Men's Health

A genomic tool for prostate cancer appears to provide physicians and patients with improved decision making about the use of radiation therapy after radical prostatectomy.

A new study showing a survival benefit of more than 1 year with a chemotherapy-hormonal therapy combination given prior to castration resistance is being hailed by a leading prostate cancer expert as possibly representing a “new standard” in care.

Prospective, long-term follow-up in a large cohort of hypogonadal men treated with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) provides no evidence that TRT increases the risk for prostate cancer.

Symptomatic hypogonadal men treated with clomiphene citrate (Clomid) or testosterone gels report similar satisfaction levels as age-matched men treated with testosterone injections, despite having significantly lower serum total testosterone levels, according to the findings of a recent retrospective study from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston.

Testosterone replacement therapy has been much debated in recent months, in light of two studies linking the treatment to increased risk of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, and stroke, prompting an FDA investigation into TRT’s safety and widespread criticism from members of the urologic community. In this article, Ajay Nehra, MD, discusses those studies, evolving attitudes toward “low T,” and the importance of individualizing treatment.

The “embarrassment of riches” of therapeutic options for advanced prostate cancer fortunately continues, encouraging us all to strive for lessening the incidence and impact of prostate cancer-specific mortality.

Men are being too easily enticed lately into ill-advised use of testosterone supplementation. Even men with only minimal, vague complaints are promised a hormonal fountain of youth and ageless virility. Many potential candidates seem to be under the misconception that “T” replacement will boost or energize their natural testicular production. In fact, exogenous testosterone suppresses testicular function.

Diagnosing physicians-urologists in particular-significantly influence decision making in men with low-risk prostate cancer as well as the type of treatment selected, according to researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

In our “Best of AUA” report, Urology Times’ editors and writers present the AUA annual meeting’s take-home messages in 15 therapeutic areas.

Androgen deprivation therapy provides no survival benefit in older men with localized prostate cancer at 15 years, newly published research shows.

Philippe E. Spiess, MD, MS, presents the take home messages on penile, testis, and urethral cancer from the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL.

Landon Trost, MD, presents the take home messages on sexual function/dysfunction from the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL, including studies of clostridium collagenase histolyticum (CCH [XIAFLEX]).

Manish A. Vira, MD, presents the take home messages on minimally invasive surgery from the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL.

Richard K. Lee, MD, MBA, presents the take home messages on BPH/LUTS from the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL.

Jesse D. Sammon, DO, presents the take home messages on outcomes analysis from the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL.

K.C. Balaji, MD, presents the take home messages on basic science research from the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL.

Tobias S. Köhler, MD, MPH, presents the take home messages on infertility/andrology from the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL.

Michael C. Gong, MD, PhD, presents the take home messages on prostate cancer from the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL, including new findings about enzalutamide (XTANDI).

I consider urology to be a very unique field, one that I am lucky to be part of. Recently, though, I have begun to wonder whether the medical community (not necessarily the urology community) has been too quick to embrace the widespread use of testosterone replacement therapy.

New urology products and services from Symtelligence Medical Informatics, LABORIE, Metamark Genetics, the MediSafe Project, and Olympus

A recent large study has found no increased risk of heart attack in men undergoing testosterone replacement therapy.

Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy may be associated with improved surgical margin status compared to open radical prostatectomy for men with intermediate-risk and high-risk prostate cancer, according to a study presented at the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL.

Men with prostate cancer who are treated with external beam radiation therapy are at an increased risk for cancer of the bladder and rectum 10 years or more after their prostate cancer diagnosis, according to an analysis using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program.

The majority of urologists and radiation oncologists feel active surveillance is an effective and underused modality for managing low-risk prostate cancer; however, few of these specialists would recommend this strategy to patients, according to recent survey results.

Salvage extended pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND) may be highly beneficial for selected prostate cancer patients with biochemical recurrence and clinically recurrent nodal disease, say German researchers.