Men's Health

Findings from preoperative multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging may enhance risk stratification, surgical planning, and patient counseling for men with prostate cancer, according to researchers from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.

C-11 choline positron emission tomography and multiparametric pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (pMRI) can be used successfully to identify recurrence patterns in patients with biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy.

Many approaches have been tried for reducing the rectal toxicity of radiotherapy (Radiat Oncol 2013; 8:96; Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2012; 82:1918-22; Radiat Oncol 2014; 9:96). This article discusses a newer therapy that involves the injection of a temporary hydrogel in the plane between the prostate and rectum.

Microscopic subinguinal varicocelectomy results in improvement of multiple semen parameters, with a natural pregnancy rate of 34% and an overall pregnancy rate of approximately 63%.

One only needs to do a Google search for “testosterone clinic” to realize there’s an explosion of for-profit businesses branded as men’s health establishments, offering what sounds like the fountain of youth to men with “low T” and sexual dysfunction. Unless one of these practices is affiliated with an academic medical center or urology group, there’s a good chance urologists are not part of the picture.

Also look for coverage of products in the pipeline for bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis, prostate cancer, and male infertility.

Radium 223 dichloride (Ra 223 [Xofigo]) can be safely combined with abiraterone acetate (ZYTIGA) for the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with symptomatic bone metastases, and appears to result in decreased bone pain and improved quality of life, according to the interim results of an open-label prospective study known as eRADicAte.

Urology Times SUO internship program member Cory Hugen, MD, reports on a recent Mayo Clinic study on familial history’s impact on post-RP outcomes and survival.

A leader in urologic oncology discusses four currently available molecular tests in this report from Urology Times SUO internship program member Brandon Manley, MD.

In a recently published study, researchers analyzed data from nearly 20,000 high-risk prostate cancer patients at more than 1,000 facilities.

Findings from a recent study emphasize the need for imaging with CT or MRI and bone scan to determine the pattern of spread in men with advanced prostate cancer.

Check out the latest products. From an MRI System that improves lesion conspicuity, a biopsy device receives FDA clearance and an App that tracks stent implants.

Surveillance “should be more commonly used for patients with low-risk prostate cancer,” argues an author of the endorsement.

Physicians at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, have opened a dedicated cardio-oncology service, including urology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, and cardiology.

A recent a White House Dialogue on Men’s Health brought together experts on men’s health from government, professional sports, nonprofit organizations, and health care, who together raised awareness of the need for increased focus on men’s health.

"What we need most are markers that selectively identify significant cancers, in order to reduce unnecessary biopsies and over-diagnosis," writes Stacy Loeb, MD, MSc.

Two urinary biomarkers for detection of prostate cancer have differing utility in African-American men undergoing prostate biopsy.

Peyronie’s disease (PD) is surgically treated by a minority of urologists, and urologists who subspecialize in andrology perform a disproportionate number of procedures to treat the condition. Those were among the findings of a case-log analysis that was presented at the 2015 AUA annual meeting in New Orleans and subsequently published in Urology (2016; 87:205-9).

The purpose of this article is to provide a clear understanding of the basis for the genetic and epigenetic tools that are increasingly used in medicine, highlight some of these tools currently used in urology, and explain the clinical and medicolegal ramifications of direct-to-consumer tests.

New findings from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore should be useful to clinicians looking to counsel anxious prostate cancer patients who are undergoing active surveillance.

Results from a recently published set of coordinated trials indicate that raising testosterone concentrations offers moderate benefits in sexual function and some benefit on mood and depressive symptoms.

Four PCa studies presented at the 2015 AUA annual meeting in New Orleans shed some light, with researchers emphasizing the need to optimize screening and to improve treatment selection in older men.

“Both physicians and patients should take into account remaining life expectancy before adopting screening pathways,” a study author says.

The investigational modality was compared with surgical pathology in men undergoing radical prostatectomy.

"This article describes the surgical steps in this new technique and our promising preliminary results," writes Reynaldo Gomez, MD.

Urology Times SUO internship program member Brandon Manley, MD, reports on an SUO presentation highlighting several interesting findings on advanced prostate cancer with variant histology.

Researchers hypothesized that during a time of resource scarcity, the incidence of PSA-detected prostate cancer would decrease and the use of noncurative management strategies would increase, reports Urology Times SUO internship program member Ryan Hutchinson, MD.

Analyses of overall survival rates among subgroups of men who received radium-223 dichloride (Ra 223; Xofigo) as part of an expanded access program suggest factors that may have prognostic significance, including effects of prior and concomitant treatments.

Check out the latest new products. From Single-use ureteroscope addresses shortcomings of reusable scopes, to an App that helps IC, chronic prostatitis patients choose the right foods and much more.