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GlaxoSmithKline has initiated REDEEM, a multicenter, North American clinical trial designed to determine whether the 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor dutasteride (Avodart) can delay or prevent prostate surgery or radiation, shrink prostate cancer tumors, and lessen severity of tumors in men with low-grade prostate cancer.

AUA, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology have advised patients taking alpha-blockers for BPH treatment to inform their eye surgeon about the drugs before undergoing eye surgery.

Atlanta-A calculator that can instantly predict short-and long-term risks of recurrence and progression in patients with stage Ta/T1 bladder cancer is a few clicks away.

Atlanta-A trial of drug regimens in hormone-refractory prostate cancer came up with only modest results, but it did take an important first step: It is one of the first prospective trials conducted in taxane-refractory disease.

Spencer, IN-Cook Urological's 1.7F NCompass Nitinol Stone Extractor features a tipless 16-wire dual basket design that securely traps and extracts kidney stones and stone fragments as small as 1.5 mm without impeding irrigation or visibility during the procedure. Made from the shape-memory alloy of titanium and nickel, nitinol, the extractor's design minimizes tissue trauma and provides stability and ease of movement during procedures, according to Cook.

Whenever the needs of the practice change, job descriptions should be redefined to reflect those changes so that you achieve optimal staff productivity.

What you discuss with patients and when you do it can make a difference in how you code

The most instructive HRQoL studies are those that rely on prospective, longitudinal assessments of patients using a validated instrument.

Atlanta-Two recent studies have provided promising outcomes data on sorafenib tosylate (Nexavar), both as a second-line therapy and potentially as first-line treatment in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, researchers reported at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting here.

Atlanta-Contrary to earlier data from a single-arm study, the addition of erlotinib (Tarceva) to the monoclonal antibody bevacizumab (Avastin) does not significantly delay disease progression in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma, according to data presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting. The new findings suggest that bevacizumab is responsible for increasing progression-free survival in this patient population.

Atlanta-Papillary renal cell carcinoma might be called an orphan disease.

Atlanta-Sixty percent of testicular germ cell tumors, such as embryonal cell carcinoma, teratocarcinoma, and teratoma, are nonseminomatous. Stage I nonseminoma patients are usually of young age, the cure rate is high, and most patients have many decades of life ahead after orchidectomy, followed by surveillance. Therefore, long-term investigations of morbidity and treatment are of significant concern.

Atlanta-Patients with refractory metastatic testicular cancer who have not responded to their initial chemotherapy may respond to high-dose chemotherapy given in tandem with blood stem cell transplant, according to a study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting here.

Atlanta-Will patients with stage I nonseminomatous testicular cancer (NSGCT) do better with one course of chemotherapy than with retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND)? That's what the results of a large, long-term German study implied, but some have sounded a note of caution, wanting longer and better follow-up before recommending any first-line therapy other than rigorous surveillance. The answer may depend on the care that will work best in the community, rather than on the care available at specialized centers.

Atlanta-A cross-sectional analysis of data from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study indicates that there is no relationship between testosterone levels and erectile dysfunction, while elevated levels of luteinizing hormone were associated with a higher prevalence of ED.

Atlanta-Using extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) to reduce pain and to correct some deviation in Peyronie's disease is a relatively new concept whose application appears to be more extensive in Europe than in the United States. The majority of European studies on this topic involve small cohorts of 30 or fewer patients, and although several have included control groups who did not undergo treatment, none of these trials included sham treatment to define the strength of the placebo effect.

Atlanta-A study presented at the AUA annual meeting by researchers from Columbia University in New York asked the provocative question, Are physicians overusing intravesical therapy in patients with T1 bladder cancer?

Atlanta-A calculator that can instantly predict short-and long-term risks of recurrence and progression in patients with stage Ta/T1 bladder cancer is a few clicks away.

Atlanta-How many significant clinical advances began like this?

Atlanta-Up to half of all bladder cancer patients receiving Bacillus Calmette-Gu?rin (BCG [TheraCys, TICE BCG]) therapy will fail to respond or relapse within 5 years, but those who make it through the first year have a better chance at responding to subsequent therapy than those who fail sooner. The response rate of those who fail after a year is similar to the response rate of patients who have yet to receive their first treatment, according to a University of Iowa study presented at the AUA annual meeting.

Atlanta-Conducting a second transurethral resection to restage bladder cancer should be a routine practice, according to Harry Herr, MD, attending physician at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York. The results are diagnostic, therapeutic, and invaluably prognostic, he said.

Dallas-A new study shows that screening high-risk populations for bladder cancer may save both lives and money. That conclusion stands in sharp contrast to screening programs for other cancers, which save lives but increase costs.

Atlanta-Sometimes studies are more notable for the questions they raise than for the ones they answer. Kevin T. McVary, MD, professor of urology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, presented a study at the AUA annual meeting showing that the phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor sildenafil citrate (Viagra) improves both erectile function and lower urinary tract symptoms, but has no apparent effect on flow rates.

Atlanta-Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) has a huge impact on men's sexuality, but a combination of pelvic muscle trigger point release physiotherapy and relaxation training can go a long way toward improving sexual dysfunction in these men, said Rodney U. Anderson, MD, professor of urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.

Atlanta-Urologists can add one more alternative, plant-based medication to the list of intriguing possibilities for treating urologic disease. This one is a rye-pollen extract called Cernilton that showed promising results in chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) in a preliminary, placebo-controlled study from Germany.

Atlanta-Direct medical costs are nearly twice as much for men with chronic prostatitis as men without, and those costs are definitely because of the disease, an analysis of an HMO's cost data showed.

Atlanta-Bisphosphonates have already been shown to reduce loss of bone mineral density (BMD) in men undergoing androgen deprivation therapy and to reduce skeletal events and markers of bone turnover in men with metastatic prostate cancer. However, the drugs carry risks and can be expensive. That's why Dror Michaelson, MD, PhD, an assistant in medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and instructor at Harvard Medical School, Boston, examined the effects of zoledronic acid (Zometa) in a once-annual dosing schedule that is much reduced compared with that used in past trials.

Atlanta-Based on the landmark TAX-327 study, which showed a survival benefit of treatment every 3 weeks with docetaxel (Taxotere)/prednisone over mitoxantrone hydrochloride/prednisone, the every-3-weeks docetaxel regimen has now become a standard of care for men with metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer.