OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationships between 2nd to 4th digit ratio (digit ratio) and prostate cancer detection rate and biopsy findings, including Gleason score. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 770 consecutive men aged 40 years or older that presented with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), right hand 2nd and 4th digit lengths were measured prior to PSA determinations, DRE and transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS). Among these, 166 men with a prostate specific antigen (PSA) level ≥ 3 ng/mL or abnormal digit rectal examination (DRE) prospectively underwent prostate biopsies. The relationship between digit ratio and prostate cancer detection rate and biopsy findings was investigated. RESULTS: The study subjects were allocated to two groups by digit ratio (group A: digit ratio < 0.95; n = 420; group B: digit ratio ≥ 0.95; n = 350). Despite similar biopsy rates (22.4% vs. 20.6%, p = 0.544), group A had higher cancer detection rate (46.8% (44/94) vs. 23.6% (17/72), p = 0.002; OR = 2.847, 95% CI = 1.445-5.610). When we analyzed 408 positive biopsy cores (group A: digit ratio < 0.95, n = 282; group B: digit ratio ≥ 0.95, n = 126), group A had higher percentage of core cancer volume (46.7% vs. 37.1%, p = 0.005) and more biopsy cores with high Gleason score (sum of Gleason score ≥ 9: 18/282 (6.4%) vs. 1/126 (0.8%), p = 0.010; primary Gleason score = 5: 12/282 (4.3%) vs. 0/126 (0.0%), p = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: A lower digit ratio is related to an increased detection rate of prostate cancer, a high percentage of core cancer volume and a high Gleason score.

PURPOSE: To appraise the evaluation methods for learning curve and to analyze the non-mentor-aided learning curve and early complications following the holmium laser enucleation of the prostate. MATERIALS AND METHODS:One-hundred and forty (n=140) consecutive patients who underwent HoLEP from July 2008 to July 2010 by a single surgeon (SJO) were enrolled. Perioperative clinical variables, including enucleation time, morcellation time, enucleation ratio (enucleation weight/transitional zone volume), enucleation efficacy (enucleated weight/enucleation time), enucleation ratio efficacy (enucleation ratio/enucleation time), and early complication rate were analyzed. RESULTS: Mean prostate volume was 62.7 mL (range 21-162) and preoperative International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) was 19.0 (4-35). Mean enucleation time and morcellation time were 49.9±23.8 (S.D.) min and 11.0±9.7 min, respectively. Median duration of postoperative indwelling catheter was 1 (1-7) day and median hospital stay was 1 (1-6) day. There were a total of 31 surgery-related complications in 27 patients (19.3%), and all were manageable. There was an increasing trend of enucleation efficacy in the first 50 cases. However, enucleation efficacy was linearly correlated with the prostate size (correlation coefficients, R=0.701, p<0.001). But, enucleation ratio efficacy could eliminate the confounding effect of the prostate size (R=-0.101, p=0.233). The plateau of enucleation ratio efficacy was reached around the twenty-fifth case. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that the operative learning curve plateau is reached after about 25 cases. We propose that a more appropriate parameter for estimating the operative learning curve is enucleation ratio efficacy, rather than enucleation efficacy.