Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a nonmalignant pathological enlargement of the prostate, which occurs primarily in the transitional zone. BPH is highly prevalent and is a major cause of lower urinary tract symptoms in aging males, although there is no direct relationship between prostate volume and symptom severity. The progression of BPH can be quantified by measuring the volumes of the whole prostate and its zones, based on image segmentation on magnetic resonance imaging. Prostate volume determination via segmentation is a useful measure for patients undergoing therapy for BPH. However, prostate segmentation is not widely used due to the excessive time required for even experts to manually map the margins of the prostate. Here, we review and compare new methods of prostate volume segmentation using both manual and automated methods, including the ellipsoid formula, manual planimetry, and semiautomated and fully automated segmentation approaches. We highlight the utility of prostate segmentation in the clinical context of assessing BPH. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) can result in lower urinary tract symptoms, and is one of the most common diseases affecting aging men. BPH can compromise quality of life and is a major healthcare cost. Despite the high prevalence of BPH, few methods of accurately assessing prostate volume are actually used in clinical practice. While patient assessment of urinary symptoms dictates the need for treatment, it is highly subjective, whereas prostate volume change is a more objective measure of treatment response. The most common clinical model for approximating the prostate gland size is the ellipsoid model from transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) imaging, which has been shown to underestimate prostate volume for prostates larger than 50 mL and to overestimate prostate volume for glands smaller than 30 mL (1). Despite its limitations, the TRUS method of prostate volume assessment is preferred in current clinical practice due to its availability and cost and time efficiency (2). More accurate prostate volume measurement with magnetic resonance (MR) planimetry is time-intensive and, thus, rarely performed.Prostate segmentation is an accurate technique for prostate volume determination that can be used in coregistration with various imaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with positron emission tomography and MRI with ultrasonography. Segmentation can be used for both diagnostic and interventional procedures, including guided biopsies and focal ablation. Newly developed methods of automated prostate segmentation allow for efficient prostate volume determination, thereby enhancing decision support systems and computer-aided diagnosis tools.This article reviews the major methods of prostate volume determination currently in use, including the ellipsoid formula, manual planimetry, and semiautomated and fully automated segmentation. A clinical overview of BPH is also provided to highlight the utility of prostate segmentation in the clinical management...

PURPOSE Neoadjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) followed by radical cystectomy (RC) is standard for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). On the basis of the activity of atezolizumab (A) in metastatic BC, we tested neoadjuvant GC plus A for MIBC. METHODS Eligible patients with MIBC (cT2-T4aN0M0) received a dose of A, followed 2 weeks later by GC plus A every 21 days for four cycles followed 3 weeks later by a dose of A before RC. The primary end point was non–muscle-invasive downstaging to < pT2N0. RESULTS Of 44 enrolled patients, 39 were evaluable. The primary end point was met, with 27 of 39 patients (69%) < pT2N0, including 16 (41%) pT0N0. No patient with < pT2N0 relapsed and four (11%) with ≥ pT2N0 relapsed with a median follow-up of 16.5 months (range: 7.0-33.7 months). One patient refused RC and two developed metastatic disease before RC; all were considered nonresponders. The most common grade 3-4 adverse event (AE) was neutropenia (n = 16; 36%). Grade 3 immune-related AEs occurred in five (11%) patients with two (5%) requiring systemic steroids. The median time from last dose of chemotherapy to surgery was 7.8 weeks (range: 5.1-17 weeks), and no patient failed to undergo RC because of AEs. Four of 39 (10%) patients had programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)–positive tumors and were all < pT2N0. Of the patients with PD-L1 low or negative tumors, 23 of 34 (68%) achieved < pT2N0 and 11 of 34 (32%) were ≥ pT2N0 ( P = .3 for association between PD-L1 and < pT2N0). CONCLUSION Neoadjuvant GC plus A is a promising regimen for MIBC and warrants further study. Patients with < pT2N0 experienced improved relapse-free survival. The PD-L1 positivity rate was low compared with published data, which limits conclusions regarding PD-L1 as a predictive biomarker.

Primary malignant melanoma of the urinary bladder is a rare neoplasm, with only 19 cases reported to date. We present a case report of an 84-year-old woman who underwent transurethral resection of a mucosal melanoma of bladder origin. She had no previous or concurrent diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma. The patient underwent transurethral resection of the tumor 5 months before presentation at our center with a recurrent, muscle-invasive tumor located in the bladder trigone, with evidence of bone metastasis. Malignant melanoma of the urinary bladder carries a poor prognosis and poses a therapeutic challenge to urologists who manage patients with this rare disease.

Testicular cancer is a rare malignancy mainly affecting young men. Survival for testicular cancer remains high due to the effectiveness of multimodal treatment options. Accurate imaging is imperative to both treatment and follow-up. Both computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suffer from size cut-offs as the only distinguishing characteristic of benign vs. malignant lymph nodes and may miss up to 30% of micro-metastatic disease. While functional [positron emission tomography (PET)] imaging may rule out disease in patients with seminoma who have undergone chemotherapy, there is insufficient evidence to recommend its use in other settings. This review highlights the uses and pitfalls of conventional imaging during staging, active surveillance, and post-treatment phases of both seminomatous and non-seminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT).

Vol. 17, No. 4, 2014, 288-295 Cushing's disease (CD) is a rare condition with a prevalence of roughly 39 cases per million in the general population. Healthcare costs are substantial for CD patients with either untreated or inadequately controlled disease. This study assesses the 3-year budget impact of pasireotide on a US managed care health plan following pasireotide (Signifor*) availability. Methods:Two scenarios were evaluated to understand the differences in costs associated with the introduction of pasireotide. The first scenario evaluates the budget impact of pasireotide from the perspective of an entire health plan (total budget impact) and the second from the perspective of the pharmacy budget (pharmacy budget impact). Both scenarios evaluate the annual incremental budget impact with and without pasireotide. Scenario 1 includes costs for medical procedures, drug therapies, monitoring, surgical complications, comorbidities for patients with controlled or uncontrolled CD, and adverse events. Procedures include transsphenoidal surgery, bilateral adrenalectomy, radiotherapy and radiosurgery. Drugs include pasireotide (indicated for CD), mifepristone (indicated to control hyperglycemia secondary to hypercortisolism in patients with Cushing's syndrome) as well as several off-label treatments (ketoconazole, cabergoline, mitotane). Scenario 2 considers costs solely from the perspective of a health plan pharmacy. Costs are in $2013. Results:The estimated total budget impact is $0.0115 per-member per-month (PMPM) in the first year following FDA approval, $0.0184 in the second year, and $0.0194 in the third year. Introduction of pasireotide is expected to increase the pharmacy budget by $0.0257 PMPM in the first year, $0.0363 in the second year, and $0.0360 in the third year. Limitations:Model inputs rely on the small body of literature available for Cushing's disease. Conclusions:Cushing's disease is severe disease with debilitating comorbidities and substantial healthcare costs when untreated or inadequately controlled. The inclusion of pasireotide in a health plan formulary appears to have only a small impact on the total health plan or pharmacy budget.