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Honolulu--A new "one-step" percutaneous access sheath may become the next advance in the evolution of percutaneous nephrostolithotomy, according to D. Duane Baldwin, MD, associate professor of urology at the Loma Linda (CA) University Medical School. Dr. Baldwin has completed the first trials of the device, which weds the dilation balloon to the sheath, allowing the instrument to be advanced to the kidney in a single procedure.

Honolulu--Not only does a form of microwave thermotherapy for BPH appear to be free of sexual side effects, it may actually improve sexual function in men with the disease, investigators from the Portsmouth (VA) Naval Hospital and Eastern Virginia Medical School reported at the Kimbrough Urological Seminar here.

Honolulu--Operation Iraqi Freedom sees its share of sick and wounded soldiers. Primarily, specialists in orthopedics and general surgery are seeing an upswing in patients coming from the conflict. But you may be surprised to learn that urologic care is the third most important medical specialty needed for these soldiers.

Orlando, FL--A novel immunotherapy drug may increase the survival of hormonally refractive patients with asymptomatic, metastatic prostate cancer, according to the results of a small study with great promise.

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The New York University School of Medicine and Pfizer, Inc., have launched the Men's Sexual Health Referral Network, an online listing of health care professionals who treat male sexual dysfunction and related disorders.

The interaction between two cellular proteins-Skp2 and FOXO1-influences the growth of cancer cells, and the process can be chemically reversed to stop cancer tumor growth, according to an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2005; 102:169-54).

Trospium chloride (Sanctura) does not affect sleep patterns in patients aged 51 to 65 years, according to a study published in the British Journal of Urology (2005; 95:346-9).

Gene variant KLF6 may increase a man's risk of prostate cancer by 50%, according to study from New York's Mount Sinai Medical Center published in Cancer Research (2005; 65:1213-22).

Men receiving androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer might notice a reduction in verbal fluency, visual recognition, and visual memory, according to a small trial published in the Feb. 28 online edition of Cancer.

Estrogen therapy has been touted as an effective treatment for urinary incontinence, but new research shows the treatment may actually raise the risk of incontinence (JAMA 2005; 293:935-48).

If finasteride (Proscar) were prescribed prophylactically in older men, an estimated 316,760 years of life over 10 years would be saved through the prevention of prostate cancer, according to a new analysis of data from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT).

A new National Institutes of Health-funded study is recruiting adults newly diagnosed with either painful bladder syndrome or interstitial cystitis to determine if the antidepressant amitriptyline (Elavil) will reduce the pain and frequent urination associated with the conditions.

A new National Institutes of Health-funded study is recruiting adults newly diagnosed with either painful bladder syndrome or interstitial cystitis to determine if the antidepressant amitriptyline (Elavil) will reduce the pain and frequent urination associated with the conditions.

Leuprolide acetate (Eligard), 45 mg, is now commercially available in the United States for the palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer patients, according to its marketer, Sanofi-Aventis, Bridgewater, NJ.

A test for the urinary biomarker thymosin beta15 (Tbeta15), in combination with PSA testing, can improve both the sensitivity and specificity of prostate cancer diagnosis, according to a study published in the online edition of Prostate (Jan. 21, 2005).

The department of urology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, has welcomed two additions to its faculty: Eric Rovner, MD, and Stephen Savage, MD

The FDA has approved TargetScan, a new device for conducting prostate biopsies.

The fluoroquinolone ciprofloxacin (Cipro) appears to be more effective than amoxicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin) as a treatment for acute uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women, even in those infected with susceptible strains, according to a study published in last week's JAMA (2005; 293:949-55).

APC8015 (Provenge), an investigational form of immunotherapy, significantly improves survival in men with asymptomatic, metastatic androgen-independent prostate cancer compared with patients receiving placebo, according to a study being hailed as the first to show a survival benefit with a vaccine in patients with advanced prostate cancer.

Urologists and other physicians who administer drugs in their offices may have a new option for obtaining the drugs under a proposed rule by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

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Mumbai, India—Overall stone-free rates are significantly improved in patients with renal calculi who undergo ureteroscopy using a ureteral access sheath compared with those treated without access sheaths, report researchers from Duke University, Durham, NC. Stone-free rates are improved for calculi in all portions of the kidney, they said during a presentation at the World Congress on Endourology.

Primary endoscopic treatment of VUR certainly offers a high level of success with minimal morbidity.

The intermediate results are encouraging for the oncologic efficacy of radiofrequency ablation.

Washington—Officials at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have recommended that several urologic procedures be ineligible for reimbursement if they are performed in ambulatory surgical centers.

The ideal management strategy for correction of ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction remains undefined. Open pyeloplasty for correction of UPJ obstruction was first described by Anderson and Hynes over a century ago and remains the gold standard against which we must compare all alternative therapies.

Washington—A majority of recurrent urinary tract infections in women are caused by Escherichia coli bacterial persistence or reinfection with the originally infecting E coli strain, according to findings from a Danish study presented at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

San Francisco—Selected children with persistent vesicoureteral reflux can safely discontinue prophylactic antibiotics without a significant risk of upper tract infections or new renal scarring, according to results of a retrospective Canadian study.

Mumbai, India—Since the introduction of percutaneous endopyelotomy in the mid 1980s, the treatment of adult ureteropelvic junction obstruction has undergone a tremendous change. In addition, with the increasing use of laparoscopy to treat urologic diseases, various endoscopic and laparoscopic techniques now offer success rates comparable to those of the traditional open surgery while minimizing patient morbidity.