Bladder cancer is a highly prevalent disease and is associated with substantial morbidity, mortality and cost. Environmental or occupational exposures to carcinogens, especially tobacco, are the main risk factors for bladder cancer. Most bladder cancers are diagnosed after patients present with macroscopic haematuria, and cases are confirmed after transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT), which also serves as the first stage of treatment. Bladder cancer develops via two distinct pathways, giving rise to non-muscle-invasive papillary tumours and non-papillary (solid) muscle-invasive tumours. The two subtypes have unique pathological features and different molecular characteristics. Indeed, The Cancer Genome Atlas project identified genetic drivers of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) as well as subtypes of MIBC with distinct characteristics and therapeutic responses. For non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), intravesical therapies (primarily Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)) with maintenance are the main treatments to prevent recurrence and progression after initial TURBT; additional therapies are needed for those who do not respond to BCG. For localized MIBC, optimizing care and reducing morbidity following cystectomy are important goals. In metastatic disease, advances in our genetic understanding of bladder cancer and in immunotherapy are being translated into new therapies.

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Context Sexual function is the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) domain most commonly impaired after prostate cancer treatment; however, validated tools to enable personalized prediction of erectile dysfunction after prostate cancer treatment are lacking. Objective To predict long-term erectile function following prostate cancer treatment based on individual patient and treatment characteristics. Design Pretreatment patient characteristics, sexual HRQOL, and treatment details measured in a longitudinal academic multicenter cohort (Prostate Cancer Outcomes and Satisfaction With Treatment Quality Assessment; enrolled from 2003 through 2006), were used to develop models predicting erectile function 2 years after treatment. A community-based cohort (community-based Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor [CaPSURE]; enrolled 1995 through 2007) externally validated model performance. Patients in US academic and community-based practices whose HRQOL was measured pretreatment (N = 1201) underwent follow-up after prostatectomy, external radiotherapy, or brachytherapy for prostate cancer. Sexual outcomes among men completing 2 years’ follow-up (n = 1027) were used to develop models predicting erectile function that were externally validated among 1913 patients in a community-based cohort. Main Outcome Measures Patient-reported functional erections suitable for intercourse 2 years following prostate cancer treatment. Results Two years after prostate cancer treatment, 368 (37% [95% CI, 34%–40%]) of all patients and 335 (48% [95% CI, 45%–52%]) of those with functional erections prior to treatment reported functional erections; 531 (53% [95% CI, 50%–56%]) of patients without penile prostheses reported use of medications or other devices for erectile dysfunction. Pretreatment sexual HRQOL score, age, serum prostate-specific antigen level, race/ethnicity, body mass index, and intended treatment details were associated with functional erections 2 years after treatment. Multivariable logistic regression models predicting erectile function estimated 2-year function probabilities from as low as 10% or less to as high as 70% or greater depending on the individual’s pretreatment patient characteristics and treatment details. The models performed well in predicting erections in external validation among CaPSURE cohort patients (areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.74–0.80] for prostatectomy; 0.87 [95% CI, 0.80–0.94] for external radiotherapy; and 0.90 [95% CI, 0.85–0.95] for brachytherapy). Conclusion Stratification by pretreatment patient characteristics and treatment details enables prediction of erectile function 2 years after prostatectomy, external radiotherapy, or brachytherapy for prostate cancer.

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Background Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) has become increasingly common; however, there have been no nationwide, population-based, non–claims-based studies to evaluate differences in outcomes between RALP and open radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP). Objective To determine surgical, oncologic, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes following RALP and RRP in a nationwide cohort. Design, setting, and participants We identified 903 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study diagnosed with prostate cancer between 2000 and 2010 who underwent radical prostatectomy using RALP (n = 282) or RRP (n = 621) as primary treatment. Intervention Radical prostatectomy. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis We compared patients undergoing RALP or RRP across a range of perioperative, oncologic, and HRQOL outcomes. Results and limitations Use of RALP increased during the study period, constituting 85.2% of study subjects in 2009, up from 4.5% in 2003. Patients undergoing RALP compared to RRP were less likely to have a lymph node dissection (51.5% vs 85.4%; p < 0.0001), had less blood loss (207.4 ml vs 852.3 ml; p < 0.0001), were less likely to receive blood transfusions (4.3% vs 30.3%; p < 0.0001), and had shorter hospital stays (1.8 d vs 2.9 d; p < 0.0001). Surgical, oncologic, and HRQOL outcomes did not differ significantly among the groups. In multivariate logistic regression models, there were no significant differences in 3- or 5-yr recurrence-free survival comparing RALP versus RRP (hazard ratios: 0.98 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.46–2.08] and 0.75 [95% CI, 0.18–3.11], respectively). Conclusions In a nationwide cohort of patients undergoing surgical treatment for prostate cancer, RALP was associated with shorter hospital stay, and lower blood loss and transfusion rates than RRP. Surgical oncologic and HRQOL outcomes were similar between groups. Patient summary We studied men throughout the United States with prostate cancer who underwent surgical removal of the prostate. We found that robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy resulted in shorter hospital stay, less blood loss, and fewer blood transfusions than radical retropubic prostatectomy. There were no differences in cancer control or health-related quality of life.

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