Publications

2017
von Rundstedt F-C, Mata DA, Kryvenko ON, Shah AA, Jhun I, Lerner SP. Utility of Clinical Risk Stratification in the Selection of Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Patients for Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Bladder Cancer. 2017;3 (1) :35-44.Abstract
Introduction: Level I evidence supports the use of cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for muscle-invasive bladder cancer prior to radical cystectomy (RC). On average, 30-40% of patients achieve a complete pathologic response (i.e., stage pT0) after receiving NAC. Some centers risk-stratify patients, suggesting that there may be a higher-risk population that would derive the most benefit from NAC. Recently, a risk-stratification model developed at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) specified criteria for clinical staging and patient selection for NAC. We applied this model to our own RC patient cohort and evaluated our own experience with clinical risk stratification and the effect of NAC on post treatment risk categories. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of consecutive patients who underwent RC at two institutions between 2004 and 2014 and noted whether or not they received NAC. We determined the clinical stage by reviewing the exam under anesthesia, transurethral resection biopsy (TURBT) pathology, and preoperative imaging. Patients with cT2-T4a node-negative disease were included. Those with sarcomatoid features or adenocarcinoma were excluded. Patients were classified as high risk if they had tumor-associated hydronephrosis, clinical stage≥T3b-T4a disease, variant histology (i.e., micropapillary or small cell), or lymphovascular invasion (LVI), as specified by the MDACC model. Variables were examined for associations with cancer-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS), and risk-category reclassification. Results: We identified 166 patients with a median follow-up time of 22.2 months. In all, 117 patients (70.5%) did not receive NAC, 68 (58.1%) of whom we classified as high risk. Among patients not receiving NAC, CSS and OS were significantly decreased in high-risk patients (log-rank test p = 0.01 for both comparisons). The estimated age-adjusted hazard ratios of high-risk classification for cancer-specific and overall death were 3.2 (95% CI: 1.2 to 8.6) and 2.2 (95% CI: 1.1 to 4.4), respectively. On post-RC final pathology, 23 (46.9%) low-risk patients were up-classified to high risk and 17 (25.0%) high-risk patients were down-classified. Complete pathologic responses (pT0) were achieved in 7 (6.0%) patients and partial responses (pT1, pTa, pTis) were achieved in 28 (23.9%) patients. Of the 49 patients who did receive NAC, 43 (87.8%) received cisplatin-based and six (12.2%) received carboplatin-based regimens. Applying the MDACC model, we categorized 41 (83.7%) patients as high risk prior to NAC treatment. On final pathology, 3 (37.5%) low-risk patients were up-classified and 17 (41.5%) high-risk patients were down-classified. Complete pathologic responses (pT0) were seen in 13 (26.5%) patients and partial responses were seen in 10 (20.4%) patients. Although the utilization of NAC was not statistically significantly associated with CSS or OS (log-rank test p > 0.05 for both comparisons), it was associated with a 1.2 times increased odds (95% CI: 0.4 to 2.1) of post-RC reclassification from high to low risk on age-adjusted logistic regression. Conclusions: We found similar results using the clinical risk-stratification model in our cohort and showed that the high-risk category was associated with lower CSS and OS. NAC was associated with a higher probability of risk reclassification from high to low risk.
2016
Milner DA, Meserve EEK, Soong TR, Mata DA. Statistics for Pathologists. 1st ed. New York: Demos Medical Publishing; 2016 pp. 250. Publisher's Version
Mata DA, Ramasamy R, Lipshultz LI. Testosterone Treatment in Older Men. N Engl J Med. 2016;375 (1) :89.
Mata DA, Ramos MA, Sen S. Resident Physicians With Depression or Depressive Symptoms--In Reply. JAMA. 2016;315 (21) :2347-8.
Mata DA, Ramos MA, Kim MM, Guille C, Sen S. In Their Own Words: An Analysis of the Experiences of Medical Interns Participating in a Prospective Cohort Study of Depression. Acad Med. 2016.Abstract
PURPOSE: To compare the subjective experiences of interns with and without symptoms of depression using a mixed-methods approach. METHOD: In 2007-2008, interns from six institutions were screened for depression before and during internship using an online survey that included the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). At the end of internship, participants were asked what made the year difficult, easy, and memorable, and how they had changed. Computerized lexical and qualitative thematic analyses were performed to analyze their free-text responses. RESULTS: Sixty-three percent (244/388) of invited interns participated in the original cohort study. Of those, 42% (103/244) answered the open-ended questions for this analysis. Thirty-five percent (36/103) screened positive for clinically significant depression (i.e., PHQ-9 score ≥ 10) during their intern year. Respondents with symptoms of depression were more likely to report problems with cynicism, exhaustion, and stress, while those without them were more likely to mention positive patient care and educational experiences. Respondents with symptoms of depression preferentially described experiences that "broke" their confidence, sense of well-being, and belief in the medical profession, while those who did not described profoundly positive, life-changing experiences regarding interactions with patients and supportive colleagues, through which they grew personally and professionally. CONCLUSIONS: Depression during internship affects not only objective outcomes like medical errors but also how interns value the profession and themselves, with potentially profound consequences for their future career decisions. Residency programs should implement reactive interventions targeting depression and proactive interventions promoting resilience and well-being to address the issues that lead to depression.
Ramos MA, Rotenstein LS, Mata DA. Student-run free clinics: the USA's psychiatry recruitment solution?. Lancet Psychiatry. 2016;3 (4) :321-2.
Degener S, Mata DA, Youssef R, Gödde D, Tandogdu Z, Roth S, von Rundstedt F-C. A review of molecular predictors of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Mini Rev Med Chem. 2016.Abstract
Locally advanced, muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (MIBC) may be definitively treated with either radiotherapy or radical cystectomy (RC) with urinary diversion. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is typically administered prior to treatment with either modality. Receiving NAC prior to RC might confer a survival advantage compared to undergoing RC alone. However, its usefulness has been questioned due to concerns about overtreatment and toxicity. Having the ability to predict whether individual patients would benefit from or be harmed by NAC would be an important tool in precision medicine. Unfortunately, to date no prognostic or predictive molecular markers have been validated for this purpose. In this manuscript, we review the current state of molecular markers in MIBC treatment and outline how recent advances in whole-genome sequencing may soon improve the selection of precisely targeted therapeutics for the benefit of individual patients.
von Rundstedt F-C, Mata DA, Kryvenko ON, Roth S, Degener S, Dreger NM, Goedde D, Assaid A, Kamper L, Haage P, et al. Diagnostic Accuracy of Renal Mass Biopsy: An Ex Vivo Study of 100 Nephrectomy Specimens. Int J Surg Pathol. 2016.Abstract
We investigated the diagnostic accuracy of renal mass biopsy in an ex vivo model, as well as compared the agreement of the preoperative radiological diagnosis with the final pathologic diagnosis. Two 18-gauge needle-core and 2 vacuum-needle biopsies were performed ex vivo from the tumors of 100 consecutive patients undergoing radical nephrectomy between 2006 and 2010. The median tumor size was 5.5 cm. There was no significant difference with regard to cylinder length or tissue quality between the sampling methods. At least 1 of 4 needle cores contained diagnostic tissue in 88% of patients. Biopsy specimens identified clear cell (54%), papillary (13%), or chromophobe (5%) renal cell carcinoma; urothelial carcinoma (6%); oncocytoma (5%); liposarcoma (1%); metastatic colorectal carcinoma (1%); squamous cell carcinoma (1%); unclassified renal cell neoplasm (1%); and no tumor sampled (12%). The sensitivity of the biopsy for accurately determining the diagnosis was 88% (95% CI: 79% to 93%). The specificity was 100% (95% CI: 17% to 100%). Biopsy grade correlated strongly with final pathology (83.5% agreement). There was no difference in average tumor size in cases with the same versus higher grade on final pathology (5.87 vs 5.97; P = .87). Appraisal of tumor histology by radiology agreed with the pathologic diagnosis in 68% of cases. Provided that the biopsy samples the tumor tissue in a renal mass, pathologic analysis is of great diagnostic value in respect of grade and tumor type and correlates well with excisional pathology. This constitutes strong ground for increasingly used renal mass biopsy in patients considering active surveillance or ablation therapy.
Kohn TP, Mata DA, Ramasamy R, Lipshultz LI. Effects of Testosterone Replacement Therapy on Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Eur Urol. 2016.Abstract
CONTEXT: There is a potential risk that testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) may exacerbate lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) among aging men with late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) because of testosterone's growth-promoting effects on the prostate. OBJECTIVE: To compare the change in LUTS severity as assessed using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) between men receiving TRT versus placebo for the treatment of LOH. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, and The Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials of TRT for LOH published between January 1992 and September 2015. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they were a randomized control trial, used TRT, and assessed LUTS outcomes using the IPSS. Estimates were pooled using random effects meta-analysis. Differences by study-level characteristics were estimated using meta-regression. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Data were extracted from 14 trials involving 2029 participants. The average age was 64.5 yr and the average follow-up was 34.4 mo. Seven studies used topical, five used injectable, and two used oral testosterone. There was no statistically significant difference in pooled changes in IPSS from baseline to follow up in men treated with TRT compared with those receiving placebo (-0.41 points [95% confidence interval: -0.89 to 0.07; I(2)=0%, p=0.28] vs. 0.12 points [95% confidence interval: -0.32 to 0.55; I(2)=0%, p=0.81], between-group difference p>0.05). No between-group differences were noted in subanalyses that controlled for potential confounders such as type of testosterone, change in testosterone, aging male symptom scale, or prostate-specific antigen levels (p>0.05 for all comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: In this meta-analysis of 14 clinical trials of TRT for LOH, the change in IPSS was similar among men receiving TRT versus placebo, suggesting that TRT treatment does not worsen LUTS among men with LOH. PATIENT SUMMARY: In this analysis of 14 clinical trials, testosterone replacement therapy did not worsen lower urinary tract symptoms among men being treated for late-onset hypogonadism.
Minhas P, Chu YX, Mata DA. Neuropathology: bridging psychiatry and neurology in medical education. Lancet Psychiatry. 2016;3 (2) :98-100.
2015
Kim MM, Mata DA, Ko DSC. The Role of Imaging in Urology. In: The Role of Imaging Technology in Current Surgical Practice. 1st ed. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers ; 2015. Publisher's Version
Mata DA, Ramos MA, Bansal N, Khan R, Guille C, Di Angelantonio E, Sen S. Prevalence of Depression and Depressive Symptoms Among Resident Physicians: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA. 2015;314 (22) :2373-83.Abstract
IMPORTANCE: Physicians in training are at high risk for depression. However, the estimated prevalence of this disorder varies substantially between studies. OBJECTIVE: To provide a summary estimate of depression or depressive symptom prevalence among resident physicians. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION: Systematic search of EMBASE, ERIC, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO for studies with information on the prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms among resident physicians published between January 1963 and September 2015. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they were published in the peer-reviewed literature and used a validated method to assess for depression or depressive symptoms. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Information on study characteristics and depression or depressive symptom prevalence was extracted independently by 2 trained investigators. Estimates were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. Differences by study-level characteristics were estimated using meta-regression. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Point or period prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms as assessed by structured interview or validated questionnaire. RESULTS: Data were extracted from 31 cross-sectional studies (9447 individuals) and 23 longitudinal studies (8113 individuals). Three studies used clinical interviews and 51 used self-report instruments. The overall pooled prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms was 28.8% (4969/17,560 individuals, 95% CI, 25.3%-32.5%), with high between-study heterogeneity (Q = 1247, τ2 = 0.39, I2 = 95.8%, P < .001). Prevalence estimates ranged from 20.9% for the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire with a cutoff of 10 or more (741/3577 individuals, 95% CI, 17.5%-24.7%, Q = 14.4, τ2 = 0.04, I2 = 79.2%) to 43.2% for the 2-item PRIME-MD (1349/2891 individuals, 95% CI, 37.6%-49.0%, Q = 45.6, τ2 = 0.09, I2 = 84.6%). There was an increased prevalence with increasing calendar year (slope = 0.5% increase per year, adjusted for assessment modality; 95% CI, 0.03%-0.9%, P = .04). In a secondary analysis of 7 longitudinal studies, the median absolute increase in depressive symptoms with the onset of residency training was 15.8% (range, 0.3%-26.3%; relative risk, 4.5). No statistically significant differences were observed between cross-sectional vs longitudinal studies, studies of only interns vs only upper-level residents, or studies of nonsurgical vs both nonsurgical and surgical residents. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this systematic review, the summary estimate of the prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms among resident physicians was 28.8%, ranging from 20.9% to 43.2% depending on the instrument used, and increased with calendar year. Further research is needed to identify effective strategies for preventing and treating depression among physicians in training.
Johnson JS, Lopez JS, Kavanaugh AS, Liang C, Mata DA. A 25-Year-Old Man with Exudative Retinal Detachments and Infiltrates without Hematological or Neurological Findings Found to Have Relapsed Precursor T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Case Rep Ophthalmol. 2015;6 (3) :321-7.Abstract
BACKGROUND: Precursor T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pre-T-ALL) may cause ocular pathologies such as cotton-wool spots, retinal hemorrhage, and less commonly, retinal detachment or leukemic infiltration of the retina itself. However, these findings are typically accompanied by the pathognomonic hematological signs of acute leukemia. CASE PRESENTATION: In this case report and review of the literature, we describe a particularly unusual case of a 25-year-old man who presented to our hospital with bilateral exudative retinal detachments associated with posterior pole thickening without any hematological or neurological findings. The patient, who had a history of previously treated pre-T-ALL in complete remission, was found to have leukemia cell infiltration on retinal biopsy. CONCLUSION: Our case underscores the fact that the ophthalmologist may be the first provider to detect the relapse of previously treated leukemia, and that ophthalmic evaluation is critical for detecting malignant ocular infiltrates.
Chu YX, Mitchell RN, Mata DA. Using exit competencies to integrate pathology into the undergraduate clinical clerkships. Hum Pathol. 2015.
Bernie AM, Mata DA, Ramasamy R, Schlegel PN. Comparison of microdissection testicular sperm extraction, conventional testicular sperm extraction, and testicular sperm aspiration for nonobstructive azoospermia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Fertil Steril. 2015.Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relative differences in outcomes among microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE), conventional testicular sperm extraction (cTESE), and testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) in men with nonobstructive azoospermia. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. SETTING: A variety of outpatient academic and private urology clinics. PATIENTS(S): Men with nonobstructive azoospermia. INTERVENTION(S): Micro-TESE, cTESE, or TESA. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Sperm retrieval (SR). RESULT(S): Fifteen studies with a total of 1,890 patients were identified. The weighted average age of the patients was 34.4 years, the follicular stimulating hormone level was 20.5 mIU/mL, the T was 373 ng/dL, and the testicular volume was 13.5 mL. In a direct comparison, performance of micro-TESE was 1.5 times more likely (95% confidence interval 1.4-1.6) to result in successful SR as compared with cTESE. Similarly, in a direct comparison, performance of cTESE was 2.0 times more likely (95% confidence interval 1.8-2.2) to result in successful SR as compared with TESA. Because of inconsistent reporting, evaluation of other procedural characteristics and pregnancy outcomes was not possible. CONCLUSION(S): Sperm retrieval was higher for micro-TESE compared with cTESE and for cTESE compared with TESA. Standardization of reported outcomes as well as combining all available SR data would help to further elucidate the SRs of these procedures.
Jain L, Tilak G, Mata DA. Infertility, Sexual Dysfunction, and Depression: Recommendations for Future Studies. Urology. 2015.
Mata DA, Katchi FM, Ramasamy R. Precision Medicine and Men's Health. Am J Mens Health. 2015.Abstract
Precision medicine can greatly benefit men's health by helping to prevent, diagnose, and treat prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, infertility, hypogonadism, and erectile dysfunction. For example, precision medicine can facilitate the selection of men at high risk for prostate cancer for targeted prostate-specific antigen screening and chemoprevention administration, as well as assist in identifying men who are resistant to medical therapy for prostatic hyperplasia, who may instead require surgery. Precision medicine-trained clinicians can also let couples know whether their specific cause of infertility should be bypassed by sperm extraction and in vitro fertilization to prevent abnormalities in their offspring. Though precision medicine's role in the management of hypogonadism has yet to be defined, it could be used to identify biomarkers associated with individual patients' responses to treatment so that appropriate therapy can be prescribed. Last, precision medicine can improve erectile dysfunction treatment by identifying genetic polymorphisms that regulate response to medical therapies and by aiding in the selection of patients for further cardiovascular disease screening.
Khan R, Lin JS, Mata DA. Addressing Depression and Suicide Among Physician Trainees. JAMA Psychiatry. 2015.
Mata DA, Lin JS, Ramos MA. Can we predict future depression in residents before the start of clinical training?. Med Educ. 2015;49 (7) :741-2.
Mata DA, Ramos MA. Self-Treatment and Informal Treatment for Depression Among Resident Physicians. Fam Med. 2015;47 (6) :487-488.

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