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The second of two phase III trials has shown that once-daily trospium chloride (Sanctura XR) reduces frequency of urination and the number of urge incontinence episodes in individuals with a once-daily formulation for the treatment of overactive bladder.

Men who receive radiation therapy for prostate cancer are not at any appreciable increased risk of developing rectal cancer compared with those not given radiation therapy, according to a recently published study by Canadian researchers.

Prostate cancer patients make treatment decisions that are influenced by anecdote and misconception rather than clinical trial evidence, according to a study by researchers at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver.

Medical Faculty Associates at the George Washington University has named Thomas Jarrett, MD, as the new chair of its department of urology.

Among patients with locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer, the decision about whether to receive androgen deprivation therapy depends primarily on who their urologist is, rather than the stage or grade of tumor or patient characteristics.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. has received final FDA approval to market a generic formulation of finasteride tablets, 5 mg.

A new prognostic test may help determine whether a patient with prostate cancer will have a recurrence of the disease, even if surrounding lymph nodes initially appear negative for cancer, according to a study from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

Prostate cancer patients make treatment decisions that are influenced by anecdote and misconception rather than clinical trial evidence, according to a study by researchers at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver.

Moderately and severely obese prostate cancer patients had a 99% greater risk of developing biochemical failure than other patients, according to the authors of a study from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.

Administration of sipuleucel-T (Provenge) in men with advanced androgen-independent prostate cancer shows a significant survival benefit and "a very favorable toxicity and safety profile," according to the authors of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter phase III study published recently in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (2006; 24:3089-94).

Atlanta-Intraprostatic injection of botulinum toxin A (Botox) is a safe and effective treatment in patients with symptomatic BPH that results in improvements in symptoms and quality of life that may persist for up to 1 year, Chinese researchers reported at the AUA annual meeting here.

Strong leaders continually learn and challenge their own knowledge base. They listen, participate, and make change happen for the greater good.

A urologist from another practice mentioned that his practice has made some changes in its retirement plan to create greater benefits for the doctors. He thought the new plan was called a "cash balance plan." Does this really work?

Many urologists are in the process of trying to transition their practices from the hospital to the office, and are looking for opportunities for ancillary income. A number of ancillary services are being explored.

The current CPT terminology does focus specifically on the results of the laser and not the laser itself.

Somerville, NJ-A new mid-urethral sling device from the Women's Heath & Urology division of Ethicon, Inc., has received 510(k) approval from the FDA for use beginning in autumn 2006. The Gynecare TVT SECUR System is a polypropylene mesh tape that is inserted through the vagina and positioned under the urethra to form a supportive scaffold. It prevents urine loss by maintaining the seal in the bladder neck during movement. No incisions are required, and the procedure can be conducted under local anesthesia, minimizing post-surgical pain and complications. The device is contraindicated for women who are or who intend to become pregnant and those who are on anticoagulant therapy.

When men sustain pelvic fracture trauma, an associated posterior urethral injury will occur 4% to 10% of the time. This article discusses the evaluation and diagnosis of urethral injuries and outlines our group's approach to urethral reconstruction.

Atlanta-A new prostate cancer test known as the PCA3 assay (Gen-Probe Inc., San Diego) remains a work in progress, but at this stage of development, it appears to offer significant utility in men with subtly elevated serum PSA (ie, ?2.5 ng/mL) but a negative initial biopsy.

Atlanta-Researchers from the University of Michigan have developed and validated a new questionnaire to assess health-related quality-of-life outcomes among patients treated for bladder cancer.

Atlanta-Combining an alpha-blocker with a phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor appears to produce a greater therapeutic benefit in men with lower urinary tract symptoms than either drug alone, according to a study from Weill Cornell Medical College, New York.

It's clear that a two-track system of urology is already in place.

Atlanta-In a recent study of nearly 6,500 men treated for localized pros-tate cancer, researchers found that being obese did not significantly affect the need for secondary treatment, nor did it result in decreased overall or disease-specific survival.

Chicago-A widely studied protein can help urologists find sperm to be used for in vitro fertilization and may even indicate another future pharmaceutical application of the substance, according to research presented here at the American Society of Andrology annual meeting here.

Atlanta-Chronic prostatic inflammation may increase the chance that a man will develop prostate cancer, suggesting that men with inflammation on biopsy may need to be followed more closely and perhaps even be re-biopsied more aggressively, even if there is no evidence of cancer.

Among the more than 1,700 scientific papers presented at the 2006 AUA annual meeting, the focus was less on new medical or procedural innovations than on the benefits and risks of current tests and therapies.

Russell Scott, Jr, MD, a pioneer in the field of urology and a philanthropist, died on May 24 in Houston. He was 80 years old.

American Medical Systems Holdings Inc. and Laserscope, two companies with a significant presence in the urology market, have entered into a definitive merger agreement providing for the acquisition of Laserscope by AMS.

Congressional leaders and their staffs kicked off National Men's Health Week this week with screenings June 13 to 15 on Capitol Hill.