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Ann Arbor, MI-Urologists should use biopsy, not barbotage cytology, to assess tumors and select treatment for upper-tract urothelial carcinomas, advise researchers at the University of Michigan Urology Center in Ann Arbor.

New York-Approximately 50% of men who undergo bilateral nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy may be expected to achieve normal erectile function, but that recovery may take up to 4 years, according to a study conducted by urologists at Me-morial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York.

San Francisco-Urologists need to become more frugal in monitoring patients after urologic cancer treatment, advises Steven C. Campbell, MD, PhD, associate professor and co-director of urologic oncology at Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL.

Baltimore-Relatively high levels of free testosterone in older men appear linked to a significantly increased risk for prostate cancer-a finding that raises the possibility that testosterone replacement might affect the risk of prostate cancer, reported J. Kellogg Parsons, MD, an instructor in the department of urology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.

Ann Arbor, MI-The use of PSA testing by urologists and primary care physicians is much lower than that suggested by practitioner- and patient-based published self-report estimates, according to a study of national clinic-report data conducted by urologists at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

FDA approves new 12-month LHRH implant for prostate Ca

San Diego-Treatment with the dual neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitor duloxetine (Yentreve) results in durable improvement in symptoms of stress urinary incontinence, according to a study of open-label transition from placebo to active therapy.

San Diego--Two large studies have arrived at very different conclusions about the value of routine urine cytology and cystoscopy for evaluating women presenting with irritative voiding symptoms.

Bladder ultrasound is noninvasive and relatively easy to perform, which may explain its increased usage in recent years. However, the American Board of Urology has expressed concern that urologists may be overusing the test. In this exclusive Urology Times interview, Pat Fulgham, MD, president of Urology Clinics of North Texas, Dallas, discusses data on the dramatic shift in bladder ultrasound usage by some urologists. Dr. Fulgham, who teaches an annual AUA course on ultrasound, also discusses clinical and reimbursement guidelines clinicians should follow. The interview was conducted by UT Editorial Consultant Robert C. Flanigan, MD, professor and chairman of the department of urology, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL.

The National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine has elected urologist John D. McConnell, MD, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, as one of 65 new members.

African-American men have significantly higher sexual and urinary function 5 years after prostatectomy than Caucasian men, according to study results published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (2004; 22:1-9).

A Western diet high in animal fat and low in soy creates malignant transformation in the prostate tissue, according to a study that may explain why Asian men have lower rates of prostate cancer than their Western counterparts.

The U.S. Senate approved a resolution encouraging physicians to inform prostate cancer patients of every treatment option available, including brachytherapy, hormonal treatments, external beam radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, and watchful waiting.

U.S. Pharmacopeia, hired by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to determine drug coverage, recommended the addition of erectile dysfunction drugs for possible Medicare coverage in 2006.

The FDA approved the marketing of a histrelin implant (Vantas) for the palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer.

Whistler, British Columbia, Canada--Radiofrequency ablation of small renal tumors appears to be an effective nephron-sparing approach for treating localized kidney cancer in a very select group of patients using imperative indications, according to a short-term study from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.

The infection rate was cut in half for the men with the InhibiZone antibiotic covering (1.36% vs. 2.41% in those receiving the untreated prosthesis).

Tauranga, New Zealand--By almost all parameters measured, the efficacy of holmium laser transurethral procedures in the prostate match or exceed that of similar open and transurethral procedures, according to a significant body of work by Peter J. Gilling, MD, urologic consultant at Tauranga Hospital, New Zealand. Dr. Gilling's research has centered on two procedures'holmium laser resection of the prostate (HoLRP) and holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP)-although HoLRP has essentially been replaced by the 100-watt HoLEP (Lumenis, Santa Clara, CA).

Montreal--Two sling systems for female stress urinary incontinence have similar rates of success and perioperative events, according to the results of two separate studies presented at the AUA annual meeting. However, one was more prone to infection and erosion than the other, one study showed.

Paris--A novel adjustable device for intrinsic sphincteric deficiency shows success in women with stress unitary incontinence after other surgeries have failed, according to findings from an international, multicenter study.

Los Angeles--The largest clinical database built on renal cell carcinoma is beginning to yield definitive answers to questions about prognosis and treatment. Analyses of histories of more than 4,000 patients at eight academic medical centers worldwide has already indicated that tumor stage, grade, and performance status have a stronger influence on prognosis than tumor stage alone and that the indications for partial nephrectomy can expand.

Nashville, TN--As institutions accrue more experience with robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, they are beginning to perform outcomes analyses to evaluate the pros and cons of the procedure compared with traditional open retropubic radical prostatectomy.

Vaulx-en-Velin, France--High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) appears to be a promising salvage therapy option in carefully selected recurrent prostate cancer patients who have previously undergone external beam radiation therapy. The device, which uses sound waves to target tumors, was found in a French study to stop disease progression in slightly more than 40% of patients at mean follow-up of 15 months.

Phildadelphia--Photoselective vaporization of the prostate using a new higher-power potassium-titanyl-phosphate laser is a safe and efficacious treatment for BPH, according to a study presented at the AUA annual meeting.

San Diego-A newer bulking agent consisting of synthetic calcium hydroxylapatite compares favorably with traditional glutaraldehyde cross-linked bovine collagen as a treatment for type III stress urinary incontinence or intrinsic sphincteric deficiency, according to an interim analysis of data from an ongoing randomized trial of the two substances.

Ann Arbor, MI--Urologic oncologists adept in performing open radical prostatectomy should feel comfortable undertaking robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy without worrying about encountering a significant learning curve. However, for the laparoscopic surgeon, the robot seems to offer little benefit for facilitating laparoscopic surgery, according to findings of a small prospective study from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Cleveland--A novel hemostatic sealant containing bovine-derived gelatin matrix and bovine-derived thrombin appears to be a useful adjunct for facilitating hemostasis and improving outcomes of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, according to the results of a retrospective study from the Cleveland Clinic.

Baltimore--Complexed PSA outperforms total PSA and is as good as or better than percent-free PSA in detecting prostate cancer, according to the results of a large pooled analysis presented at the AUA annual meeting.