Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic impact of positive surgical margins (PSMs) after partial or radical nephrectomy for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) across AJCC stages and assess its relevance to adjuvant therapy eligibility, given that landmark trials excluded patients with PSMs. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study using the National Cancer Database, including 171,151 ccRCC patients treated with partial or radical nephrectomy (2004–2020). Patients receiving systemic therapy or with missing key data were excluded. OS was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier curves, log-rank tests, and multivariable Cox regression. Subgroup analyses compared T2 G2/G3 PSM vs. T2 G4 negative surgical margin (NSM) (N0/Nx M0) and assessed PSM impact within KEYNOTE-564 risk groups. Results: PSMs were present in 5.9% of patients and independently predicted worse OS (HR 1.43; p < 0.001). No OS difference was observed in AJCC stage I (p = 0.54), while stages II (p = 0.001), III, and IV (p < 0.001) showed poorer survival with PSMs. OS in patients with T2 G2/G3 tumors and PSMs was comparable to those with T2 G4 and NSMs (p = 0.69). Within the KEYNOTE-564 risk population, PSMs were associated with a 62% increased risk of death (HR 1.62; p < 0.001). Conclusions: PSMs are independently associated with worse OS in ccRCC. Their prognostic impact varies across AJCC stages, supporting the use of margin status to refine risk models, guide surveillance, and consider PSM patients for adjuvant trials.

Background: The diagnostic process for prostate cancer after a negative biopsy is challenging. This study compares the diagnostic accuracy of micro-ultrasound (mUS) with multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) for such cases. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed, targeting men with previous negative biopsies and using mUS and mpMRI to detect prostate cancer and clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa). Results: In our cohort of 1397 men, 304 had a history of negative biopsies. mUS was more sensitive than mpMRI, with better predictive value for negative results. Importantly, mUS was significantly associated with csPCa detection (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 6.58; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15–37.8; p = 0.035). Conclusions: mUS may be preferable for diagnosing prostate cancer in previously biopsy-negative patients. However, the retrospective design of this study at a single institution suggests that further research across multiple centers is warranted.

Background and Objectives: to investigate the impact of age on renal function deterioration after robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) focusing on a decline to moderate and severe forms of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Materials and Methods: This is a single center prospective analysis of patients who underwent RAPN. The outcomes include the development of de novo CKD-S 3a [estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m²)] and de novo CKD-S 3b (eGFR < 45 mL/min/1.73/m²). Multivariable analysis (MVA) via Cox regression identified predictors for CKD-S 3a/b. Kaplan –Meier Analyses (KMA) were fitted for survival assessment. Multivariable linear regression was utilized to identify the predictors of last-eGFR. Results: Overall, 258 patients were analyzed [low age (70) n = 54 (20.9%)] with a median follow-up of 31 (IQR 20–42) months. MVA revealed an increasing RENAL score [Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.32, p = 0.009], age 50–70 (HR 6.21, p = 0.01), age ≥ 70 (HR 10.81, p = 0.001), increasing BMI (HR 1.11, p < 0.001) and preoperative CKD 2 (HR 2.43, p = 0.014) are independent risk factors associated with an increased risk of CKD-S 3a; conversely, post-surgical acute kidney injury was not (p = 0.83). MVA for CKD-S 3b revealed an increasing RENAL score (HR 1.51, p = 0.013) and age ≥ 70 (HR 2.73, p = 0.046) are associated with an increased risk of CKD-S 3b. Linear regression analysis revealed increasing age (Coeff. −0.76, p < 0.001), increasing tumor size (Coeff. −0.31, p = 0.03), and increasing BMI (Coeff. −0.64, p = 0.004) are associated with decreasing eGFR at last follow-up. We compare the survival distribution of our cohort stratified by age elderly patients experienced worsened CKD-S 3a/b disease-free survival (p < 0.001; p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Age is independently associated with a greater risk of significant and ongoing decline in kidney function following RAPN. Recognizing the impact of aging on renal function post-surgery can guide better management practices. Further investigations are required.

Patients with pT1 high-grade (HG) urothelial carcinoma (UC) and a very high risk of progression might benefit from immediate radical cystectomy (RC), but this option remains controversial. Validation of a standardized method to evaluate the extent of lamina propria (LP) invasion (with recognized prognostic value) in transurethral resection (TURBT) specimens is still needed. The Rete Oncologica Lombarda (ROL) system showed a high predictive value for progression after TURBT in recent retrospective studies. The ROL system was supposed to be validated on a large prospective series of primary urothelial carcinomas from a single institution. From 2016 to 2020, we adopted ROL for all patients with pT1 HG UC on TURBT. We employed a 1.0-mm threshold to stratify tumors in ROL1 and ROL2. A total of 222 pT1 HG UC were analyzed. The median age was 74 years, with a predominance of men (73.8%). ROL was feasible in all cases: 91 cases were ROL1 (41%), and 131 were ROL2 (59%). At a median follow-up of 26.9 months (IQR 13.8–40.6), we registered 81 recurrences and 40 progressions. ROL was a significant predictor of tumor progression in both univariable (HR 3.53; CI 95% 1.56–7.99; p < 0.01) and multivariable (HR 2.88; CI 95% 1.24–6.66; p = 0.01) Cox regression analyses. At Kaplan-Meier estimates, ROL showed a correlation with both PFS (p = 0.0012) and RFS (p = 0.0167). Our results confirmed the strong predictive value of ROL for progression in a large prospective series. We encourage the application of ROL for reporting the extent of LP invasion, substaging T1 HG UC, and improving risk tables for urological decision-making.