Men's Health

Since passage of the Affordable Care Act, the number of testicular cancer patients with insurance has dwindled, while rates of advanced testis cancer have climbed, according to a recent study.

Findings of a retrospective study investigating variability of semen parameters after repeat testing in adolescents with varicocele indicate that a second semen analysis is warranted only when the sperm concentration is initially abnormal.

Clinicians may soon be able to improve the risk stratification of men with prostate cancer with the help of a genomic classifier or a biopsy-based reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay, according to the results of two studies presented at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in Orlando, FL.

A simple blood test that measures PSA structure rather than concentration may be more accurate than PSA in identifying men who need a prostate biopsy, according to the results of a study presented at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in Orlando, FL.

“We showed that we can safely compress radiation into a shorter time frame, into fewer treatments, at higher dose per fraction, with similar clinical outcomes and similar toxicity profiles,” said researcher Michael Wang, MD.

Recently published studies also evaluated testosterone replacement therapy’s effect on anemia, cognitive function, and bone density and strength.

Abraham Morgentaler, MD, shares why the recent publication of five studies on testosterone therapy in JAMA and JAMA Internal Medicine "was arguably the most important week ever for the science of testosterone therapy and its impact on men's health."

In preparation for the AUA annual meeting in May, urologist Henry Rosevear, MD, shares the 10 sessions he’s looking forward to the most.

Researchers have developed and validated a clinically useful prognostic model for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, which can be used in the front-line setting.

In many ways, policymakers, insurance companies, and certain health care providers seem to have a total disregard for men’s health, writes Henry Rosevear, MD.

Results of a retrospective study raise concern that ureteroscopy may adversely affect erectile function.

Nearly one-third of men with testicular cancer undergo diagnostic or therapeutic interventions that are at odds with guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), according a study published in the Journal of Urology (2017; 197:684-9).

A recent study has found that genetic predictors of normal PSA levels in healthy men could be used to improve the accuracy of PSA-based prostate cancer screening.

In these videos, high-volume stone surgeons demonstrate novel approaches to classification, visualization, and treatment of stones.

Urology-related FDA approvals from 2016 encompassed drugs and devices for prostate cancer, renal cell carcinoma, bladder cancer, stone disease, and more.

Other products discussed include an updated prostate tissue ablation device, a contrast agent for voiding ultrasonography, a bladder cancer test and more.

"Rather than making a blanket statement regarding continued follow-up, we need to consider the pathologic features commonly known to increase the risk of [prostate cancer] recurrence-concurrent medical problems, the patient’s age at recurrence, PSA doubling time, longevity in the family, etc," writes J. Brantley Thrasher, MD.

The risk for biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer remains relatively high even 10 years after radical prostatectomy, but it does not appear to be influenced by a positive family history of prostate cancer or a family or personal history of other cancer, according to a study analyzing data from the prospective German Familial Prostate Cancer database.

Salvage lymph node dissection results in an immediate complete PSA response in about one-third of patients with rising PSA and nodal recurrence following local therapy for prostate cancer, according to German researchers.

High-grade proctitis after radical radiation therapy with neoadjuvant or adjuvant hormonal therapy is significantly less likely in patients taking angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors.

Adherence to guidelines for the use of combination radiation therapy and androgen deprivation therapy in the United States for the treatment of high-risk or locally advanced prostate cancer has decreased over time, according to data presented by Paolo Dell’Oglio, MD.

“It is clear that in order to reduce the morbidity of PSA screening and early detection of prostate cancer, more needs to be done,” writes Badar M. Mian, MD.

Results of a 2-year clinical trial support switching to a less frequent administration schedule when using zoledronic acid (Zometa) to prevent skeletal-related events in men with prostate cancer.

Findings from two new studies provide insight on the impact of changing recommendations for prostate cancer screening and management.

Other pipeline developments discussed include an implantable device for OAB treatment, a subcutaneous hypogonadism treatment, efficacy results for an HPV drug, and the status of a device-based BPH treatment.

In this edition of Men’s Health Mythbuster, Matthew Pollard, MD, Jesse N. Mills, MD look at what impact stress really has on the cardiovascular system.

Our #LetsTalkMensHealth section offers clinical tips on the care of male patients. In 2016, articles in this section tackled a variety of subjects, including the Affordable Care Act, epigenetics and genetics, and BPH and prostate cancer prevention.