All News

Innsbruck, Austria-Stem-cell repair of the body is an exciting prospect and a dream for medicine's future. But in Austria, the future is now.

Irvine, CA-The Cryocare CN2 System from Endocare, Inc. has received 510K clearance from the FDA. The device uses the freezing capability of nitrogen at the point between gas and liquid-"critical nitrogen"-to destroy cancerous tissue quicker and more cost-effectively than argon can, according to the manufacturer. The speed and precision of this new technology can expedite procedures, Endocare says, because it is easy to use and it delivers a colder, more powerful ice ball at the end of the probes.

Irvine, CA-The Cryocare CN2 System from Endocare, Inc. has received 510K clearance from the FDA. The device uses the freezing capability of nitrogen at the point between gas and liquid-"critical nitrogen"-to destroy cancerous tissue quicker and more cost-effectively than argon can, according to the manufacturer. The speed and precision of this new technology can expedite procedures, Endocare says, because it is easy to use and it delivers a colder, more powerful ice ball at the end of the probes.

Cleveland-Laparoscopic cryoablation can be used to treat cystic renal tumors in highly selected patients, according to the results of a small series from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Preston, United Kingdom-MRI scans proved to be an effective way to diagnose colo-vesical fistula in patients in a small study from the United Kingdom. The MRI group was compared with a retrospective group of patients who had been previously treated for the condition.

Cleveland-If you could see into a kidney, prostate gland, or bladder and know the extent of tumor penetration, the precise location of nerve bundles and blood vessels, or the exact depth and angle of your blade vis-?is the tumor at any given moment, how would it change surgery for you?

Minneapolis-For men suffering from the most common sexual dysfunction, premature ejaculation, an investigational drug therapy may offer improved control over ejaculation and sexual satisfaction with a relatively low incidence of side effects.

San Antonio-The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) showed conclusively that finasteride (Proscar), a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of BPH, reduced the incidence of prostate cancer by nearly 25%. Continuing analysis of data from that trial now show the drug also enhances detection of prostate cancer by significantly improving the specificity of the PSA assay, according to a study published recently in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2006: 98:1128-33).

New Hyde Park, NY-As difficult as laparoscopic cases in urology are now, the complication rates have not increased, according to a retrospective chart analysis of the complications associated with nearly 3,000 laparoscopic procedures at a high-volume center. The data, compiled over a 12-year period at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, were reported at the 2006 AUA annual meeting in Atlanta.

New York-Partial nephrectomy for small renal cortical tumors, while perhaps a more challenging procedure than radical nephrectomy, significantly delays the onset of kidney disease when compared with the far more common radical procedure, according to a retrospective study from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York.

Cleveland-Patients undergoing laparoscopic radical prostatectomy can expect continuing improvement in urinary and sexual functions for up to 2 years after the procedure, according to a single-institution study from the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, presented here at the 2006 World Congress of Endourology.

As a physician still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, I know first hand the importance of backing up your electronic data.

Linthicum, MD-A number of observers are hopeful that physicians will get significant help in adopting electronic health records, now that the federal government has published final rules allowing surprisingly broad avenues for donations of EHR items and services to health care providers.

Orange, CA-A dedicated laparoscopic training program has been shown to offer an excellent start to postgraduate urologists in performing laparoscopic urologic procedures. However, participants are unlikely to sustain the skills acquired in this intensive 5-day training program unless they incorporate laparoscopic procedures into their practice. Further, being able to work with a team of urologists immediately after completing this training also bolsters the learning curve.

Cleveland-For now, laparoscopic cryoablation appears to be more effective than both radiofrequency (RF) ablation and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in the treatment of small renal tumors, a group of Austrian researchers reported here at the 2006 World Congress of Endourology.

Atlanta-Marrow stem cells may one day be used to cure incontinence by reconstructing the sphincter, new research from Germany suggests.

Pittsburgh-North America has now entered the competition to treat urinary incontinence with autologous muscle-derived cells with a human trial in seven patients. The prize is actual reconstruction of continence mechanisms.

Leaders from the ambulatory surgery center industry and associations with a focus on health care quality and safety have formed a leadership group called the ASC Quality Collaboration.

In an effort to combat the current health care workforce shortage, a group of influential leaders has joined together to create the Council on Physician and Nurse Supply.

A trimodality treatment regimen results in excellent local control that alters patterns of failure in patients with high-risk prostate cancer, according to a study published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology & Physics (2006; 66:389-94).

Prostate cancer patients receiving high-dose, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) remained disease-free after an 8-year follow-up in a study conducted by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York.

Focal cryoablation appears to effectively destroy cancerous prostate tumors while preserving a patient?s potency and continence, suggests a study published recently in the Journal of Endourology (2006; 20:688-92).

African-American patients with bladder cancer are 35% more likely to die of the disease than Caucasian patients are, according to researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor.

If your turnover on a rolling 3-year average reaches 20%, you will need to explore how you contribute to this.

New York-Radical prostatectomy may be considered as a safe and effective management option for prostate cancer in appropriately selected HIV-positive men, according to the experience of urologic surgeons at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York.

New York-Radical prostatectomy may be considered as a safe and effective management option for prostate cancer in appropriately selected HIV-positive men, according to the experience of urologic surgeons at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York.

Washington-On Aug. 8, 2006, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a proposal to reform the Medicare ambulatory surgical center payment system beginning Jan. 1, 2008, and the news for urology appears to be mixed.

Prostate tumor location device is approved for use