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.
Montvale, NJ--Computer software ranked at the top of planned purchases by urologists, with one-fourth of respondents to a survey saying they planned to acquire software in 2004. Cystoscopes, ureteral stents, penile prostheses, and BPH thermotherapy devices rounded out the top five planned purchases, according to the survey, conducted exclusively for Urology Times and its sister publication, Contemporary Urology.
Computer labels withstandchemicals, extreme temps
New Hyde Park, NY--Although transurethral resection of the prostate remains the gold standard for the treatment of BPH, the expense of the treatment can be too much for some patients.
Sanofi-Synthelabo Inc. has introduced a money-back guarantee program for BPH patients not satisfied after taking extended-release alfuzosin hydrochloride (Uroxatral) as directed by their physician.
Revisions have been made to the precautions and adverse reactions sections of the label for the bisphosphonate zoledronic acid (Zometa).
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded Aaron Ciechanover, MD, DSc, the 2004 Nobel Prize in chemistry.
An increased dose of highly conformal external beam radiation shows a survival advantage over conventional-dose therapy in men with early-stage prostate cancer, according to study results presented at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology annual meeting in Atlanta.
Among American adults, the Internet is a popular place to seek out information about prescription drugs, although only a small percentage actually purchase them online, according to results of a new survey.
The National Cancer Institute began a 3-year study to validate a test that detects bladder cancer recurrence.
Chemotherapy regimens using docetaxel (Taxotere) significantly reduced the risk of death by 24% and 20% in men with hormone-refractory prostate cancer, according to the results of two separate phase III studies published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine (2004; 351:1502-12 and 1513-20).
San Francisco--Urinary incontinence remains a common medical condition in older women, even in those who rate their health as "good" or "excellent." Nearly 12% of elderly women experience stress, urge, or other form of incontinence, according to findings from an analysis of the Health, Aging, and Body Composition study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology (2004; 104:301-7). The condition is more prevalent in Caucasian women than in African-Americans, the study found.
Knowledge about the efficacy and safety of testosterone therapy in men remains inadequate, despite its frequent use in clinical practice. Clinical research into the benefits of testosterone therapy is also lacking, according to Alvaro Morales, MD.
San Francisco--As trade and information flow more freely, health care may become a commodity, auctioned like crude oil and pork bellies on world markets, according to William J. Cromie, MD, MBA, a urologist and CEO of Capital District Physicians Health Plan of Albany, NY.
San Francisco--Urinary incontinence remains a common medical condition in older women, even in those who rate their health as "good" or "excellent." Nearly 12% of elderly women experience stress, urge, or other form of incontinence, according to findings from an analysis of the Health, Aging, and Body Composition study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology (2004; 104:301-7). The condition is more prevalent in Caucasian women than in African-Americans, the study found.
Houston--Early or late recurrence after induction BCG therapy with or without maintenance BCG for high-risk bladder cancer confers a significant increased risk of death, a finding that contradicts the widely held belief that late recurrence has less adverse impact on survival, according to data from a large clinical database.
New York--It is up to urologists to take the lead in conducting clinical trials to define the safety and benefits of testosterone therapy in older men, according to E. Darracott Vaughan, Jr, MD. Dr. Vaughan, one of two urologists who served on an Institute of Medicine committee assessing the need for clinical trials of testosterone replacement, provided an update on the committee's report and its significance to urologists during the AUA annual meeting.
A 6-month course of androgen suppression therapy following radiation treatment for clinically localized prostate cancer confers survival benefits similar to those seen with longer courses of androgen blockade (>3 years), according to a recent study from Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston. The study also suggests that only partial blockade with a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist may be sufficient.
Washington--Even though the new Medicare physician fee schedule rule increases physician payments by 1.5% overall for Medicare services, urologists are facing a 13% reduction, according to AUA officials.
Excessive compensation, in the IRS's eyes at least, indicates that the principal/shareholder was attempting to avoid the double-tax due on dividend income-once at the corporate level and again as the personal income of the recipient.
Prostate web site offers health information, resources
Nocturia is a bothersome condition brought on by a host of factors in a broad segment of the population, particularly the elderly. It may have a significant impact on quality of life, and the associated sleep deprivation may lead to psychological and physical illness. Management of nocturia can only be pursued once the specific etiology of the condition is defined. This article describes a modern approach to pinpointing the underlying etiology, which in turn leads to appropriate treatment.
Q A pediatric urologist I code for is concerned that we cannot bill/code for both orchiopexy and a hernia repair done during the same operating room session. Do you have any documentation on this matter? When you look up 54640 in CPT 2004, it references, "For inguinal hernia repair performed in conjunction with inguinal orchiopexy, see 49495-49525." In the Medicare Correct Coding Guidelines, I do not see any edits stating not to bill both procedures together.
Since its inception in 1995, the Cancer of the Prostate Urologic Research Endeavor has become one of the world's largest databases on prostate cancer. CaPSURE shows a rapidly evolving picture of how the disease is treated and the typical patient confronting it. In this exclusive Urology Times interview, Peter R. Carroll, MD, CaPSURE's principal investigator, discusses these trends and the forces driving them. The interview was conducted by UT Editorial Consultant Richard D. Williams, MD, professor and chairman of the department of urology, University of Iowa, Iowa City.
