Background: Malignant melanoma is one of the most aggressive malignant tumors, with unpredictable evolution. Despite numerous therapeutic options, like chemotherapy, BRAF inhibitors and immunotherapy, advanced melanoma prognosis remains severe. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been successfully used as the first line or palliative therapy for the treatment of lung, esophageal, bladder, non melanoma skin and head and neck cancers. However, classical PDT has shown some drawbacks that limit its clinical application in melanoma.Objective: The most important challenge is to overcome melanoma resistance, due to melanosomal trapping, presence of melanin, enhanced oxidative stress defense, defects in the apoptotic pathways, immune evasion, neoangiogenesis stimulation.Method: In this review we considered: (1) main signaling molecular pathways deregulated in melanoma as potential targets for personalized therapy, including PDT, (2) results of the clinical studies regarding PDT of melanoma, especially advanced metastatic stage, (3) progresses made in the design of anti-melanoma photosensitizers (4) inhibition of tumor neoangiogenesis, as well as (5) advantages of the derived therapies like photothermal therapy, sonodynamic therapy.Results: PDT represents a promising alternative palliative treatment for advanced melanoma patients, mainly due to its minimal invasive character and low side effects. Efficient melanoma PDT requires: (1) improved, tumor targeted, NIR absorbing photosensitizers, capable of inducing high amounts of different ROS inside tumor and vasculature cells, possibly allowing a theranostic approach; (2) an efficient adjuvant immune therapy.Conclusion: Combination of PDT with immune stimulation might be the key to overcome the melanoma resistance and to obtain better, sustainable clinical results.

(1) Introduction: Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) is the main imagistic tool employed to assess patients suspected of harboring prostate cancer (PCa), setting the indication for targeted prostate biopsy. However, both mpMRI and targeted prostate biopsy are operator dependent. The past decade has been marked by the emerging domain of radiomics and artificial intelligence (AI), with extended application in medical diagnosis and treatment processes. (2) Aim: To present the current state of the art regarding decision support tools based on texture analysis and AI for the prediction of aggressiveness and biopsy assistance. (3) Materials and Methods: We performed literature research using PubMed MeSH, Scopus and WoS (Web of Science) databases and screened the retrieved papers using PRISMA principles. Articles that addressed PCa diagnosis and staging assisted by texture analysis and AI algorithms were included. (4) Results: 359 papers were retrieved using the keywords “prostate cancer”, “MRI”, “radiomics”, “textural analysis”, “artificial intelligence”, “computer assisted diagnosis”, out of which 35 were included in the final review. In total, 24 articles were presenting PCa diagnosis and prediction of aggressiveness, 7 addressed extracapsular extension assessment and 4 tackled computer-assisted targeted prostate biopsies. (5) Conclusions: The fusion of radiomics and AI has the potential of becoming an everyday tool in the process of diagnosis and staging of the prostate malignancies.

Synchronous prostatic adenocarcinoma found in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) that undergo radical cistoprostatectomy is not uncommon. Nonetheless, the occurrence of collision metastasis, where both prostate cancer and bladder cancer involve the same lymph node, is exceptionally uncommon, with few cases being reported in the literature. We present a case of a 65-year-old patient diagnosed with MIBC who underwent laparoscopic radical cistoprostatectomy with extended lymph node dissection and intracorporeal ileal conduit. The final pathology revealed urothelial carcinoma pT3bN1 as well as prostatic adenocarcinoma pT3bN1. One lymph node presented metastasis from both bladder cancer and prostate cancer.

In centers with limited access to robotic platforms, the laparoscopic approach represents a feasible alternative for complex urological procedures such as radical cystectomy with intracorporeal urinary diversion. Although technically demanding, outcomes may become comparable to those reported for robotic surgery once the learning curve is overcome. This study aims to evaluate this hypothesis. We included patients who underwent laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) between 2017 and 2025 at the Urology Department of the Municipal Clinical Hospital Cluj-Napoca. The optimal urinary diversion was chosen based on patient characteristics. Perioperative, postoperative, and oncological outcomes were evaluated as well as the impact of learning curve on these characteristics. We identified 124 patients who underwent LRC. Median estimated blood loss (EBL) was 300 mL (IQR 200-450 mL), and perioperative transfusions were required in 26 cases. A standard pelvic lymphadenectomy yielded a median of 14 lymph nodes (IQR 10-17). Major complications were encountered in 15% of cases. At 12 months follow-up, uretero-ileal strictures were identified in 8 patients with intracorporeal urinary diversion. Total operative time, EBL and the rate of major complications were significantly influenced by surgeon experience. The laparoscopic approach, even in complex procedures such as radical cystectomy with intracorporeal urinary diversion, respects the principles of minimally invasive surgery and represents an alternative for centers with limited access to robotic platforms.