Breau, Rodney H.

354 Background: Partial nephrectomy (PN) has demonstrated equivalent cancer control to radical nephrectomy (RN) and has been associated with lower rates of all-cause mortality. Nevertheless, there continues to be wide variability in practice pattern in the treatment of renal masses. Specifically, the decision to perform PN or RN often depends on patient, surgeon and renal mass characteristics. By quantifying the renal tumor using the R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry scoring system, collecting surgeon information, and providing defined clinical scenarios we attempt to evaluate factors important in surgeon decision-making. Methods: In June 2009, all members of the American Urological Association with a listed email address were invited to participate in a survey evaluating the management of renal masses. Respondents were asked their preferred treatment for 8 clinical scenarios. Each of these renal masses was given a nephrometry score (NS). The propensity to offer PN was evaluated by NS and surgical volume. High volume was defined as > 50 renal cases per year and low volume was defined as £ 10 cases per year. Results: 764 attending level urologic surgeons responded to each of the 8 scenarios providing 6112 evaluable clinical scenarios. NS ranged from 4-10; each unit increase was associated with 2-fold increased odds of a surgeon offering radical nephrectomy (OR 1.99, 95% CI: 1.93,2.06). PN was the preferred treatment for approximately 95% of patients with low complexity tumors (NS < 8) regardless of surgical volume. However, proposed treatment of high complexity tumors (NS ³ 8) demonstrated considerable heterogeneity in treatment choice. Controlling for all patient characteristics, high surgical volume significantly predicted whether PN would be offered to patients with high complexity tumors (OR 3.04 95% CI: 2.34,9.95), but not those with low complexity tumors (OR 1.95 95% CI: 0.87,4.38) compared to low volume surgeons. Conclusions: Increasing NS correlated with increased use of radical nephrectomy, particularly after a score of 8 among all surgeons. As renal surgical volume increased, surgeons were more willing to offer PN in high complexity tumors. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

106 Background: Some patients with lymph node metastases experience prolonged survival following radical prostatectomy. The purpose of this study was to determine the outcome of patients with clinically suspicious lymph nodes on preoperative imaging who underwent radical prostatectomy and lymphadenectomy. Methods: Patients with lymph node metastases diagnosed during radical prostatectomy from 1988-2003 were reviewed. Patients with preoperative CT or MRI images were included in the study. Radiology reports were reviewed to determine if patients had clinically suspicious lymphadenopathy (cN+). For all analyses, patients with cN+ were compared to those with clinically negative nodes (cN−). Results: Preoperative imaging was available in 202 men with lymph node metastasis at the time of prostatectomy. Of these 17% (34/202) were cN+. None had pre-operative lymph node biopsy and none had abandoned prostatectomy. At a median follow-up of 11.1 years, PSA recurrence occurred in 50% (17/34) and 49% (82/186), local recurrence in 18% (6/34) and 13% (22/186) and systemic progression in 32% (11/34) and 24% (40/186) of patients with cN+ and cN-, respectively. On multivariate analysis, cN+ was not associated with increased risk of death (HR 1.66, p=0.1). Conclusions: cN+ patients undergoing surgical therapy for prostate cancer may experience similar outcomes to cN− patients. The presence of clinically suspicious lymph nodes on preoperative imaging should not be an absolute contraindication for surgical therapy. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Objective To evaluate survival in patients after radical cystectomy ( RC ) who presented with non‐muscle‐invasive urothelial carcinoma and progressed to muscle invasion during surveillance. Our secondary objective was to evaluate the association between clinical factors before RC and survival. Patients and Methods In all, 981 consecutive M ayo C linic RC patients without a history of radiation or systemic chemotherapy were reviewed. Of these, 190 had RC after they progressed from non‐muscle invasive disease to muscle invasion (progressed to ≥ pT2 ). These patients were compared to 310 patients who had RC before muscle invasion (≤ pT1 ), and 481 patients who had muscle invasion at initial presentation (presented with ≥ pT2 ). Survival estimates were generated using the K aplan– M eier method and compared using the log‐rank test, while adjusted analyses were performed using C ox proportional hazard regression models. Results Patients who progressed to muscle invasion on surveillance had a higher risk of death than patients who initially presented with muscle invasion (overall survival hazard ratio [ HR ] 1.3; 95% confidence interval [ CI ] 1.0, 1.5). The estimated 5‐year cancer‐specific survival was 85.4% for patients presenting with ≤ pT1 , 52.9% for patients who progressed to ≥ pT2 , and 62.4% for patients who presented with ≥ pT2 ( P < 0.001). The corresponding 5‐year overall survival rates were 70.0%, 42.1%, and 49.5% ( P < 0.001). Of the patients who initially presented with non‐muscle‐invasive disease, progression to muscle invasion was associated with increased risk of cancer‐specific death (adjusted HR 2.38; 95% CI 1.6, 3.5). Lack of information about patients who presented without muscle invasion and never received RC is the major limitation of this study. Conclusions Despite close surveillance, many patients who progress to muscle invasion will die from bladder cancer. Patients who progress to muscle invasion on surveillance seem to have particularly aggressive disease and may benefit from multimodal treatments.

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? There is great variability in the utilization of partial nephrectomy, but the causes of these variations are not well understood. The present study underscores the already observed phenomenon of surgical volume influencing surgical planning and outcomes, but it gets at why this might be so. We observe that high‐volume renal surgeons have different thresholds of ‘technical feasibility’. Objective To investigate why there continues to be wide variability in the application of partial nephrectomy ( PN ) for treating small renal masses despite guidelines in the US and E urope stating that a PN is a standard of care for a patient with a T 1 renal mass. Patients and Methods In June 2009, 764 surgeon‐members of the A merican U rologic A ssociation ( AUA ) participated in a survey evaluating the management of renal masses. Renal mass complexity was graded by nephrometry score ( NS ). Multivariable logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations were constructed to evaluate how tumour, surgeon and practice‐setting characteristics influence the use of PN . Results The survey response rate was 19%. Each urological surgeon responded to eight scenarios, providing 6112 evaluable cases. Tumour NS ranged from 4 to 10, and each unit increase in NS was associated with 59% increased likelihood of a surgeon offering RN on multivariable analysis (odds ratio [ OR ] = 1.59; 95% CI : 1.52–1.64). When holding patient and tumour characteristics constant, the following surgeon and practice‐setting characteristics significantly increased the odds of offering a PN: increasing renal case volume ( OR = 1.57; 95% CI : 1.27–1.95), academic practice ( OR = 1.80; 95% CI : 1.42–2.29), increasing PN % volume ( OR = 3.7; 95% CI : 2.46–5.55) and younger surgeon age (≤40 vs >50 years) ( OR = 1.64; 95% CI : 1.35–1.96). Conclusion The characteristics of a surgeon and the setting in which he or she practices influence the utilization of PN , the adherence to professional guidelines, and the threshold of tumour complexity at which a surgeon stops offering PN .