Jong Kil Nam

Background/Objectives: While robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) is widely adopted, its long-term survival impact relative to open radical cystectomy (ORC) remains uncertain. We compared survival outcomes between ORC and RARC using a propensity score-matched multicenter cohort. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 3972 radical cystectomy patients from 11 Korean tertiary centers between 2003 and 2024. After stratifying by surgical approach (ORC vs. RARC), 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) mitigated baseline imbalances. Overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were evaluated using Kaplan–Meier and multivariable Cox analyses. Results: PSM yielded 473 well-balanced patients per group. Compared to ORC, RARC was associated with a longer operative time but demonstrated a superior perioperative profile, including reduced estimated blood loss, lower intraoperative transfusion rates, shorter hospital stays, higher lymph node yields, and lower positive margin rates. RARC significantly improved OS (5-year: 75.4% vs. 56.1%; 10-year: 68.3% vs. 44.5%; p < 0.001) and CSS (5-year: 88.1% vs. 71.6%; 10-year: 82.7% vs. 67.7%; p < 0.001), with comparable RFS (5-year: 59.6% vs. 54.8%; 10-year: 51.1% vs. 47.4%; p = 0.155). Multivariable analyses confirmed RARC as an independent predictor of improved OS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.564, p < 0.001) and CSS (HR 0.474, p < 0.001). Conclusions: RARC demonstrated superior perioperative outcomes and favorable survival trends compared to ORC, with no difference in RFS. Although RARC appears to be an oncologically safe alternative, these exploratory survival benefits require cautious interpretation due to potential residual confounding. Further prospective validation is warranted.

Purpose: Radical cystectomy (RC) is associated with substantial postoperative morbidity, and unplanned readmission remains common despite advances in perioperative management. However, the association between postoperative readmission due to complications and oncologic outcomes after RC for bladder cancer has not been clearly defined. We evaluated the impact of postoperative readmission on overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) after RC for bladder cancer.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 3,972 patients who underwent RC for bladder cancer in a multicenter cohort. Postoperative readmission was defined as unplanned hospitalization within 90 days postsurgery due to surgery-related complications. Survival outcomes were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of OS and CSS.Results: Among the study population, 916 patients (23.1%) experienced postoperative readmission. Baseline and perioperative characteristics were generally comparable between patients with and without readmission. Kaplan-Meier analyses demonstrated significantly worse OS and CSS among patients who experienced postoperative readmission (both log-rank p<0.001). In multivariable analyses adjusting for clinicopathological factors, postoperative readmission remained independently associated with worse OS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.654; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.464–1.868; p<0.001) and CSS (HR, 1.761; 95% CI, 1.509–2.055; p<0.001).Conclusion: Postoperative readmission within 90 days after RC was independently associated with inferior long-term oncologic outcomes. These findings suggest the importance of strategies aimed at preventing postoperative complications and subsequent readmission.

Choi J, et al. Investig Clin Urol. 2026 ;67:e25. https://doi.org/10.4111/icu.20250573

Heo JE, et al. Investig Clin Urol. 2026 ;67:e24. https://doi.org/10.4111/icu.20250455

Primary localized amyloidosis confined to the urinary tract is uncommon and frequently misinterpreted due to clinical and radiologic overlap with more prevalent conditions. We describe a 69-year-old woman who experienced recurrent gross hematuria over 2 years and underwent initial transurethral resection based on a presumptive diagnosis of chronic cystitis. Subsequent evaluation revealed a left ureteral mass with hydronephrosis, raising concern for malignancy. Histopathologic examination of both bladder and ureteral specimens demonstrated amorphous eosinophilic deposits that stained positive with Congo red and showed apple-green birefringence under polarized microscopy. Immunofluorescence confirmed λ-light-chain predominance, establishing AL (amyloid light chain)-type amyloidosis without systemic involvement. The patient underwent complete endoscopic resection and remains asymptomatic during ongoing surveillance. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges posed by localized urinary amyloidosis and underscores the importance of histologic confirmation in atypical inflammatory lesions.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of a trifecta, defined as negative soft tissue surgical margin (STSM), removal of ≥16 lymph nodes, and absence of major complications (Clavien-Dindo classification grade >III) within 90 days, after radical cystectomy (RC), using a large multicenter cohort.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 3,972 patients with bladder cancer who underwent RC at 11 tertiary centers in South Korea between 2003 and 2024. Survival outcomes, including overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS), were compared according to trifecta status using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. Propensity score matching was performed to adjust for baseline differences.Results: A total of 2,014 eligible patients were included in the final analysis, and the trifecta was achieved in 47.8%. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated significantly improved 5- and 10-year OS (66.7% vs. 62.0%; 62.9% vs. 57.2%; p=0.002), CSS (79.3% vs. 75.4%; 77.8% vs. 73.8%; p=0.008), and RFS (62.7% vs. 57.6%; 60.8% vs. 55.2%; p=0.001) in the trifecta group. In multivariable analysis, trifecta achievement was significantly associated with better OS (HR, 0.813; p=0.008), CSS (HR, 0.787; p=0.017), and RFS (HR, 0.844; p=0.036). Among individual components, negative STSM showed the strongest prognostic effect across all endpoints.Conclusions: In this large multicenter study, patients who achieved the RC trifecta exhibited significantly superior survival outcomes compared with those who did not. The trifecta may serve as a practical and standardized metric for assessing surgical quality and performance in RC. Future prospective studies are warranted to validate its prognostic and quality-assurance utility.

Purpose: The extent of seminal vesicle invasion (SVI) in prostate cancer can be classified into muscle layer invasion (SVI-muscle) and mucosal layer invasion (SVI-mucosa). This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of the extent of SVI after radical prostatectomy.Materials and Methods: SVI-mucosa data were prospectively collected since 2014. Among 1,659 radical prostatectomy specimens from 2014 to 2023, 259 cases (15.6%) with extraprostatic SVI were enrolled. A total of 252 cases with available follow-up data were included in the final analysis.Results: SVI-mucosa was identified in 63 cases (25.0%), and SVI-muscle was identified in all 252 cases. Extracapsular extension was present in nearly all SVI cases (99.6%). The mean tumor volume percentage in final specimens was significantly higher in patients with SVI-mucosa (50%) compared to those without it (35%) (p<0.001). A high Gleason score (≥8) was more common in men with SVI-mucosa (p=0.021). Only 10 (5.3%) and 4 patients (6.3%) with and without SVI-mucosa, respectively, received adjuvant therapy (p=0.544). Biochemical recurrence-free survival did not significantly differ between men with SVI-mucosa and those with SVI-muscle alone (log-rank test, p=0.309). The 5-year metastasis-free survival and prostate cancerspecific survival rates were 86.0% vs. 91.6% (p=0.654) and 99.5% vs. 100% (p=0.865) in patients with and without SVI-mucosa, respectively.Conclusion: The prognosis of patients with SVI is not uniformly poor. SVI-mucosa was associated with more aggressive pathological features. In most cases, SVI-muscle appears to develop first following extracapsular extension, with subsequent progression to SVI-mucosa. However, the presence of SVI-mucosa, an advanced status of SVI, did not significantly impact biochemical recurrence and metastasis-free survival rates.

Purpose: To evaluate whether extended pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) improves survival outcomes compared with standard PLND in patients with bladder cancer (BCa) undergoing radical cystectomy (RC), and to assess its potential benefits in patients with prior or concurrent radical nephroureterectomy (p/cRNU).Materials and Methods: A multicenter analysis included 2202 patients with BCa undergoing RC with standard or extended PLND at 11 tertiary centers from 2003 to 2023. Following propensity score matching, 659 pairs (n=1,318), including 128 patients with p/cRNU, were analyzed. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) was the primary outcome, while overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and readmission rates were secondary outcomes. Survival analyses performed using Kaplan-Meier methods and clustered Cox models.Results: Extended PLND yielded significantly more lymph nodes than standard PLND (median: 27.0 vs. 17.0, p0.05). Extended PLND increased readmission rates (28.4% vs. 20.2%, p=0.001) and readmission risk (odds ratio, 1.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15–2.16, p=0.005). However, subgroup analysis revealed extended PLND significantly improved RFS in patients with p/cRNU (hazard ratio, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.38–0.77; p<0.001).Conclusion: Extended PLND does not provide survival benefits for overall patient population and increases readmission risk but significantly improves RFS in patients with p/cRNU. Tailoring PLND extent based on upper tract disease status is recommended.

Purpose: Although bladder cancer occurs three to 4 times more frequently in men than in women, the relative number of deaths compared to incidence is higher in women, suggesting that women have a worse prognosis than men. Emerging evidence indicates that the activity of the sex steroid hormone pathway may play a role in bladder cancer development, with demonstrations that both androgens and estrogens have biological effects on bladder cancer in vitro and in vivo. This study investigates the influence of sex and menopausal status on recurrence and cancer-specific death (CSD) in bladder cancer patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC).Materials and Methods: This retrospective analysis included 3,913 patients from the Korean Bladder Cancer Study Group Database who underwent RC between 2010 and 2019. Patients were categorized based on gender and menopausal status (≤50 years: premenopausal; >50 years: postmenopausal). Pathological factors, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, recurrence, and CSD rates were analyzed using chi-square and Fisher exact tests.Results: Among the 3,913 patients, 400 (10.2%) were female. Premenopausal females exhibited significantly lower recurrence rates (28.6%) compared to postmenopausal females (45.7%). CSD rates were similarly reduced in premenopausal females (12.0% vs. 22.2% in postmenopausal females). No significant sex differences in recurrence or CSD were observed among premenopausal patients. Pathological T stage, nodal status, and lymphovascular invasion were significantly associated with recurrence in males, while nodal status alone was significant in females. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was significantly more frequently administered to male patients under the age of 50, while no difference was observed in the administration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy among female patients based on menopausal status.Conclusion: Hormonal changes associated with menopause significantly influence bladder cancer outcomes in women. Premenopausal hormonal environments seem protective, underscoring the need for further research into hormone-driven mechanisms in bladder cancer.