AUA, allies critical of GAO self-referral report
August 7th 2013Major organizations representing urology are livid at the conclusions of a new report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, which basically accuses urology practices with in-office intensity-modulated radiation therapy facilities of ripping off Medicare.
GAO takes aim at urologist self-referral-again
August 5th 2013Provision of intensity-modulated radiation therapy services performed by self-referring groups “increased rapidly” between 2006 and 2010 while the rate declined for non-self-referring groups, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office.
Prostate cancer screening decision aids don’t change men’s minds
August 5th 2013Men who receive decision aids about prostate cancer screening appear to have significantly increased knowledge about screening and less conflict about what to do, but the decision aids show little impact on their decision whether or not to be screened.
Technology doesn’t raise overall PCa therapy rate
July 24th 2013The rate of therapy for localized prostate cancer does not rise in markets with higher penetration of robotic surgical technology and intensity-modulated radiation therapy, according to a study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago.
Semi-annual PSA may be safe for men on surveillance
July 18th 2013Some men with low-risk prostate cancer who are being managed by active surveillance can have their PSA levels measured every 6 months instead of every 3 months, researchers reported at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago.
Diabetes drug lowers prostate cancer-specific, all-cause mortality
July 18th 2013In men with diabetes who are diagnosed with prostate cancer, use of metformin reduces both cancer-specific and all-cause mortality, and the treatment benefits increase with increasing cumulative duration of exposure to the drug, according to the results of a retrospective study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago.
Men still want PSA; shared decision making uncommon
July 15th 2013Men plan to continue getting PSA tests despite the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s recommendation against screening, but just over one-third of men report shared decision making for screening with their physician, according to findings from two recently published studies.
Prostate cancer surveillance questioned for African-Americans
July 1st 2013A study of more than 1,800 men ages 52 to 62 years suggests that African-Americans diagnosed with very low-risk prostate cancers are much more likely than Caucasian men to actually have aggressive disease that goes unrecognized with current diagnostic approaches.
Observation safe, cost effective for low-risk prostate cancer
June 24th 2013Observation appears to be safe and more cost effective than immediate treatment for many men with low-risk, localized prostate cancer, according to a recent study from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.