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Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) can cause a lot of discomfort, as well as frustration resulting from the inability to urinate normally. For some men, it can also cause emotional stress. Getting the facts right about BPH can help alleviate the emotional stress.

PSA doubling time, defined as the length of time it takes for a PSA to double based on an exponential growth pattern, and PSA velocity, the rate of change of PSA over time, have been identified in large retrospective studies as strong prognostic indicators at the time of diagnosis prior to prostatectomy in patients with prostate cancer.

Similar to patients with other chronic pain conditions, men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome have evidence of a hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis abnormality.

Sexual dysfunction is common in patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS), regardless of the type of CP/CPPS they have.

Several novel biopsychosocial factors have been identified as significant independent predictors of lower quality of life in patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, according to an analysis of data collected from men enrolled in the National Institutes of Health's Chronic Prostatitis Cohort Study.

Researchers suggest that urologists consider PSA and PSA velocity values within a larger context when deciding whether to screen an older patient.

Initiating androgen deprivation therapy in men with prostate cancer significantly increases the risk of incident diabetes, and that effect occurs within a relatively short time frame.

Data in study points to increased plasma volume as the key to the lower PSA concentrations generally observed in obese men.

A panel of urologists, oncologists, research specialists, and a statistician began meeting 5 years ago with the goal of updating the AUA guidelines for treating localized prostate cancer, last issued in 1995. After reviewing thousands of papers, the group released the updated guidelines at the AUA annual meeting in May.

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While there is no specific code for an intra-operative consult, one can bill a consultation code if the criteria are met.

Data from two Taiwanese studies presented at the 2007 AUA annual meeting on the use of botulinum toxin A (Botox) suggest that injections of the agent into the prostate are safe and effective in relieving the symptoms of BPH and that the treatment supplements the therapeutic benefits of medical treatment in men with larger glands.

The therapeutic role of phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors could expand to include some patients with BPH and lower urinary tract symptoms.

New research has identified a number of independent predictors of overall survival in men with metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer, and those findings have been used to generate a simple nomogram for predicting survival probability to 5 years.

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of men with early recurrent androgen-dependent prostate cancer, active cellular immunotherapy with sipuleucel-T (Provenge) failed to meet its primary endpoint for delaying time to biochemical failure.

Tumor volume changes measured by endorectal magnetic resonance imaging (eMRI) independently predict PSA recurrence in men with intermediate or high-risk prostate cancer being treated with radiotherapy plus 6 months of androgen suppression therapy.

Investigators undertook a study to evaluate a possible relationship between androgen receptor levels and time to progression after starting ADT.

Combined positron emission tomography and computed tomography imaging using [11C]choline as a tracer may be useful in detecting prostate cancer recurrence and, more important, may help clinicians to determine whether the recurrence is local or metastatic.

A multicenter, blinded, controlled trial of PSA-positive macrophages in peripheral blood (imPSA) for detection of prostate cancer has validated pilot study results in Austria.

In expanded studies, Early Prostate Cancer Antigen-2 continues to demonstrate high specificity and sensitivity as a serum biomarker for prostate cancer.

Primary care physicians show large deficits in familiarity with and knowledge of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome along with significant variability in their approaches to diagnosis and treatment.

Of all the measurable factors a urologist must weigh when developing a prognosis for the patient with BPH, only health-related quality of life as assessed by the Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Impact Index significantly raises the potential for surgical intervention.

The unexpected association between lower mortality and dyslipidemia was the principal surprise that emerged from a review of national prostate cancer mortality data from 1993 to 2003.

The specialist must be cognizant of the vast information base required of PCPs, who are masters of nothing, but knowers of all.

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Hyaluronic acid/dextranomer gel (Deflux) reduced by 62% the incidence of recurrent urinary tract infections in children with vesicoureteral reflux, according to a study published in the Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques (2007; 17:353-9). The therapy also eliminated the need for prophylactic antibiotics in 87% of patients.

Cook Urology, a division of Cook Medical, and Convergent Laser Technologies have entered into a worldwide agreement that enables Cook to market and distribute Convergent’s Odyssey lasers and laser fibers for the treatment of kidney stones.

Computed tomography-guided radiofrequency ablation was nearly 100% successful in eradicating small, malignant kidney tumors in a study of more than 100 patients, according to researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC.