Surgery (Austin & Northern Health) - Research Publications
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ItemStrategies for success: a multi-institutional study on robot-assisted partial nephrectomy for complex renal lesions(WILEY, 2018-05)OBJECTIVE: To describe our technique, illustrated with images and videos, of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) for challenging renal tumours. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A study of 249 patients who underwent RAPN in multiple institutions was performed. Patients were identified using prospective RAPN databases. Complex renal lesion were defined as those with a RENAL nephrometry score ≥10. Data were analysed and differences among groups examined. RESULTS: A total of 31 (12.4%) RAPNs were performed for complex renal tumours. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) patient age was 57 (50.5-70.5) years and 21 patients (67.7%) were men. The median (IQR) American Society of Anesthesiologists score was 2 (2-3). The median (IQR) operating time was 200 (50-265) min, warm ischaemia time was 23 (18.5-29) min, and estimated blood loss was 200 (50-265) mL. There were no intra-operative complications. Two patients (6.4%) had postoperative complications. One patient (3.2%) had a positive surgical margin. The median (IQR) length of stay was 3.5 (3-5) days and the median (IQR) follow-up was 12.5 (7-24) months. There were no recurrences. RAPN resulted in statistically significant changes in renal function 3 months after RAPN compared with preoperative renal function (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our results showed that RAPN was a safe approach for selected patients with complex renal tumours and may facilitate tumour resection and renorrhaphy for challenging cases, offering a minimally invasive surgical option for patients who may otherwise require open surgery.
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ItemQuality of handwritten surgical operative notes from surgical trainees: a noteworthy issue(WILEY, 2019-03)BACKGROUND: Surgical operation notes are crucial for medical record keeping and information flow in continued patient care. In addition to inherent medical implications, the quality of operative notes also has important economic and medico-legal ramifications. Further, well-documented records can also be useful for audit purposes and propagation of research, facilitating the improvement of delivery of care to patients. We aimed to assess the quality of surgical operation notes written by junior doctors and trainees against a set standard, to ascertain whether these standards were met. METHOD: We undertook an audit of Urology and General Surgery operation notes handwritten by junior doctors and surgical trainees in a tertiary teaching hospital over a month period both in 2014 and 2015. Individual operative notes were assessed for quality based on parameters described by the Royal College of Surgeons of England guidelines. RESULTS: Based on the Royal College of Surgeons of England guidelines, a significant proportion of analysed surgical operative notes were incomplete, with information pertaining to the time of surgery, name of anaesthetist and deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis in particular being recorded less than 50% of the time (22.42, 36.36 and 43.03%, respectively).Overall, 80% compliance was achieved in 14/20 standards and 100% compliance was attained in only one standard. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of surgical operation notes written by junior doctors and trainees demonstrated significant deficiencies when compared against a set standard. There is a clear need to educate junior medical staff and to provide systems and ongoing education to improve quality. This would involve leadership from senior staff, ongoing audit and the development of systems that are part of the normal workflow to improve quality and compliance.
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ItemIntraductal carcinoma of the prostate can evade androgen deprivation, with emergence of castrate-tolerant cells(WILEY, 2018-06)OBJECTIVE: To determine the relevance of intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDC-P) in advanced prostate cancer by first examining whether IDC-P was originally present in patients who later developed advanced prostate cancer and then using patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) to investigate the response of IDC-P to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective pathology review of IDC-P in primary prostate biopsy or surgery specimens from 38 men who subsequently developed advanced prostate cancer. Overall survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. To demonstrate the response of IDC-P to ADT, we established PDXs from seven patients with familial and/or high-risk sporadic prostate cancer. After castration and testosterone restoration of host mice, we measured the volume and proliferation of IDC-P within PDX grafts. RESULTS: We found that IDC-P was a prominent feature in the primary prostate specimens, present in 63% of specimens and often co-existing with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Overall survival was similar in patients with or without IDC-P. In the PDXs from all seven patients, IDC-P was identified and present at a similar volume to adenocarcinoma. Residual IDC-P lesions persisted after host castration and, similar to castrate-tolerant adenocarcinoma, testosterone restoration led to tumour regeneration. CONCLUSION: The study showed that IDC-P is prevalent in aggressive prostate cancer and contains cells that can withstand androgen deprivation. Thus, IDC-P appears functionally relevant in advanced prostate cancer. The presence of IDC-P may be a trigger to develop innovative clinical management plans.
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ItemTrends in the surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia in a tertiary hospital(WILEY, 2018-01)BACKGROUND: To assess current treatment trends and perioperative outcomes of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) in a tertiary institution. METHODS: We prospectively collected a database of all patients undergoing TURP and PVP for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) at a tertiary hospital between January 2011 and December 2013. Patient characteristics such as length of stay, readmission, anticoagulation status, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score and need for blood transfusion were recorded and analysed. RESULTS: In total, 560 cases were included: 204 (36.4%) underwent TURP and 356 (63.6%) PVP. Patients undergoing PVP had higher ASA scores (P < 0.001) and were more frequently on continuing anticoagulant therapy (P < 0.001). With regards to non-aspirin/asasantin coagulation therapy, 61 (17.1%) patients underwent PVP with their anticoagulants continued while no patients who received TURP continued anticoagulation. Blood transfusion percentages were similar at 1.0% for TURP and 1.7% for PVP but readmission proportions were higher after PVP (32 patients, 9.0%) compared to TURP (10 patients, 4.9%). These differences were attenuated when excluding patients continuing anticoagulation during the procedure. CONCLUSION: At our institution, the use of PVP has been increasing on a year-by-year basis. The results of the current study demonstrated that PVP is safe in patients with increased anaesthetic risk or on active anticoagulation when compared to traditional TURP. While this makes PVP an attractive alternative to TURP in high-risk anticoagulated patients, these patients may have complex post-discharge issues that should be addressed during the informed consent process.
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ItemProstate-specific membrane antigen-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PSMA-PET/CT)-guided stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy for oligometastatic prostate cancer: a single-institution experience and review of the published literature(WILEY, 2019-11)OBJECTIVES: To report the outcomes of stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) in men with oligometastatic prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosed on prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), based on a single-institution experience and the published literature. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of the first 20 consecutive men with oligometastatic PCa, treated with SABR in a single institution, who had biochemical recurrence after previous curative treatment (surgery/radiotherapy), had no evidence of local recurrence, were not on palliative androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), and had PSMA-PET/CT-confirmed oligometastatic disease (≤3 lesions). These men were treated with SABR to a dose of 30 Gy in three fractions for bone metastases, and 35-40 Gy in five fractions for nodal metastases. The outcomes of interest were: PSA response; local progression-free survival (LPFS); distant progression-free survival (DPFS); and ADT-free survival (ADTFS). A literature review was performed to identify published studies reporting on outcomes of PSMA-PET/CT-guided SABR. RESULTS: In our institutional cohort, 12 men (60%) had a decline in PSA post-SABR. One man had local progression 9.6 months post-SABR, with 12-month LPFS of 93%. Ten men had distant progression outside of their SABR treatment field, confirmed on PSMA-PET/CT, with 12-month DPFS of 62%, of whom four were treated with palliative ADT, two received prostate bed radiotherapy for prostate bed progression (confirmed on magnetic resonance imaging), and four received a further course of SABR (of whom one had further progression and was treated with palliative ADT). At last follow-up, six men (one with local progression and five with distant progression) had received palliative ADT. The 12-month ADTFS was 70%. Men with longer intervals between local curative treatment and SABR had better DPFS (P = 0.03) and ADTFS (P = 0.005). Four additional studies reporting on PSMA-PET/CT-guided SABR for oligometastatic PCa were identified and included in the review, giving a total of 346 patients. PSA decline was reported in 60-70% of men post-SABR. The 2-year LPFS, DPFS and ADTFS rates were 76-100%, 27-52%, and 58-62%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that PSMA-PET/CT could have an important role in identifying men with true oligometastatic PCa who would benefit the most from metastases-directed therapy with SABR.
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ItemMetformin may offer no protective effect in men undergoing external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer(WILEY, 2019-05)OBJECTIVES: To assess whether metformin reduces radio-resistance and increases survival in men undergoing external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for prostate cancer (PCa), and to determine its effect on hypoxia inducible factor 1-α (HIF1α). PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients treated with curative intent with EBRT for PCa at a major cancer centre between 2000 and 2007 were included in this study. The outcome measures of time to biochemical failure (BF), metastasis, PCa-specific mortality and overall survival (OS) were analysed in those taking metformin vs those not, using competing risk and Cox regression models. To determine metformin's effect on HIF1α expression and survival in vitro, PC3 cells with high basal HIF1α levels were subjected to increasing doses of metformin after H2 O2 -induced oxidative stress. RESULTS: A total of 2055 eligible cases, including 113 who were on metformin, were identified, with a median follow-up of 95.7 months. There were no differences in age, initial prostate-specific antigen level, Gleason score, T-stage, D'Amico risk class or duration of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) between patients who were or were not on metformin. Treatment with metformin did not result in any apparent improvement in time to BF, time to metastasis detection or OS, but there was a 1.5-fold increase in PCa-specific deaths (P = 0.045) in patients on metformin and ADT when adjusted for cancer risk and comorbidities. When comparing patients on high-dose metformin (>1 g/d) with those on low-dose metformin (≤1 g), there was no difference in either time to metastases or time to BF. In vitro metformin at a high concentration of 100 μM did not reduce HIF1α expression, nor did metformin affect the PC3 cell survival when exposed to oxidative stress (H2 O2 ). CONCLUSIONS: No association was found between the use of metformin and time to metastasis detection, time to BF or OS in patients undergoing radiation therapy with or without ADT for PCa. In vitro, low therapeutic concentrations of metformin had no effect on HIF1α, and this observation could explain the conflicting evidence for the effectiveness of metformin in men undergoing EBRT for PCa. Higher, more toxic doses of metformin may be required to inhibit the mammalian target of rapamycin-HIF1α pathway in this patient group.
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ItemHigh dose rate brachytherapy boost for prostate cancer: Biochemical control and the impact of transurethral resection of the prostate and hydrogel spacer insertion on toxicity outcomes(WILEY, 2019-06)INTRODUCTION: To examine the long-term outcomes of high dose rate brachytherapy boost (HDR-BT) combined with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for intermediate and high-risk prostate cancer patients. METHODS: Data from 95 patients who underwent combined EBRT (50.4 Gy) and HDR-BT to the prostate between 2010 and 2017 were retrospectively analysed. Biochemical progression free survival (bPFS), local recurrence free survival (LRFS), metastatic free survival (MFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. Regression analysis was conducted to identify important predictors of outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 24 patients received an initial HDR-BT dose of 18 Gy in three fractions, with the remaining 71 patients receiving 16 Gy in two fractions as per departmental protocol changes. Most patients (88%) received androgen deprivation therapy. A transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) was performed in 14 patients and hydrogel spacers (HS) were used in 30 patients. Median follow-up was 58 months. The 5-year bPFS, LRFS, MFS and OS were 92%, 100%, 92% and 88%. Univariate regression revealed no statistical association between patient characteristics and time to relapse (all P > 0.1). Late > grade 2 genitourinary (GU) toxicity was 6.3%. The use of HS or prior TURP had no impact on late GU toxicity. Late Grade 1 gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity was 5.3%. CONCLUSION: The combined HDR-BT with EBRT resulted in excellent bPFS. The cumulative risk of late GU and GI toxicity was low and can be further improved with preventative strategies such as a pre-emptive TURP and/or HS insertion.
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ItemText Mining for Personalized Knowledge Extraction From Online Support Groups(WILEY, 2018-12)The traditional approach to health care is being revolutionized by the rapid adoption of patient‐centered healthcare models. The successful transformation of patients from passive recipients to active participants is largely attributed to increased access to healthcare information. Online support groups present a platform to seek and exchange information in an inclusive environment. As the volume of text on online support groups continues to grow exponentially, it is imperative to improve the quality of retrieved information in terms of relevance, reliability, and usefulness. We present a text‐mining approach that generates a knowledge extraction layer to address this void in personalized information retrieval from online support groups. The knowledge extraction layer encapsulates an ensemble of text‐mining techniques with a domain ontology to interpose an investigable and extensible structure on hitherto unstructured text. This structure is not limited to personalized information retrieval for patients, as it also imparts aggregates for crowdsourcing analytics by healthcare researchers. The proposed approach was successfully trialed on an active online support group consisting of 800,000 posts by 72,066 participants. Demonstrations for both patient and researcher use cases accentuate the value of the proposed approach to unlock a broad spectrum of personalized and aggregate knowledge concealed within crowdsourced content.
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ItemAge at diagnosis and the surgical management of small renal carcinomas: findings from a cross-sectional population-based study(WILEY, 2018-11)OBJECTIVES: To describe the use of partial nephrectomy (PN) for patients with stage T1a renal cell carcinoma (RCC) by age group (<65 and ≥65 years) in two Australian states. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All adults diagnosed with RCC in 2012 and 2013 were identified through population-based cancer registries in the Australian states of Queensland and Victoria. For each patient, research assistants extracted patient, tumour and treatment data from medical records. Percentages of patients treated by PN were determined for the two age groups. Multivariable logistic regression analyses examined factors associated with PN. Clinicians treating RCC were sent surveys to assess attitudes towards PN. RESULTS: Data were collected on 956 patients (Victoria: n = 548; Queensland: n = 404) with stage T1a RCC. Of those undergoing surgery (n = 865), PN was more common for those aged <65 years (61%) than for those aged ≥65 years (44%), with this difference significant after adjusting for patient, tumour (odds ratio 0.50, 95% confidence interval 0.36-0.70). There were significant interactions between age and treatment centre volume (P < 0.05) and residential state (P < 0.05). PN was less likely for younger patients treated at lower-volume hospitals (<24 patients a year) but hospital volume was not associated with PN for older patients. PN was less likely for older patients in Queensland than Victoria. In multivariable analyses, age was not related to laparoscopic surgery. Queensland clinicians were less likely than those from Victoria to agree that PN was the treatment of choice for most T1aN0M0 tumours (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In Australia, patients aged > 65 years with small renal cancers were less likely to be treated by PN than younger patients. The variation in the surgical procedure used to treat older T1a RCC patients by state and hospital volume indicates that better evidence is needed to direct practice in this area.