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A common virus known as adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) appears to kill multiple types of cancer cells, including prostate cancer cells, in laboratory cultures yet has no effect on healthy cells, suggesting its potential to be developed as an anti-cancer agent, according to researchers from Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA.

Up to 84% of doses with the investigational oral phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor avanafil resulted in erections sufficient for vaginal penetration compared with placebo (p

Men who experience signs and symptoms of prostate obstruction resulting from BPH are three times more likely to develop chronic kidney disease, according to a community-based study from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

A new study appearing in JAMA (2005; 294:66-70) suggests there is no specific PSA value that has both high sensitivity and specificity for monitoring healthy men for prostate cancer, but rather there is a continuum of prostate cancer risk at all values of PSA.

Anaheim, CA--Laboratory data from German investigators point to the use of the CD70 protein as a biomarker for clear-cell renal cell carcinoma and suggest that the marker could be useful in differential diagnosis in cases of uncertain histologic classification. This, in turn, could be very important clinically if found to be present in serum or urine.

Washington--The federal government is considering a new, revolutionary method of reimbursing physicians for Medicare services that could ultimately replace the current system that many complain is filled with inequity.

Software promotes accurate prostate staging

Assets in Section 529 plans are not considered student assets in the formulas used to determine financial aid.

The government has no way, nor should they, of determining what's best for that patient.

Three routes have been used with some success and are favored one over the other on the basis of perceived risk to surrounding structures.

Anaheim, CA--Data from a very large, prospective cohort study suggest that men taking statin drugs may reduce their risk of advanced prostate cancer by more than half and reduce their risk of metastatic or fatal disease by more than two-thirds.

Orlando, FL--Adjuvant radiotherapy for pT3 prostate cancer significantly reduces the risk of biochemical progression after radical prostatectomy with a very low rate of side effects, according to a study by German researchers. But a U.S. radiation oncologist said the findings of this and two related studies are not powerful enough to change the current standard of care.

Orlando, FL--In men with early-stage prostate cancer, permanent prostate seed implantation (PPI) appears to be as effective as high-dose conformal proton beam radiotherapy (CPBRT) in terms of biochemical control and reduction of PSA levels, according to findings from a new study.

Orlando, FL--Men with localized prostate cancer who are treated with primary androgen deprivation therapy tend to be older and to have more comorbidities and lower incomes than men treated by other primary therapies, according to a study presented at the 2005 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting.

Orlando, FL--American and British scientists have developed a statistical tool for predicting whether a man will survive his prostate cancer for up to 120 months if it is not treated immediately. Michael W. Kattan, PhD, of The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, said the tool should be helpful in patient counseling and clinical trial design.

Orlando, FL--The PSA era has been marked by a well-known stage migration toward less aggressive and potentially more curable prostate cancer. Research now shows that, during the recent PSA era, PSA doubling times have lengthened and PSA failure rates have dropped. The findings suggest that prostate cancer-specific mortality will continue to decline, according to researchers from Tufts University and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston.

Turf battles appear to be heating up between urologists and two specialist groups.

Orlando, FL--Recent preclinical evidence now suggests that administering androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) concurrently with paclitaxel (Taxol) is more effective than sequential treatment in androgen-dependent prostate cancer. In a study presented at the 2005 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, both time to tumor progression and time to sacrifice were significantly improved in mice treated with the combination therapy compared with sequential therapy.

Q: What does Maintenance of Certification, or MOC, actually mean?

The most important factor in predicting a successful prostatectomy appears to be the overall experience of the surgeon, not the frequency of using a specific approach.

Novartis and the FDA have revised the prescribing information of zoledronic acid (Zometa) to include the occurrence of osteonecrosis of the jaw.

The Alabama Medicaid Agency said last week it will no longer approve phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors for erectile dysfunction.

Decreased expression of a protein known as alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR) in localized prostate cancer may be associated with an increased rate of biochemical recurrence, suggest the findings of a multicenter study.

Men age 45 years and older with diabetes may be more than twice as likely as non-diabetic men to have low testosterone levels, and sexual dysfunction is the most common symptom experienced by men with diabetes and hypogonadism, according to a subset analysis of the Hypogonadism in Males study.

Dutasteride (Avodart) appears to improve the accuracy of prostate biopsies by suppressing blood flow in benign tissue, allowing radiologists to better target cancer tissue using Doppler ultrasound-guided biopsy, according to a small pilot study.

A new high-dose calcitriol pill designed as a cancer therapy, given in combination with docetaxel (Taxotere), appears to extend the lives of men with advanced prostate cancer, according to a recent study.

Botulinum toxin type A (Botox) produces a rapid and sustained reduction in the number of daily incontinence episodes and markedly improves patients' quality of life, according to a European phase II clinical trial presented at the AUA annual meeting.

A new Health Decision Guide for men with BPH is now available on the Mayo Clinic's web site, MayoClinic.com. The guide explains treatment options, including emerging and alternative treatments, to men diagnosed with the condition.

Early prostate cancer antigen (EPCA) successfully detects prostate cancer in its earliest stages, according to a Johns Hopkins study published in Cancer Research (2005 65:4097-100).

AUA released an update of its clinical diagnosis and treatment guidelines for erectile dysfunction during its recent annual meeting.