Test predicts prostate cancer radiation therapy failure
February 3rd 2014A genomic test capable of predicting the probability of developing metastatic prostate cancer outperformed existing clinical risk factors for predicting biochemical failure and distant metastasis following radiation therapy, researchers reported at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco.
Prostate cancer tests guide treatment, identify aggressive disease
January 31st 2014Separate studies at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium highlighted the utility of prostate cancer tests Prolaris and ConfirmMDx for Prostate Cancer for treatment planning and identifying aggressive disease, respectively.
Anti-androgen’s benefit in chemo-naïve men tops prostate cancer news
January 31st 2014The androgen-receptor blocker enzalutamide (XTANDI) increases survival by 29% in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and delays progression of the disease by 81%, according to new phase III study results in men who had not previously received chemotherapy.
Breast cancer drug may play role in bladder cancer
January 27th 2014Mayo Clinic researchers have found amplification of HER2, a known driver of some breast cancers, in micropapillary urothelial carcinoma and have shown that the presence of HER2 amplification is associated with particularly aggressive tumors.
Nevada shooting update: Experts question surgery link
January 24th 2014There is no evidence that vasectomy leads to significant health problems, making it unlikely that the Urology Nevada patient who took the life of one urologist and injured another was suffering from the effects of “botched” surgery, say two urologists who are experts in vasectomy.
ICSI outcomes similar with fresh, frozen sperm
January 22nd 2014In men with nonobstructive azoospermia, frozen and fresh testicular sperm offer similar fertilization and pregnancy rates, according to the authors of a meta-analysis who say it is the first such study to specifically address the fresh-versus-frozen debate in this population.
Study may explain exercise, prostate cancer outcome link
January 20th 2014Men who walked at a fast pace prior to prostate cancer diagnosis had more regularly shaped blood vessels in their prostate tumors compared with men who walked slowly, providing a potential explanation for why exercise is linked to improved outcomes for men with prostate cancer.
Robotic partial nephrectomy: Renal function loss low in CKD patients
January 20th 2014Patients with chronic kidney disease who undergo robot-assisted partial nephrectomy for kidney cancer have minimal loss of renal function-a smaller amount even than patients with normal kidney function, according to researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, who say their study is the largest of its kind.
Surgery type has no effect on high-risk prostate cancer outcomes
January 20th 2014Type of surgical approach-open or robot assisted-appears to have no effect on specific clinical outcomes in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy for high-risk prostate cancer, nor does the procedure influence the pathway subsequent therapy might follow, according to a recent study.
High demand for academic urology positions, according to survey
January 20th 2014Results from a survey of members of the Society of University Urologists (SUU) highlight the current work force shortage in academic urology and provide information that is instructive for both academicians and urologists-in-training who are planning their career, said Joshua Langston, MD, at the 2013 American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress in Washington.
Protocol may eliminate need for opioids after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy
January 20th 2014More than 85% of patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy may not require opioid analgesia either immediately post-op, in hospital, or upon release, according to a recent study.
Urologist, former regulator shares FDA insights
January 16th 2014Urologist Daniel Shames, MD, has had a unique and varied career, with stops in clinical practice, the FDA, and his current role as a consultant to the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Shames’ wide-ranging experience brings an insightful perspective on the topics he discusses in this interview: what goes into FDA drug approvals, quality of life endpoints, and the Sunshine Act.