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Salvage cryotherapy for locally recurrent prostate cancer following primary radiotherapy is curative in approximately one-third of men after 10 years of follow-up, according to results of a retrospective chart review investigating long-term treatment outcomes.

Results of a retrospective multinational collaborative study undertaken to identify factors predicting long-term, prostate cancer-specific survival in men with node-positive prostate cancer confirm that excellent clinical outcomes can be achieved when these patients are treated with a multimodal approach combining radical prostatectomy, pelvic lymph node dissection, and adjuvant hormonal treatment, investigators reported at the AUA annual meeting.

Men who receive some form of radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer have an elevated risk of developing bladder and rectal cancers later, University of Miami researchers reported here.

Following traditional surgical procedures with topical and systemic testosterone therapy may have a profound effect on recovery from balanitis xerotica obliterans (BXO), according to a study presented by Charles L. Secrest, MD, of the Mississippi Urology Clinic in Jackson.

Treatment options are few for interstitial cystitis patients, especially for those with refractory disease. Frustratingly, trial after trial of promising therapies have shown no real improvement compared with placebo. But yesterday, that changed with presentation of the results of a trial of intravesical alkalinized lidocaine.

Young children who present with calcifications in the ureter on computed tomography scans may not have ureteral stones, but may simply have a history of receiving dextranomer/hyaluronic acid copolymer (Dx/HA [Deflux]) injections for the treatment of vesicoureteral reflux, according to pediatric urologists from Emory University in Atlanta. Their study findings were presented as a word of caution to radiologists and emergency room physicians who may suspect stones in children with abdominal pain and associated imaging findings.

The Surgical Trainees Interested in Laparoscopic and robotic Urological Surgery Group (STILUS) is launching the first phase of its new web site at the AUA annual meeting here this week. STILUS comprises physicians who are mentors and tutors in the field of urologic minimally invasive surgery. Its goal is to encourage and enhance the training of young urologists in endourology.

Radical prostatectomy patients are most likely to employ pharmacotherapy for erectile dysfunction in the immediate postoperative period, with those who undergo laparoscopic/robotic prostatectomy having the greatest rate of usage, investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston reported here.

Patients who undergo external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) either as primary treatment for prostate cancer or for post-prostatectomy positive margins are at increased risk of mortality if they later develop bladder or colorectal secondary malignancies, researchers from the University of California Davis in Sacramento reported here.

Second-look flexible nephroscopy after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is cost effective only for residual stone fragments larger than 4 mm, according to findings from a study reported at the AUA meeting yesterday.

Three journalists who have raised the bar on medical reporting stepped into the spotlight yesterday as the second annual AUA Excellence in Urology Health Reporting Awards were presented here.

Continuing a tradition of displays that are as fascinating as they are informative, the 2008 AUA history exhibit focuses on the history, spread, and continued fight against contagions. Titled "Plagues & Pestilence," the booth uses text, archive photos, and presentations to bring the topic to life.

The University of Wisconsin, Madison has announced formation of the department of urology in the School of Medicine and Public Health, effective July 1.

Urologists can now enhance the ultrasound machines they currently have with 3-D and 4-D technology with the Artemis device, designed by Eigen (Grass Valley, CA). Artemis combines advanced imaging technology with mapping capabilities to give physicians a more complete set of information when performing prostate biopsies. It was recently cleared by FDA, and is being introduced here at the AUA annual meeting in Orlando, FL.

Hematoma size as determined by computed tomography may be a readily available means of evaluating the need for angiographic embolization in patients who present with blunt renal trauma, according to a study from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. The evaluation may also apply to penetrating injuries.

Use of minimally invasive surgical treatments (MISTs) for BPH has increased tremendously in the past decade, but urologists should be careful about overusing these newer technologies, given the lack of long-term evidence of their efficacy, researchers from the University of Minnesota said here.

Over the next 5 days, the editors of Urology Times will bring you a quick recap of news and information from urology's biggest event, as it occurs. Our staff will keep you up to date on the meeting's top clinical news, announcements and briefings from the AUA pressroom, items from the exhibit floor, and more. Look for more in-depth versions of many of these articles in upcoming issues of Urology Times and on the UT web site, www.urologytimes.com.

New urologic products and services.

Conventional wisdom says that testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is unsafe for men who have been treated for prostate cancer. However, a small but growing body of research could provide justification for TRT in symptomatic men who have undergone definitive treatment for the disease.

Although several large, well-controlled, randomized studies support the use of adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) in all men with T3 disease following radical prostatectomy, none of these studies show significant overall survival benefits. This raises the question of whether physicians should employ this therapy more selectively.

While luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist injections offer patients advantages like flexibility and regular physician contact, LHRH implants can provide the convenience of once-yearly visits, as well as lower overhead for urologists.

A new 3-D technique for mapping biopsies and targeting focal therapy appears promising for imaging and guiding treatment of low-risk prostate cancers.

In 2008, urology is focusing on interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) in earnest, with important clinical trial results.

Several challenging issues related to urologic trauma and reconstructive surgery include management of bladder neck stenosis after prostate cancer therapy, advanced urethral reconstruction for benign disease, and renal trauma.

New technologies that allow single-port transluminal endoscopic surgery will likely draw considerable attention to the area of laparoscopic techniques and technologies

Increasingly, genetics is changing the way urologists diagnose and treat problems related to male infertility. As lab findings become clinical realities, andrologists and general urologists alike are finding their daily practices changed by advances in our understanding of the human genome.

In chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS), two pivotal clinical trials "are going to have an immediate impact on the way you practice," said Anthony J. Schæffer, MD, professor and chairman of the department of urology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.

In the office and the operating room, urologists are finding an array of more palatable approaches to managing pediatric cases.