Up to 40% of cancers may not present clinically
September 1st 2002Seattle-Despite the way it was portrayed in some of the lay media, the authors of a recent study on the "overdiagnosis" of prostate cancer insist their work should not be construed as hostile to the practice of PSA screening. In fact, says one investigator, results of the study paint an overall favorable picture of screening.
Adjuvant IL-2 offers survival benefit in metastatic RCC
September 1st 2002Orlando, FL-In patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma, adjuvant interleukin-2 (IL-2) after cytoreductive nephrectomy appears to offer a superior survival benefit over nephrectomy followed by interferon alpha-2b, according to a report presented here at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting.
Urologist's bold move takes him off Medicare's radar
September 1st 2002Traverse City, MI-In the watchful eyes of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, urologist Michael Harris, MD, does not exist. Dr. Harris-a successful, board-certified urologist in private practice-would not have it any other way.
Combination therapy lowers BPH progression risk by 67%
August 1st 2002Orlando, FL-In a finding that will likely change the way physicianstreat patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, the combination of twocommonly used drugs was shown to slow progression of the disease significantlybetter than placebo or either drug alone. In fact, treatment with the combinationof finasteride (Proscar) and doxazosin (Cardura) lowers the risk of BPHprogression by as much as 67% and the risk of urinary retention by as muchas 79%.
Urologist no longer: Why do some leave the profession?
August 1st 2002Ex-urologists say they wanted to escape reimbursement woes, pursue morefulfilling careersMedicine is a commitment. Pre-med, medical school, internship, residency,and building a reputation in academia or in community practice adds up toa self-imposed promissory note that can take a decade, perhaps two, to payoff. This is why it is unusual when an established physician opts to changecareers.
Employee fringe benefits are often tax deductible
August 1st 2002The most preferred benefit program may be the least expensive for yourpracticeThe difficulty in recent years of attracting and retaining employeeshas eased somewhat, largely because of the state of the economy. Many ofthe problems faced by urologists in finding and keeping good, qualifiedworkers remain, however, especially for many small, understaffed, or financiallytroubled practices.
Enhance your image with media coverage
August 1st 2002New technologies, procedures, and human-interest stories appeal to audiencesIn Hollywood, you may hear that "there's no such thing as bad publicity."That theory certainly does not apply to the field of medicine, but thereis an upside to gaining the attention of the media. Appear on local or networktelevision, and you will instantly enhance your image.
Hydrodistention has little benefit in relieving IC
August 1st 2002Orlando, FL-Hydrodistention has little therapeutic value in the managementof interstitial cystitis, according to the results of a retrospective investigationpresented at the AUA annual meeting. Researchers from Stanford University, CA, reported the outcomes froma chart review study identifying 63 patients in whom they had performedcystoscopy/hydrodistention since January 2000.
High conformal RT doses improve PSA, increase toxicity
August 1st 2002Orlando, FL-Conformal radiotherapy to the prostate with isocenterdoses of 78 Gy lowers biochemical failure by at least 6% at 6 years, andby as much as 19% for men at higher risk of cancer relapse. But the costis a 14% increase in mild to moderate risk of rectal toxicity, accordingto two reports presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annualmeeting.
Long-term RCC survivors do not respond to cytokines
August 1st 2002Orlando, FL-Most long-term survivors of metastatic renal cellcarcinoma do not achieve a response to cytokine treatment, according toresults of a pooled analysis by French researchers. Their findings suggesta lack of association between initial tumor regression on cytokine treatmentand long-term survival, except for the few patients who achieve completeregression.
Neoadjuvant chemo reduces bladder Ca mortality
August 1st 2002Orlando, FL-After 7 years follow-up, researchers from the UnitedKingdom report that a landmark clinical trial in bladder cancer now showsa significant reduction in mortality if patients underwent 3 months of neoadjuvantchemotherapy prior to definitive surgery or radiation for muscle-invasivebladder cancer.
On changing lanes: A few words of caution
August 1st 2002In this issue of Urology Times, we see interviews with several urologistswho have chosen to change paths in mid-career (see article, page 1). Havinggone through many of these issues myself, a few words of caution are inorder. Everyone goes through a period when they at least consider major changes,either because they have "been there, done that" and want somethingnew, or perhaps changes are forced upon them for personal or health reasons.Most of us have gone through the medical tract in life on somewhat of astraightaway. We go from high school to college, from college to medicalschool, from medical school to surgical and urology training, and embarkon our career. After several years of practice, looking at other fieldsand endeavors may be a natural progression for many of us.