Diagnosis of prostate cancer via PCA3 biomarker detection is promising to be much more efficient than with the prostatic specific antigens currently used. In this study, we present the first electrochemical and impedance-based biosensors that are capable of detecting PCA3 down to 0.128 nmol/L. The biosensors were made with a layer of PCA3-complementary single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) probe, immobilized on a layer-by-layer (LbL) film of chitosan (CHT) and carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). They are highly selective to PCA3, which was confirmed in impedance measurements and with polarizationmodulated infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS). Using information visualization methods, we could also distinguish between cell lines expressing the endogenous PCA3 long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) from cells that did not contain detectable levels of this biomarker. Since the methods involved in fabrication the biosensors are potentially low cost, one may hope to deploy PCA3 tests in any laboratory of clinical analyses and even for point-of-care diagnostics.

Background and Purpose:Recent advances in cancer treatment have resulted in bet- ter prognosis with impact on patient's survival, allowing an increase in incidence of a second primary neoplasm. The development of minimally invasive surgery has provided similar outcomes in comparison to open surgery with potentially less mor- bidity. Consequently, this technique has been used as a safe option to simultaneously treat synchronous abdominal malignancies during a single operating room visit. The objective of this study is to describe the experience of two tertiary cancer hospitals in Brazil, in the minimally invasive treatment of synchronous abdominal neoplasms and to evaluate its feasibility and peri-operative results.Materials and Methods:We retrospectively reviewed the data from patients who were submitted to combined laparoscopic procedures performed in two tertiary hospitals in Brazil from May 2009 to February 2015.Results:A total of 12 patients (9 males and 3 females) with a mean age of 58.83 years (range: 33 to 76 years) underwent combined laparoscopic surgeries for the treatment of at least one urological disease. The total average duration of surgery was 339.8 minutes (range: 210 to 480 min). The average amount of intraoperative bleeding was 276.6mL (range: 70 to 550mL) and length of hospitalization was 5.08 days (range: 3 to 10 days). Two patients suffered minor complications regarding Clavien system during the immediate postoperative period.Conclusions:Combined laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of synchronous tumors is feasible, viable and safe. In our study, there was a low risk of postoperative morbidity.

The contribution of Mycobacterium bovis to the global burden of tuberculosis (TB) in man is likely to be underestimated due to its dysgonic growth characteristics and because of the absence of pyruvate in most used media is disadvantageous for its primary isolation. In Brazil Mycobacterium culture, identification and susceptibility tests are performed only in TB reference centers, usually for selected cases. Moreover, solid, egg-based, glycerol-containing (without pyruvate supplementation) Löwenstein-Jensen (L-J) or Ogawa media are routinely used, unfavouring M. bovis isolation. To determine the importance of M. bovis as a public health threat in Brazil we investigated 3046 suspected TB patients inoculating their clinical samples onto routine L-J and L-J pyruvate enriched media. A total of 1796 specimens were culture positive for Mycobacterium spp. and 702 TB cases were confirmed. Surprisingly we did not detect one single case of M. bovis in the resulting collection of 1674 isolates recovered from M. bovis favourable medium analyzed by conventional and molecular speciation methods. Also, bacillary DNA present on 454 sputum smears from 223 TB patients were OxyR genotyped and none was recognized as M. bovis. Our data indicate that M. bovis importance on the burden of human TB in Brazil is marginal.

Prostate cancer is the most common invasive cancer in men. Radical prostatectomy (RP) is a definitive treatment option, but biochemical recurrence can reach 40%. Salvage lymphadenectomy is a relatively recent approach to oligometasis and has been rapidly diffused primarily due to improvement in imaging diagnosis and results showing possibly promising therapy. A systematic literature review was performed in March 2020, according to the PRISMA statement. We excluded studies with patients with suspicion or confirmation of visceral and / or bone metastases. A total of 27 articles were included in the study. All studies evaluated were single arm, and there were no randomized studies in the literature. A total of 1,714 patients received salvage lymphadenectomy after previous treatment for localized prostate cancer. RP was the most used initial therapeutic approach, and relapses were based on PET / CT diagnosis, with Coline-11C being the most widely used radiopharmaceutical. Biochemical response rates ranged from 0% to 80%. The 5 years -Free Survival Biochemical recurrence was analyzed in 16 studies with rates of 0% up to 56.1%. The articles do not present high levels of evidence to draw strong conclusions. However, even if significant rates of biochemical recurrence are not evident in all studies, therapy directed to lymph node metastases may present good oncological results and postpone the onset of systemic therapy. The long-term impact in overall survival and quality of life, as well as the best strategies for case selection remains to be determined.

Laparoscopic postchemotherapy RPLND is a feasible, safe, and highly oncologically efficient procedure, which has the benefits of minimally invasive surgery.