Urology News and Research

Latest Urology News and Research

Testosterone therapy for prostate cancer needs reevaluation: New study

The long-standing prohibition against testosterone therapy in men with untreated or low-risk prostate cancer merits reevaluation, according to a new study published in The Journal of Urology.

20 Apr 2011

Squamous cell cancers can originate from hair follicle stem cells, finds study

Squamous cell cancers, which can occur in multiple organs in the body, can originate from hair follicle stem cells, a finding that could result in new strategies to treat and potentially prevent the disease, according to a study by researchers with UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.

20 Apr 2011

New biomarker-based test more effective for early acute kidney injury detection

A new biomarker-based diagnostic test is more effective than the current best practice for early detection of adverse outcomes after acute kidney injury, which can be fatal for an estimated 50 percent of the critically ill patients who get the condition.

19 Apr 2011

Drospirenone doesn't carry any risk of gall bladder disease

Drospirenone, the top-selling oral contraceptive marketed as Yaz or Yasmin in the U.S. and Canada, doesn't carry any more risk of gall bladder disease than the older generation of birth control pills, despite claims by some consumers and lawyers in both countries, according to a new study by University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researcher Mahyar Etminan.

19 Apr 2011

Nerve disorder expert Jack Griffin passes away

Jack Griffin, an internationally acclaimed and admired expert on diseases of the peripheral nervous system, founding director of the Johns Hopkins Brain Science Institute, and former director of Hopkins School of Medicine's Department of Neurology, died Saturday, April 16, after a long battle with bladder cancer. He was 69.

18 Apr 2011

Penile extenders represent an effective lengthening method for men

Surgeons should encourage men who request penile lengthening surgery to try non-invasive methods first and, in some cases, consider therapy to help them feel more positive about their body.

18 Apr 2011

Proteins could lead to new therapeutic target for NF2: Wistar Institute researchers

The proteins that provide cells with a sense of personal space could lead to a therapeutic target for Neurofibromatosis Type 2, an inherited cancer disorder, according to researchers at The Wistar Institute. Their findings, which appear in the April 12 issue of the journal Cancer Cell, could have profound implications for NF2 and related cancers, such as mesothelioma.

16 Apr 2011

Patients with heart failure can benefit from left ventricular assist device

Non-cardiac surgery can be performed safely in patients with a heart device typically implanted into patients waiting for a transplant, according to a study at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

15 Apr 2011

Varian Medical Systems launches new brachytherapy applicator

Varian Medical Systems is introducing a new brachytherapy applicator for treating endometrial cancer patients after a hysterectomy. The Capri applicator, aimed at increasing patient comfort and allowing clinicians to better sculpt the radiotherapy dose, is being exhibited this week at the annual American Brachytherapy Society meeting in San Diego.

15 Apr 2011

Klotho hormone can protect kidney from renal fibrosis

A natural hormone known to inhibit aging can also protect kidneys against renal fibrosis, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have demonstrated.

15 Apr 2011

Robotic prostatectomy speeds recovery

Robotic cancer surgery is being introduced into the public hospital system for the first time in Victoria. The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne has been trialing the robotic key-hole surgery technology for the past six months.

12 Apr 2011

Study finds pelvic anatomy differences following RARP and open prostatectomy

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine have concluded that the anatomy of the pelvis following robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy.

12 Apr 2011

Endo Pharmaceuticals to acquire American Medical Systems

Endo Pharmaceuticals and American Medical Systems today that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Endo will acquire AMS, a leading provider of world-class devices and therapies for male and female pelvic health, for $30 per share, or $2.9 billion in cash, which includes the assumption and repayment of $312 million of AMS debt.

11 Apr 2011

Research on rare cancers

A cancer diagnosis can be a life-changing event. Many questions arise, with one of the first being, "Where should I be treated?" Patients diagnosed with rare cancers may have difficulty finding a physician knowledgeable in treating their type of cancer.

11 Apr 2011

Polaris' ADI-PEG 20 exhibits potential against AML, GBM and bladder cancer

Polaris Group announced today that data from preclinical studies suggest ADI-PEG 20, the Company's pegylated arginine deiminase therapeutic, may be effective in treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML), glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and bladder cancer.

8 Apr 2011

NHIC to cover PTNS using Uroplasty's Urgent PC Neuromodulation System for overactive bladder

Uroplasty, Inc. announced that NHIC Corp., the Medicare carrier for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, will cover posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) using Uroplasty's Urgent® PC Neuromodulation System for the treatment of overactive bladder and associated symptoms, effective May 22, 2011.

8 Apr 2011

Watson confirms patent challenge by Alcon for generic Vigamox

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today confirmed that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc., filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval to market Moxifloxacin Hydrochloride Ophthalmic Solution USP, 0.5%. Watson's Moxifloxacin Hydrochloride Ophthalmic Solution USP, 0.5% is a generic version of Alcon, Inc.'s Vigamox®, an antibiotic solution that is indicated for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis.

8 Apr 2011

MD+DI honors Xeridiem with 2011 Medical Design Excellence Award

Xeridiem™ Medical Devices is a recipient of MD+DI 's 2011 Medical Design Excellence Award (MDEA). This international award was for a novel chest tube, the PleuraFlow Active Tube Clearance System (PleuraFlow ATC), developed by Clear Catheter Systems and the Carbon Design Group. Xeridiem orchestrated the design and development for manufacturability, supported the regulatory submission, as well as manages the supply chain including order fulfillment.

8 Apr 2011

FDA accepts Antares Pharma's Anturol NDA for filing, assigns PDUFA date

Antares Pharma, Inc. today announced the New Drug Application (NDA) for Anturol® Gel in patients with overactive bladder (OAB) was accepted for filing for review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Anturol is an oxybutynin gel incorporating Antares' ATD Gel technology.

8 Apr 2011

Gene expression changes in prostate tissue surrounding cancer lesions may allow prostate cancer diagnosis

Researchers have found that gene expression changes in prostate tissue surrounding cancer lesions may allow diagnosis of prostate cancer even if no cancer cells are present in biopsy tissue, according to study results published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

8 Apr 2011