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Overactive bladder patients treated with solifenacin succinate (VESIcare) experience significant increases in warning time before having to urinate, according to a study published in the online edition of Urology.

Selenium may aid in the prevention of high-risk bladder cancer, according to a study by researchers from Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, NH. The news follows a less-encouraging report from the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) showing that supplementation with selenium or vitamin E was not associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer.

Serial PSA screening may play a role in improving outcomes for patients who are diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

St. Luke's Hospital in Bethlehem, PA, will offer what it's calling a first-of-its-kind clinical guarantee on robot-assisted radical prostatectomies.

The FDA has accepted the new drug application for a 6-month formulation of triptorelin pamoate (Trelstar), a luteinizing hormone releasing hormone agonist for the palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer, according to Watson Pharmaceuticals, the drug's manufacturer.

Use of a novel template-guided prostate biopsy system potentially produces a higher cancer detection rate and more accurate assessment of grade, according to an article in the British Journal of Urology (2008; 102:546-50).

A European phase III double-blind placebo controlled study of PSD502, a proprietary formulation of lidocaine and prilocaine for the treatment of premature ejaculation, has met its three co-primary endpoints of intra-vaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT) and index of premature ejaculation (IPE), Plethora Solutions Holdings PLC has announced.

"An analysis of randomized, controlled trials indicates that use of bevacizumab (Avastin) is associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism, researchers reported in JAMA (2008; 300:2277-85)."

"Inactivating the expression of GRP78, a specific biomarker for aggressive prostate cancer, appears to block its development in animal models, according to researchers from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles."

Sexual function improves in women after successful surgery for stress urinary incontinence whether they undergo a sling procedure or Burch colpopsuspension.

In this interview, Mark S. Litwin, MD, MPH discusses the NIDDK-funded Urologic Diseases in America (UDA) project, which is now in its second phase.

Declining reimbursement remains urologists' number one concern, ahead of increasing overhead, increasing government regulations, and other issues, according to the 2008 Urology Times State of the Specialty Survey

Now that stocks have lost so much value from where they were, is this a good time to be investing? If so, what's the best approach to take?

With a new Congress powered by Democrats and a new Democratic president, sweeping actions affecting health care policy and, particularly, Medicare can be expected in 2009.

Here are some smart steps physicians and managers can take to make performance reviews easier to conduct and more effective, ultimately paving the way for higher productivity.

The 2009 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule was recently published, containing many important changes in reimbursement for urologists.

A wide range of anticholinergic medications used by women for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms are associated with high discontinuation rates, according to research presented at the American Urogynecologic Society annual scientific meeting.

All successful physicians listen to their patients. Do you?

When considered over a treatment period of 2 years, botulinum toxin A injection (Botox) is a cost-effective strategy for the management of idiopathic urge incontinence compared with anticholinergic medication, according to data presented by Duke University researchers.

Although overall complication rates are similar after traditional surgery, sacral colpopexy, or vaginal mesh kit repair for apical vaginal prolapse, the mesh kit procedures are associated with higher total reoperation rates due to a higher rate of surgical intervention for managing complications.

Absorption of oxybutynin chloride topical gel, an investigational therapy for overactive bladder, is not affected by showering or sunscreen use, according to data presented at the Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates annual conference in Philadelphia.

Evidence of a relationship between prostate inflammation and lower urinary tract symptoms exists in men enrolled in the Reduction by Dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events (REDUCE) trial, a 4-year, phase III, placebo-controlled study that evaluates whether dutasteride (Avodart) decreases the risk of biopsy-detectable prostate cancer.

A novel androgen receptor antagonist known as MDV3100 appears to show durable anti-tumor activity in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients as measured by PSA declines, radiographic findings, circulating tumor cell changes, and time on treatment, according to an ongoing phase I-II trial.

Kidney stones may damage the kidneys and lead to chronic kidney disease, according to researchers from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. In extreme cases, individuals with chronic kidney disease caused by kidney stones may even need dialysis or kidney transplants.

The FDA has approved fesoterodine fumarate (Toviaz) extended-release tablets for the treatment of overactive bladder symptoms.

Statin drugs, used for the treatment of elevated cholesterol, appear to lower PSA values, according to researchers at the Duke University Prostate Center and the Durham, NC, Veterans Affairs Medical Center. But whether the drugs prevent prostate cancer growth or just mask it is still unknown.

An algorithm based on near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is able to correctly identify more than 85% of men classified as obstructed using catheter urodynamics, according to study findings published in the Canadian Journal of Urology (2008; 1515:4241-8).

"Robert G. Uzzo, MD, has been named chairman of the department of surgery at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia."