RRP and BT are two different options for the treatment of low-risk CaP, which produce different short-term sequelae in terms of urinary disorders and erective functions, but similar biochemical disease-free survival. Further studies with a higher number of patients and a longer follow-up are needed to evaluate their comparative effectiveness on overall disease-specific survival and metastatic disease.

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OBJECTIVE:\ud Low-dose-rate brachytherapy (LDR-BT) in localized prostate cancer is available since 15 years in Italy. We realized the first national multicentre and multidisciplinary data collection to evaluate LDR-BT practice, given as monotherapy, and outcome in terms of biochemical failure.\ud METHODS:\ud Between May 1998 and December 2011, 2237 patients with early-stage prostate cancer from 11 Italian community and academic hospitals were treated with iodine-125 ((125)I) or palladium-103 LDR-BT as monotherapy and followed up for at least 2 years. (125)I seeds were implanted in 97.7% of the patients: the mean dose received by 90% of target volume was 145 Gy; the mean target volume receiving 100% of prescribed dose (V100) was 91.1%. Biochemical failure-free survival (BFFS), disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank test and multivariable Cox regression were used to evaluate the relationship of covariates with outcomes.\ud RESULTS:\ud Median follow-up time was 65 months. 5- and 7-year DSS, OS and BFFS were 99 and 98%, 94 and 89%, and 92 and 88%, respectively. At multivariate analysis, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network score (p < 0.0001) and V100 (p = 0.09) were correlated with BFFS, with V100 effect significantly different between patients at low risk and those at intermediate/high risk (p = 0.04). Short follow-up and lack of toxicity data represent the main limitations for a global evaluation of LDR-BT.\ud CONCLUSION:\ud This first multicentre Italian report confirms LDR-BT as an excellent curative modality for low-/intermediate-risk prostate cancer.\ud ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE:\ud Multidisciplinary teams may help to select adequately patients to be treated with brachytherapy, with a direct impact on the implant quality and, possibly, on outcome

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The patient underwent placement of a covered, self-expandable vascular stent with angioplasty balloon, which resulted in complete exclusion of the pseudoaneurysm and fistula and resolution of the patient's hematuria. A pigtail catheter was placed in the right ureter for 5 days and replaced with a double-J ureteral stent on day 6 after exclusion of the pseudoaneurysm; the patient was discharged from hospital on the same day. Color-Doppler ultrasonography of the right iliac vessels performed 2 months later showed patency of the right iliac artery. The patient's ureteral stent has been replaced every 2 months since his discharge without recurrence of hematuria.