All News

Boston-Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist therapy for locoregional prostate cancer is associated with significantly increased risks of diabetes as well as cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality, according to the results of a population-based, observational cohort study.

Miami-Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in radical prostatectomy specimens is an independent predictor of prostate cancer recurrence, according to a study reported by researchers from the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine.

The tubeless PNL approach provided the greatest comfort for the patient.

It is not enough to maintain control over the profitability of your practice. In order to gain control, you need to know the cost of each procedure you perform in the office, the reimbursement from each of your payers, and the profit margin for each service you offer your patients.

Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has submitted a new drug application to the FDA seeking approval for a once-daily formulation of trospium chloride (Sanctura XR) to treat patients with overactive bladder.

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, are hoping a new gene therapy that takes a gene called RTVP-1 directly into the prostate tumor will prove effective in preventing recurrence of the disease.

Treatment with the investigational agent toremifene citrate (Acapodene) decreased the incidence of prostate cancer by 1 year in patients with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Urology (2006; 176:965-71).

Patients with BPH who were treated with the investigational drug NX-1207 showed a total pooled mean improvement of 9.35 points in the primary outcome endpoint of AUA Symptom Score values at 3 months, researchers from Nymox Pharmaceutical Corp. reported.

Phase III of the double-blind, randomized Satraplatin and Prednisone Against Refractory Cancer (SPARC) trial has shown a 40% reduction in the risk of disease progression in patients who received satraplatin plus prednisone.

Patients with locally advanced prostate cancer who are treated with a combination of radiotherapy and hormone therapy gain as much as 12% longer progression-free survival compared with those given radiotherapy alone, Italian research suggests.

Physicians should consider the impact of a patient's body mass index, regardless of race, when interpreting prostate cancer screening test results, according to the authors of a study to be published in Cancer.

Innsbruck, Austria-Stem-cell repair of the body is an exciting prospect and a dream for medicine's future. But in Austria, the future is now.

Irvine, CA-The Cryocare CN2 System from Endocare, Inc. has received 510K clearance from the FDA. The device uses the freezing capability of nitrogen at the point between gas and liquid-"critical nitrogen"-to destroy cancerous tissue quicker and more cost-effectively than argon can, according to the manufacturer. The speed and precision of this new technology can expedite procedures, Endocare says, because it is easy to use and it delivers a colder, more powerful ice ball at the end of the probes.

Irvine, CA-The Cryocare CN2 System from Endocare, Inc. has received 510K clearance from the FDA. The device uses the freezing capability of nitrogen at the point between gas and liquid-"critical nitrogen"-to destroy cancerous tissue quicker and more cost-effectively than argon can, according to the manufacturer. The speed and precision of this new technology can expedite procedures, Endocare says, because it is easy to use and it delivers a colder, more powerful ice ball at the end of the probes.

Cleveland-Laparoscopic cryoablation can be used to treat cystic renal tumors in highly selected patients, according to the results of a small series from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Preston, United Kingdom-MRI scans proved to be an effective way to diagnose colo-vesical fistula in patients in a small study from the United Kingdom. The MRI group was compared with a retrospective group of patients who had been previously treated for the condition.

Cleveland-If you could see into a kidney, prostate gland, or bladder and know the extent of tumor penetration, the precise location of nerve bundles and blood vessels, or the exact depth and angle of your blade vis-?is the tumor at any given moment, how would it change surgery for you?

Minneapolis-For men suffering from the most common sexual dysfunction, premature ejaculation, an investigational drug therapy may offer improved control over ejaculation and sexual satisfaction with a relatively low incidence of side effects.

San Antonio-The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) showed conclusively that finasteride (Proscar), a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of BPH, reduced the incidence of prostate cancer by nearly 25%. Continuing analysis of data from that trial now show the drug also enhances detection of prostate cancer by significantly improving the specificity of the PSA assay, according to a study published recently in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2006: 98:1128-33).

New Hyde Park, NY-As difficult as laparoscopic cases in urology are now, the complication rates have not increased, according to a retrospective chart analysis of the complications associated with nearly 3,000 laparoscopic procedures at a high-volume center. The data, compiled over a 12-year period at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, were reported at the 2006 AUA annual meeting in Atlanta.

Cleveland-The news regarding laparoscopic cryoablation for renal tumors has been almost uniformly good, but supporters of the technique received a splash of cold water at the World Congress of Endourology here.

New York-Partial nephrectomy for small renal cortical tumors, while perhaps a more challenging procedure than radical nephrectomy, significantly delays the onset of kidney disease when compared with the far more common radical procedure, according to a retrospective study from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York.

Cleveland-Patients undergoing laparoscopic radical prostatectomy can expect continuing improvement in urinary and sexual functions for up to 2 years after the procedure, according to a single-institution study from the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, presented here at the 2006 World Congress of Endourology.

As a physician still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, I know first hand the importance of backing up your electronic data.

Linthicum, MD-A number of observers are hopeful that physicians will get significant help in adopting electronic health records, now that the federal government has published final rules allowing surprisingly broad avenues for donations of EHR items and services to health care providers.

Orange, CA-A dedicated laparoscopic training program has been shown to offer an excellent start to postgraduate urologists in performing laparoscopic urologic procedures. However, participants are unlikely to sustain the skills acquired in this intensive 5-day training program unless they incorporate laparoscopic procedures into their practice. Further, being able to work with a team of urologists immediately after completing this training also bolsters the learning curve.

Cleveland-For now, laparoscopic cryoablation appears to be more effective than both radiofrequency (RF) ablation and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in the treatment of small renal tumors, a group of Austrian researchers reported here at the 2006 World Congress of Endourology.

Atlanta-Marrow stem cells may one day be used to cure incontinence by reconstructing the sphincter, new research from Germany suggests.

Pittsburgh-North America has now entered the competition to treat urinary incontinence with autologous muscle-derived cells with a human trial in seven patients. The prize is actual reconstruction of continence mechanisms.

Leaders from the ambulatory surgery center industry and associations with a focus on health care quality and safety have formed a leadership group called the ASC Quality Collaboration.