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Persistent clinical benefit was seen among a small group of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who had to discontinue therapy with the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab (Opdivo) because of immune-related adverse events, according to a study presented at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in Orlando, FL.

Administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) undergoing treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors may have a negative effect on the efficacy of the immunotherapy drugs, according to the results of a recent retrospective analysis.

Nivolumab (Opdivo) is the second in class of immune checkpoint inhibitors approved for advanced bladder cancer-treatments that are having “tremendous responses across a spectrum of cancers,” says Leonard G. Gomella, MD.

Using multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging to triage men with high serum PSA could save about one-fourth of patients from having transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy, according to a recent study.

Scribes slash EMR burden

Urologists who view electronic medical record documentation as a burden are turning to scribes. Scribes, many say, relieve them of that burden, freeing urologists and other providers to focus on patient care.

This article will discuss the concept of practice valuation and how to go from abstraction to dollars or how to make dollars and “cents” of the process of putting a dollar value on a urologic practice.

"Rather than making a blanket statement regarding continued follow-up, we need to consider the pathologic features commonly known to increase the risk of [prostate cancer] recurrence-concurrent medical problems, the patient’s age at recurrence, PSA doubling time, longevity in the family, etc," writes J. Brantley Thrasher, MD.

The risk for biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer remains relatively high even 10 years after radical prostatectomy, but it does not appear to be influenced by a positive family history of prostate cancer or a family or personal history of other cancer, according to a study analyzing data from the prospective German Familial Prostate Cancer database.

Salvage lymph node dissection results in an immediate complete PSA response in about one-third of patients with rising PSA and nodal recurrence following local therapy for prostate cancer, according to German researchers.

Each year, the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services publishes a summary of its activities and a work plan for the coming year. What follows is a summary of new topics in the FY2017 work plan that may be of interest to urologists.

Adherence to guidelines for the use of combination radiation therapy and androgen deprivation therapy in the United States for the treatment of high-risk or locally advanced prostate cancer has decreased over time, according to data presented by Paolo Dell’Oglio, MD.

Despite the excruciating nature of kidney stones, many people can't manage to lower their risk by simply drinking more liquid. Now, a new study finds that one potential tool-a water bottle with a built-in consumption sensor and smartphone link-accurately tracks how much people drink.

The Affordable Care Act's controversial contraceptive coverage mandate requires most private health plans to provide cost-free coverage of female contraception. Reproductive health advocates in many states are pressing for new laws that include vasectomy in those covered services.

A comparison of dusting versus basketing, the question of whether shock wave lithotripsy should be retired, and an expert interview on difficult stones were among the most-read Urology Times articles on stone disease in 2016.