Men's Health

With emergence of new biomarker and tests, high-profile approvals of treatments for new indication, and the ongoing controversy surrounding PSA screening, prostate cancer remained very much in the urology headlines for 2014. Here are some of the most-read Urology Times articles on the disease.

Streamlined management for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, greater autonomy for residents, and a better understanding of issues facing the VA are among changes urologists hope to see occur in 2015.

The authors of a recent study should be commended for exploring a large national database in an attempt to understand contemporary prostate cancer screening and treatment practices.

Other products discussed in this article include a prosthesis for underactive bladder, a prostate cancer test, and an erectile dysfunction drug.

Use of bisphosphonates in men on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer remains low despite the fact that the practice is recommended in several guidelines, Canadian researchers say.

Use of primary androgen deprivation therapy in men with localized prostate cancer is associated with decreased survival compared to men who receive no active treatment, according to new research findings.

The Prolaris prostate cancer test could save the health care system $6 billion over 10 years, according to data from one of several new studies examining the economic and clinical benefits of newer biomarker-based prostate cancer assays.

Robert A. Dowling, MD examines the possible impact of prostate cancer surveillance management approaches on a urology practice’s reimbursement and income.

A receptor involved with HIV therapy also appears to be linked to prostate cancer metastases, according to recent research from Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia.

Long-term testosterone therapy in hypogonadal men appears to be safe and does not increase the risk of prostate cancer, according to a newly published analysis of three patient registries.

In separate actions, two pharmaceutical makers have acquired the rights to a novel testosterone agent and a patented formulation for interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome.

Certain sunscreen chemicals may impair men’s ability to father children in a timely manner, according to a recent National Institutes of Health study that an expert in male infertility called “interesting but very preliminary.”

The European Medicines Agency has issued new recommendations regarding testosterone replacement therapy after reviewing the cardiovascular risks of TRT. The recommendations were endorsed by a regulatory body that is responsible for the marketing authorization of drugs throughout Europe.

A report analyzing more than 191,000 cases of prostate cancer has found that being overweight or obese increases men’s risk for advanced prostate cancer.

Testosterone replacement therapy reduced men’s overall risks for death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and stroke, as well as for death alone in a study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Chicago.

Results from the U.S. validation study of a test that combines plasma levels of four prostate-specific kallikreins with clinical data demonstrated it accurately predicts high-grade prostate cancer and is superior to a validated clinical variable-based risk calculator.

A personalized genetic test has been shown to predict risk of prostate cancer recurrence following radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy, according to a recent study.

Dendreon Corp., the maker of sipuleucel-T (Provenge), said it expects no impact on access to the prostate cancer immunotherapy following the company’s Chapter 11 filing last week.

This video demonstrates a wide-excision prostatectomy for patients with locally advanced, high-risk prostate cancer.

These videos depict a classic tennis racquet bladder neck reconstruction and mucosal eversion as popularized by Patrick Walsh, MD, for open prostatectomy, but used by relatively few surgeons for robotic prostatectomy.

The AUA has refuted findings from a recent study that reported a modest association between vasectomy and lethal prostate cancer.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has approved two new Category I CPT codes for the UroLift system, a treatment for BPH, effective Jan. 1, 2015.

Other products featured include a 16-slice CT scanner, new generic testosterone gel, prostate cancer risk calculator, and more.

Whatever the exact mechanism of the increase in desire for testosterone replacement therapy in men, knowing the risks and benefits of testosterone and its alternatives are vital skills for today’s practicing urologist. This article will focus on alternatives to testosterone therapy.

New biomarkers for prostate cancer are showing great promise for addressing the limitations of existing diagnostic and prognostic tools, according to opinion leaders who spoke on this topic at the Large Urology Group Practice Association annual meeting in Chicago.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a promising tool for optimizing prostate cancer biopsy that appears to overcome the shortcomings of conventional systematic transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided biopsy and also provides novel information for risk stratification that can guide the decision of whether to perform biopsy, according to Samir Taneja, MD.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology has endorsed the AUA/American Society for Radiation Oncology guideline on the use of adjuvant and salvage radiotherapy after prostatectomy.

Jonathan Henderson, MD, a urologist in a large group practice in Shreveport, LA, says he and his partners have seen the nationwide proliferation of non-urologist, community-based men’s health centers. And they believe, he says, patients are not being properly served.

Two recently published studies provide new insight on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality associated with androgen deprivation therapy in men with prostate cancer.

Despite another anti-prostate cancer screening message (this one from north of the border), many U.S. urologists have already taken a more individualized approach to screening and will likely continue to do so.