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San Francisco--Continuing a trend of mixed results seen in previousstudies, neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel (Taxotere) resulted ina significant PSA response but failed to induce any histologic changes inlocally advanced prostate cancer, Cleveland Clinic investigators reportedat the AUA annual meeting.

Oceanside, NY--In men with clinically localized prostate cancer,monotherapy with radical prostatectomy, external beam radiation therapy,or permanent prostate brachytherapy offer the same excellent chance of biochemicalsuccess, according to the results of a large, retrospective study.

San Francisco--Still known primarily for its ability to smoothfacial wrinkles, botulinum toxin A (Botox) is gaining acceptance as a treatmentoption for refractory overactive and neurogenic bladder.

Vanilloid is shown to improve urgency but not pain, leakage, nocturia, or enuresis

FDA will hold a public workshop on prostate cancer as part of its ongoing series of meetings on oncology clinical trial endpoints.

The FDA has established donor eligibility criteria for donors of human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products (HCT/Ps) to help prevent the transmission of communicable diseases during transplantation.

The Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates (SUNA) released two position statements-one on bladder cancer and the other on the nursing shortage.

The latest update of AUA guidelines for management of organic erectile dysfunction will focus on novel treatment recommendations and suggestions for study designs that minimize conflicts of interest in post-marketing comparisons of oral drug therapies.

Patrick C. Walsh, MD, will step down in July as director of the Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins, a position he has held since 1974.

Results from an ex vivo study demonstrating effects of the nonselective alpha-1 receptor antagonist doxazosin (Cardura) on ureteral contractility raises questions about the role of alpha-blocker treatment in the management of ureteral stone disease, say urologists from the University of Wisconsin.

Gynecare, a division of Ethicon, Inc., offers the Gynecare Monitorr urodynamicmeasurement system, featuring a new type of urethral pressure measurementfor stress incontinence-urethral retro-resistance pressure.

Total attendance at this year's AUA annual meeting in San Francisco increasedby about 1,500 over last year's meeting in Chicago, according to unauditedstatistics released on Monday. As of Monday, total professional attendanceat the meeting was 11,538, compared with 10,031 at the 2003 meeting.

American Medical Systems announced Monday that its Apogee System forvaginal vault prolapse repair received FDA clearance. The company said itwill begin physician training in preparation for commercial release laterthis year.

The Coalition for the Advancement of Prosthetic Urology has taken a significantstep in what is likely to be a long march toward securing equitable paymentfor urologic prostheses, said John Mulcahy, MD, chairman of CAPU's boardof directors, during a briefing held during the AUA annual meeting Tuesday.

A large, international, multicenter study has shattered one common assumptionabout renal cell carcinoma. The overall prognosis for chromophobe carcinomasis better than for clear-cell or papillary tumors, rather than the opposite.However, all three tumor types have equivalent survival when adjusted forstage and grade.

The use of a dynamic contrast (gadolinium)-enhanced T2-weighted MRI (DCE-MRI)appears to be a very promising new means of detecting prostate cancer lesions,according to a National Cancer Institute-funded study.

Pregnancy rates after varicocelectomy negatively correlate to the lengthof time the patient was infertile, according to long-term research fromthe University of Istanbul, Turkey.

Contrary to previous retrospective studies, the use of ureteroscopy maynot be the best option for larger lower-pole stones, according to findingsfrom a prospective, randomized study presented here yesterday. Results fromthe multicenter study suggest that other treatment modalities, such as percutaneousnephrolithotomy, may offer greater efficacy in stones >10 mm.

It appears to make little difference whether freshor frozen sperm is used for in vitro fertilization, as both have equivalentoutcomes in terms of fertilization rates, embryo quality, and the chanceof having at least one live birth event, according to a Mayo Clinic study.

Lithotripsy optical fibers in Trimedyne's Flex MAX family are said tobe more flexible than those of competitive fibers, reusable, and competitivelypriced.

Urologix Inc., offers the Targis System for the treatment of BPH witha new treatment catheter-the Cooled ThermoCath-that generates focused heatingand tissue necrosis in 28.5 minutes.

Lab-quality PSA test results are available in 15 minutes with the FastPackSystem from Qualigen, Inc.

Llidocaine hydrochloride jelly, 2% (Anestacon), from Polymedica, is alocal anesthetic used to decrease pain and discomfort resulting from urinarytract procedures.

The Pelvitex polypropylene mesh from Bard Urological is comprised ofa monofilament polypropylene mesh coated with a hydrophilic porcine collagen.

The new Continuous Flow Laser Cystoscope from Olympus is available foruse in a variety of laser procedures, which are aimed at treating patientswith BPH.

The Visera Digital Visual Imaging and Information platform from Olympusallows the physician to specialize each procedure while maintaining standardizationon the platform, creating greater operating efficiency for operating roomstaff and surgeons.

Olympus announces the release of the EndoEYE Flexible Video Cystoscope(shown), which features a high-resolution simultaneous-multi-color cameraat the distal tip, producing a high-quality video image.

The American Foundation for Urologic Disease has announced its 2004 PresidentialFounders Award winners. Those presented with the award were C. Eugene CarltonJr, MD; Jay W. Gillenwater, MD; Frank Hinman Jr, MD; Russell Scott Jr, MD;and E. Darracott Vaughan Jr, MD. Award winners are recognized for theirlong-term contributions to AFUD's mission.