New medical treatments for lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia and future perspectives

Background: Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) in men are a common clinical problem in urology and have been historically strictly linked to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which may lead to bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). New molecules have been approved and have entered the urologists' armamentarium, targeting new signaling pathways and tackling specific aspects of LUTS. Objective of this review is to summarize the evidence regarding the new medical therapies currently available for male non-neurogenic LUTS, including superselective α1-antagonists, PDE-5 inhibitors, anticholinergic drugs and intraprostatic onabotulinum toxin injections. Methods: The National Library of Medicine Database was searched for relevant articles published between January 2006 and December 2015, including the combination of "BPH", "LUTS", "medical" and "new". Each article's title, abstract and text were reviewed for their appropriateness and their relevance. One hundred forty eight articles were reviewed. Results: Of the 148 articles reviewed, 92 were excluded. Silodosin may be considered a valid alternative to non-selective α1-antagonists, especially in the older patients where blood pressure alterations may determine major clinical problems and ejaculatory alterations may be not truly bothersome. Tadalafil 5 mg causes a significant decrease of IPSS score with an amelioration of patients' QoL, although with no significant increase in Qmax. Antimuscarinic drugs are effective on storage symptoms but should be used with caution in patients with elevated post-void residual. Intraprostatic injections of botulinum toxin are well-tolerated and effective, with a low rate of adverse events; however profound ameliorations were seen also in the sham arms of RCTs evaluating intraprostatic injections. Conclusion: New drugs have been approved in the last years in the medical treatment of BPH-related LUTS. Practicing urologists should be familair with their pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics

Heterosphaeria linariae

Fung

Peziza carnea, Peziza antonii

Dall'erbario personale di Pier Andrea Saccardo: cartellino con disegni autografi associato a campione di fungo. Campione comprato da Saccardo con il nome "Peziza Antonii" e poi da lui rinominato "Peziza carnea"

A systematic review of imaging-guided metastasis-directed therapy for oligorecurrent prostate cancer: Revolution or devolution?

INTRODUCTION: Metastasis directed therapy (MDT) is increasingly being implemented in recurring prostate cancer (PCa), although its role in PCa management has yet been fully defined. Aim of the current systematic review is to analyze current knowledge of MDT in the setting of recurrent PCa and highlight future trials which will continue to shed a light on a controversial aspect of current PCa management.EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: The National Library: of Medicine Database was searched for relevant articles published between January 2014 and August 2019. A wide search was performed including the combination of following words: ([metastasis AND directed AND therapy] AND prostate AND cancer). The selection procedure followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) principles.EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Biologic studies support the use of MDT in oligometastatic PCa. Modern imaging techniques as PSMA PET/CT, Fuciclovine PET/CT and whole-body MRI are fundamental to implement such an approach given the high diagnostic yield at low PSA values. The majority of data available on MDT concerns retrospective trials, although three prospective randomized trials (STOMP, ORIOLE and POPSTAR) have assessed the safety and feasibility of MDT. Overall, it appears that MDT delays significantly PCa progression and time to systemic therapy.CONCLUSIONS: MDT is highly appealing given its potential to delay disease progression and adverse events of systemic therapy. Nonetheless, data remains immature to recommend MDT on a large scale and the selection criteria for patients have yet been defined. Today, MDT should he administered within a clinical trial and results of future research arc eagerly awaited

Anterior vs. retzius-sparing robotic assisted radical prostatectomy: can the approach really make a difference?

INTRODUCTION: Retzius-sparing Robotic Assisted Radical Prostatectomy (RS-RARP) is a novel surgical approach to radical prostatectomy. Its pioneers have suggested an improved recovery of urinary continence, while maintaining adequate cancer control. The aim of this systematic review was to explore available data on RS-RALP and compare functional, oncologic, and perioperative results of RS-RARP compared to anterior RARP.EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A search following PRISMA guidelines was performed including the combination of the following words: "Retzius" AND "sparing" AND "radical" AND "prostatectomy." Ninety-three articles were identified and 13 were included in the systematic review, including 3 randomized controlled trials (RCT), 4 prospective studies and 6 retrospective studies.EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: All available randomized trials confirmed an improved immediate continence for RS-RARP, with rates ranging 51-71%, compared to 21-48% for anterior RARP. However, this advantage was progressively lost with no significant difference found after 6 months. Moreover, a prospective study found no discrepancy in terms of quality of life across the two techniques. Erectile function was difficult to compare, as patients had different baseline erectile function across studies and rate of neurovascular preservation was not comparable. Surgical approach remains controversial regarding positive margin rate, although related to the surgeon's experience and clinical stage. Biochemical recurrencefree survival appears similar between the two approaches.CONCLUSIONS: RS-RARP improves early urinary continence recovery compared to anterior RARP, with this advantage being lost after 3 to 6 months. Erectile function and quality of life were however comparable between the two techniques. The results concerning the rate of positive margins remained controversial. Future studies with longer follow-up are needed to better assess oncologic outcomes