Laser lithotripsy under IV sedation appears safe, effective

For men with prostate cancer, radiation seed implants may yield a better short-term side effect profile than surgery, but surgery may offer slightly better long-term outcomes, new research from French radiation oncologists indicates.

More than 90% of men who receive appropriate radiation dose levels with permanent radiation seed implants to treat their prostate cancer are cured of the disease 8 years after diagnosis, according to a recent study in the International Journal for Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (2007; 67:327-33).

Atlanta-Tissue engineering research has grown by leaps and bounds in the past decade and a half, yielding findings that may someday have a profound impact on the field of pediatric urology. At the 2006 American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Urology annual meeting here, several groups presented cutting-edge data on novel systems for organ generation, including research demonstrating the feasibility of generating a functioning bladder from stem cells.

Three-fourths of men treated with a combination of radiation seed implants and external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer are cured of their disease 15 years following their treatment, according to a study published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics (2007; 67:57-64).

Patients who have undergone gastric bypass surgery for morbid obesity have increased risk factors for the formation of kidney stones, according to a study by Mayo Clinic researchers.

Ann Arbor, MI-Surgeon age is not a significant predictor of risk of mortality after cystectomy, according to the results of a recently published study from researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Ann Surg 2006; 244:353-62).