Groups slam testosterone study, call for retraction
March 31st 2014Three professional medical societies and an international group of 130 scientists and physicians have petitioned JAMA to retract a recent article that reported an association between the use of testosterone therapy and increased risk of death, heart attack, or ischemic stroke.
PVP laser enabling BPH treatment for more patients
March 25th 2014Laser photoselective vaporization prostatectomy is permitting surgical intervention for BPH in a widening array of patients, many of whom harbor comorbidities that would ordinarily exclude them from invasive procedures, according to a new multinational report.
Political battles rule in debate over SGR repeal
March 25th 2014New AUA Director of Government Relations and Advocacy Brad Stine intends to advocate for the AUA’s SGR policy: to gain affirmative repeal of the formula that has proven so troublesome over the years for urologists, whose patient population includes a large percentage of Medicare enrollees.
Are you using the right physical exam templates?
March 24th 2014There are two accepted versions of the E&M documentation guidelines that have been released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: one from 1995 and another from 1997. The main difference between the guidelines lies in the detail that surrounds the appropriate level of documentation for physical examination.
Post-abiraterone enzalutamide use viable in some men
March 21st 2014Although the activity of enzalutamide (XTANDI) is blunted in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have been treated previously with abiraterone acetate (ZYTIGA), a meaningful number of these patients still experience a decline in PSA level with enzalutamide, according to a recent study.
Sequential therapies for metastatic renal cell carcinoma yield similar results
March 21st 2014The sequential use of two targeted treatments for metastatic renal cell carcinoma appears to yield similar total progression-free survival regardless of the order in which they are given, phase III study results indicate.
No link found between testosterone replacement therapy, prostate cancer risk
March 21st 2014Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in hypogonadal men does not appear to increase the risk for prostate cancer, according to an evaluation of 224 men with an indication for prostate biopsy, providing further evidence that TRT need not be avoided in this patient group.
Higher surgeon volume linked to lower RALP costs
March 21st 2014A study from the UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center appears to once again prove that time is money. The study’s findings indicate that up to $15 million could be saved annually by referring patients who are candidates for robot-assisted radical prostatectomy to surgeons and surgical centers with optimal operating times.
Application for pre-chemo use of prostate cancer agent submitted
March 20th 2014Astellas Pharma Inc. and Medivation Inc. have submitted a supplemental new drug application to the FDA seeking approval of enzalutamide (XTANDI) capsules for the treatment of men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have not received chemotherapy.
CMS issues two codes for BPH implant procedure
March 20th 2014The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued two new codes that describe the UroLift implant procedure for the treatment of enlarged prostate in the April 2014 Update of the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS).
Prolapse, SUI treatments found largely equivalent
March 17th 2014For women undergoing surgery for vaginal prolapse and stress urinary incontinence, neither sacrospinous ligament fixation nor uterosacral ligament vaginal vault suspension was superior to the other for functional or adverse event outcomes, according to a recent study.
Drop in PSA screening greatest among urologists
March 17th 2014The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation against routine prostate cancer screening has resulted in a decrease in the number of PSA-based screenings ordered by physicians, with the greatest decline seen among urologists, according to findings of recently published study that one leading prostate cancer expert says raises more questions than it answers.
Studies target BPA, plasticizers in prostate cancer, fecundity
March 10th 2014Levels of bisphenol A in men’s urine could be a marker of prostate cancer, and male exposure to other environmental chemicals used in the manufacture of plastics appear to negatively impact time to pregnancy, two separate studies have found.