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Leaders of state, national, and subspecialty urologic societies from around the country converged in Rosemont, IL in September for a weekend of health policy discussions and advocacy tips with public officials, policy experts, and fellow urologists. One of the themes reinforced at the 7th Annual State Society Network Advocacy Conference, hosted by the AACU, was the importance and impact of physician engagement in the political process.

The AUA has updated its guideline on interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome, with changes primarily focusing on aspects of treatment for a condition that affects three to eight million women and one to four million men in the United States.

Abiraterone acetate (ZYTIGA) as therapy for chemotherapy-naïve metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer improved overall survival by a statistically significant 19% compared with placebo in the final analysis of the phase III COU-AA-302 clinical trial.

The AUA’s Committee on Male Health has developed a checklist to serve as a resource of urologic and non-urologic men’s health considerations. Intended for urologists and other health care providers, it is also aimed at better coordinating care among men’s providers.

The effect of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s controversial grade “D” recommendation regarding PSA-based screening for prostate cancer “has been minimal at best,” according to a research letter that also shows a “shocking” level of statewide variance in screening, a leading prostate cancer expert said.

The ConfirmMDx for Prostate Cancer test qualifies for Medicare coverage effective Nov. 3, 2014, MDxHealth SA announced, while the maker of a second test, the Decipher Prostate Cancer Classifier, has added a new preferred provider organization to expand coverage of that test.

Results of a study analyzing data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program add to evidence of race-related disparity in receipt of treatment for prostate cancer, but show that having health insurance reduces the difference in care.

Results of a phase II study from the Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium show that abiraterone acetate (ZYTIGA) has modest clinical activity in men with progressive metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer previously treated with ketoconazole.

Inappropriate use of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist for androgen deprivation therapy of localized prostate cancer fell dramatically following implementation of reimbursement cuts mandated by the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, but overuse remains problematic, according to research presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago.

Other cases discussed in this installment of "Malpractice Consult" include chronic testicular pain following vasectomy and a claim that a spinal tumor should have been found during treatment for post-vasectomy urinary problems.

In this "Coding Q&A" column, Ray Painter, MD, and Mark Painter answer several reader questions involving billing for multiple stones, including replacements for the –59 modifier, use of CPT code 50590, and NCCI guidelines and multiple stones.

In light the controversial studies linking testosterone replacement therapy to cardiovascular risks, three urologists discuss how their approach to prescribing TRT has (or hasn't) changed.

In this interview, Ian Thompson, MD, answers questions about the downside of diagnosing low-risk prostate cancer, the burdens of active surveillance and how to minimize them, and how his own approach to screening and biopsy have changed.

The Decipher Prostate Cancer Classifier test predicts disease aggressiveness, influences treatment decisions, and predicts which patients may benefit from post-prostatectomy radiation therapy, according to findings from three studies presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology annual meeting in San Francisco.

An FDA advisory committee has voted to restrict indications for testosterone replacement therapy and require additional clinical trials to test the safety of the drugs, decisions that have drawn mixed reactions from urologists.

When faced with the difficult prospect of changing one’s normal style of living, the major factors to consider are age, interests, finances, and of course, health issues and concerns.

In this article, Ahmed A. Hussein, MD, and James F. Smith, MD, MS, examine the effect of malignancy and anti-cancer treatment on fertility, review current fertility preservation methods, and offer a preview of fertility preservation techniques that hold future promise.

The FDA’s approval of enzalutamide (XTANDI) to treat metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in the pre-chemotherapy setting is a potential game changer for both patients and treating physicians, especially urologists, according to leaders in the prostate cancer field.

I was driving home from the office last week and realized that I have now been in the "real world" for over a year. As I looked back on the last year, I thought I would share a few of the lessons I've learned as I am curious if others have had a similar experience during their transition from residency to private practice.

Physical activity lowers men’s risk of developing nocturia and should be recommended to patients with the condition, a leading men’s health expert and Urology Times Editorial Council member says.

Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients whose tumors contain the androgen receptor (AR)-V7 splice variant are less likely to respond to enzalutamide (XTANDI) and abiraterone acetate (ZYTIGA), recent study results indicate.

Low testosterone is often blamed for a lower sex drive and potentially dangerous fat accumulation in men, however researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital report that a lack of estrogen is also to blame. Video provided by Renal & Urology News.

Physicians, including urologists, now have another headache to deal with-making certain information about them published on the Internet by as part of the National Physician Payment Transparency Program (Open Payments) is accurate and not misleading to patients who want to know about the financial benefits their doctors receive from manufacturers of drugs, devices, and biologic and medical supplies.