drift correction

Background and purposeMRI-guided online adaptive treatments can account for interfractional variations, however intrafraction motion reduces treatment accuracy. Intrafraction plan adaptation methods, such as the Intrafraction Drift Correction (IDC) or sub-fractionation, are needed. IDC uses real-time automatic monitoring of the tumor position to initiate plan adaptations by repositioning segments. IDC is a fast adaptation method that occurs only when necessary and this method could enable margin reduction. This research provides a treatment planning evaluation and experimental validation of the IDC. Materials and methodsAn in silico treatment planning evaluation was performed for 13 prostate patients mid-treatment without and with intrafraction plan adaptation (IDC and sub-fractionation). The adaptation methods were evaluated using dose volume histogram (DVH) metrics. To experimentally verify IDC a treatment was mimicked whereby a motion phantom containing an EBT3 film moved mid-treatment, followed by repositioning of segments. In addition, the delivered treatment was irradiated on a diode array phantom for plan quality assurance purposes. ResultsThe planning study showed benefits for using intrafraction adaptation methods relative to no adaptation, where the IDC and sub-fractionation showed consistently improved target coverage with median target coverages of 100.0%. The experimental results verified the IDC with high minimum gamma passing rates of 99.1% and small mean dose deviations of maximum 0.3%. ConclusionThe straightforward and fast IDC technique showed DVH metrics consistent with the sub-fractionation method using segment weight re-optimization for prostate patients. The dosimetric and geometric accuracy was shown for a full IDC workflow using film and diode array dosimetry.

Efficacy and Safety of Add-on Treatment with Mirabegron for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Patients with Persistent Storage Symptoms after Alpha‌- blocker therapy.

Efficacy and Safety of Add-on Treatment with Mirabegron for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Patients with Persistent Storage Symptoms after Alpha‌- blocker therapy.

Effect of α-blockers on Handgrip Test Response of Diastolic Blood Pressure in Hypertensive, Benign Hypertrophy of Prostate Patients in a Therapeutics Clinic, Kolkata: A Cross-sectional Study.

The isometric handgrip (IHG) test is commonly used to detect sympathetic autonomic dysfunction. Tamsulosin, approved for the management of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), acts as an antagonist for α1-adrenergic receptors (α1-AR), whereas prazosin, an α1 receptor blocker, being less selective than tamsulosin, is used as an antihypertensive agent clinically. Our objective was to investigate if there is a distinction in blood pressure (BP) increase during IHG exercise between individuals with essential hypertension taking tamsulosin compared to those taking prazosin. A cross-sectional observational study was performed on 50 subjects receiving tablet prazosin and 47 subjects receiving tamsulosin, who were asked to undergo an IHG test. Pre- and posttest BP was recorded for both the groups, and the difference in diastolic BP (DBP) (delta DBP) was compared between the groups and to their respective baseline values. Post-IHG test, mean DBP was found to be 93.98 ± 9.13 mm Hg in the prazosin group and 101.00 ± 12.05 mm Hg in the tamsulosin group, respectively. The change of delta DBP in the tamsulosin group was significant, but the prazosin group showed an insignificant rise in DBP. Prazosin, being less selective than tamsulosin in terms of α1 receptor antagonism, showed suppression of BP during IHG. Tamsulosin demonstrates high selectivity for prostatic receptors while showing minimal affinity for vascular receptors. As a result, its impact on BP is expected to be minimal.

Comparison between Transrectal Ultrasound Guided Prostatic Biopsy versus Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Subsequent Magnetic Resonance Imaging Prostatic Guided Target Biopsy in Suspected Cancer Prostate Patients

Comparison between Transrectal Ultrasound Guided Prostatic Biopsy versus Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Subsequent Magnetic Resonance Imaging Prostatic Guided Target Biopsy in Suspected Cancer Prostate Patients

Blood-Based DNA Methylation Analysis by Multiplexed OBBPA-ddPCR to Verify Indications for Prostate Biopsies in Suspected Prostate Cancer Patients.

Current prostate carcinoma (PCa) biomarkers, including total prostate-specific antigen (tPSA), have unsatisfactory diagnostic sensitivity and specificity resulting in overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Previously, we described an optimised bias-based preamplification-digital droplet PCR (OBBPA-ddPCR) technique, which detects tumour DNA in blood-derived cell-free DNA (cfDNA) of cancer patients. The current study investigated the performance of newly developed OBBPA-ddPCR-based biomarkers. Blood plasma samples from healthy individuals (n = 90, controls) and PCa (n = 39) and benign prostatic hyperplasia patients (BPH, n = 40) were analysed. PCa and BPH patients had tPSA values within a diagnostic grey area of 2-15 ng/mL, for whom further diagnostic validation is most crucial. Methylation levels of biomarkers RASSF1A, MIR129-2, NRIP3, and SOX8 were found significantly increased in PCa patients compared to controls. By combining classical PCa risk factors (percentage of free PSA compared to tPSA (QfPSA) and patient's age) with cfDNA-based biomarkers, we developed PCa risk scores with improved sensitivity and specificity compared to established tPSA and QfPSA single-marker analyses. The diagnostic specificity was increased to 70% with 100% sensitivity for clinically significant PCa patients. Thus, prostate biopsies could be avoided for 28 out of 40 BPH patients. In conclusion, the newly developed risk scores may help to confirm the clinical decision and prevent unnecessary prostate biopsy.

Chinese expert consensus on the follow-up management of patients with prostate cancer receiving medical castration therapy（2024 edition）

With the advancement of prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis and treatment technology, the 5-year survival rate has remarkably increased, and PCa has entered the era of chronic disease management. Medical castration therapy remains the cornerstone treatment option for PCa patients, and run throughout the various stages of patient treatment. The disease progression, treatment-related adverse reactions and related complications of PCa patients after medical castration have become a major problem in the long-term management of PCa patients, affecting the survival and quality of life of patients. In addition to focus on the disease management of prostate patients during diagnosis and treatment, patients should be closely followed up after medical castration, especially for those at the critical stage of disease treatment. Testosterone or other indicators should be monitored at important nodes of the disease (the point of initiation disease phase and the point of treatment switch) to avoid missing the optimal treatment window. Follow-up management of PCa should take into account the characteristics of the treatment stage of the disease (disease stage, previous symptoms, prognostic factors and treatment strategy) and patients' own demands, and personalized follow-up strategies should be recommended to better increase patients' treatment compliance and improve patients' prognosis. Currently, there is a lack of guidelines or consensus on the management on the follow-up and quality of life of PCa patients after medical castration in China. Therefore, the Chinese Prostate Cancer Consortium has organized domestic experts to formulate this consensus, with the aim of providing a reference for the management on the follow-up and quality of life of PCa patients receiving medical castration therapy, and to further improve the prognosis and quality of life of PCa patients in China.

Nomogram predicting the efficacy of transurethral surgery in benign prostatic hyperplasia patients

PurposeThis study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram for predicting the efficacy of transurethral surgery in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients.MethodsPatients with BPH who underwent transurethral surgery in the West China Hospital and West China Shang Jin Hospital were enrolled. Patients were retrospectively involved as the training group and were prospectively recruited as the validation group for the nomogram. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to generate nomogram for predicting the efficacy of transurethral surgery. The discrimination of the nomogram was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and calibration plots were applied to evaluate the calibration of the nomogram.ResultsA total of 426 patients with BPH who underwent transurethral surgery were included in the study, and they were further divided into a training group (n = 245) and a validation group (n = 181). Age (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.02–1.15, P < 0.01), the compliance of the bladder (OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.20–4.67, P < 0.01), the function of the detrusor (OR 5.92, 95% CI 2.10–16.6, P < 0.01), and the bladder outlet obstruction (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.07–4.54, P < 0.01) were incorporated in the nomogram. The AUC of the nomogram was 0.825 in the training group, and 0.785 in the validation group, respectively.ConclusionThe nomogram we developed included age, the compliance of the bladder, the function of the detrusor, and the severity of bladder outlet obstruction. The discrimination and calibration of the nomogram were confirmed by internal and external validation.

Aleatoric and epistemic uncertainty extraction of patient-specific deep learning-based dose predictions in LDR prostate brachytherapy.

Objective.In brachytherapy, deep learning (DL) algorithms have shown the capability of predicting 3D dose volumes. The reliability and accuracy of such methodologies remain under scrutiny for prospective clinical applications. This study aims to establish fast DL-based predictive dose algorithms for low-dose rate (LDR) prostate brachytherapy and to evaluate their uncertainty and stability.Approach.Data from 200 prostate patients, treated with125I sources, was collected. The Monte Carlo (MC) ground truth dose volumes were calculated with TOPAS considering the interseed effects and an organ-based material assignment. Two 3D convolutional neural networks, UNet and ResUNet TSE, were trained using the patient geometry and the seed positions as the input data. The dataset was randomly split into training (150), validation (25) and test (25) sets. The aleatoric (associated with the input data) and epistemic (associated with the model) uncertainties of the DL models were assessed.Main results.For the full test set, with respect to the MC reference, the predicted prostateD90metric had mean differences of -0.64% and 0.08% for the UNet and ResUNet TSE models, respectively. In voxel-by-voxel comparisons, the average global dose difference ratio in the [-1%, 1%] range included 91.0% and 93.0% of voxels for the UNet and the ResUNet TSE, respectively. One forward pass or prediction took 4 ms for a 3D dose volume of 2.56 M voxels (128 × 160 × 128). The ResUNet TSE model closely encoded the well-known physics of the problem as seen in a set of uncertainty maps. The ResUNet TSE rectum D2cchad the largest uncertainty metric of 0.0042.Significance.The proposed DL models serve as rapid dose predictors that consider the patient anatomy and interseed attenuation effects. The derived uncertainty is interpretable, highlighting areas where DL models may struggle to provide accurate estimations. The uncertainty analysis offers a comprehensive evaluation tool for dose predictor model assessment.