Men's Health

Use of surgery has increased steadily among all men with clinically localized prostate cancer, and in those with low-risk disease, brachytherapy utilization has declined.

A significant number of older men with limited life expectancy continue to undergo routine prostate cancer screening, researchers say.

The Androgen Study Group has called upon the Journal Oversight Committee to investigate what it deemed violations of “accepted standards of medical journal ethics and editorial integrity” by JAMA.

Data from 2 years of prospective follow-up in a multinational study show that the prostatic urethral lift (PUL [UroLift System, Neotract, Inc., Pleasanton, CA]) is a safe procedure that provides durable, clinically meaningful improvement of lower urinary tract symptoms due to BPH, reported Claus G. Roehrborn, MD, at the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL.

Drugs and devices in the pipeline form Clarus Therapeutics, Nymox Pharmaceutical, Bioniche Life Sciences, Repros Therapeutics, BioLight Life Sciences Investments/Micromedic Technologies, Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Takeda Pharmaceutical, H. Lundbeck A/S, Transplant Genomics, Orion, Bayer, and Roche.

Recently published data from the European Randomised Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) indicate that screening for prostate cancer could reduce deaths from the disease by about one-fifth.

Two independent published trials have validated the performance of an epigenetic test that could provide physicians with a better tool to help eliminate unnecessary repeat prostate biopsies.

To gain an endocrinologist’s perspective on current issues in testosterone therapy and hypogonadism, Urology Times interviewed Rebecca Z. Sokol MD, MPH, professor of obstetrics and gynecology and medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

All treatments entail some risk, including T therapy. At this point, there are no compelling data to support the notion that T therapy is associated with CV risks, and there is suggestive evidence it may even be helpful.

The FDA has rejected Public Citizen’s petition to have a black box warning placed on the labels of testosterone-containing drugs available in the United States.

A genomic tool for prostate cancer appears to provide physicians and patients with improved decision making about the use of radiation therapy after radical prostatectomy.

A new study showing a survival benefit of more than 1 year with a chemotherapy-hormonal therapy combination given prior to castration resistance is being hailed by a leading prostate cancer expert as possibly representing a “new standard” in care.

Prospective, long-term follow-up in a large cohort of hypogonadal men treated with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) provides no evidence that TRT increases the risk for prostate cancer.

Symptomatic hypogonadal men treated with clomiphene citrate (Clomid) or testosterone gels report similar satisfaction levels as age-matched men treated with testosterone injections, despite having significantly lower serum total testosterone levels, according to the findings of a recent retrospective study from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston.

Testosterone replacement therapy has been much debated in recent months, in light of two studies linking the treatment to increased risk of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, and stroke, prompting an FDA investigation into TRT’s safety and widespread criticism from members of the urologic community. In this article, Ajay Nehra, MD, discusses those studies, evolving attitudes toward “low T,” and the importance of individualizing treatment.

The “embarrassment of riches” of therapeutic options for advanced prostate cancer fortunately continues, encouraging us all to strive for lessening the incidence and impact of prostate cancer-specific mortality.

Men are being too easily enticed lately into ill-advised use of testosterone supplementation. Even men with only minimal, vague complaints are promised a hormonal fountain of youth and ageless virility. Many potential candidates seem to be under the misconception that “T” replacement will boost or energize their natural testicular production. In fact, exogenous testosterone suppresses testicular function.

Diagnosing physicians-urologists in particular-significantly influence decision making in men with low-risk prostate cancer as well as the type of treatment selected, according to researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

In our “Best of AUA” report, Urology Times’ editors and writers present the AUA annual meeting’s take-home messages in 15 therapeutic areas.

Androgen deprivation therapy provides no survival benefit in older men with localized prostate cancer at 15 years, newly published research shows.

Philippe E. Spiess, MD, MS, presents the take home messages on penile, testis, and urethral cancer from the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL.

Landon Trost, MD, presents the take home messages on sexual function/dysfunction from the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL, including studies of clostridium collagenase histolyticum (CCH [XIAFLEX]).

Manish A. Vira, MD, presents the take home messages on minimally invasive surgery from the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL.

Richard K. Lee, MD, MBA, presents the take home messages on BPH/LUTS from the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL.

Jesse D. Sammon, DO, presents the take home messages on outcomes analysis from the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL.

K.C. Balaji, MD, presents the take home messages on basic science research from the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL.

Tobias S. Köhler, MD, MPH, presents the take home messages on infertility/andrology from the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL.

Michael C. Gong, MD, PhD, presents the take home messages on prostate cancer from the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL, including new findings about enzalutamide (XTANDI).

I consider urology to be a very unique field, one that I am lucky to be part of. Recently, though, I have begun to wonder whether the medical community (not necessarily the urology community) has been too quick to embrace the widespread use of testosterone replacement therapy.

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