Study Type – Therapy (case series)
Level of Evidence 4 OBJECTIVE To report our analysis of the oncological outcome, side‐effects and complications after 125I‐brachytherapy, based on 10 years of experience, as low dose‐rate (LDR) prostate brachytherapy is an accepted, effective and safe therapy for localized prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between April 1999 and December 2006, 734 consecutive patients were treated with clinically localized prostate cancer with a follow‐up of ≥30 months. No patients received external beam radiotherapy and 43% received hormonal therapy before brachytherapy; this therapy was given for 3–4 months. All patients had LDR prostate brachytherapy administered by one radiation oncologist. Biochemical failure was defined according to the ‘Phoenix consensus’. RESULTS The median follow‐up for the 734 patients was 55 months; 26 had a clinical relapse and 11 died from prostate cancer; 20 patients died from other illnesses. The 10‐year actuarial biochemical control was 92%, 84% and 65%, respectively (P < 0.001) for the low‐, intermediate‐ and high‐risk groups. Multivariate Cox regression analyses identified Gleason score and prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level as independent prognostic factors for biochemical failure. The actuarial biochemical control with Gleason score was 88%, 76% and 67% for patients with a Gleason score of ≤6, 7 and >7, respectively (P < 0.001). The biochemical control was 90%, 80% and 42% for patients with a PSA level of ≤10, 10.1–20 and >20 ng/mL, respectively (P < 0.001). No patients reported incontinence after treatment. There was acute urinary retention in 22 (2.9%) patients. Logistic regression showed that the most significant factors correlating with the probability of catheterization were the pretreatment prostate volume and hormonal therapy. CONCLUSIONS The excellent long‐term results and low morbidity, and the many advantages of prostate brachytherapy over other treatments, show that brachytherapy is an effective treatment for clinically organ‐confined prostate cancer.

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Objective: The aim is to assess the effectiveness of a biodegradable antireflux ureteral stent with heparin coating in a comparative study (BraidStent Ò -H) in an animal model for the treatment of iatrogenic ureteral perforation. Materials and Methods: A total of 24 female pigs underwent initial endoscopic, nephrosonographic, and contrast fluoroscopy assessment of the urinary tract. Afterward, unilateral iatrogenic perforation in proximal ureter model was performed. Then the animals were randomly assigned to Group-I, in which a double-pigtail stent was placed for 6 weeks, or Group-II, in which a BraidStent-H a biodegradable heparin-coated stent was placed. Follow-up assessments were performed at 1 and 6 weeks and 5 months. Results: In terms of therapeutic effectiveness, complete resolution was observed in 95.8% of Group-I animals and 87.5% in Group-II. No animals in Group-II showed vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) during the study; statistical significance was observed at 1 and 6 weeks versus Group-I. All stents in Group-II degraded without producing obstructive fragments and allowed distal ureteral peristalsis. Heparin coating was not efficient to reduce asymptomatic bacteriuria between groups. Pathologic assessment did not show any significance in the global score, but did in the ''fibrosis in muscular layer'' parameter, at the ureteral perforation healing area; Group-II showed higher healing quality. Conclusions: The biodegradable intraureteral BraidStent Ò -H is highly effective for the minimally invasive treatment of ureteral perforation, since it displays controlled and predictable degradation, avoiding the development of VUR as well as irritation of the bladder trigone. Unfortunately, heparin coating was not effective in avoiding stent-associated bacteriuria.

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