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Two new methods for evaluating prostate cancer risk following primary treatment have shown promise in separate studies.

Repeated doses of the targeted radiopharmaceutical samarium Sm-153 lexidronam injection (Quadramet) are a safe and effective treatment option in patients with painful bone metastases secondary to prostate cancer, according to a multicenter, phase IV study published recently in the online edition of Cancer.

Increased water intake may improve some aspects of bladder function in older men, but the effects are too small to be clinically relevant, according to a study by Dutch researchers.

Bevacizumab (Avastin) in combination with interferon alfa-2a (Roferon-A) therapy in patients with first-line metastatic renal cell carcinoma appears to significantly improve progression-free survival compared with interferon alfa-2a therapy alone, according to recent findings from an unpublished interim analysis of phase III data.

Men taking statins to lower their cholesterol are not at increased risk for developing prostate cancer, according to an ongoing multicenter, prospective cohort study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2006; 98:1819-25).

Chicago-Saturation prostate biopsy (SPB) may offer an effective follow-up tool for diagnosing prostate cancer in men with a prior negative biopsy, persistently elevated PSA, and a prostate gland volume less than 37 cc, according to researchers from the Medical College of Georgia and Augusta Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Chicago-Findings from systematic research being conducted by researchers at the University of California, Davis suggest that arginine deprivation may be a novel treatment in some prostate cancers.

Boston-Researchers at the Harvard Medical School, the Broad Institute, and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute appear to be closing in on one or more of the genes that elevate the risk of prostate cancer in African-American men. They have narrowed the search to a 3.8 million nucleo-tide stretch DNA on the long arm of chromosome 8.

New York-Men bothered by overactive bladder and prostate enlargement symptoms who are treated simultaneously with the anticholinergic drug tolterodine tartrate extended-release capsules (Detrol LA) and the alpha-blocker tamsulosin (Flomax) report better symptom control and quality of life than do men treated with either one of the medications or placebo, according to a recently published study (JAMA 2006; 296:2319-28).

Chicago-In patients with a contrast-enhancing renal mass, delayed intervention after watchful waiting does not adversely affect pathologic outcomes, results of a retrospective study designed to gain insight into the natural history of "incidentalomas" indicate. This holds true even for some lesions that are relatively large at diagnosis or found on follow-up to be rapidly growing, researchers from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reported at the American College of Surgeons clinical congress.

Washington-The results of the November congressional elections, which caused a dramatic shift of power on Capitol Hill from Republicans to Democrats, will have significant implications for urologists and other physicians as they seek to build their practices and serve their patients in the years ahead.

Control of postoperative pain is usually considered follow-up care similar to wound care, removal of sutures, and other related services.

PVP can be performed in inpatient and outpatient hospital settings, as well as in a well-equipped urology office in select patients.

Chicago-Sextant biopsy with a transition zone or a laterally directed template loses efficacy in prostate cancer diagnosis with repeat testing, but only after four negative biopsies have been taken, researchers from Harvard Medical School reported at the American College of Surgeons clinical congress here.

Chicago-Initial analyses from a retrospective study involving almost 600 men undergoing prostate needle biopsy show no association between inflammation on initial or subsequent biopsy and prostate cancer. However, the investigators from Harvard Medical School are withholding any conclusions while they continue their research.

Chicago-Although open radical prostatectomy remains the gold standard of treatment for clinically localized prostate cancer, laparoscopic prostatectomy and, more recently, robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy are rapidly increasing in popularity as alternatives to traditional open prostatectomy techniques.

Be sure that your knowledge of MOC is based in fact and not preconceived notions.

Chicago-In 2000, the American Board of Medical Specialties assembly voted to commit member boards to Maintenance of Certification for their diplomates holding time-limited certificates. The American Board of Urology will introduce its MOC program in 2007, but during its development, the ABU has received a number of complaints and questions about MOC from urologists.

Maintenance of Certification (MOC) has become a controversial topic among practicing urologists since the concept was first introduced by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) 8 years ago. As work on a final MOC plan for urologists continues, the American Board of Urology (ABU) says its plan will be flexible in format, relevant to clinical practice, and not overly burdensome. In this exclusive interview, current ABU President Linda D. Shortliffe, MD, outlines details of the program and how it will relate to actual practice.

Chicago-Volumetric three-dimensional magnetic resonance urography (MRU) is a new imaging modality that is already proving to be a valuable tool for enhancing the diagnosis of various urologic conditions in pediatric patients. In addition, with a potential for use in functional and dynamic imaging, it may ultimately take on a greater role and enable streamlining of the algorithm for diagnostic evaluation, said urologists from Children's Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA) and the University of Southern California.

As part of a new policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that television ads for erectile dysfunction products be confined to after 10 pm.

A branch of the National Institutes of Health announced an early end to two clinical trials of adult male circumcision because an interim review of trial data revealed that medically performed circumcision significantly reduces a man's risk of acquiring HIV through heterosexual intercourse.

Patients with overactive bladder who are treated with solifenacin succinate (Vesicare) experience statistically significant reductions in episodes of urgency, suggests a study presented at the International Continence Society annual meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand.

PSA is falsely lowered by a factor of two in middle-aged men who have taken the hair-loss drug finasteride (Propecia) for 1 year, according to a study published in Lancet Oncology online.

Men between 65 and 80 years of age who receive treatment for early-stage, localized prostate cancer appear to live significantly longer than men who do not receive treatment, according to the authors of a retrospective study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia.

Urologist Andrew von Eschenbach, MD, has been confirmed by the Senate as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

Congress has passed legislation to prevent a scheduled 5% cut in 2007 Medicare physician payments and instead will freeze payment rates for 1 year.

Michael Ernst Mitchell, MD, has joined the staff of the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin as program director of urology.