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Washington-This year's intensive push for an effective Patients' Bill of Rights has consumed much of the attention of those concerned about health policy and has overshadowed several other key initiatives that could also significantly affect urologists and their medical practices.

Washington-MDLinx has added a number of new features to its web site at www.urologylinx.com. An e-filing cabinet allows users to save specific articles and the results of searches to a personal electronic filing cabinet, where they can be sorted into user-created folders. Bookmarks enable users to save web addresses for particular journals, articles, or any other web sites into the same electronic filing cabinet and can then be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection and web browser. An updated newsletters section allows users to temporarily suspend newsletter delivery while on vacation or sabbatical. Registered users can also now elect to participate in market research.

Santa Barbara, CA-Mentor Corp. offers the Self-Cath Plus, an intermittent catheter with a hydrophilic coating for smooth insertion. The coating activates immediately upon exposure to water for fast, clean lubrication and maximum ease of use, the company says. To facilitate catheterization, the product offers an uncoated GripZone area for total control in handling.

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA-The FDA has granted approval to Applied Medical to market GelPort, a device that provides advanced access to the operative site during hand-access laparoscopy. The GelPort requires no double gloving, sleeves, adhesives, or attachments and gives the surgeon unlimited hand exchanges, the company says.

Peyronie's disease resulting in shorter and curved erections occurs more commonly than the 1% to 2% of the population related in textbooks. Patients with the problem may be embarrassed to come forward, or the angulation of the erection-although uncomfortable-may not prohibit intercourse. But with more open discussion of sexuality in all forms of the media, more men are coming forward for treatment of sexual problems. Past medical treatments have been unsuccessful in restoring a straight erection in such patients. Reports of newer treatments such as intralesional verapamil and collagenase have been inconsistent and must stand the test of time.

Anaheim, CA-The 1997 TNM staging system for renal cell carcinoma is coming under increasing scrutiny from a number of institutions, including UCLA, where researchers have not only called into question the discriminatory power of the system but have gone a step further by proposing an alternative system that they feel offers more accurate prognoses.

Borrowing funds often means a loan from your practice's principal or shareholder. Or, in many cases, the principal or shareholder borrows the funds from the practice. Either way, our tax laws create a number of obstacles that must be overcome to avoid the penalties and corresponding higher tax bills that can result from an Internal Revenue Service restructuring of the transaction.

As laptop computers have become more reliable, less fragile, and less expensive, these machines have gone from being a luxury to an everyday business tool. Many physicians travel frequently and often have projects or correspondence to work on at home and at the office. All of this can be made much more practical with a laptop computer.

Washington-The return of the U.S. Senate to Democratic control appears to improve the chances for passage of a patients' bill of rights, but it could reduce chances for real Medicare reform and consideration of some specific issues important to urologists.

Culver City, CA-Karl Storz Endoscopy-America, Inc., introduces the Autoclavable Telecam Parfocal Zoom Camera Head, offering both autoclave sterilization and zoom capabilities. The camera also offers steam and flash sterilization for faster reprocessing, according to the company. It is compatible with all Telecam camera control units, including those with advanced image processing modules for fine detail enhancement.

Knoxville, TN-DeRoyal has added three new products to its line of safety devices.

Fort Washington, PA-Biocoat, Inc., now offers literature describing the benefits of Hydak coatings, manufactured with hyaluronan, for use on catheters, guidewires, and other interventional medical devices. The full-color brochure details information on the coating's technology and process, in addition to the company's research and development capabilities.

Crestwood, IL-GKR Industries, Inc., offers the U.T. Bag System for the collection and containment of urine test strips. The system's patented one-way valve prevents leakage and contamination of the body fluid, according to the company.

Versailles, OH-Midmark Corp.'s new Soniclean line of ultrasonic cleaners offers fast, safe, and consistent cleaning of medical instruments and components. Specifically designed for quiet operation, the cleaners are comprised of acoustic pressure generated by a stack transducer and coupled with overlapping wave frequency technology to produce powerful cavitation, the company says. The cleaners are available in three sizes: M150, M250, and M550.

Washington-MDLinx now offers www.urologylinx.com, a web site featuring news about general urology and urologic subspecialties. The site's subspecialties include adrenal glands, erectile dysfunction, infertility, kidney, pediatric urology, penis, prostate, stones, testis/scrotum, ureter, urethra, urinary bladder, uroradiology, voiding dysfunction, basic science/genetics, economics of medicine, and popular press.

San Jose, CA-Laserscope has received FDA approval to market a high-power KTP laser system for photoselective vaporization of the prostate for the treatment of BPH. The product uses an 80-watt KTP/532 laser system and sterile, disposable, fiber-optic delivery devices. During the procedure, a miniature camera attached to an endoscope is inserted through the urethra to the prostate. A laser fiber is threaded through the endoscope to the area to be treated. The laser, which operates at 532 nm, is then used to vaporize excess tissue. The minimally invasive procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis, the company says.

Washington-An evolution in the management of bladder cancer, including the use of molecular-based diagnostic testing, may soon make it possible to achieve better outcomes at a lower cost, according to Mark P. Schoenberg, MD. Dr. Schoenberg, associate professor of urology and oncology and director of the bladder cancer research center at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, said that a change in some aspects of bladder cancer management is sorely needed.

San Francisco-Non-myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation for metastatic renal cell carcinoma appears feasible in a very select, younger, healthier patient population with slow-growing tumors and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched siblings, said Brian I. Rini, MD. He reported results from a University of Chicago Hospital phase II trial at the 37th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology here.

Anaheim, CA- Epidemiologists, puzzling over metabolism, diet, food supplements, and genes, may have to look no further than the medicine chest to find one of the factors contributing to the putative rise in kidney stone disease. Three studies presented here at the annual AUA meeting suggest a link between calcium oxalate stones, the bacterium Oxalobacter formigenes, and antibiotics.

San Francisco-Results from a 14-year Southwest Oncology Group trial show for the first time that neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus cystectomy offers improved survival over cystectomy alone in the treatment of patients with locally advanced bladder cancer. This finding challenges the results of seven previous clinical studies.

Many prostate cancer researchers were delighted last fall by two significant developments. First, Myriad Genetics, a Salt Lake City-based biopharmaceutical company, announced on October 4 that its research team had cloned a prostate cancer susceptibility gene (HPC2), also known as ELAC2. That same month, an independent research team at the University of Pennsylvania published its findings that the variant allele (copy) of the gene was found to be more common in men with prostate cancer than in healthy matched controls.

The AUA annual meeting is a remarkable gathering of international thought leaders, practitioners, and industry. As in past years, last month's event in Anaheim provided attendees not only with a measure of urology's scientific progress but also a barometer for many of the issues and concerns facing urologists in the trenches. Here is a very brief look at some of the science and trends that drew applause and raised eyebrows during the scientific sessions, on the exhibit floor, and behind closed doors.

Palo Alto, CA-Urologists have heard more than once from detractors who have said that measuring PSA is not useful as a predictor for prostate cancer. You may now add Thomas A. Stamey, MD-the first investigator to show that the level of serum PSA was proportional to the volume of prostate cancer-to the list of naysayers.

Research and understanding of lower urinary tract symptoms and associated clinical BPH have evolved tremendously over the past years. Detailed analyses of data from the Olmsted County Study of Urinary Symptoms in Men has taught us that it is not symptom severity and frequency alone that prompt men to consult a physician. Rather, issues such as bother, interference with daily activities, embarrassment about urinary conditions, and worry about the possibility of malignancy all very significantly contribute to the decision to see a physician.

Carle Place, NY-Nuclear Associates offers an extensive line of books and videos, featuring subjects on management for radiographic imaging, the basics of film processing, hospital radiation protection, radiation safety and risks, and radiation protection standards.

Palm Harbor, FL-Sempermed offers the SemperCARE Nitrile Powder-Free Exam Glove to eliminate the potential for aerosolization of glove powder and associated transfer of chemical allergens. The non-latex glove is ergonomically designed and made from a low modulus synthetic polymer, which maximizes comfort, tactile sensitivity, and protection from blood-borne pathogens, according to the company. Its textured surface provides better gripping, while the light blue color optimizes visibility.

Fort Washington, PA-Hydak Coatings from Biocoat, Inc., for use on catheters and guidewires, are manufactured with hyaluronan, a biocompatible biopolymer found in human tissues and body fluids. The coatings provide a high degree of hydrophilicity, lubricity, flexibility, and abrasion resistance to assure trauma-free functioning, the company says.

New Orleans-Scientists from two Cleveland institutions have identifieda chromosomal region they believe contains a gene or genes associated withaggressive forms of prostate cancer. Tests for molecular markers of geneticabnormalities in this region could some day identify men with prostate cancerwho warrant aggressive therapies, as well as spare some men from treatment.