To our knowledge we introduce the technique of anatomical retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy. From February 2000 to October 2005 anatomical retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy was performed in 800 consecutive patients with adrenal lesions using a 3 port lateral retroperitoneal approach. After incising Gerota's fascia 3 relatively bloodless planes were entered consecutively to expose and separate the adrenal gland. When entering the first dissection plane between the perirenal fat and anterior renal fascia located at the superomedial side of the kidney, the adrenal could be identified at the initial stage of the operation. The following dissections proceeded in the plane between the posterior renal fascia and the lateral aspect of perirenal fat, and then in the avascular plane located on the parenchymal surface of the upper renal pole. The adrenal vein was dealt with at the final stage. Operative time was defined as the time from skin incision to skin closure. Mean +/- SE operative time was 45 +/- 19.1 minutes (range 25 to 230) and mean estimated blood loss was 25 +/- 10.6 ml (range 5 to 200). Average time to oral intake and ambulation were 1.2 and 1.0 day, respectively. Minor postoperative complications occurred in 12 patients (1.5%). Major complications and perioperative mortality were not observed. The procedures resulted in marked clinical improvements in patients with a hormone secreting tumor, except in 6 with idiopathic adrenal hyperplasia. Anatomical retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy is a safe, effective, technically efficient procedure for surgical adrenal diseases.

MiR-155 regulates the proliferation and invasion of clear cell renal cell carcinoma cells by targeting E2F2

The transcription factor KLF6 has an essential role in the development and metastasis of multiple human cancers. Paradoxically, KLF6 expression was found to be attenuated in primary metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), such that it is unclear how KLF6 affects malignant progression in this setting. In this study, we demonstrate that KLF6 attenuation in renal cells is sufficient to promote E2F1-mediated epithelial–mesenchymal transition and metastatic prowess. In a mouse xenograft model of human ccRCC, silencing KLF6 increased tumor cell proliferation and malignant character, whereas E2F1 silencing reversed these properties. These effects were corroborated in a metastatic model system, where we observed a greater number of pulmonary metastatic lesions formed by ccRCC cells where KLF6 was silenced and E2F1 enforced. Analysis of clinical specimens of ccRCC revealed that low levels of KLF6 and high levels of E2F1 correlated closely with ccRCC development. Overall, our results established the significance of activating the KLF6–E2F1 axis in aggressive ccRCC, defining a novel critical signaling mechanism that drives human ccRCC invasion and metastasis. Cancer Res; 77(2); 330–42. ©2016 AACR.

Increasing evidence suggests that inflammation plays an essential role in cancer development and progression. The inflammation marker neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is correlated with prognosis across a wide variety of tumor types, but its prognostic value in prostate cancer (PCa) remains controversial. In the present meta-analysis, the prognostic value of NLR in PCa patients is investigated. We performed a meta-analysis to determine the predictive value of NLR for overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and clinical features in patients with PCa. We systematically searched PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Embase for relevant studies published up to October 2015. A total of 9418 patients from 18 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Elevated pretreatment NLR predicted poor OS (HR 1.628, 95% CI 1.410–1.879) and RFS (HR 1.357, 95% CI 1.126–1.636) in all patients with PCa. However, NLR was insignificantly associated with OS in the subgroup of patients with localized PCa (HR 1.439, 95% CI 0.753–2.75). Increased NLR was also significantly correlated with lymph node involvement (OR 1.616, 95% CI 1.167–2.239) but not with pathological stage (OR 0.827, 95% CI 0.637–1.074) or Gleason score (OR 0.761, 95% CI 0.555–1.044). The present meta-analysis indicated that NLR could predict the prognosis for patients with locally advanced or castration-resistant PCa. Patients with higher NLR are more likely to have poorer prognosis than those with lower NLR.

Previous studies have elevated the prognostic value of Ki-67 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but the reports are controversial and inconsistent. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify the significance of Ki-67 in RCC prognosis. We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase to identify relevant studies until April 2016. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 20 studies, including 5,398 patients, were eligible for further analysis. Results showed that high Ki-67 expression in RCC was associated with poor OS (HR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.44–2.64), CSS (HR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.47–1.89), and DFS (HR = 2.56, 95% CI: 1.79–3.67). In addition, high Ki-67 expression was significantly associated with TNM stage (III/IV vs. I/II: RR = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.68–2.44), pathological T stage (T3/T4 vs. T1/T2: RR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.35–2.06), metastasis (yes vs. no: RR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.77–2.62), and Fuhrman grade (III/IV vs. I/II: RR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.20–2.60). Our study suggested that Ki-67 was a prognostic marker in RCC. High Ki-67 expression was correlated with poor prognosis and advanced clinicopathological features, and it could serve as a biomarker for disease management.

We compared treatment outcomes of robotic vs open inferior vena cava thrombectomy for renal tumors with level I-II inferior vena cava tumor thrombus. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent robotic or open inferior vena cava thrombectomy between 2006 and 2016. To reduce the inherent biases of a nonrandomized study the robotic and open groups were matched 1:1 based on key variables. Perioperative data and oncologic outcomes were reviewed. Progression-free and overall survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and compared between groups using the log rank test. A total of 31 and 37 patients underwent robotic and open inferior vena cava thrombectomy, respectively. After matching there were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the groups. Of the matched cohorts the robotic cohort had significantly shorter median operative time (150 vs 230 minutes, p <0.001), lower median estimated blood loss (250 vs 1,000 ml, p <0.001), a lower rate of blood transfusion (6.5% vs 54.8%, p <0.001), a lower median transfusion requirement (420 vs 790 ml, p = 0.012) and a shorter median postoperative hospital stay (5 vs 9 days, p <0.001). The postoperative complication rate was lower in the robotic group than in the open group (9.7% vs 29.0%, p = 0.070). However, there were no significant differences in oncologic outcomes between the groups. Robotic inferior vena cava thrombectomy can achieve more favorable perioperative results and similar oncologic outcomes compared with open inferior vena cava thrombectomy. Prospective studies with a larger sample size and longer followup are needed to validate our findings.