A recent study suggests that patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and BRCA alterations showed clinically relevant outcomes when treated with niraparib plus abiraterone acetate and prednisone (AAP). This study’s results were published in the Annals of Oncology.

The phase 3, MAGNITUDE trial included 212 HRR+ patients with/without BRCA1/2 alterations. They were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive 200mg of niraparib orally plus AAP (1000 mg/10 mg orally) or placebo plus AAP. At the second prespecified interim analysis (IA2), the secondary endpoints assessed were time to symptomatic progression, time to initiation of cytotoxic chemotherapy and overall survival (OS).

It was found that at IA2 with 24.8 months of median follow-up, niraparib plus AAP showed significantly prolonged radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) (19.5 versus 10.9 months; hazard ratio (HR) = 0.55 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.39-0.78] consistent with the first prespecified interim analysis. Similarly, in the total HRR+ population, rPFS was also prolonged. In the niraparib plus AAP group, time to symptomatic progression and time to initiation of cytotoxic chemotherapy showed improvements. Even the analysis of OS with niraparib plus AAP in the BRCA1/2 subgroup demonstrated a lower hazard ratio.

From the above results, it is clear that niraparib plus AAP in patients with BRCA1/2-altered mCRPC, may demonstrate an improved rPFS and other clinically relevant outcomes.

A recent study suggests that Optilume BPH Catheter System, a novel drug/device combination is a minimally invasive surgical therapy that is safe and efficacious for treating lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia. The results of this study were published in The Journal of Urology.

The PINNACLE study was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial in which 148 men who were 50 years or older, having symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia and a prostate size between 20 and 80 g, were enrolled. They were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive either Optilume BPH or a sham surgical procedure for a period of 1 year.

Those who were randomized to receive Optilume BPH (n=100) showed a reduction in International Prostate Symptom Score of 11.5±7.8 points after 1 year. Those on the sham surgical procedure (n=48) showed a reduction of 8.0±8.3 points at 3 months. In the Optilume BPH group, the flow rate was significantly improved (up to 125%) post-treatment.

From the above findings, it may be concluded that Optilume BPH provides immediate and sustained improvements in flow rate and obstructive symptoms and is thus, safe and effective for use in treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms in men.

A recent study found that there was improvement in psychological well-being, enhancement in health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and reduction in postoperative pain intensity due to Roy Adaptation Model (RAM) in older patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). This study was published in the journal, BMC Urology.

In this study 160 BPH patients scheduled for TURP procedures were randomly assigned to routine care groups or RAM groups (80 patients each). RAM group was administered standard care based on the RAM model, supplemented with interventions. At the preoperative visit (T0), at 30 days (T1), and at 3 months of follow-up (T2), negative emotions were measured using pain intensity by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and HRQoL by the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36).

It was observed from repeated measures ANOVA that both the routine care and RAM group had significant differences in psychological well-being, postoperative pain intensity, and HRQoL across the three time points. The RAM group revealed significant reduction in depression and anxiety levels, improvements in various HRQoL domains at T1 and T2, and alleviation of postoperative pain intensity when compared to the routine care group.

From the above results, it can be concluded that RAM model may be incorporated into perioperative care for elderly patients undergoing TURP for BPH as it may enhance HRQoL, improve psychological well-being, and reduce postoperative pain intensity.

According to a recent study, parent-led massage can have an impact on the sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) for term-born infants at 4 months. This study was published in the journal, Developmental medicine and child neurology.

This randomized controlled, parallel-group study enrolled 182 infants at birth, who were randomized to intervention (routine parent-led massage; n=84) and control groups (n=98). Griffiths Scales of Child Development, Third Edition was used to assess daytime sleep EEG at 4 and 18 months. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the groups for sleep stage, sleep spindles, quantitative EEG (primary analysis) and Griffiths.

It was observed that 179 out of 182 infants (intervention: 83 and control: 96) had a normal sleep EEG. Median (interquartile range) sleep duration was found to be 49.8 minutes. In the intervention and control groups, a complete first sleep cycle was seen in 67 out of 83 (81%) and 72 out of 96 (75%), respectively. Sleep spindle spectral power was found to be greater in the intervention group in main and subgroup analyses. There was no difference in the Griffiths assessments at 4 and 18 months. Massaged infants had higher sleep spindle spectral power, lower interhemispherical coherence, and greater sleep EEG magnitudes.

Based on the above results, it can be concluded that routine massage of infants may be associated with differences in sleep electroencephalogram biomarkers at 4 months, which may result in distinct functional brain changes.