We aimed to evaluate the change in bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) compared to those with PCa or other urologic conditions not receiving ADT. Literature searches were conducted throughout October 2018. The eligibility of each study was assessed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines using the Participant, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome, and Study design method. The outcomes analyzed were the mean difference (MD) of percent changes in BMD of lumbar spine, femur neck, and total hip. Five prospective cohort studies with a total of 533 patients were included in the present study. Statistically significant decreases of BMD change relative to the control group were observed in the ADT treatment group in the lumbar spine (MD −3.60, 95% CI −6.72 to −0.47, P = 0.02), femoral neck (MD −3.11, 95% CI −4.73 to −1.48, P = 0.0002), and total hip (MD −1.59, 95% CI −2.99 to −0.19, P = 0.03). There is a significant relationship between ADT and BMD reduction in patients with PCa. Regular BMD testing and the optimal treatment for BMD loss should, therefore, be considered in patients with PCa undergoing ADT.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of bladder neck preservation (BNP) on long-term urinary continence after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP). We systematically searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases to identify studies that assessed the difference in urinary continence and oncologic outcomes between patients who underwent RALP with BNP and those who underwent RALP without BNP. Four trials (1880 cases with BNP, 727 controls without BNP) were considered suitable for meta-analysis. BNP was associated with significantly better urinary continence outcomes at 3–4 months (odds ratio (OR), 2.88; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.52–5.48; p = 0.001), 12 months (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.10–3.74; p = 0.02), and 24 months (OR, 3.23; 95% CI, 1.13–9.20; p = 0.03) after RALP. There was no difference in the rate of overall positive surgical margin (PSM) (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.72–1.39; p = 0.99) and that of PSM at the prostate base (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.21–1.13; p = 0.09) between the two groups. The BNP technique during RALP leads to early return of urinary continence and long-term urinary continence without compromising the oncologic outcomes.

Background and Objectives: We conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis to evaluate and compare the perioperative, functional, and oncological outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) and laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) with open radical prostatectomy (ORP) in patients with prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed in Pubmed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane library for papers published before May 2021. Only studies of patients with prostate cancer that assessed perioperative, functional, and oncological outcomes and reported outcome values were included. We used a Bayesian hierarchical random-effects model to synthesize data from multiple studies, enabling both direct and indirect comparisons of the three surgical approaches (RARP, LRP, ORP) to provide robust estimates of their relative efficacy. This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021282555). Results: A total of 80 studies were finally included in the present study. Biochemical recurrence (BCR) rates were lower for RARP than for ORP (RR 0.713, 95% CrI 0.587–0.869) and LRP (RR 0.672, 95% CrI 0.505–0.895). Compared with ORP, RARP had a significantly lower positive surgical margin (RR 0.893, 95% CrI 0.807–0.985). When compared to ORP, RARP and LRP showed no significant difference in continence (RR 1.057, 95% CrI 0.997–1.124; RR 0.921, 95% CrI 0.845–1.007). When compared to ORP, RARP was significantly more effective on potency (RR 1.201, 95% CrI 1.047–1.402). The potency rate was significantly higher for RARP than for ORP (RR 1.201, 95% CrI 1.047–1.402) and LRP (RR 1.438, 95% CrI 1.191–1.762). There was no difference in the estimated blood loss or the total and major complication rates between RARP, ORP, and LRP. The operation time was longest for LRP. There was no difference in the operation time between RARP and ORP. Conclusions: RARP may be better or comparable to ORP and LRP in terms of oncologic outcomes (PSM and BCR), functional outcomes (potency and incontinence), and perioperative outcomes (EBL, operation time, and total and major complications).

To assess the effectiveness of alpha-1 adrenergic receptor blockers (α1-blockers) in the treatment of female lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). A literature search was conducted using the PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. Fourteen studies with 1,319 patients were ultimately included. The study comprised 2 analyses: a comparison of urinary symptom scores, maximal flow rate (Qmax), and postvoid residual (PVR) urine volume before and after α1-blocker administration in 8 prospective, open-label studies and 5 randomized clinical trials (RCTs); and an evaluation of the same variables in α1-blocker and placebo groups in 4 RCTs. The first meta-analysis showed that, following treatment, patients exhibited statistically significant symptom relief (mean difference [MD], -5.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], -7.71 to -3.99; P<0.00001), increased Qmax (MD, 3.67 mL/sec; 95% CI, 2.76-4.59 mL/sec; P<0.00001), and decreased PVR volume (MD, -28.46 mL; 95% CI, -34.99 to -21.93 mL; P<0.00001). In the second meta-analysis, α1-blockers demonstrated significant symptom relief relative to placebo (MD, -1.60; 95% CI, -2.68 to -0.51; P=0.004). However, no significant differences were observed in Qmax (MD, 0.05 mL/sec; 95% CI, -0.74 to 0.83 mL/sec, P=0.91) and PVR (MD, -8.10 mL; 95% CI, -32.32 to 16.12 mL, P=0.51) between the α1-blocker and placebo groups. These analyses suggest that α1-blockers are effective in the treatment of female LUTS patients. However, the effect of α1-blockers on female LUTS should be assessed according to the underlying cause, and the role of α1-blockers in combination therapy with other drugs should also be investigated.

Park JJ, et al. World J Mens Health. 2023 Jan;41:e3. https://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.220124

Platinum-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is widely used for treating muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). A systematic review was performed following PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched up to December 2020. We conducted a meta-analysis to compare the oncologic outcomes of ddMVAC (dose-dense methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin) and GC (gemcitabine and cisplatin), which are the most widely used NAC regimens. Endpoints included pathologic complete response (pCR), pathologic downstaging (pDS), overall survival (OS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Five studies, with a total of 1206 patients, were included for meta-analysis. pCR was observed in 35.2% of the ddMVAC arm and in 25.1% of the GC arm, and pCR was significantly higher in ddMVAC than in GC (odds ratio (OR), 1.45; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.11–1.89; p = 0.006). There was no significant difference in pDS (OR, 1.37; CI, 0.84–2.21; p = 0.20). OS was significantly higher in ddMVAC than in GC (hazard ratio, 2.16; CI, 1.42–3.29; p = 0.0004). Only one study reported CSS outcomes. The results of this analysis indicate that ddMVAC is superior to GC in terms of pCR and OS, suggesting that ddMVAC is more effective than GC in NAC for MIBC. However, this should be interpreted with caution because of the inherent limitations of retrospective studies.