Men's Health

"Avoiding unnecessary biopsies should be a high-priority goal for us all," writes J. Brantley Thrasher, MD.

An ongoing phase II trial investigating abiraterone acetate (ZYTIGA) and enzalutamide (XTANDI) as treatment for men with chemotherapy-naïve metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer is aiming to characterize the effects of these targeted hormonal therapies on cognition and mood.

Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) identifies a significant percentage of men who present with an elevated serum PSA level who may safely avoid prostate biopsy, British researchers report.

Here are the answers to frequently asked questions about the technical, financial, and ethical issues surrounding penile transplantation surgery.

Sexual function/dysfunction topics discussed at the 2016 AUA included the findings of multiple studies on the effects of collagenase clostridium histolyticum (Xiaflex) treatment for Peyronie's disease, causes and treatments for ED, along with a study on patient satisfaction with implantable penile prostheses.

Other products discussed in this roundup include a plasma vaporization device, a laser fiber safety device, and more.

A men’s health expert explains implications of new data and how he will counsel patients.

Richard A. Watson, MD, explains why urologists need to be prepared to deal with men’s questions and recommend preventive steps related to Zika virus transmission.

Other basic science research pearls include preliminary evidence from a porcine model suggesting botulinum toxin type A facilitates ureteral stone passage and the identification of two different microdeletions in the NELL1 gene on chromosome 11 in men with Peyronie's disease.

Research on the use of a CO2 laser for penile carcinoma in situ and FDG positron positron emission tomography-computed tomography in identifying inguinal nodal metastasis (with clinically node negative groins) during monitoring after primary treatment for penile squamous cell carcinoma were among key abstracts in the area of penile, testis, and urethral cancer.

Studies about ProPublica's Surgeon Scorecard, urology participation in accountable care organizations, and Twitter were among the take-home messages in outcomes analysis at the 2016 AUA annual meeting. The take-homes were presented by Christopher Saigal, MD, MPH, of the University of California, Los Angeles.

There is no excess risk of death, prostate cancer diagnosis, or cardiovascular events with long-term testosterone replacement therapy, Canadian researchers have found in a population-based matched cohort study.

Concordance with National Cancer Comprehensive Network recommendations about follow-up during active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer is generally low across urology practices in Michigan, reported researchers from the Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative at the AUA annual meeting in San Diego.

A Veterans Administration Cooperative Study investigating chemotherapy after prostatectomy for high-risk prostate cancer was underpowered to show a statistically significant benefit of early adjuvant chemotherapy versus observation as the standard of care in the primary endpoint analysis of progression-free survival.

Four-year data on the prostatic urethral lift (UroLift) and data on a new water-jet ablation treatment were among BPH/LUTS highlights from this year’s meeting.

Microdissection testicular sperm extraction retrieval rates, adolescent varicocele repair, and evaluation of testosterone replacement therapy and prostate cancer are additional noteworthy topics in this field.

Fusion biopsy, salvage versus adjuvant radiation therapy, and superextended versus extended pelvic lymph node dissection are also covered in the take home messages on prostate cancer from the 2016 AUA annual meeting.

The authors of a recent NEJM letter question the validity of the controversial Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial.

An academic center/community practice collaboration increases use of surveillance among prostate cancer patients “through use of provider education and a standardized report card,” a study author said.

In this video, Neil Baum, MD, compares UroLift with other BPH management strategies and also discusses his experience with the use of nitrous oxide as an effective sedative during in-office urologic procedures.

This video demonstrates UroLift placement under topical anesthesia in the office setting and also includes comments from several patients who underwent the procedure.

This video provides an overview of the prostatic urethral lift (UroLift), highlighting the entire cycle of patient care.

Expression of androgen receptor splice variant 7 (AR-V7) in whole blood predicts worse cancer-related outcomes in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who are treated with abiraterone acetate (ZYTIGA).

"With all this uncertainty, the good news is that men will no longer need to travel to Canada or elsewhere for prostate HIFU therapy," writes Leonard G. Gomella, MD.

The ACA is a large step forward in allowing men to embrace their health concerns, and for health care practitioners to understand men and the challenge of help seeking, masculinity, and disparity in their quest for wellness (Men’s Health in Primary Care [Current Clinical Practice]. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2016).