Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Urology for July 2008. 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.
Use of Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Endocarditis Discouraged
TUESDAY, July 29 (HealthDay News) -- Antibiotic prophylaxis should no longer routinely be given to prevent infective endocarditis in patients undergoing dental and other medical procedures, according to updated guidelines published online July 28 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The guidelines were jointly developed by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.
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Blood-Based Biomarkers of Prostate Cancer Identified
TUESDAY, July 29 (HealthDay News) -- Blood levels of small RNAs known as microRNAs (miRNAs) can distinguish men with prostate cancer from healthy men, according to a study in the July 29 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Receptor Activation Inhibits Prostate Cancer Growth
THURSDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- The liver X receptor (LXR), which had previously been shown to sense cholesterol metabolites, can also reduce androgen production and inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells, according to research published in the August issue of Endocrinology.
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'Tier 4' Drugs Raise Questions About Affordability
WEDNESDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) -- The emergence of a fourth tier of copayment for expensive drugs calls into question how Americans are going to handle the rising costs of health care, according to a perspective article in the July 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Consequences of Genetic Non-Discrimination Act Examined
WEDNESDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) -- The Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act (GINA), recently signed into U.S. law, creates a troublesome distinction between those at genetic risk for a disease and those with other characteristics that predispose them to a condition, according to a perspective article published in the July 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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New Standard of Care Proposed for Metastatic Kidney Cancer
WEDNESDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) -- Everolimus improves progression-free survival compared to placebo in patients with progressive, metastatic renal cell carcinoma that failed other targeted therapies, according to research published online July 23 in The Lancet.
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Editorial
Physicians to Get Bonus for Electronic Prescribing
WEDNESDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors using an electronic prescriptions system will be eligible for a bonus from Medicare from 2009 onwards for four years, according to U.S. health officials.
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Treatment for Infertile Men Looks Promising
TUESDAY, July 22 (HealthDay News) -- For infertile men with varicoceles, embolization improves sperm count and motility and may aid in pregnancy, researchers report in the August issue of Radiology.
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Urologic Burden in Veterans Similar to National Data
TUESDAY, July 22 (HealthDay News) -- The prevalence of urologic conditions among users of Veterans Affairs health care services is comparable to other national data, but the prevalence rises when rates are based on "any" diagnoses at a physician visit, according to research published in the July issue of Urology.
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Editorial
Boys with Varicocele May Outgrow Size Disparity
TUESDAY, July 22 (HealthDay News) -- Many adolescent boys with a varicocele will have "catch-up" growth that reduces their testicular size discrepancy without requiring surgical repair, according to research published in the July issue of Urology.
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Robotic Prostatectomy Review Points to Positive Outcomes
MONDAY, July 21 (HealthDay News) -- A review of articles comparing robotically assisted prostatectomies with open and laparoscopic procedures offers data on outcomes to help guide surgical choice. The review was published in the July issue of Urology.
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Exception Reporting Improves Pay-for-Performance Benefits
THURSDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) -- Pay-for-performance programs benefit from use of exclusion reporting, whereby certain patients are excluded from quality calculations, and the practice of excluding patients to disguise missed targets, known as gaming, is rare, according to study findings published in the July 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Medical Education Must Adapt to Changing Times
THURSDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) -- Medical schools must adapt their admission requirements and curricula to changes in scientific theory, and are also facing a challenge to the traditional definition of who is suited to the study of medicine, according to two articles published in the July 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Abstract - Dienstag
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Abstract - Jauhar
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AMA Actions Fostered U.S. Medical Racial Divide
TUESDAY, July 15 (HealthDay News) -- From the post-Civil War years to the civil rights era a century later, the American Medical Association (AMA) made decisions that helped support a division between white and black Americans in the field of medicine in the United States, according to an article in the July 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Prostate Cancer Vaccine Increases Survival
TUESDAY, July 15 (HealthDay News) -- Men with non-metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer have better survival when receiving a vaccine followed by hormone therapy, according to the results of a study published in the July 15 issue of Clinical Cancer Research.
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Health Cash Incentives for Poor People Debated
WEDNESDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- Should disadvantaged people be paid to take care of their health? That's the question of a "Head to Head" debate published online July 8 in BMJ.
Abstract - Cookson
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Abstract - Popay
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Swedish Seniors Are More Sexually Active
WEDNESDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- In 70-year-old Swedish men and women, both the quantity and quality of sex has significantly increased since the early 1970s, according to a report published online July 8 in BMJ.
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Androgen Deprivation Not Helpful for Most Prostate Cancers
TUESDAY, July 8 (HealthDay News) -- Androgen deprivation therapy for localized prostate cancer does not improve survival except in the case of poorly differentiated cancers, according to a report in the July 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Regular Sex Reduces Risk Of Erectile Dysfunction
FRIDAY, July 4 (HealthDay News) -- Incidence of erectile dysfunction among men aged 55 to 75 years is correlated with the frequency of intercourse, and regular sex reduces the risk of impotence, according to research published in the July issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
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Screening Pregnant Women for Bacteriuria Reaffirmed
TUESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has reaffirmed its 2004 recommendation to screen all pregnant women at 12 to 16 weeks' gestation for asymptomatic bacteriuria but not to screen non-pregnant women or men, according to an article published in the July 1 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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