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Medicine Aug 2020Shared decision making (SDM) is a process within the physician-patient relationship applicable to any clinical action, whether diagnostic, therapeutic, or preventive in... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Shared decision making (SDM) is a process within the physician-patient relationship applicable to any clinical action, whether diagnostic, therapeutic, or preventive in nature. It has been defined as a process of mutual respect and participation between the doctor and the patient. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of decision aids (DA) in primary care based on changes in adherence to treatments, knowledge, and awareness of the disease, conflict with decisions, and patients' and health professionals' satisfaction with the intervention.
METHODS
A systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines was conducted in Medline, CINAHL, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the NHS Economic Evaluation Database. The inclusion criteria were randomized clinical trials as study design; use of SDM with DA as an intervention; primary care as clinical context; written in English, Spanish, and Portuguese; and published between January 2007 and January 2019. The risk of bias of the included studies in this review was assessed according to the Cochrane Collaboration's tool.
RESULTS
Twenty four studies were selected out of the 201 references initially identified. With the use of DA, the use of antibiotics was reduced in cases of acute respiratory infection and decisional conflict was decreased when dealing with the treatment choice for atrial fibrillation and osteoporosis. The rate of determination of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the prostate cancer screening decreased and colorectal cancer screening increased. Both professionals and patients increased their knowledge about depression, type 2 diabetes, and the perception of risk of acute myocardial infarction at 10 years without statins and with statins. The satisfaction was greater with the use of DA in choosing the treatment for depression, in cardiovascular risk management, in the treatment of low back pain, and in the use of statin therapy in diabetes. Blinding of outcomes assessment was the most common bias.
CONCLUSIONS
DA used in primary care are effective to reduce decisional conflict and improve knowledge on the disease and treatment options, awareness of risk, and satisfaction with the decisions made. More studies are needed to assess the impact of shared decision making in primary care.
Topics: Decision Making, Shared; Decision Support Techniques; Humans; Primary Health Care
PubMed: 32769870
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000021389 -
European Urology Open Science Jul 2022Previous reports have shown an association between vasectomy and prostate cancer (PCa). However, there exist significant discrepancies between studies and systematic... (Review)
Review
CONTEXT
Previous reports have shown an association between vasectomy and prostate cancer (PCa). However, there exist significant discrepancies between studies and systematic reviews due to a lack of strong causal association and residual confounding factors such as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the association between vasectomy and PCa, in both unadjusted and PSA screen-adjusted studies.
EVIDENCE ACQUISITION
We performed a systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses. The PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched in January 2022 for studies that analyzed the association between vasectomy and PCa.
EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS
A total of 37 studies including 16 931 805 patients met our inclusion criteria. A pooled analysis from all studies showed a significant association between vasectomy and any-grade PCa (odds ratio [OR] 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-1.37; < 0.001; I = 96%), localized PCa (OR 1.08; 95% CI, 1.06-1.11; < 0.00001; I = 31%), or advanced PCa (OR 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.13; = 0.006; I = 0%). The association with PCa remained significant when the analyses were restricted to studies with a low risk of bias (OR 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02-1.10; = 0.02; I = 48%) or cohort studies (OR 1.09; 95% CI, 1.04-1.13; < 0.0001; I = 64%). Among studies adjusted for PSA screening, the association with localized PCa (OR 1.06; 95% CI, 1.03-1.09; < 0.001; I = 0%) remained significant. Conversely, vasectomy was no longer associated with localized high-grade ( = 0.19), advanced ( = 0.22), and lethal ( = 0.42) PCa.
CONCLUSIONS
Our meta-analysis found an association between vasectomy and any, mainly localized, PCa. However, the effect estimates of the association were increasingly close to null when examining studies of robust design and high quality. On exploratory analyses including studies, which adjusted for PSA screening, the association for aggressive and/or advanced PCa diminished.
PATIENT SUMMARY
In this study, we found an association between vasectomy and the risk of developing localized prostate cancer without being able to determine whether the procedure leads to a higher prostate cancer incidence.
PubMed: 35633829
DOI: 10.1016/j.euros.2022.04.012 -
European Urology Open Science Aug 2023Identifying malignant tissue and leaving adjacent structures undisturbed constitute an ongoing challenge in prostate cancer (PCa) surgery. Image and radioguided surgical... (Review)
Review
CONTEXT
Identifying malignant tissue and leaving adjacent structures undisturbed constitute an ongoing challenge in prostate cancer (PCa) surgery. Image and radioguided surgical technologies targeting the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) receptor may facilitate identification and removal of diseased tissue.
OBJECTIVE
To perform a systematic review of the clinical studies on PSMA-targeted surgery.
EVIDENCE ACQUISITION
The MEDLINE (OvidSP), Embase.com, and Cochrane Library databases were searched. Identified reports were critically appraised according to the Idea, Development, Exploration, Assessment, Long-term framework criteria. The risk of bias (RoB) was assessed as per the Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies-of Interventions tool. The strengths and limitations of the techniques and corresponding oncological outcomes were extracted as areas of interest. Data were reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines.
EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS
In total, 29 reports were selected, including eight prospective studies, 12 retrospective analyses, and nine case reports, all with a high or an unclear RoB. In 72.4% of studies, PSMA targeting was achieved via radioguided surgery (RGS), predominantly using Tc-PSMA-I&S (66.7%). Hybrid approaches that complement RGS with optical guidance are emerging. The majority of studies retrieved were pilot studies with a short follow-up. In 13 reports, salvage lymph node surgery was discussed (44.8%). In 12 more recent reports (41.4%), PSMA targeting was studied in primary PCa surgery (50.0% lymph nodes and 50.0% surgical margins), and four studied both primary and salvage surgery (13.8%). Overall, specificity was higher than sensitivity (median 98.9% and 84.8%, respectively). Oncological outcomes were discussed only in reports on the use of Tc-PSMA-I&S in salvage surgery (median follow-up of 17.2 mo). A decline in prostate-specific antigen level of >90% ranged from 22.0% to 100.0%, and biochemical recurrence ranged from 50.0% to 61.8% of patients.
CONCLUSIONS
In PSMA-targeted surgery, most studies address salvage PSMA-RGS using Tc-PSMA-I&S. Available evidence suggests that the specificity of intraoperative PSMA targeting is higher than the sensitivity. The studies that included follow-up did not yet objectify a clear oncological benefit. Lacking solid outcome data, PSMA-targeted surgery remains investigational.
PATIENT SUMMARY
In this paper, we review recent advances in prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted surgery, which is used to help identify and remove prostate cancer. We found good evidence to suggest that PSMA targeting helps identify prostate cancer during surgery. The oncological benefits have yet to be investigated further.
PubMed: 37361200
DOI: 10.1016/j.euros.2023.05.014 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Sep 2023The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to analyze the association between periodontal disease and prostate inflammation with a null hypothesis stating... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to analyze the association between periodontal disease and prostate inflammation with a null hypothesis stating that periodontal disease does not increase the incidence of prostate inflammation.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of longitudinal observational cohort and case-control studies that evaluated the odds ratio or hazard ratio and confidence interval was undertaken based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendations (2020). A total of four databases were consulted in the literature search: PubMed-Medline, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science. After eliminating duplicated articles and applying the inclusion criteria, seven articles were selected for the qualitative and quantitative analyses.
RESULTS
Four observational cohort studies and three observational cohort case-control studies were included in the meta-analysis. The four observational cohort studies were combined using the random effects model to estimate a hazard ratio of 1.32 with a confidence interval of 95% between 0.87 and 1.77. The meta-analysis presented high heterogeneity (Q test = 56.1; value < 0.001; I = 94.9%). Moreover, the three observational case-control studies were combined using the random effects model to estimate an odds ratio of 1.62 with a confidence interval of 95% between 1.41 and 1.84. The meta-analysis presented high heterogeneity (Q test = 1.07; value = 0.782; I = 0%).
CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of periodontal disease does not increase the risk of the incidence of prostate inflammation.
PubMed: 37763009
DOI: 10.3390/jcm12186070 -
Cureus Jun 2022Cryotherapy is one of the recognised ablative modalities for both primary and salvage therapy for prostate cancer. It presents an alternative, less invasive treatment... (Review)
Review
Cryotherapy is one of the recognised ablative modalities for both primary and salvage therapy for prostate cancer. It presents an alternative, less invasive treatment for an organ-confined disease, improved preservation of surrounding tissue and a more suitable option for patients who are unfit for radical prostatectomy. Nevertheless, the currently available literature is relatively too scarce to provide definite conclusions regarding the treatment outcomes in cryotherapy. The present study aimed to review current oncological and survival outcomes in cryotherapy for primary and recurrent prostate cancer. Furthermore, this study aimed to establish the complications and functional outcomes of cryotherapy for prostate cancer. A literature search was performed on the PubMed, Cochrane and Google Scholar databases. Current guidelines and recommendations from the European Association of Urology were also reviewed. The search keywords used included 'Cryotherapy, Prostate Cancer', 'Cryoablation, Prostate Cancer' and 'Cryosurgery, Focal Prostate Cancer'. Truncations and Boolean operators were used with the keywords. All relevant studies from after 2015, including abstracts and non-English research assessing oncological and functional outcomes and complications, were included. Twenty-six studies consisting of 11,228 patients were reviewed. Fifteen studies assessed the outcomes of primary cryotherapy, whereas 11 studies reported the outcomes in salvage therapy. The patient's age ranged 55-85 years, and the pre-procedural prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ranged 0.01-49.33 ng/mL. A total of 2031 patients were classified to be at low risk, 2,995 were at moderate risk and 253 were at high risk on the D'Amico prostate cancer risk classification system. Follow-ups ranged from 9.0 to 297.6 months. The disease-specific survival rate was 65.5%-100.0%, overall survival was 61.3%-99.1%, the PSA nadir was 0.01-2.63 ng/mL and the overall biochemical recurrence rate was 15.4%-62.0%. The complications included erectile dysfunction (3.7%-88.0%), urinary retention (2.13%-25.30%) and bladder neck stricture/stenosis (3.0%-16.7%). The functional assessment showed a mixture of improved, unchanged or worsened post-procedural outcomes in primary therapy. This systematic review did not find significant differences in the cancer-specific, overall and biochemical-free survival rate between the primary and salvage cryotherapy cohorts. The most common complications encountered in both cohorts were erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, lower urinary tract/bladder neck stricture and infection. More prospective and double-arm studies are critically needed to provide guidance on the careful selection of patient cohorts for cryotherapy, whether for curative or salvage intent.
PubMed: 35911314
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.26400 -
Ontario Health Technology Assessment... 2015Prostate cancer (PC) is the most commonly diagnosed non-cutaneous cancer in men and their second or third leading cause of cancer death. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA)... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Prostate cancer (PC) is the most commonly diagnosed non-cutaneous cancer in men and their second or third leading cause of cancer death. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing for PC has been in common practice for more than 20 years.
OBJECTIVES
A systematic review of the scientific literature was conducted to determine the effectiveness of PSA-based population screening programs for PC to inform policy decisions in a publicly funded health care system.
DATA SOURCES
A systematic review of bibliographic databases was performed for systematic reviews or randomized controlled trials (RCT) of PSA-based population screening programs for PC.
REVIEW METHODS
A broad search strategy was employed to identify studies reporting on key outcomes of PC mortality and all-cause mortality.
RESULTS
The search identified 5 systematic reviews and 6 RCTs. None of the systematic reviews found a statistically significant reduction in relative risk (RR) of PC mortality or overall mortality with PSA-based screening. PC mortality reductions were found to vary by country, by screening program, and by age of men at study entry. The European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer found a statistically significant reduction in RR in PC mortality at 11-year follow-up (0.79; 95% CI, 0.67-0.92), although the absolute risk reduction was small (1.0/10,000 person-years). However, the primary treatment for PCs differed significantly between countries and between trial arms. The American Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) found a statistically non-significant increase in RR for PC mortality with 13-year follow-up (1.09; 95% CI, 0.87-1.36). The degree of opportunistic screening in the control arm of the PLCO trial, however, was high. None of the RCTs found a reduction in all-cause mortality and all found a statistically significant increase in the detection of mainly low-risk, organ-confined PCs in the screening arm.
CONCLUSIONS
There was no evidence of a PC mortality reduction in the American PLCO trial, which investigated a screening program in a setting where opportunistic screening was already common practice. Given that opportunistic PSA screening practices in Canada are similar, it is unlikely that the introduction of a formal PSA screening program would reduce PC mortality.
Topics: Biomarkers, Tumor; Canada; Early Detection of Cancer; Evidence-Based Medicine; Humans; Male; Mass Screening; Prostate-Specific Antigen; Prostatic Neoplasms; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; United States
PubMed: 26366236
DOI: No ID Found -
Molecular Imaging 2022Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with prostate-specific membrane antigen- (PSMA-) binding tracers has been found incidentally to demonstrate uptake in CNS... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with prostate-specific membrane antigen- (PSMA-) binding tracers has been found incidentally to demonstrate uptake in CNS tumors. Following the encouraging findings of several such case reports, there is a growing interest in the potential application of PSMA-targeted PET imaging for diagnostics, theranostics, and monitoring of CNS tumors. This is a systematic literature review on PSMA-binding tracers in CNS tumors.
METHODS
A PubMed search was conducted, including preclinical and clinical reports. One hundred and twelve records were identified, and after screening, 56 were included in the final report.
RESULTS
Tissue studies demonstrated PSMA expression in tumor vascular endothelial cells, without expression in normal brain tissue, though the extent and intensity of staining varied by anti-PSMA antibody and methodology. Most included studies reported on gliomas, which showed strong PSMA ligand uptake and more favorable tumor to background ratios than other PET tracers. There are also case reports demonstrating PSMA ligand uptake in prostate cancer brain metastases, nonprostate cancer brain metastases, and meningiomas. We also review the properties of the various PSMA-binding radiotracers available. Therapeutic and theranostic applications of PSMA-binding tracers have been studied, including labeled alpha- and beta-ray emitting isotopes, as well as PSMA targeting in directing MRI-guided focused ultrasound.
CONCLUSIONS
There is a potential application for PSMA-targeted PET in neuro-oncology as a combination of diagnostic and therapeutic use, as a theranostic modality for managing CNS tumors. Further research is needed regarding the mechanism(s) of PSMA expression in CNS tumors and its differential performance by tumor type.
Topics: Brain Neoplasms; Endothelial Cells; Humans; Ligands; Male; Neuroimaging; Positron-Emission Tomography; Prostate; Prostatic Neoplasms; Radiopharmaceuticals
PubMed: 35517711
DOI: 10.1155/2022/5358545 -
International Journal of Urology :... Mar 2016It is worth distinguishing between the two strategies of expectant management for prostate cancer. Watchful waiting entails administering non-curative androgen... (Review)
Review
It is worth distinguishing between the two strategies of expectant management for prostate cancer. Watchful waiting entails administering non-curative androgen deprivation therapy to patients on development of symptomatic progression, whereas active surveillance entails delivering curative treatment on signs of disease progression. The objectives of the two management strategies and the patients enrolled in either are different: (i) to review the role of active surveillance as a management strategy for patients with low-risk prostate cancer; and (ii) review the benefits and pitfalls of active surveillance. We carried out a systematic review of active surveillance for prostate cancer in the literature using the National Center for Biotechnology Information's electronic database, PubMed. We carried out a search in English using the terms: active surveillance, prostate cancer, watchful waiting and conservative management. Selected studies were required to have a comprehensive description of the demographic and disease characteristics of the patients at the time of diagnosis, inclusion criteria for surveillance, and a protocol for the patients' follow up. Review articles were included, but not multiple papers from the same datasets. Active surveillance appears to reduce overtreatment in patients with low-risk prostate cancer without compromising cancer-specific survival at 10 years. Therefore, active surveillance is an option for select patients who want to avoid the side-effects inherent to the different types of immediate treatment. However, inclusion criteria for active surveillance and the most appropriate method of monitoring patients on active surveillance have not yet been standardized.
Topics: Androgen Antagonists; Androgens; Disease Progression; Humans; Male; Medical Overuse; Neoplasm Grading; Prostate; Prostate-Specific Antigen; Prostatic Neoplasms; Watchful Waiting
PubMed: 26621054
DOI: 10.1111/iju.13016 -
Cancers Feb 2021We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the prognostic value of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) persistence 4-8 weeks after radical prostatectomy... (Review)
Review
We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the prognostic value of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) persistence 4-8 weeks after radical prostatectomy (RP) in patients with prostate cancer, using studies from Medline, Scopus, and Cochrane Library, on 10 October 2020. Studies were eligible if they compared patients with postoperative PSA persistence 4-8 weeks after RP to those without such persistence to assess the value of PSA persistence in prognosticating biochemical recurrence (BCR), disease recurrence, cancer-specific mortality (CSM), and overall mortality (OM) by multivariable analysis. Our review and analysis included nine studies published between 2008 and 2019 with 14,455 patients. Of those studies, 12.0% showed postoperative PSA persistence. PSA persistence was associated with BCR (HR: 4.44, 95% CI: 2.84-6.93), disease recurrence (HR: 3.43, 95% CI: 1.62-7.25), and CSM (HR: 2.32, 95% CI: 1.83-2.95). We omitted meta-analysis on the association of PSA persistence with OM due to an insufficient number of studies. PSA persistence was associated with disease recurrence in a sub-group of patients with pathological nodal involvement (HR: 5.90, 95% CI: 3.76-9.24). Understanding detection of PSA persistence at 4-8 weeks after RP might be useful for patient counseling, follow-up scheduling, and clinical decision-making regarding adjuvant therapies.
PubMed: 33668270
DOI: 10.3390/cancers13050948 -
Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory... Jul 2020Several studies have shown an inverse association between diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer (PCa). Some researchers suggest that this relationship is due to reduced... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVES
Several studies have shown an inverse association between diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer (PCa). Some researchers suggest that this relationship is due to reduced PCa detection in diabetics due to lower prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels compared to non-diabetics. Our objective is to analyze the impact of diabetes on PSA in asymptomatic men without known prostate pathology and without prior prostate intervention.
METHODS
We searched Medline (via PubMed), Embase and Scopus. We included studies that reported the relationship between serum PSA levels and diabetes or diabetes treatment in asymptomatic adult men without known prostate pathology, and without prior prostate intervention. Pooled mean differences were compared between diabetics and non-diabetics.
RESULTS
Of 2,392 screened abstracts, thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria and 8 (62%) reported appropriate measures that could be included in a meta-analysis. Eleven (85%) examined the influence of diabetes on PSA levels and 8 (62%) evaluated the influence of diabetes treatments on PSA levels. Overall diabetics had a significantly lower PSA level compared to non-diabetics (mean difference: -0.07 ng/mL; 95% CI -0.10, -0.04).
CONCLUSIONS
Diabetes and related factors (such as disease duration, severity and treatment) were significantly associated with lower PSA levels among asymptomatic men, yet differences were small and are unlikely to influence PCa detection in a screening setting.
Topics: Age Factors; Diabetes Mellitus; Humans; Prostate-Specific Antigen
PubMed: 32681769
DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2020-0145