Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Urology for July 2007. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Health Risks Higher for Assisted Reproduction
TUESDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) -- Although the health risks for mother and child are higher for assisted reproduction than spontaneous conception, much of this is related to the underlying health risks of being infertile, according to a review of singleton pregnancies in the July 28 issue of The Lancet. Children born after assisted reproduction appear to develop normally with normal family relationships.
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Chemotherapy, Stem Cells Beneficial in Testicular Cancer
FRIDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) -- Metastatic testicular germ cell tumors may be curable with high-dose chemotherapy plus hematopoietic stem cell rescue, according to a report in the July 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Epidermal Nevi, Urothelial Carcinomas Share Mutation
THURSDAY, July 26 (HealthDay News) -- Mutations in fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3), which are found in seborrheic keratosis and urothelial carcinomas, are also found in some epidermal nevi, according to a study in the July issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
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Broccoli May Cut Aggressive Prostate Cancer Risk
THURSDAY, July 26 (HealthDay News) -- Consumption of cruciferous vegetables is associated with a lower risk of being diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer, according to the results of a prospective study published online July 24 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Surgeon's Skill Linked to Prostate Cancer Recurrence
TUESDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- The chance that a patient's prostate cancer will recur after radical prostatectomy is significantly lower when an experienced surgeon performs the surgery, according to a study published online July 24 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The study also found that a surgeon's degree of success continues to improve through approximately 250 operations.
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Sperm Banking Underused in Young Male Cancer Patients
TUESDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- Sperm banking is effective for young male cancer patients who need to undergo surgery, radiation or chemotherapy, but it is often underutilized, according to the results of a study published July 23 in Cancer. Although 15 to 30 percent of young male cancer patients will be permanently sterile after treatment, only 18 percent of males under 30 banked sperm prior to treatment.
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FDA Issues Class I Recall of Baxter Infusion Pumps
MONDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Baxter Healthcare Corp. of Round Lake, Ill., notified health care professionals and consumers July 20 of a class I recall of the Baxter Upgraded COLLEAGUE Triple Channel Volumetric Infusion Pumps, model numbers 2M8153, 2M8163, and 2M9163.
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Finasteride Reduces Risk of Premalignant Prostate Lesions
FRIDAY, July 20 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term administration of finasteride significantly decreases the risk of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, according to a report published in the July issue of the Journal of Urology.
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Poor Prognosis for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Ureter
THURSDAY, July 19 (HealthDay News) -- Among patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and ureter, fewer than 10 percent survive five years following surgery, according to a report published in the July issue of the Journal of Urology.
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Prostate Cancer Patients May Not Need Digital Rectal Exam
THURSDAY, July 19 (HealthDay News) -- In men who undergo radical treatment for prostate cancer, routine digital rectal examination is usually not necessary because prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests can reliably identify disease recurrence, according to a report published in the July issue of the Journal of Urology.
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Sperm Injection for IVF Increased Sharply Over Decade
WEDNESDAY, July 18 (HealthDay News) -- The use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) during in vitro fertilization rose steeply between 1995 and 2004, even though diagnoses of infertility attributable to male-factor issues stayed steady during that period, researchers report in the July 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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β2-Microglobulin Blockade May Inhibit Renal Carcinoma
WEDNESDAY, July 18 (HealthDay News) -- Blocking a subunit of the major histocompatibility complex class I protein may help curb the growth of renal cell carcinomas, according to the results of a study of cultured cells published in the July issue of the Journal of Urology. The protein, β2-microglobulin, appears to promote the growth of renal cell carcinoma cells via a pair of signaling pathways, while anti-β2-microglobulin antibodies can induce apoptosis.
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Leflunomide Effective at Preventing Wegener's Relapse
WEDNESDAY, July 18 (HealthDay News) -- Leflunomide can prevent relapse of Wegener's granulomatosis, but with a high incidence of adverse events compared to methotrexate, according to the results of a randomized trial published in the July issue of Rheumatology. However, the high relapse rate associated with methotrexate caused that arm of the study to be halted early.
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PSA Can Be Elevated in Prostate Cancer-Free Men
TUESDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) -- About one in five men with no clinical evidence of prostate cancer have levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) above 2.5 ng/mL and half have a percentage free/total PSA that is less than 25 percent, according to the results of a study in the July issue of the British Journal of Urology.
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Elderly Men Can Use Viagra But Efficacy Declines with Age
MONDAY, July 16 (HealthDay News) -- Viagra (sildenafil) is effective in men over 60 years old, though the response rate decreases with age and particularly in men over 80, according to a report in the July issue of the British Journal of Urology. The incidence of side effects in older men is similar to that of younger men taking the drug.
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Bladder Cancer Therapy May Lower Disease-Free Survival
FRIDAY, July 13 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment of T1 high-grade bladder cancer with potentially bladder-sparing intravesical therapy (IVT), including chemotherapy and immunotherapy before progressing to radical cystectomy, may decrease disease-free survival, according to study findings in the July issue of the British Journal of Urology.
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Onsite Dietician Counseling Benefits Overweight Patients
THURSDAY, July 12 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who consult with a dietician during regular doctor visits may experience sustained improvements in body weight, lipid levels and blood pressure, according to the results of a study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.
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FDA Review Suggests Lycopene Doesn't Cut Cancer Risk
WEDNESDAY, July 11 (HealthDay News) -- Scientific studies do not support the claim that tomato and/or lycopene consumption reduces the overall risk of cancer, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration evidence-based review published in the July 18 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. However, very limited evidence suggests that there may be an association between tomato consumption and a reduced risk of certain types of cancer, including prostate, ovarian, gastric and pancreatic cancer.
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First Ischemic Event Affects Subsequent Renal Function
TUESDAY, July 10 (HealthDay News) -- A first myocardial ischemic event may accelerate the natural decline in renal function, with myocardial infarction patients experiencing a more rapid drop in renal function than other patients, according to a report in the July issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.
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Inappropriate PSA Screening Common in VA Hospitals
MONDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- Many physicians do not follow evidence-based guidelines for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening, according to a report in the July 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Merck Recalls Three Lots of Invanz Due to Glass Shards
FRIDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) -- Three lots of Invanz (ertapenem sodium) were recalled this week due to two incidents in which pieces of broken glass were found in the reconstituted solution for injection. Merck & Co., Inc., of Whitehouse Station, N.J., issued a letter to health care professionals noting that it is working closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to inform its direct customers of the recall.
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Novel Therapy for Stress Incontinence
THURSDAY, July 5 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with stress urinary incontinence, injections of autologous myoblasts and fibroblasts may reverse the condition, according to the results of a study published in the June 30 issue of The Lancet.
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Finasteride Has Minimal Impact on Sexual Function
WEDNESDAY, July 4 (HealthDay News) -- The prostate cancer prevention drug finasteride has only a minor impact on sexual function and the effect diminishes over time, according to study findings published in the July 4 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Surgery to Clear Kidneys Can Impair Renal Function
TUESDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- Surgery to clear blocked kidney arteries often releases debris that can impair renal function, according to study findings published in the July issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery.
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