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A new National Institutes of Health-funded study is recruiting adults newly diagnosed with either painful bladder syndrome or interstitial cystitis to determine if the antidepressant amitriptyline (Elavil) will reduce the pain and frequent urination associated with the conditions.

Leuprolide acetate (Eligard), 45 mg, is now commercially available in the United States for the palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer patients, according to its marketer, Sanofi-Aventis, Bridgewater, NJ.

A test for the urinary biomarker thymosin beta15 (Tbeta15), in combination with PSA testing, can improve both the sensitivity and specificity of prostate cancer diagnosis, according to a study published in the online edition of Prostate (Jan. 21, 2005).

The department of urology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, has welcomed two additions to its faculty: Eric Rovner, MD, and Stephen Savage, MD

The FDA has approved TargetScan, a new device for conducting prostate biopsies.

The fluoroquinolone ciprofloxacin (Cipro) appears to be more effective than amoxicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin) as a treatment for acute uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women, even in those infected with susceptible strains, according to a study published in last week's JAMA (2005; 293:949-55).

APC8015 (Provenge), an investigational form of immunotherapy, significantly improves survival in men with asymptomatic, metastatic androgen-independent prostate cancer compared with patients receiving placebo, according to a study being hailed as the first to show a survival benefit with a vaccine in patients with advanced prostate cancer.

Urologists and other physicians who administer drugs in their offices may have a new option for obtaining the drugs under a proposed rule by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

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Mumbai, India—Overall stone-free rates are significantly improved in patients with renal calculi who undergo ureteroscopy using a ureteral access sheath compared with those treated without access sheaths, report researchers from Duke University, Durham, NC. Stone-free rates are improved for calculi in all portions of the kidney, they said during a presentation at the World Congress on Endourology.

Primary endoscopic treatment of VUR certainly offers a high level of success with minimal morbidity.

The intermediate results are encouraging for the oncologic efficacy of radiofrequency ablation.

Washington—Officials at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have recommended that several urologic procedures be ineligible for reimbursement if they are performed in ambulatory surgical centers.

The ideal management strategy for correction of ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction remains undefined. Open pyeloplasty for correction of UPJ obstruction was first described by Anderson and Hynes over a century ago and remains the gold standard against which we must compare all alternative therapies.

Washington—A majority of recurrent urinary tract infections in women are caused by Escherichia coli bacterial persistence or reinfection with the originally infecting E coli strain, according to findings from a Danish study presented at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

San Francisco—Selected children with persistent vesicoureteral reflux can safely discontinue prophylactic antibiotics without a significant risk of upper tract infections or new renal scarring, according to results of a retrospective Canadian study.

Mumbai, India—Since the introduction of percutaneous endopyelotomy in the mid 1980s, the treatment of adult ureteropelvic junction obstruction has undergone a tremendous change. In addition, with the increasing use of laparoscopy to treat urologic diseases, various endoscopic and laparoscopic techniques now offer success rates comparable to those of the traditional open surgery while minimizing patient morbidity.

Mumbai, India—Two newer techniques offer potential to improve the experience for patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy, according to separate presentations made at the World Congress on Endourology. One study focused on using a plastic model for visualization purposes before operating on complex renal stones, and the other examined the effectiveness of a hemostatic gelatin matrix to seal the percutaneous nephrostomy tract.

San Francisco—New contralateral vesicoureteral reflux occurs more often than previously thought following endoscopic treatment of unilateral VUR and may warrant further treatment, according to a report presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Urology meeting here.

Mumbai, India—More and more urologists are investing in heat-based treatment systems for BPH, and Thayne Larson, MD, a staff member with the Institute of Medical Research in Scottsdale, AZ, wants to make sure they're being smart shoppers.

San Francisco—Endoscopic therapy for vesicoureteral reflux has a high success rate and a low risk of obstruction compared with open surgery, but multiple treatments may be necessary to achieve a cure, results of a meta-analysis of published studies indicate.

Mumbai, India—Rates of surgical and medical therapy for BPH at the county and state levels show significant systematic variation, according to Duke University researchers, who reported their findings during a presentation at the World Congress on Endourology here.

Boston—Findings from analyses of data collected in three large, prospectively followed cohorts show that obesity and weight gain increase the risk of kidney stone formation in younger and older adult men and women, according to recently published research from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston.

San Antonio—A study showing that PSA levels appear to have an inverse relationship with body mass index does no harm to the value of the screening test, says Ian M. Thompson, Jr, MD, one of the study's principal authors. Rather, it provides further evidence that PSA cutoffs alone may not best estimate a man's risk of prostate cancer.

New AUA clinical guidelines on the management of staghorn calculi recommend that most patients with staghorn stones should have percutaneous nephrolithotomy as initial treatment.

ACMI Corp. said it has created a Gynecology and Surgical Specialties business unit to concentrate on growth opportunities in women's health and other key surgical specialties.

Introduction this month of the Men's Health Act would create an Office of Men's Health at the Department of Health & Human Services.

Total operating costs are lower in larger ambulatory surgery centers than in smaller ones, according to a newly released Medical Group Management Association survey.

Pfizer and software giant Microsoft have filed parallel lawsuits against web site operators and spam advertisers that sell illegal "generic" versions of sildenafil citrate (Viagra).

Stevan B. Streem, MD, who developed minimally invasive methods for treating renal blockage and calculi, died Feb. 5, 2005, of complications from melanoma.