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An effort by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to prevent physicians from administering anatomic pathology diagnostic testing services performed in so-called "pod labs" has been temporarily stalled by a U.S. District Court judge in a case brought by Uropath, LLC and several urology groups.

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common problem estimated to affect between 20% and 40% of men. The distress of this condition is actually felt by both partners.

FDA granted approval yesterday to alvimopan (Entereg), a drug that accelerates the restoration of normal bowel function in patients 18 years and over who have undergone partial large or small bowel resection surgery. Alvimopan will be used in hospitalized patients, who can receive no more than 15 doses.

Men facing treatment for BPH can expect similar outcomes after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) or photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP), according to results of a multicenter head-to-head comparison of the two treatments, presented at the AUA annual meeting.

Testicular hypotrophy in adult infertile men is about two times more common in patients with varicoceles than in those without varicoceles, researchers from Brown University, Providence, RI, reported at the AUA annual meeting.

Pediatric oncologists appear strongly motivated to preserve fertility in male adolescent cancer patients, although there remains a disconnect between their attitudes and practices with respect to referring patients for available services, according to results of the Survey for Preservation of Adolescent REproduction (SPARE) study.

Results of a study based on data from approximately 43,400 men show risks of developing melanoma and prostate cancer are increased among those with a diagnosis of male factor infertility, reported researchers from the University of California, San Francisco.

A trial without catheter (TWOC) following an average of 3 days of catheterization has become standard practice in men with acute urinary retention (AUR) associated with BPH. Now the results of a study presented here have shown that the administration of an alpha-blocker prior to a TWOC can significantly increase the chances of TWOC success.

The combination of dutasteride (Avodart) and tamsulosin (Flomax) provides significantly greater improvement in International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and patient-reported quality of life than either therapy alone in men with BPH who are at increased risk of progression, according to a 2-year analysis of data from the 4-year Combination of Avodart and Tamsulosin (CombAT) trial.

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The Arthur Smith Institute for Urology at the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System's Center for Advanced Medicine has appointed Joph Steckel, MD, as vice chairman of urology at North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY.

A retrospective study of patients seen at the University of Chicago suggests that adjuvant chemotherapy is an essential part of the treatment protocol for lymph node-positive bladder cancer.

FDA has cleared the use of the implantable Beacon electromagnetic transponders with Calypso Medical's Calypso System in external beam radiation therapy for post-prostatectomy patients. Previously, the system (known as "GPS for the Body") was cleared solely for use in patients with an intact prostate.

An adjustable bladder support offers an effective, minimally invasive strategy for treating stress urinary incontinence (SUI), an investigator in a multicenter trial reported at the AUA annual meeting.

A once-daily oxybutynin topical gel for overactive bladder exhibited steady-state pharmacokinetics similar to that of the oxybutynin patch (Oxytrol) in a study presented at the AUA annual meeting. The presentation reviewed comparative data between the currently marketed patch and a 10% w/w ethanolic gel, which is nearing commercial availability.

Use of dead space within a ureteroscope can enhance its performance and reduce intrarenal pressure without compromising the efficiency and structural integrity of the instrument, Joseph V. DiTrolio, MD, of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Roseland, reported at the AUA annual meeting.

Dapoxetine, a drug currently under investigation for the treatment of premature ejaculation, provides significant improvement in the sexual function of men and their sexual partners, according to the results of a recent multinational study presented here.

Patients undergoing shock wave lithotripsy are significantly more likely to undergo a subsequent surgical procedure than are patients undergoing ureteroscopy, according to results of a study designed to investigate real-world practice patterns in surgical therapy for urinary lithiasis. Researchers from Duke University, Durham, NC, reported the finding at the AUA annual meeting yesterday.

Robotic image-guided surgery (RIGS) with the daVinci-S surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA) demonstrated feasibility and enhanced tumor resection in a series of mock surgeries, investigators reported at the AUA annual meeting.

Biolitec has launched the 150-watt Evolve side-firing diode laser unit, which the company says precisely ablates and coagulates prostate tissue, resulting in shorter procedures and recovery times.

Results of a survey of Peyronie's disease knowledge and practice patterns among urologists in the United States raise concerns and speak to the need for developing Peyronie's disease guidelines, John P. Mulhall, MD, said at the AUA annual meeting.

Salvage cryotherapy for locally recurrent prostate cancer following primary radiotherapy is curative in approximately one-third of men after 10 years of follow-up, according to results of a retrospective chart review investigating long-term treatment outcomes.

Results of a retrospective multinational collaborative study undertaken to identify factors predicting long-term, prostate cancer-specific survival in men with node-positive prostate cancer confirm that excellent clinical outcomes can be achieved when these patients are treated with a multimodal approach combining radical prostatectomy, pelvic lymph node dissection, and adjuvant hormonal treatment, investigators reported at the AUA annual meeting.

Men who receive some form of radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer have an elevated risk of developing bladder and rectal cancers later, University of Miami researchers reported here.

Following traditional surgical procedures with topical and systemic testosterone therapy may have a profound effect on recovery from balanitis xerotica obliterans (BXO), according to a study presented by Charles L. Secrest, MD, of the Mississippi Urology Clinic in Jackson.

Treatment options are few for interstitial cystitis patients, especially for those with refractory disease. Frustratingly, trial after trial of promising therapies have shown no real improvement compared with placebo. But yesterday, that changed with presentation of the results of a trial of intravesical alkalinized lidocaine.

Young children who present with calcifications in the ureter on computed tomography scans may not have ureteral stones, but may simply have a history of receiving dextranomer/hyaluronic acid copolymer (Dx/HA [Deflux]) injections for the treatment of vesicoureteral reflux, according to pediatric urologists from Emory University in Atlanta. Their study findings were presented as a word of caution to radiologists and emergency room physicians who may suspect stones in children with abdominal pain and associated imaging findings.

The Surgical Trainees Interested in Laparoscopic and robotic Urological Surgery Group (STILUS) is launching the first phase of its new web site at the AUA annual meeting here this week. STILUS comprises physicians who are mentors and tutors in the field of urologic minimally invasive surgery. Its goal is to encourage and enhance the training of young urologists in endourology.

Radical prostatectomy patients are most likely to employ pharmacotherapy for erectile dysfunction in the immediate postoperative period, with those who undergo laparoscopic/robotic prostatectomy having the greatest rate of usage, investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston reported here.

Patients who undergo external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) either as primary treatment for prostate cancer or for post-prostatectomy positive margins are at increased risk of mortality if they later develop bladder or colorectal secondary malignancies, researchers from the University of California Davis in Sacramento reported here.