Rapid Increase of the Serum PSA Level in Response to High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Therapy may be a Potential Indicator of Biochemical Recurrence of Low- and Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer

Objectives To determine the incidence and magnitude of the rapid increase in the serum PSA (riPSA) level after high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy for prostate cancer, and its correlation with clinical factors. Methods A total of 176 patients with localized prostate cancer underwent HIFU therapy. Serum riPSA was determined on the basis of the same criteria as those for “PSA bounce”, ie, an increase of ≥0.2 ng/ml with a spontaneous return to the prebounce level or lower. Patients were stratified according to neoadjuvant PSA level, T stage, risk group, age, Gleason score, pretreatment PSA level, post-treatment PSA nadir, and number of HIFU sessions. Results riPSA was seen in 53% of patients during a median follow-up period of 43 months. A PSA nadir was achieved within 3 months for 85.1% of the treatments. In all cases, onset of riPSA was seen two days after HIFU therapy, and the median magnitude was 23.69 ng/ml. A magnitude of >2 ng/ml was seen in 89.4% of cases. Univariate analysis revealed that patients with riPSA were associated with usage of hormonal therapy and the post-treatment PSA nadir level. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that riPSA and the number of HIFU sessions were predictors of biochemical recurrence. A significant statistical association was found between the presence of riPSA and the risk of biochemical failure only in the low- and intermediate-risk group. Conclusion Patients treated with HIFU who experience post-treatment riPSA may have an increased risk of biochemical recurrence, especially in non-high-risk patients

Adult Wilms' tumor with calcification untreated for 5 years – a case report

BACKGROUND: Wilms' tumor is rarely found in adults and there are no established treatment guidelines for such tumors in adults. Whereas calcification is a common finding in neuroblastoma, it is considered uncommon in Wilms' tumor. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of adult Wilms' tumor with calcification in a 22-year-old man. He had been initially referred to our hospital with a chief complaint of right flank pain 5 years previously, when abdominal computed tomography had revealed focal calcification at the upper pole of the right kidney. Although we planned further assessment, he did not revisit our hospital again until 5 years later, again because of right flank pain. Ultrasound and computed tomography scan revealed a large mass lesion with calcification in the right kidney, invasive to the hepatic lobe. The patient underwent curative right nephrectomy and partial right hepatic lobectomy. Pathological analysis demonstrated a nephroblastoma (Wilms' tumor) with predominant epithelial histology infiltrating the hepatic lobe. The patient has been well without tumor recurrence for 15 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Calcification may be a sign of slow tumor gowth and possibly a favorable prognosis in cases of adult Wilms' tumor