All News

Researchers from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor havedeveloped and validated a new questionnaire to assesshealth-related quality of life outcomes among patients treated forbladder cancer, it was reported here yesterday.

Urologists continue to perform substantial numbers of majorsurgical procedures despite having predominantly office-basedpractices, according to data on recent candidates for certificationand recertification by the American Board of Urology.

Chronic prostatic inflammation may increase the chance that a manwill develop prostate cancer, suggesting that men with inflammationon biopsy may need to be followed more closely and perhaps evenre-biopsied more aggressively, even if there is no evidence ofcancer.

"It's an exciting year, with a lot of good presentations andinteresting panel discussions," J. Brantley Thrasher, MD, chair ofAUA's Public Media Committee, told members of the media at abriefing here yesterday, and to illustrate his point, he guidedthem on a whirlwind summary of the highlights of the 101st AUAannual meeting.

Welcome to the first of five special daily issues of Urology TimesE-news Daily Meeting Report, devoted to coverage of the 2006 AUAannual meeting in Atlanta. Over the next five days, the editors of Urology Times will bringyou a quick recap of news and information from urology's biggestevent, as it occurs.

Outsourcing may help meet the needs of non-recurring professional services.

There is a story of a little boy who goes to the dentist and asks,"Do I really have to floss?" The dentist replies, "Only the teethyou want to keep!"

When doctors get together to discuss practice problems, sooner orlater, someone will tell a horror story about a trusted employeewho stole money. Could that happen in your practice? Beforeinsisting it couldn't, ask yourself how much you really know aboutthe backgrounds of those who handle your office payments, payroll,and finances. How carefully did you investigate their credit andcriminal records or their employment and personal references?

White Plains, NY-ProStream with ETP+ is a new prostate MRIproduct from CAD Sciences that delivers simultaneous high temporaland high spatial resolution of the prostate in dynamiccontrast-enriched series. The device uses a series of proprietarysoftware algorithms-not an endorectal coil-to calculatetissue permeability and extracellular volume fraction and creates ahybrid image series from acquired data, ensuring high spatialresolution and signal-to-noise. Imaging workflow is streamlinedbecause technicians do not need to position the endorectal coil,and the cost of disposable coils is eliminated.

A second phase III trial of Bioniche Life Science's proprietary mycobacterial cell wall-DNA complex (MCC [Urocidin]) has been given the green light by FDA. The double-blind study will randomize approximately 630 patients at sites in North America and Europe comparing the agent to bacillus Calmette-Guerin as first-line therapy in superficial bladder cancer at high risk of recurrence or progression.

Paris-Botulinum toxin A (Botox) proves to be a safe,effective treatment modality in combating overactive bladdersymptoms in patients with idiopathic detrusor overactivity, Britishresearchers reported at the European Association of Urology annualcongress here.

Clearwater Beach, FL-Treating incontinence in children withsystemic medications should be considered a last resort, andalthough several products are available for treatment ofincontinence in adults, there have been few studies in children.

Brisbane, Australia-A diverse array of difficult stone cases discussed at the Urological Society of Australasia meeting here made two points very clear. First, no single treatment strategy will be appropriate for every case. Second, treatment approach should be decided upon only after comprehensively reviewing multiple factors, including the patient's age, weight, general health, and comorbidities in addition to stone size, number, and location.

Clearwater Beach, FL-Pelvic floor therapy-teachingchildren to control their bladders through various exercises thatinclude biofeedback techniques-has come of age, and PatrickH. McKenna, MD, has the statistics to prove its success.

Brisbane, Australia-Failure of midurethral sling surgery isoften blamed on poor surgical technique, inappropriate indicationsfor surgery, or the sling material itself, according to CindyAmundsen, MD, associate professor of urogynecology at DukeUniversity Medical Center, Durham, NC. Nevertheless, surgeons cantake a number of steps to avoid failure and minimize complications.

Brisbane, Australia-Female urology is a rapidly changing andwide-ranging specialty that requires special expertise, accordingto George Webster, MD, professor of urology and head of the sectionof reconstructive urology, female urology, and urodynamics at DukeUniversity Medical Center, Durham, NC. Because of the highfrequency of concomitant stress incontinence and pelvic prolapse,surgeons must take an integrated approach to correcting bothconditions.

Brisbane, Australia-The artificial urinary sphincter provides"predictable success" in men who suffer from urinary incontinenceafter radical prostatectomy, according to George Webster, MD,professor of urology and head of the section of reconstructiveurology, female urology, and urodynamics at Duke University MedicalCenter, Durham, NC. Functional problems requiring a secondprocedure are not an uncommon problem with the device, he toldattendees at the Urological Society of Australasia annual meetinghere.

When IIEF-EF scores for group on-demand and rehabilitative therapywere compared, there was no significant difference (p=0.31).

Paris-Although a male condition, premature ejaculation has asignificant impact on women, according to a multinational studyanalyzing the effects of premature ejaculation on women and on menwho suffer from it presented by Italian researchers at the EuropeanAssociation of Urology annual congress here.

Brisbane, Australia-Declines in PSA levels and transrectalultrasound prostate volume appear to be useful when evaluatingendoscopic treatment techniques for BPH that do not retrievetissue, according to New Zealand researchers.

Munich, Germany-The phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitorvardenafil hydrochloride (Levitra) is a safe and effective optionin the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men being treated withcommon medications for hypertension, researchers report in a recentstudy published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine (2005; 2:856-64).Both hypertension and the drugs used to treat it have been known toadversely affect erectile function.

The major discussions of advances in understanding and treating BPHmay take place in the hallways rather than in the official meetingrooms during this month's AUA annual meeting, Claus G. Roehrborn,MD, professor and chairman of the department of urology at theUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, toldUrology Times.

It's safe to say that when the sequencing of the human genome wascompleted in April 2003, the diagnosis and treatment of maleinfertility was turned on its ear.

Urologists attending the 2006 AUA annual meeting can look forwardto hearing about promising new reconstructive techniques for malegenital disorders. Studies will spotlight a number of approachesthat are at various stages of maturity, including some that arebeing reported for the very first time.

Advances in stem cell therapy trials and minimally invasivesurgical procedures are key trends in urinary incontinence that arelikely to emerge at this month's AUA annual meeting. In both humanand animal trials, skeletal muscle cells show significant promiseas an eventual replacement for surgery in treating stressincontinence, said Shlomo Raz, MD, director of female urology,urodynamics, and reconstructive surgery at the UCLA Medical Center.

We are gathering valuable information about the roles of geneticsand diet.

Urologists should begin to assess whether ablative techniques forsmall renal tumors are feasible within their own practiceenvironment.

Attendees at the AUA annual meeting will hear about a number ofexciting developments relating to the treatment of male sexualdysfunction and will learn about important epidemiologic researchthat could have significant implications for clinical management,according to Gregory A. Broderick, MD, professor of urology, MayoClinic, Jacksonville, FL.

Slow, steady, and encouraging are the most appropriate terms todescribe recent changes in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma.Breakthroughs are on the horizon, and two new drugs andevolutionary advances in surgical technique add up to a hopefulpicture.

Pediatric urologists trained solely in traditional surgical methodswould be well advised to use their CME credits for courses inlaparoscopic and robotic surgery techniques. That, says Howard M.Snyder, III, MD, is inevitably the direction in which thesubspecialty is headed.