The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of docetaxel in combination with prednisolone in Japanese patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer.

Twenty patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) were administered a treatment regimen consisting of docetaxel 75 mg/m² once every 3 or 4 weeks and prednisolone 5 mg twice daily at our institution between 2006 and 2008.

The patients received a median of 5.5 cycles of treatment (range, 2–12 cycles). Nine of the 20 patients (45%) had a ≥50% decrease in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The median duration of response was 4 months (range, 1–11 months). The number of cycles performed, the presence of bone metastasis and the extent of disease had statistically significant associations with the response. Three patients had a transient PSA rise among the patients who ultimately had a response. Grade 3/4 leukopenia and neutropenia occurred in 80.0% and 85.0% of the patients, respectively. Interstitial pneumonia occurred in only one patient; however, the patient recovered. Finally, no treatment-related deaths were seen during the observation period.

The combination of docetaxel 75 mg/m² every 3 weeks and prednisolone 10 mg daily was effective and well tolerated in Japanese patients with HRPC. The results of this study suggest that a decision concerning discontinuation of this treatment should be carefully considered because a transient PSA rise was observed. Although interstitial pneumonia was rare, the potential risk of its development should be taken into consideration.

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and risk factors of postoperative inguinal hernia and to investigate whether the difference of approach could induce postoperative inguinal hernia after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

We reviewed 493 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic radical prostatectomy from November 2000 to November 2007, and evaluated various preoperative parameters, specifically age, prostate-specific antigen (ng/ml), body mass index (kg/m²), prostate volume (ml), previous major abdominal surgery, previous appendectomy, previous inguinal hernia repair and laparoscopic approach as risk factors for postoperative inguinal hernia.

Inguinal hernia occurred in 4 (4.9%) of the 81 patients in the transperitoneal approach group, and in 37 (9.0%) of the 412 patients in the extraperitoneal approach group. The overall incidence of inguinal hernia was 8.3% (41 of 493 patients). The median inguinal hernia-free survival time was 35 months and 6 months in the transperitoneal approach and extraperitoneal approach groups, respectively. Inguinal hernia developed within 2 years after surgery in 2 (50%) of 4 patients in the transperitoneal approach group, in 34 (91.9%) of 37 patients in the extraperitoneal approach group, for a total of 36 (87.8%) of 41 patients overall. Multivariate analysis showed that the extraperitoneal approach was a significant risk factor (P = 0.043) for inguinal hernia.

Inguinal hernia is a frequent complication after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, and the incidence of inguinal hernia is greater with the extraperitoneal approach than with the transperitoneal approach.