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The association and its member groups are “leading the way” in developing urology-specific measures that can be used for MIPS quality reporting, says LUGPA President Neal D. Shore, MD.

Overexpression of a specific pair of genes might provide early warning of prostate cancer patients’ likelihood of progressing to metastatic disease.

If members of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission have their way, the new Merit-based Incentive Payment System will be sent into oblivion, never to be heard of again.

A recently proposed bill “offers transparency measures that provide stakeholders further elucidation of how money moves through the pharmaceutical supply chain,” writes the AACU’s Brian Henderson.

About one-fourth of patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome have Hunner lesions in the bladder visible on cystoscopy.

In this interview, urologist Francis J. McGovern, MD, discusses the scope of the problem of opioid abuse, outlines opioid-sparing strategies, and explains what the future holds in this area.

Repeated hydrodistention as therapy for interstitial cystitis has a low complication rate and does not decrease bladder capacity over time.

"Urologists need to be ever more vigilant to protect the private information under their custodianship," writes Robert A. Dowling, MD.

New research may pave the way for a form of nerve stimulation for refractory overactive bladder that is home based and less invasive than current neuromodulation approaches.

In men with clinically low-risk prostate cancer managed in community-based urology practices, utilization of active surveillance as initial management is higher among those who undergo genomic testing.

“I’d like to see [the American Board of Urology] do something to make the process more applicable to our practice,” says one urologist.

"The ABU is committed to evolving a [life-long learning] program that diplomates find relevant and less burdensome. We will always welcome diplomates’ feedback regarding this evolving program," writes H. Ballentine Carter, MD.

"Incidental radiology findings are low-hanging fruit that organizations should develop processes for handling proactively," writes Brianne Goodwin, JD, RN.

Use of a cell cycle progression genomics test (Prolaris) can further stratify risk in men who are candidates for active surveillance based on clinical criteria, and therefore may have a role in decision-making in men with early-stage prostate cancer, researchers say.

The correlation between patient-reported bother and symptom severity is inexact, according to conclusions of a recent retrospective multicenter study of nearly 1,200 patients referred for lower urinary tract symptoms.

Results of one of the first randomized controlled trials evaluating cell therapy for women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) has helped to identify clinically meaningful efficacy endpoints to refine patient selection criteria for current and future studies, according to investigator Melissa R. Kaufman, MD, PhD.

Flexible ureteroscopy using a digital single-use flexible ureteroscope known as PUSEN achieves stone-free rates on par with reusable flexible ureteroscopes, with a total surgery time averaging 45 minutes.

"We will review the evidence and identify potential areas of improvement that can help reduce costs associated with UCB management while improving outcomes," write Daniel J. Lee, MD, and Sam S. Chang, MD.

SUNA President Gwendolyn Hooper, PhD, APRN, asked a few colleagues to share their urology nursing stressors.

Current NCCN guidelines are comparable to European models for predicting nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer recurrence and progression. But better models are needed, according to a recent study.

Adding ramucirumab (CYRAMZA) to standard docetaxel (Taxotere) improved progression-free survival compared with docetaxel alone in patients with advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who have progressed on platinum-based chemotherapy.

Other products and services discussed in this round-up include a biosimilar for cancer, an American College of Surgeons manual on quality initiatives, a kidney cancer microsite, and more.

James M. Hotaling, MD, MS, and Steven A. Kaplan, MD, introduce their new Urology Times section "Tech Talk with Jim and Steve."