This letter to the Editor aims to provide suggestions and recommendations for the management of urological conditions in times of COVID-19 crisis in Brazil and other low-and middle-income countries.
We report a case of verrucous carcinoma of the bladder that was unrelated to bilharziasis, with koilocytosis and absence of human papillomavirus. The literature relating to the topic is discussed.
PURPOSE To present a summary of the recommendations for the treatment and follow-up for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) as acquired through a questionnaire administered to 99 physicians working in the field of prostate cancer in developing countries who attended the Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference for Developing Countries. METHODS A total of 106 questions out of more than 300 questions addressed the use of imaging in staging mCRPC, treatment recommendations across availability and response to prior drug treatments, appropriate drug treatments, and follow-up, and those same scenarios when limited resources needed to be considered. Responses were compiled and the percentages were presented by clinicians to support each response. Most questions had five to seven relevant options for response including abstain and/or unqualified to answer, or in the case of yes or no questions, the option to abstain was offered. RESULTS Most of the recommendations from this panel were in line with prior consensus, including the preference of a new antiandrogen for first-line therapy of mCRPC. Important aspects highlighted in the scenario of limited resources included the option of docetaxel as treatment preference as first-line treatment in several scenarios, docetaxel retreatment, consideration for reduced doses of abiraterone, and alternative schedules of an osteoclast-targeted therapy. CONCLUSION There was wide-ranging consensus in the treatment for men with mCRPC in both optimal and limited resource settings.
Purpose: Complete androgen blockade (CAB) does not prolong overall survival (OS) in patients with castration refractory prostate cancer (CRPC). Although there is variable clinical benefit with second-line hormone manipulation, we do not know which patients might benefit the most. Objectives: To identify clinical predictors of benefit of complete androgen blockade.
Materials and Methods:We reviewed the records for 54 patients who received treatment with CAB in the setting of disease progression despite castration. We evaluated progression-free survival (PFS) and OS according to PSA at diagnosis, Gleason scores, age, testosterone level, and duration of prior disease control during castration in first line treatment. Results: Among 54 patients who received CAB, the median PFS was 9 months (CI 4.3-13.7) and OS was 36 months (CI 24-48). We did not find an effect of PSA at diagnosis (p = 0.32), Gleason score (p = 0.91), age (p = 0.69) or disease control during castration (p = 0.87) on PFS or OS. Thirty-four patients subsequently received chemotherapy, with a mean OS of 21 months (CI 16.4-25.5, median not reached). Conclusion: Age, Gleason score, PSA at diagnosis and length of disease control with castration did not affect PFS or OS. In the absence of predictors of benefit, CAB should still be considered in CRPC.
PURPOSE To present a summary of the recommendations for the treatment and follow-up for the biochemical recurrence of castration-resistant prostate cancer (PCa) as acquired through a questionnaire administered at the Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference for Developing Countries. METHODS A total of 27 questions were identified as relating to this topic. Responses from the clinician were tallied and are presented in percentage format. Topics included the use of imaging in staging, treatment recommendations across different patient scenarios of life expectancy and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) doubling time, and follow-up for nonmetastatic castration-resistant PCa. RESULTS A consensus agreed that in optimal conditions, positron emission tomography-computed tomography with prostate-specific membrane antigen would be used although in limited resource situations the combined use of CT of the abdomen and pelvic (or pelvic MRI), a bone scan, and a CT of the thorax or chest x-ray was recommended. In cases when PSA levels double in < 10 months, more than 90% of clinicians agreed on the use of apalutamide or enzalutamide, regardless of life expectancy. With a doubling time of more than 10 months, > 54% of experts recommended no treatment independent of life expectancy. More than half of the experts, regardless of resources, recommended follow-up with a physical examination and PSA levels every 3-6 months and imaging only in the case of symptoms. CONCLUSION The voting results and recommendations presented in this document can be used by physicians to support management for biochemical recurrence of castration-resistant PCa in areas of limited resources. Individual clinical decision making should be supported by available data.
e16141 Background: Complete androgen blockade (CAB) after failure of castration or androgen receptor blocker (ARB) has not shown to prolong survival in patients with metastatic prostate cancer, unlike docetaxel-based chemotherapy. The widely variable clinical benefit seen with CAB as second-line hormone manipulation still justifies the identification of the patients to whom it should be offered. Objective: to evaluate progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients treated with CAB after failure of castration or ARB and to identify clinical predictors of benefit. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients with metastatic prostate cancer treated with CAB as second-line hormone manipulation in a single institution after September 2005. OS and PFS were estimated using Kaplan-Meyer plots. We identified 78 patients and evaluated correlations of prostate specific antigen (PSA), Gleason scores, age, type and length of first-line hormone manipulation with OS and PFS during CAB. Fifty-four patients had failed castration and 24 had failed ARB. Forty-four patients received chemotherapy after failing CAB. Results: With a median follow-up of 21 months, median PFS with CAB was 12 months (CI 6.8–17.2). We did not find any correlation of PFS with type of first-line hormone manipulation (castration vs ARB, p = 0.10), age group (≤70 or >70 years old, p = 0.10), level of PSA at diagnosis (≤50 or >50 ng/mL, p = 0.17) or length of first-line hormone manipulation (≤14m vs >14 m, p = 0.78). There was no significant correlation between PFS and Gleason score at diagnosis (score ≤7 or >7, p = 0.25), nor between the level of testosterone at the beginning of CAB and PFS. Median OS for patients on CAB after failing castration was 36 months (CI 24–48), and median OS of patients on chemotherapy was not reached at 9.5 months follow-up. Conclusions: Based on a PFS of 12 months, OS of 36 months and good patient tolerance, we believe CAB should still be used in CRPC, prior to initiation of chemotherapy. Predictors of clinical benefit are still to be identified. No significant financial relationships to disclose.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.