In this exclusive article, Urology Times Editorial Consultant Philip M. Hanno, MD, professor of urology at the University of Pennsylvania, asks FDA Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD, about his role at FDA, his priorities and goals, and issues facing the agency and the U.S. health care system.
Urologists continue to face a controversial, challenging question: Which course of treatment is best for low- to intermediate-risk prostate cancer? In recent years, 90% of newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients have this level of disease, so the question is increasingly relevant to clinical practice.
Leading European urologists have reviewed the findings from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) and have reached consensus supporting the use of finasteride (Proscar) as a chemopreventive agent for the disease. A similar consensus statement in the United States appears to be coming soon.
Research continues to progress in developing promising new oncologic markers for diagnosing prostate cancer. Ultimately, researchers hope to address the challenge of identifying a biomarker that can help physicians differentiate indolent from aggressive prostate cancer to avoid overtreatment of the disease.
New data confirm that excellent clinical outcomes can be achieved when men with node-positive prostate cancer are treated with a multimodal approach combining radical prostatectomy, pelvic lymph node dissection, and adjuvant hormonal treatment, investigators reported.
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 from a retrospective chart review investigating long-term treatment outcomes.
This article shows you how to ensure the success of your colleagues, your staff, and ultimately, your practice, by avoiding some common leadership mistakes.
Urologic pelvic pain is a debilitating condition that affects significant numbers of men and women during their lifetime. Diverse disease states, physiologic conditions, and lifestyle factors may cause or exacerbate pain, challenging diagnosis and treatment efforts. We outline the fundamentals of a multimodal approach to managing urologic pelvic pain.
Proper preoperative evaluation, meticulous attention to surgical detail, and an understanding of the variety of cuff placement techniques play a crucial role in minimizing the postoperative morbidity and complications associated with AUS placement.
Mid-urethral slings represent a significant advance in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence, which levies a severe toll on the quality of life of millions of American women. This article examines the expanding family of mid-urethral slings and techniques that have defined the modern approach to anti-incontinence surgery.
Urology service provider HealthTronics Inc. has purchased UroPath LLC, an anatomic pathology laboratory services provider, for $7.5 million.
The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, enacted July 15, prolongs Medicare’s reimbursement safeguards (first enacted in 2003) for brachytherapy seeds given to hospital outpatients through Dec. 31, 2009. The new extension ensures that Medicare will not implement possibly restrictive reimbursement caps during this period.
The first of two phase II clinical trials of sipuleucel-T (Provenge), an investigational active cellular immunotherapy for prostate cancer, has been launched.
Past diagnostic radiation procedures may be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer among younger men, according to researchers from the United Kingdom.
While 82% of men with erectile dysfunction recognize it as an indicator of other health problems, nearly 40% have never discussed their condition with their physician, according to a new survey sponsored by Eli Lilly & Co. designed to further understand men’s current beliefs about ED and ED treatment options.
Using an engineered common cold virus, UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center researchers delivered a genetic payload to prostate cancer cells that allows scientists to identify diseased cells encroaching into the lymph nodes. This discovery could aid oncologists in earlier detection and treatment of metastasis, according to Lily Wu, MD.
Global warming is likely to increase the proportion of the population affected by kidney stones by expanding the higher-risk region known as “the kidney-stone belt” into neighboring states, according to researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
Robert Pugach, MD, medical director of Pacific Coast Urology Medical Center, Beverly Hills, CA, was elected vice chair of the American Medical Association’s Organized Medical Staff Governing Council at its June meeting in Chicago. He previously served as secretary and Western States caucus chair of this section.
AUA has appointed Priscilla Chatman, JD, as director of government relations and advocacy for its expanded government relations program.
Sunitinib malate (Sutent), indicated for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma, may be associated with heart failure in less than 3% of patients receiving the drug, according to a study published in Cancer (2008; 112:2500-8). The finding may represent a potentially serious toxicity and may underscore the need for careful monitoring of cardiac function and aggressive control of hypertension in these patients.
Researchers conducting a study to learn whether children with vesicoureteral reflux should be treated with an extended course of antibiotics are seeking to enroll more participants.
Morbidly obese patients who undergo a particular type of gastric bypass surgery called Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) are at increased risk of developing kidney stones within a few months following the procedure, rather than several months to years afterward, according to research published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (2008; 206:1145-53).
Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has received an approvable letter from FDA for its long-acting depot preparation of testosterone undecanoate (Nebido), which is indicated for the treatment of male hypogonadism.
Manufacturers of fluoroquinolone antimicrobial drugs have been notified by FDA that a boxed warning in the product labeling concerning the increased risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture is necessary.
Compared with conservative management of the disease, androgen deprivation therapy does not appear to be associated with improved survival in elderly men with localized prostate cancer, according to a study in JAMA (2008; 300:173-81).
The U.S. Senate has approved legislation by a veto-proof margin that would void a 10.6% pay cut for physicians treating Medicare patients. The bill now goes to the White House.
In its 103rd installment, the AUA annual meeting introduced urologists to interesting research about relationships between urologic conditions and other significant health issues. The annual take-home messages are presented here.
Open radical nephrectomy has long been the standard of care for patinets with organ-confined or locally advanced renal cell carcinoma. In recent years, however, laparoscopy has replaced open surgery for some patients undergoing radical nephrectomy, based on easier convalescence with equivalent cancer control.q