Multicenter Study of Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score as a Prognostic Factor in Patients With HIV-Related Renal Cell Carcinoma

ObjectiveIn recent years, the controlled nutritional status (CONUT) score has been widely recognized as a new indicator for assessing survival in patients with urological neoplasms, including renal, ureteral, and bladder cancer. However, the CONUT score has not been analyzed in patients with HIV-related urological neoplasms. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of the CONUT score in patients with HIV-related renal cell carcinoma (RCC).MethodsA total of 106 patients with HIV-related RCC were recruited from four hospitals between 2012 and 2021, and all included patients received radical nephrectomy or partial nephrectomy. The CONUT score was calculated by serum albumin, total lymphocyte counts, and total cholesterol concentrations. Patients with RCC were divided into two groups according to the optimal cutoff value of the CONUT score. Survival analysis of different CONUT groups was performed by the Kaplan–Meier method and a log rank test. A Cox proportional risk model was used to test for correlations between clinical variables and cancer-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS). Clinical variables included age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, tumor grade, Fuhrman grade, histology, surgery, and CD4+ T lymphocyte count.ResultThe median age was 51 years, with 93 males and 13 females. At a median follow-up of 41 months, 25 patients (23.6%) had died or had tumor recurrence and metastasis. The optimal cutoff value for the CONUT score was 3, and a lower CONUT score was associated with the Fuhrman grade (P=0.024). Patients with lower CONUT scores had better CSS (HR 0.197, 95% CI 0.077-0.502, P=0.001), OS (HR 0.177, 95% CI 0.070-0.446, P<0.001) and DFS (HR 0.176, 95% CI 0.070-0.444, P<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that a low CONUT score was an independent predictor of CSS, OS and DFS (CSS: HR=0.225, 95% CI 0.067-0.749, P=0.015; OS: HR=0.201, 95% CI 0.061-0.661, P=0.008; DFS: HR=0.227, 95% CI 0.078-0.664, P=0.007). In addition, a low Fuhrman grade was an independent predictor of CSS (HR 0.192, 95% CI 0.045-0.810, P=0.025), OS (HR 0.203, 95% CI 0.049-0.842, P=0.028), and DFS (HR 0.180, 95% CI 0.048-0.669, P=0.010), while other factors, such as age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, tumor grade, histology, surgery, and CD4+ T lymphocyte count, were not associated with survival outcome.ConclusionThe CONUT score, an easily measurable immune-nutritional biomarker, may provide useful prognostic information in HIV-related RCC.

Urological Cancer Treatment by a Multidisciplinary Team throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic: What Have We Learned?

Introduction It is known that cancer care is best approached by a multidisciplinary team (MDT). This became specifically true in the Covid-19 pandemic in which choices for urological cancer treatment are influenced by many factors. In some cases, delayed treatment may have consequences regarding the patient's oncological outcomes. The aim of the present article is to report our experience throughout the Covid-19 pandemic treating patients with urological neoplasms at a high-volume center. Methods We used a convenience sampling method. Cases were evaluated and discussed on an individual basis at the MDT meetings, and, after a consensus regarding delaying or scheduling treatment, patients were scheduled according to the risk of postponing the procedures. The Medically Necessary, Time-Sensitive (MeNTS) scoring system was measured in each patient; all patients answered the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Covid-19 self-screening questionnaire prior to surgery. The Covid-19-free survival rate was estimated. Results A total of 194 patients were assessed by the multidisciplinary team and finally treated, with median follow-up of 4 (interquartile range [IQR]: 2.75 to 6) months. Only two patients had Covid-19 confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In total, 54 patients underwent oncological surgery, 129 were treated with radiotherapy, and 11 were treated with intravenous chemotherapy. The median age was 66 years (IQR: 59 to 94 years), and the median MeNTS score in the surgically-treated cohort was 35 points (IQR: 31 to 47 points). Conclusions The evaluation and treatment of urological cancer should be conducted by an MDT; this is of utmost importance, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. The data collected in our institution showed that most patients could be safely treated by taking all necessary precautions and discussing each case individually in the MDT meetings and performing a close follow-up.

The Role of Exenterative Surgery in Advanced Urological Neoplasms

Pelvic exenterative surgery is both complex and challenging, especially in the setting of locally recurrent disease. In recent decades, improved surgical techniques have facilitated more extensive resection of both locally advanced and recurrent pelvic malignancies, but its role in urological cancer surgery is highly selective. However, it remains an important part of the armamentarium for the management of bladder and prostate cancer cases where there is local invasion into adjacent organs or localized recurrence. Better diagnostics, reconstructive options and centralized care have reduced associated morbidity considerably, and it is still used rarely in palliative settings. Despite this, there is sparse prospective evidence reporting on long-term oncological or quality of life outcomes.

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic resection of a primary renal neuroendocrine carcinoma

Primary renal neuroendocrine carcinomas (RNC) are extremely rare urological neoplasms, with fewer than 100 cases reported in the literature. There are no established protocols concerning diagnosis and treatment, and there is no definitive data on prognosis. Here, we report the findings of a 54-year-old woman who presented with intermittent back pain due to a large mass, which was initially suspected to be a renal cell or upper tract urothelial carcinoma. The patient underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy and lymph node dissection without complications. Pathology revealed an RNC with local metastases to para-aortic lymph nodes without evidence of another primary origin. Subsequent surveillance showed no evidence of disease until 48-month follow-up imaging revealed a liver lesion suspicious for possible metastatic cancer. This report represents the second documented usage of robot-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy for RNC and the longest follow-up in the literature. We review the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with RNC.