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New York-Some prostate cancer patients may be running to the healthfood store for supplements like PC-SPES, but the supplement cannot competewith other tried and true hormonal therapies, at least in men with androgen-dependentdisease, according to William Oh, MD.

Bangkok, Thailand-Newer, minimally invasive treatment modalitiesfor renal tumors, including cryotherapy, microwave therapy, and radiofrequency(RF) ablation have recently been studied as alternatives to traditionalopen surgery. RF ablation of small renal tumors, albeit in its infancy,is feasible and promising, suggest researchers from Washington UniversitySchool of Medicine in St. Louis and Long Island Jewish Medical Center inNew Hyde Park, NY. Close follow-up is required in these patients to ensurecomplete eradication of the tumor.

Chicago-Physicians appear to be inflating the costs of treating uncomplicatedurinary tract infections in women, and possibly promoting resistance toantibiotics, by ignoring treatment guidelines, a new study suggests.

President's comment during State of the Union address re-ignites debateover right to sueWashington-Lobbyists for insurance companies, the managed care industry,and dozens of large trade associations are worried. Their long-time ally,President Bush, has been talking to one of their biggest enemies, Sen. TedKennedy, about, heaven forbid, managed care reform.

Because of its occasional dramatic effect in the treatment of androgen-independentprostate cancer, PC-SPES, a mixture of eight Chinese herbs, has awakenedphysician interest in herbal remedies, dietary modifications, vitamins,minerals, and supplements (see related article, page 12). What not so manyyears ago was considered "alternative medicine" has moved steadilyinto the realm of acceptance as indicated by the current terminology, "complementary,or integrated, medicine," and is now beginning to reach the mainstreamof traditional care.

Knowing topics ahead of a meeting with your attorney will eliminate wastedtimeQ I have finally made an appointment with my attorney for estate planning.Since his fees are billed hourly, what can I do to be better prepared forour meeting?

New screening techniques will help IRS decide which tax returns are trulyin errorThe good news about the Internal Revenue Service is that its rate ofaudits has been steadily declining in recent years. The bad news is thatthe IRS's current budget allocates more funds to "taxpayer compliance."

Inflammatory e-mails, or 'flames,' can be archived and used against youin litigation

Varicocele was first recognized by Lawrence Dubin, MD, and Richard D.Amelar, MD, as the male reproductive anatomic anomaly most amenable to surgicalcorrection. Varicocelectomy has long since played an important role in theurologist's toolbox. Yet with the emergence of intracytoplasmic sperm injection, a variantof in vitro fertilization in which a single sperm is injected into an ovum,some have questioned the utility of all forms of reproductive therapy otherthan assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). Among many papers presentedat the American Society for Reproductive Medicine annual meeting-and reportedin this issue of Urology Times-several supported the continued role forvaricocelectomy.

Section 530 of tax law allows relief from tax liability if two conditionsare satisfiedEmployment taxes paid on the "wages" of a urology practice'sprincipal may only be a matter of several hundred dollars each year, butover the course of a career, it can add up.

As of January 4, the final Stark II rules became effective. These federalregulations will have a profound effect on the relationship between urologypractices and the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Their impact extends farbeyond lithotripsy, which has been the primary concern of many urologists,to virtually every aspect of their practices. Practices that have not conformedto the requirements of these new regulations are exposed to financial penaltiesand other severe sanctions.

Rome-The prospects for safe and effective therapy for male erectiledysfunction have never looked brighter, according to experts speaking atthe 4th Congress of the European Society for Sexual and Impotence Researchhere. Results from clinical trials of new oral medications are particularlypromising, but research on other, non-oral agents also showed promise inpatients who fail to respond to oral treatment.

New Products as presented in the February 2002 issue of Urology Times.

Orlando, FL-Is assisted reproduction technology (ART) a better way to deal with varicocele-related infertility, or is surgical repair the better choice? Given the high pregnancy success of ART, the optimal management of infertility secondary to varicocele is unclear," said Paul J. Turek, MD, associate professor of urology, University of California, San Francisco.

Jena, Germany-Botulinum toxin has shown promise as a potential therapy for chronic pelvic pain and lower urinary tract dysfunction. In a German study, injection of botulinum toxin type A into the urethral sphincter muscle led to improvement in muscle tone, pain, and urodynamic parameters in patients enrolled.

Orlando, FL-Infertile men are at increased risk for testicular cancer compared with the general population. That is the disturbing conclusion reached by researchers at the New York Weill-Cornell Medical Center, following a study of 4,470 men over a 13-year period.

San Francisco-Despite a settlement by TAP Pharmaceuticals last fall on charges concerning fraudulent pricing and marketing of leuprolide acetate (Lupron)

New Products as presented in the January 2002 issue of Urology Times

Unfortunately, infection associated with placement of a penile prosthesis is infrequent, occurring in about 1% to 3% of cases. In the past, this was a catastrophic occurrence that necessitated the removal of the implant and a later return for replacement, if the patient wished.

Chicago-A mixed serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor appears to reduce the symptoms associated with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and improve the quality of life in patients receiving it, according to findings from a phase II clinical trial presented at the American Urogynecologic Society 22nd annual scientific meeting here. While the agent, duloxetine, is still investigational, observers say the prospects for a pharmacologic approach to stress incontinence are promising.

New York-Treatment with oral desmopressin significantly reduces the rateof nocturnal voiding episodes in men with nocturia, results of a placebo-controlledtrial suggest. One-third of men treated with desmopressin (DDAVP) had at least a 50%reduction in nighttime voiding compared with 3% of placebo-treated patientsafter 3 weeks.

New York-Recently published data could better help diagnose and select treatments for infertile couples, targeting treatments likely to work and perhaps sparing some patients invasive, high-cost treatments less likely to prove effective.

Patients with metastatic renal cell cancer historically have had a poorprognosis, and attempts with hormonal therapy and chemotherapy have haddisappointing results. In this exclusive Urology Times interview, W. MarstonLinehan, MD, discusses new treatment strategies for renal cell carcinoma,including multimodality therapy with surgery and systemic therapy, and adoptiveimmunotherapy. Dr. Linehan is chief of urologic surgery at the NationalCancer Institute, Bethesda, MD. UT Editorial Consultant Andrew C. Novick,MD, chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Urological Institute, conducted theinterview.

It's time to add electronic medical records, or EMR, to the list of buzzwordscommon in medical practices today. This new technology, although in itsinfancy, has the opportunity to facilitate many of the goals common to allpractices-efficiency, correct coding, Medicare and HIPAA compliance, andimproved outcomes. We are in a new age of medicine, and EMR technology willtransform the way you practice.

New Orleans-The radioactive seeds implanted during prostate brachytherapyapparently find their way into the lungs of more than one-third of patients,according to researchers from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Universityof Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick.

Washington-Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD has been named the firsturologist to head the National Cancer Institute. Dr. von Eschenbach, 60, comes to NCI from the University of Texas M.D.Anderson Cancer Center, where he was director of the Genitourinary Centerand director of the Prostate Cancer Research Program. A prolific investigator,Dr. von Eschenbach has published hundreds of papers on prostate cancer,cancer biology, and urologic surgery.

Washington-Despite the combined efforts of the American LithotripsySociety and the Urology Society of America to delay implementation of theStark II regulations until a lawsuit is brought before the courts, the groups'injunction has been denied by the Federal District Court. The setback essentiallyclears the way for the Stark II regulations to encompass lithotripsy whenthe rules go into effect this month.

Concerns related to stem cell research and human cloning appear to havebeen resolvedWashington-Even though Congress is heavily embroiled in issues resultingfrom the Sept. 11 catastrophe, health care strategists are trying to figureout how to move several Medicare issues of importance to urologists andother physicians. At the same time, important decisions are being made onsuch key policy concerns as stem cell research, human cloning, and eventhe shortage of nurses.

Unique tax laws make fringe benefits affordable to employees and principalsalikeWhen it comes to today's employment picture, we live in a strange world.A high school student is paid $10 per hour to sit inside while a successfulexecutive pumps his or her own gas out in the rain. The manager of the fast-foodplace down the street sides with a surly employee because it is far easierto attract customers than to find and train new employees. And the conveniencestore on the corner is offering unheard-of wages plus fringe benefits andcannot find applicants.

Shiga, Japan-The improvement of interstitial cystitis symptoms with a still-investigational oral agent correlates well with a reduction in bladder platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor/thymidine phosphorylase (PD-ECGF/TP) expression, suggesting the agent's potential for treating symptoms in patients with nonulcerative IC.