Sling shows higher overall success than Burch in treating stress urinary incontinence
July 1st 2007Two-year results of the prospective, randomized Stress Incontinence Surgical Treatment Efficacy Trial (SISTEr) show significantly higher success rates in women who undergo the rectus fascial pubovaginal sling procedure compared to those in women who receive a Burch colposuspension.
Robotic radical prostatectomy shows good oncologic, functional outcomes
July 1st 2007Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy provides very promising functional and oncologic results, and may very well be the future in minimally invasive techniques in the treatment of localized prostate cancer.
Gene therapy may yield marked improvement in ED
June 21st 2007Injection of a gene therapy vector in rats with erectile dysfunction enabled the return of normal function within 4 weeks, according to a study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The research may be the first step in developing a new mode of long-term ED treatment, researchers say.
Failed treatment in high-risk prostate cancer patients is often local
June 21st 2007Treatment failure in patients at high risk for prostate cancer is primarily local, with a markedly low metastatic failure incidence, researchers from the Southwest Oncology Group recently reported. Further, at all postsurgical PSA levels, additional radiation to the prostate bed lowers metastatic disease risk and biochemical failure.
Type of specialist may influence prostate cancer treatment
June 21st 2007For patients with localized prostate cancer, the type of specialist seen may affect the type of therapy they receive, according to a study from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Specifically, men between the ages of 65 to 69 years who see a urologist would have a greater likelihood of undergoing prostate surgery, but those who consult both a radiation oncologist and a urologist- regardless of age-would likely receive radiation therapy.
Specialty alliance applauds proposed Medicare voluntary reporting act
June 21st 2007A new bill introduced in the U.S. Senate, The Voluntary Medicare Quality Reporting Act of 2007, S. 1519, is being applauded by the Washington-based Alliance of Specialty Medicine, which has sought such a reporting system with a phase-in period.
Florida urologist dies in plane crash
June 7th 2007Urologist Freddy A. Camuzzi, MD, 60, of Largo, FL, died when the single-engine airplane he was piloting crashed at a remote mountain airstrip in North Carolina. Charles R. "Chas" Freeble, III, MD, 59, a St. Petersburg, FL, cardiologist and internist, and Kathleen Campbell Freeble, 59, Dr. Freeble's wife, were also killed in the crash, the St. Petersburg Times reported.
High pre-treatment PSA velocity predicts worse outcome
June 7th 2007A pre-treatment rate of PSA velocity of more than 2.0 ng/mL per year is strongly associated with a high risk of death from prostate cancer, a study to be published in the July 1 issue of Cancer suggests. Elevated PSA velocity was a stronger poor prognostic factor than any other single high-risk indicator, such as a biopsy Gleason score greater than 7, a PSA level of 10.0 ng/mL, or an advanced disease category.
Heavy multivitamin use may be linked to advanced prostate cancer
June 7th 2007While regular multivitamin use is not linked with early or localized prostate cancer, taking too many multivitamins may be associated with an increased risk for advanced prostate cancers, according to a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2007; 99:754-64).
FDA will accept interim data for prostate cancer immunotherapy license
June 7th 2007Dendreon Corp. said it has received confirmation that the FDA will accept either a positive interim or final analysis of survival from its ongoing IMPACT (Immunotherapy for Prostate AdenoCarcinoma Treatment) study to amend the biologics license application (BLA) for sipuleucel-T (Provenge), a form of immunotherapy in late-stage development for the treatment of hormone-refractory prostate cancer.
Data analysis confirms BPH as progressive disease
June 1st 2007Results from a recent study that systematically analyzed the data of placebo-controlled trials in patients with BPH confirm that BPH is a progressive disease on the basis of worsening prostate volume, maximum urinary flow, and symptom score, as well as the rate of prostate-related surgery and acute urinary retention.
Mind your PQRI: Participating can mean a bonus for you
June 1st 2007The Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) is a program established at the end of last year to provide incentive funding for physicians to begin submitting data that will be used to make Medicare a smarter purchaser of health care.
Study: Both TOT and TVT are safe, effective
June 1st 2007Results of an Italian study comparing transobturator suburethral tape (TOT) and tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) show both surgical techniques to be equally efficient at a follow-up of nearly 3 years in women suffering from stress urinary incontinence.
Data analysis confirms BPH as progressive disease
June 1st 2007Results from a recent study that systematically analyzed the data of placebo-controlled trials in patients with BPH confirm that BPH is a progressive disease on the basis of worsening prostate volume, maximum urinary flow, and symptom score, as well as the rate of prostate-related surgery and acute urinary retention.