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An extensive re-analysis of the drug finasteride (Proscar) shows that it reduced the risk of developing prostate cancer by about 30% compared with the initial finding of a 25% reduction in risk.

The Joint Advocacy Conference allowed AUA members to meet with lawmakers and their staffs to educate them about the importance of their decisions on physicians' practices and patients. But there is more to be done.

A trial without catheter (TWOC) following an average of 3 days of catheterization has become standard practice in men with acute urinary retention (AUR) associated with BPH. Now, the results of a recent study have shown that the administration of an alpha-blocker prior to a TWOC can significantly increase the chances of the success of TWOC.

By simply placing grooves at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions down part of the length of a semi-rigid ureteroscope, urologists were able to decrease luminal pressures by nearly 40% in an in vitro model.

About one-quarter of men who fail to respond to phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors for treatment of erectile dysfunction will respond to the drug on rechallenge if they are first exposed to a short-term course of intracavernosal injection (ICI) therapy.

Dapoxetine, a drug currently under investigation for the treatment of premature ejaculation, provides significant improvement in the sexual function of men and their sexual partners, according to the results of a recent multinational study.

Results of a recent study have shown that female partners of men suffering from premature ejaculation (PE) confirm the lack of ejaculatory control of their partners. Significantly lower sexual satisfaction as well as higher ejaculation-related distress and interpersonal difficulties in the relationship were also seen in both male and female participants, compared to relationships in which PE was not an issue.

The combination of dutasteride (Avodart) and tamsulosin (Flomax) provides significantly greater improvement in International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and patient-reported quality of life than either therapy alone in men with BPH who are at increased risk of progression.

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common problem estimated to affect between 20% and 40% of men. The distress of this condition is actually felt by both partners.

FDA granted approval yesterday to alvimopan (Entereg), a drug that accelerates the restoration of normal bowel function in patients 18 years and over who have undergone partial large or small bowel resection surgery. Alvimopan will be used in hospitalized patients, who can receive no more than 15 doses.

Men facing treatment for BPH can expect similar outcomes after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) or photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP), according to results of a multicenter head-to-head comparison of the two treatments, presented at the AUA annual meeting.

Testicular hypotrophy in adult infertile men is about two times more common in patients with varicoceles than in those without varicoceles, researchers from Brown University, Providence, RI, reported at the AUA annual meeting.

Pediatric oncologists appear strongly motivated to preserve fertility in male adolescent cancer patients, although there remains a disconnect between their attitudes and practices with respect to referring patients for available services, according to results of the Survey for Preservation of Adolescent REproduction (SPARE) study.

Results of a study based on data from approximately 43,400 men show risks of developing melanoma and prostate cancer are increased among those with a diagnosis of male factor infertility, reported researchers from the University of California, San Francisco.

A trial without catheter (TWOC) following an average of 3 days of catheterization has become standard practice in men with acute urinary retention (AUR) associated with BPH. Now the results of a study presented here have shown that the administration of an alpha-blocker prior to a TWOC can significantly increase the chances of TWOC success.

The combination of dutasteride (Avodart) and tamsulosin (Flomax) provides significantly greater improvement in International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and patient-reported quality of life than either therapy alone in men with BPH who are at increased risk of progression, according to a 2-year analysis of data from the 4-year Combination of Avodart and Tamsulosin (CombAT) trial.

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The Arthur Smith Institute for Urology at the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System's Center for Advanced Medicine has appointed Joph Steckel, MD, as vice chairman of urology at North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY.

A retrospective study of patients seen at the University of Chicago suggests that adjuvant chemotherapy is an essential part of the treatment protocol for lymph node-positive bladder cancer.

FDA has cleared the use of the implantable Beacon electromagnetic transponders with Calypso Medical's Calypso System in external beam radiation therapy for post-prostatectomy patients. Previously, the system (known as "GPS for the Body") was cleared solely for use in patients with an intact prostate.

An adjustable bladder support offers an effective, minimally invasive strategy for treating stress urinary incontinence (SUI), an investigator in a multicenter trial reported at the AUA annual meeting.

A once-daily oxybutynin topical gel for overactive bladder exhibited steady-state pharmacokinetics similar to that of the oxybutynin patch (Oxytrol) in a study presented at the AUA annual meeting. The presentation reviewed comparative data between the currently marketed patch and a 10% w/w ethanolic gel, which is nearing commercial availability.

Use of dead space within a ureteroscope can enhance its performance and reduce intrarenal pressure without compromising the efficiency and structural integrity of the instrument, Joseph V. DiTrolio, MD, of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Roseland, reported at the AUA annual meeting.

Dapoxetine, a drug currently under investigation for the treatment of premature ejaculation, provides significant improvement in the sexual function of men and their sexual partners, according to the results of a recent multinational study presented here.

Patients undergoing shock wave lithotripsy are significantly more likely to undergo a subsequent surgical procedure than are patients undergoing ureteroscopy, according to results of a study designed to investigate real-world practice patterns in surgical therapy for urinary lithiasis. Researchers from Duke University, Durham, NC, reported the finding at the AUA annual meeting yesterday.

Robotic image-guided surgery (RIGS) with the daVinci-S surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA) demonstrated feasibility and enhanced tumor resection in a series of mock surgeries, investigators reported at the AUA annual meeting.

Biolitec has launched the 150-watt Evolve side-firing diode laser unit, which the company says precisely ablates and coagulates prostate tissue, resulting in shorter procedures and recovery times.