Certification, MOC: What's required and what may change
November 21st 2014In this interview, Gerald H. Jordan, MD, executive secretary of the American Board of Urology, discusses various aspects of certification, including the meaning of board eligibility, why the written exam is so difficult, the future of the oral exam, and which urologists are required to undergo maintenance of certification.
Ureteral injury to blame for bladder cancer, death?
November 19th 2014The claim alleged negligence in injuring the right ureter with a retractor during the original operation, and also claimed that the physicians were negligent in opening the bladder when removing part of the left ureter without performing a biopsy first.
Prostate Ca test accurately predicts high-grade disease
November 19th 2014Results from the U.S. validation study of a test that combines plasma levels of four prostate-specific kallikreins with clinical data demonstrated it accurately predicts high-grade prostate cancer and is superior to a validated clinical variable-based risk calculator.
Smoking raises risk of second smoking-related cancer
November 17th 2014Survivors of bladder, kidney, and two other forms of cancer who smoked 20 or more cigarettes a day prior to their cancer diagnoses have an up to fivefold higher risk of developing a second smoking-associated cancer compared to survivors of the same cancers who never smoked.
Fluids, meds highlight ACP stone prevention guide
November 10th 2014Individuals with a history of kidney stones should increase their fluid intake to achieve at least 2 liters of urine per day to prevent recurrence, and if this fails, treatment with a thiazide diuretic, citrate, or allopurinol is recommended, according to a new clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians.
Alternatives to T therapy: Lessons from male infertility
November 7th 2014Whatever the exact mechanism of the increase in desire for testosterone replacement therapy in men, knowing the risks and benefits of testosterone and its alternatives are vital skills for today’s practicing urologist. This article will focus on alternatives to testosterone therapy.
New biomarkers address key aspects of prostate Ca management
November 6th 2014New biomarkers for prostate cancer are showing great promise for addressing the limitations of existing diagnostic and prognostic tools, according to opinion leaders who spoke on this topic at the Large Urology Group Practice Association annual meeting in Chicago.
PAs address shortage, but their role can be controversial
November 6th 2014There has been and remains a shortage of urologists in the United States that is expected to worsen, and experts inside and outside of urology generally agree that physician assistants (PAs) will be called upon increasingly to help shoulder the burden of a declining work force. The remaining question-and a frequently contentious one-is, what specific tasks should these men and women be allowed to carry out.
MRI-targeted prostate biopsy offers four fundamental benefits
November 6th 2014Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a promising tool for optimizing prostate cancer biopsy that appears to overcome the shortcomings of conventional systematic transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided biopsy and also provides novel information for risk stratification that can guide the decision of whether to perform biopsy, according to Samir Taneja, MD.