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Periurethral bulking agents provide a unique, minimally invasive treatment option for stress urinary incontinence in female patients. Although many different injectable agents have been described, the gold standard remains glutaraldehyde cross-linked bovine collagen (Contigen). Limited efficacy and durability have been reported in a significant proportion of patients and presumed to result from collagen loss (eg, by tissue absorption/metabolism and luminal extravasation).

Atlanta--Children treated with endoscopic intervention for vesicoureteral reflux continue to demonstrate cures that approach those of open surgery and have a high resolution rate after initial failure. In addition, incidence of febrile and non-febrile urinary tract infection after treatment is lower than after surgery, according to data presented here at the State-of-the-Art Symposium on Pediatric UTI, Reflux, Antibiotic Resistance, and Endoscopy.

Charleston, SC--Patients presenting with bladder cancer pose a difficult question for the urologists who must decide how to treat them. Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (Pacis, TherCys, TICE BCG) is an option to consider before cystectomy in some patients, but knowing when BCG is no longer effective and when to perform cystectomy remains a challenge.

Charleston, SC--Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) is an effective screening tool for patients who present with signs and symptoms of bladder cancer that warrant an investigation for malignancy, according to a new study from the Medical University of South Carolina. Analysis of the data collected in the study, led by MUSC urology chairman Thomas Keane, MD, showed FISH to be more sensitive than the customary method of cytology.

San Antonio--The prevalence of women being discharged for stone disease has increased in recent years, according to research presented at last month's AUA annual meeting. The rate discharges for men with stone disease over the same period increased slightly for renal calculi and decreased in the case of ureteral calculi.

San Antonio--Genitofemoral (GF) nerve grafting during radical retropubic prostatectomy can be performed safely with a low risk of postoperative morbidity and shows promising efficacy for returning erectile function after surgery involving wide nerve resection, according to the results of a retrospective study.

San Antonio--A new study examining the expression of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family of proteins in kidney cancer has yielded several important findings, including the identification of different expression profiles of VEGF proteins in clear cell and papillary type renal cell carcinoma.

San Antonio--A relatively new inherited syndrome known as hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer (HLRCC) has a more aggressive clinical course than other hereditary renal cancer syndromes, and expectant management of even small HLRCC tumors is not recommended, according to a study presented at the AUA annual meeting here.

San Antonio--Urologists who might have bypassed the option of surgery to send patients with clinical T3 (cT3) disease directly to a radiation oncologist might want to rethink the way they refer patients, according to a new study.

Washington--Federal officials, after considering arguments and concerns presented by urologists and others, have decided to continue coverage for nearly 100 procedures performed in ambulatory surgical centers, including three urologic procedures, instead of removing them from the approved list as had been previously proposed.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) proposed legislation Tuesday that would end federal funding for "lifestyle" drugs such as sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), and vardenafil (Levitra) to treat sexual and erectile dysfunction. Coverage would be provided if the drugs are prescribed for a purpose other than sexual performance.

Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (M-PCR) is a sensitive, specific, fast, and relatively inexpensive method of diagnosing Klinefelter's syndrome, according to data presented here by Peter N. Schlegel, MD, and colleagues from Cornell University, New York.

Midpoint results of a 5-year multi-center IDE study comparing a new cooled transurethral microwave thermotherapy device against the conventional 60-minute Targis treatment (both from Urologix, Minneapolis) were announced here on Wednesday, and the data appear promising.

Conflicting with results of previous trials, saw palmetto showed no effect on urinary symptoms or objective measures of BPH in a study reported at the AUA annual meeting yesterday.

Findings from a large study of prospectively evaluated men demonstrate that digital rectal exam is an independent predictor of prostate cancer in men undergoing prostate needle biopsy.

A new study examining the expression of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family of proteins in kidney cancer has yielded several important findings, including the identification of different expression profiles of VEGF proteins in clear cell and papillary type renal cell carcinoma.

Patients who have other primary cancers have increased risk for renal cancer, the authors of a retrospective study reported yesterday. But while physicians should be alert to the possibility of renal cancer, the risk is not high enough to warrant that all patients in this population should be screened, the authors advise.

An inherited syndrome known as hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer (HLRCC) has a more aggressive clinical course than other hereditary renal cancer syndromes, according to a new study. The authors recommend surgical therapy early in the course of treatment of HLRCC patients rather than expectant management.

A new study examining the expression of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family of proteins in kidney cancer has yielded several important findings, including the identification of different expression profiles of VEGF proteins in clear cell and papillary type renal cell carcinoma.

Men who experience painful recurrent varicoceles after undergoing conservative treatment and failed surgical repair are best served by microsurgical varicocelectomy, according to Canadian researchers.Of 11 men who had failed standard varicocelectomy and experienced pain before and after surgery, 10 experienced a favorable response following microsurgical repair, according to investigators."In my mind, microsurgical varicocelectomy is the gold standard, and non-microsurgical repair is sub-standard," said lead author Armand Zini, MD, associate professor of urology at McGill University, Montreal. "However, few urologists are able to perform this procedure, since they have not been trained properly."

The prevalence of women being discharged for stone disease has increased in recent years, according to research presented here yesterday. The rate of discharges for men with stone disease over the same period increased slightly for renal calculi and decreased in the case of ureteral calculi.

Genetic factors may play a role in the pathophysiology of vaginal prolapse in women younger than 55 years, according to a study presented yesterday.

Botulinum toxin A (Botox) injections show potential for providing a quick, easy, and safe treatment option for men with lower urinary tract symptoms related to BPH, but two small studies presented yesterday provided equivocal results regarding the efficacy of this investigational approach. U.S. researchers tested their 10-minute, ultrasound-guided technique in a two-part study. In the first part, 10 patients were injected with botulinum, 100 units, to assess safety, International Prostate Symptom Score, flow rates, and bother scores. In the second part, 30 patients received 200 units of botulinum in a sham-controlled, double-blind study, and sequential MRIs were taken pretreatment and at 1 and 3 months post-treatment to measure prostate volume.

For most of her life, former Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton suffered from severe urgency and frequency related to overactive bladder. It wasn't until she consulted a urologist just over a year ago that Retton, now 37, received relief from her sometimes debilitating symptoms.Retton has gone public with her personal struggle in a campaign backed by Pfizer. She said she hopes her own experience will help others with the condition seek proper care.

A new laparoscopic ultrasound probe recently cleared for market by the FDA is being offered as an option on Endocare, Inc.'s Cryocare CS System.

Findings from two studies presented at the AUA meeting here yesterday provide further evidence that obesity negatively affects prostate and bladder cancer outcomes.

A study estimating the dispensation rate of interacting medications to an outpatient population found that while only 0.05% of patients received co-prescriptions for medications that could potentially cause adverse effects, about half of these were given were for sildenafil citrate (Viagra) and one of two different nitrates.