Recovery of Spermatogenesis Following Cancer Treatment with Cytotoxic Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy

Keisuke Okada,Masato Fujisawa 대한남성과학회 2019 The World Journal of Men's Health Vol.37 No.2

The survival rates of boys and men with cancer have increased due to advances in cancer treatments; however, maintenance of quality of life, including fertility preservation, remains a major issue. Fertile male patients who receive radiation and/or chemotherapy face temporary, long-term, or permanent gonadal damage, particularly with exposure to alkylating agents and whole-body irradiation, which sometimes induce critical germ cell damage. These cytotoxic treatments have a significant impact on a patient’s ability to have their own biological offspring, which is of particular concern to cancer patients of repro-ductive age. Therefore, various strategies are needed in order to preserve male fertility. Sperm cryopreservation is an effective method for preserving spermatozoa. Advances have also been achieved in pre-pubertal germ cell storage and research to generate differentiated male germ cells from various types of stem cells, including embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and spermatogonial stem cells. These approaches offer hope to many patients in whom germ cell loss is associ-ated with sterility, but are still experimental and preliminary. This review examines the current understanding of the effects of chemotherapy and radiation on male fertility.

Racial Differences in Prostate Cancer Characteristics and Cancer-Specific Mortality: An Overview

Hinata Nobuyuki,Fujisawa Masato 대한남성과학회 2022 The World Journal of Men's Health Vol.40 No.2

Racial differences of prostate cancer incidence and mortality among Asian, Black, and Caucasian men have been known, however, comprehensive update of this topic is not yet reported. In the present review, an overview of the racial differences in prostate cancer characteristics and cancer-specific mortality is collected and reviewed. Regarding racial differences of in-cidence and mortality, surprising differences in the incidence of prostate cancer are seen among different populations around the world, with some countries having rates that are 60 to 100 times higher than others. African-American men have a higher incidence of prostate cancer, higher prostate cancer mortality, and are diagnosed with prostate cancer at a younger age than Caucasian American men. Furthermore, race is gaining attention as an important factor to consider for planning active sur-veillance for localized prostate cancer, especially among African-Americans. In addition, the causes of these differences are being elucidated by genomic profiling. Determinants of racial disparities are multifactorial, including socioeconomic and biologic factors. Although race-specific differences in prostate cancer survival estimates appear to be narrowing over time, there is an ongoing need to continue to understand and mitigate racial factors associated with disparities in health care out-comes.

Current status of robotic partial nephrectomy in Japan

Nobuyuki Hinata,Masato Fujisawa 대한비뇨의학회 2016 Investigative and Clinical Urology Vol.57 No.-

The safety and efficacy of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) has been reported in Western countries. However, there are no similar reported studies of RAPN in Japan. Although common medical services are covered by public health insurance in Japan, RAPN had not been approved as a listed treatment for public insurance. We conducted a prospective clinical trial to confirm the efficacy and safety of RAPN in Japan. The aim of the present review article is to describe current status of RAPN in Japan and to introduce a part of clinical results obtained from the clinical trial. Based on the favorable results obtained in this clinical trial, RAPN was approved in April 2016 by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to be covered by public health insurance. This change allows access to RAPN to everyone in Japan, regardless of wealth. The RAPN techniques used in Japan are also reviewed.

Clinical Outcomes of Varicocele Repair in Infertile Men: A Review

Koji Chiba,Masato Fujisawa 대한남성과학회 2016 The World Journal of Men's Health Vol.34 No.2

Varicoceles are a major cause of impaired spermatogenesis and the most common correctable cause of male infertility. They are found in approximately 40% of men with primary infertility and 80% of men with secondary infertility, although they also occur in 12% of men with normal semen parameters. The presence of a varicocele does not always affect spermatogenesis, as it has been reported that only 20% of men with documented varicoceles suffer fertility problems. However, varicocele repair appears to have beneficial effects in men with impaired semen parameters and palpable varicoceles. Currently, the main procedures employed for varicocele repair are microsurgical subinguinal or inguinal varicocelectomy, laparoscopic varicocelectomy, and radiological percutaneous embolization. Microsurgical varicocelectomy appears to be the optimal treatment in most cases, whereas the other procedures are useful only in specific cases. After treatment, it typically takes 3 to 6 months for patients’ semen parameters to improve; thus, other therapies, including assisted reproductive technology, should be considered if infertility persists after this interval, especially in older couples. Controversies still remain regarding how varicoceles in certain subgroups, such as adolescents or men with azoospermia, should be treated. Due to their relatively high prevalence rate among the general population, varicoceles can occur concomitantly with other conditions that cause impaired spermatogenesis. Further studies are necessary in order to identify the patients who are most likely to benefit from treatment. In this review, we sought to summarize the issues currently associated with varicocele treatment in infertile men.

Retrograde intrarenal surgery: Past, present, and future

Takaaki Inoue,Shinsuke Okada,Shuzo Hamamoto,Masato Fujisawa 대한비뇨의학회 2021 Investigative and Clinical Urology Vol.62 No.2

With the recent technological advancements in endourology, retrograde intrarenal surgery has become a more popular procedure for treatment of urolithiasis. Furthermore, since the introduction of new laser systems and advanced flexible ureteroscopy with miniaturized ureteroscopes, the treatment indications for retrograde intrarenal surgery have expanded to include not only larger renal stones of >2 cm but also upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma, ureteral stricture, and idiopathic renal hematuria. Clinicians must keep up with these trends and make good use of these technologies in the rapidly changing field of endourology. Simultaneously, we must consider the risk of various complications including thermal injury due to laser use, ureteral injury caused by the ureteral access sheath, and radiation exposure during retrograde intrarenal surgery with fluoroscopic guidance. This review focuses on the past, present, and future of retrograde intrarenal surgery and provides many topics and clinical options for urologists to consider.

What are the differences between older and younger patients with epididymitis?

Fukashi Yamamichi,Katsumi Shigemura,Soichi Arakawa,Masato Fujisawa 대한비뇨의학회 2017 Investigative and Clinical Urology Vol.58 No.3

Purpose: According to the aging of society and the spread of antibiotic-resistant strains, it is worth considering the different aspects of epididymitis (EP) in older and younger patients, even though the etiology and therapeutic strategies of this disease are considered to be established. Thus, we investigated how age affects EP-related symptoms. Materials and Methods: Data were gathered from 7 hospitals in Hyogo, Japan, and the correlations of age (older or younger) with urine findings such as pyuria or bacteriuria and EP-related symptoms such as fever were investigated. Results: In all 308 cases with full data for evaluation, there were 66 febrile (38℃ or higher) cases (21.4%) and bacteriuria was seen in 158 cases (51.3%). In the multivariate analysis, older age (65 years or older) was significantly correlated with the presence of pyuria (p=0.0156). Regarding the relationship between urine findings and EP-related symptoms, pyuria was significantly related to fever (37℃ or higher; p=0.0159). Conclusions: Our data showed that older patients with EP had pyuria significantly more often than did younger patients, which correlated with EP-related symptoms (fever). These data suggest that age-specific guidelines may be necessary.

Nerves and fasciae in and around the paracolpium or paravaginal tissue: an immunohistochemical study using elderly donated cadavers

Nobuyuki Hinata,Keisuke Hieda,Hiromasa Sasaki,Tetsuji Kurokawa,Hideaki Miyake,Masato Fujisawa,Gen Murakami,Mineko Fujimiya 대한해부학회 2014 Anatomy & Cell Biology Vol.47 No.1

The paracolpium or paravaginal tissue is surrounded by the vaginal wall, the pubocervical fascia and the rectovaginal septum (Denonvilliers' fascia). To clarify the configuration of nerves and fasciae in and around the paracolpium, we examined histological sections of 10 elderly cadavers. The paracolpium contained the distal part of the pelvic autonomic nerve plexus and its branches: the cavernous nerve, the nerves to the urethra and the nerves to the internal anal sphincter (NIAS). The NIAS ran postero-inferiorly along the superior fascia of the levator ani muscle to reach the longitudinal muscle layer of the rectum. In two nulliparous and one multiparous women, the pubocervical fascia and the rectovaginal septum were distinct and connected with the superior fascia of the levator at the tendinous arch of the pelvic fasciae. In these three cadavers, the pelvic plexus and its distal branches were distributed almost evenly in the paracolpium and sandwiched by the pubocervical and Denonvilliers' fasciae. By contrast, in five multiparous women, these nerves were divided into the anterosuperior group (bladder detrusor nerves) and the postero-inferior group (NIAS, cavernous and urethral nerves) by the well-developed venous plexus in combination with the fragmented or unclear fasciae. Although the small number of specimens was a major limitation of this study, we hypothesized that, in combination with destruction of the basic fascial architecture due to vaginal delivery and aging, the pelvic plexus is likely to change from a sheet-like configuration to several bundles.

Postoperative Infectious Complications in Our Early Experience With Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Katsumi Shigemura,Kazushi Tanaka,Takahiro Haraguchi,Fukashi Yamamichi,Mototsugu Muramaki,Hideaki Miyake,Masato Fujisawa 대한비뇨의학회 2013 Investigative and Clinical Urology Vol.54 No.3

Purpose: The objective of this study was to retrospectively investigate postoperative infectious complications (PICs) in our early experience with holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) followed by mechanical morcellation for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review was performed of the clinical data for 90 consecutive patients who underwent HoLEP at our institution between February 2008 and March 2011. All patients were evaluated for the emergence of PICs, including prophylactic antibiotic administration (PAA) and the influence of the kind or duration of PAA on PIC. The details of cases with PICs were also examined. Results: The patients’ mean age was 71 years (range, 50 to 95 years), and their mean prostate volume was 60 mL (range, 2 to 250 mL). There were 7 cases (7.78%) with PICs;in detail, 3 patients were diagnosed with prostatitis, 2 with pyelonephritis, and 2 with epididymitis. Three patients had positive urine cultures: 1 had Serratia marcescens/Proteus mirabilis, 1 had S. marcescens, and 1 had Klebsiella pneumonia; only one case had urological sepsis. Our statistical data showed no significant differences between 2 or fewer days and 3 or more days of PAA and PIC occurrence. There was also no significant effect on PIC occurrence of sulbactam/ampicillin compared with other antibiotics. Conclusions: The results of this retrospective study showed that PIC occurrence did not depend on the duration or the kind of PAA. Further prospective study is necessary for the evaluation and establishment of prophylactic measures for PICs.

Efficacy of Using Three-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging Diagnosis of Capsule Invasion for Decision-Making About Neurovascular Bundle Preservation in Robotic-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy

Kazushi Tanaka,Katsumi Shigemura,Mototsugu Muramaki,Satoru Takahashi,Hideaki Miyake,Masato Fujisawa 대한비뇨의학회 2013 Investigative and Clinical Urology Vol.54 No.7

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of using 3-tesla (T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnosis of extracapsular extension (ECE) for decision-making about neurovascular bundle (NVB) preservation in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) for prostate cancer (PC). Materials and Methods: We prospectively collected data on PC patients (n=67) who underwent preoperative 3-T MRI before RARP. The choice between nerve sparing or resection was based on 3-T MRI findings of ECE. We compared the MRI findings with the pathological data on surgical margins. Our clinical staging in this study was defined only by MRI. Results: When the data were divided by prostate lobe (right lobe or left lobe, n=134),3-T MRI showed 28 positive cases of ECE in 134 prostate lobes, allowing NVB preservation in 42 cases (31.3%). Nerve-sparing surgery was achieved in 38.7% of cases in which clinical T2 staging by MRI was reported. The pathological data revealed that 10 of 134 prostate lobes had positive ECE. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for predicting stage T3 (positive ECE) by side were 60.0% (12 of 20 sides), 86.0% (98 of 114 sides), 42.9% (12 of 28 sides), and 92.5% (98 of 106 sides), respectively. Conclusions: Three-T MRI prior to RARP enables the use of ECE diagnosis to guide decision-making about NVB preservation, with comparatively high specificity and negative predictive value. Further prospective studies are underway to reach more definitive conclusions.

Significance of Neoadjuvant Hormonal Therapy in Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy: A Retrospective Single-Surgeon Study

Fukashi Yamamichi,Katsumi Shigemura,Shinichi Morishita,Kunito Yamanaka,Kazushi Tanaka,Hideaki Miyake,Masato Fujisawa 연세대학교의과대학 2013 Yonsei medical journal Vol.54 No.2

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether neo-adjuvant hormonal therapy (NHT) prior to radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) for prostate cancer (PCa) is beneficial in terms of surgical outcomes and for preventing or delaying biochemical recurrence via single-surgeon case series study. Materials and Methods: Fifty-three men underwent RRP by a single surgeon. The patients were divided into two groups according to whether or not NHT was performed prior to RRP. The study was analyzed retrospectively. We evaluated clinical parameters,surgical parameters, and biochemical recurrence rate. Group 1 (n=34) was treated with RRP only, while Group 2 (n=19) underwent RRP along with NHT. Results: There were no significant differences in clinical, operation-related and pathological factors between the two groups (p>0.05). There was also no significant difference in biochemical recurrence rate between the two groups at the last follow-up, although Group 2 tended to have a lower PCa recurrence rate than Group 1 and the initial prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was significantly higher in Group 2 than Group 1 (p=0.0496). Conclusion: The present single-surgeon case series study revealed a trend toward a lower rate of PCa recurrence in NHT+RRP treated patients compared to those treated with RRP alone, but this did not reach statistical significance, despite the fact that NHT+RRP patients exhibited higher serum PSA levels preoperatively. Prospective studies with a longer duration of observation and a greater number of patients would be helpful in evaluating NHT more definitively.