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Background:An elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is associated with poor outcome in various tumours. Its prognostic utility in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) undergoing radical cystectomy (RC) is yet to be fully elucidated.Methods:A cohort of patients undergoing RC for UCB in a tertiary referral centre between 1992 and 2012 was analysed. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was computed using complete blood counts performed pre-RC, or before neo-adjuvant chemotherapy where applicable. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the optimal cutoff point for predicting recurrence-free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). The predictive ability of NLR was assessed using Kaplan–Meier analyses and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. The likelihood-ratio test was used to determine whether multivariable models were improved by including NLR.Results:The cohort included 424 patients followed for a median of 58.4 months. An NLR of 3 was determined as the optimal cutoff value. Patients with an NLR⩾3.0 had significantly worse survival outcomes (5y-RFS: 53% vs 64%, log-rank P=0.013; 5y-CSS: 57% vs 75%, log-rank P<0.001; 5y-OS: 43% vs 64%, log-rank P<0.001). After adjusting for disease-specific predictors, an NLR ⩾3.0 was significantly associated with worse RFS (HR=1.49; 95% CI=1.12–2.0, P=0.007), CSS (HR=1.88; 95% CI=1.39–2.54, P<0.001) and OS (average HR=1.67; 95% CI=1.17–2.39, P=0.005). The likelihood-ratio test confirmed that prognostic models were improved by including NLR.Conclusions:Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is an inexpensive prognostic biomarker for patients undergoing RC for UCB. It offers pre-treatment prognostic value in addition to established prognosticators and may be helpful in guiding treatment decisions.

Cancer survival and overall survival in patients with Bosniak IIF to IV renal cysts was high with only 1 cancer specific death. No cancer deaths were recorded in patients who did not undergo intervention. Reconsidering management guidelines for complex renal cysts is warranted, particularly consideration for initial surveillance of Bosniak III cysts.

Although the majority of oncocytic renal neoplasms will grow with time, surveillance appears to remain safe. Patients opting for this strategy should be made aware that a diagnosis of oncocytoma following biopsy is associated with some degree of uncertainty due to the difficulty of differentiating them from other oncocytic renal neoplasms.

This is a repository copy of Effect of robot-assisted radical cystectomy with intracorporeal urinary diversion vs open radical cystectomy on 90-day morbidity and mortality among patients with bladder cancer : a randomized clinical trial.

It is critically important to define disease-specific research priorities to better allocate limited resources. There is growing recognition of the value of involving patients and caregivers, as well as expert clinicians in this process. To our knowledge, this has not been done this way for kidney cancer. Using the transparent and inclusive process established by the James Lind Alliance, the Kidney Cancer Research Network of Canada (KCRNC) sponsored a collaborative consensus-based priority-setting partnership (PSP) to identify research priorities in the management of kidney cancer. The final result was identification of 10 research priorities for kidney cancer, which are discussed in the context of current initiatives and gaps in knowledge. This process provided a systematic and effective way to collaboratively establish research priorities with patients, caregivers, and clinicians, and provides a valuable resource for researchers and funding agencies.