Headlines in Urology Treatment

The battle against bladder cancer

Bladder cancer is the fifth most diagnosed cancer in this country, killing more than 14,000 Americans each year. This disease has touched a lot of families including the CBS family. Tonight, Bob Schieffer shares his personal story of survival with Dr. John LaPook.

Veteran CBS News anchor and correspondent Bob Schieffer has spent his life getting the facts out. This time, it's personal.

"People don't like to talk about diseases that happen to you below the belt," Schieffer said. "It's embarrassing to talk about."

UCLA researchers discover the unexpected cell that causes prostate cancer

UCLA researchers reported Thursday that they have discovered the identity of the prostate cell that goes awry to produce cancer, a finding that could lead to new approaches to prevention and treatment of this common plague of men. Most researchers had previously believed that prostate tumors originated in the so-called luminal cells because tumor cells look like luminal cells. But immunologist Owen N. Witte of UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and his colleagues have found that it actually arises in basal cells, a more stem cell-like component of the gland.

Cancer Death Rates Are Dropping

Death rates for cancer are continuing a slow but steady decline in the U.S., due mainly to improved efforts at early detection, better treatments, and smoking cessation, the American Cancer Society (ACS) says in a new report.

Death rates for all cancers combined decreased 2% per year from 2001 to 2006 in males and 1.5% annually from 2002 to 2006 in females, the ACS says.

The report says lung, prostate and colorectal cancers in men and lung, breast, and colorectal cancers in women continue to be the most common fatal cancers, accounting for about half of the total cancer deaths among men and women.

CBS News Correspondent Bob Schieffer Marks National Bladder Cancer Awareness Day

In recognition of National Bladder Cancer Awareness Day on July 17th, Bob Schieffer is interviewed on CBS News Radio regarding his experience with the disease. Bladder cancer is the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States today.

Identification of Late-Onset Hypogonadism in Middle Aged and Elderly Men

The association between aging-related testosterone deficiency and late-onset hypogonadism in men remains a controversial concept. We sought evidence-based criteria for identifying late-onset hypogonadism in the general population on the basis of an association between symptoms and a low testosterone level.

We surveyed a random population sample of 3369 men between the ages of 40 and 79 years at eight European centers. Using questionnaires, we collected data with regard to the subjects' general, sexual, physical, and psychological health. Levels of total testosterone were measured in morning blood samples by mass spectrometry, and free testosterone levels were calculated with the use of Vermeulen's formula. Data were randomly split into separate training and validation sets for confirmatory analyses.

Mysterious Link Connects Diabetes and Cancer

Most people wouldn't think diabetes and cancer have anything to do with each other. But a group of experts from the American Cancer Society and the American Diabetes Association thinks they do.

A consensus statement from that panel says there's accumulating evidence that people with diabetes are, in fact, more prone to certain cancers. The analysis is published in the latest CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

National Cancer Survivors Day: Americans share their stories of survival, strength and love

Husband, wife, son, daughter, partner, father, mother, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, extended family member, friend or neighbor. We all know someone who's life has been touched by cancer. But thanks to advances in cancer treatment over the years, many more of these loved ones are also survivors. Indeed, there are more than 11 million cancer survivors living in the United States, and incredibly, it is estimated that by 2020 there will be some 20 million people living with a history of cancer.

Healthcheck: Prostate Cancer

The commonest cancer in men is prostate cancer. Because it's a gland that's deep inside the body it's known as the hidden cancer - and many men are embarrassed to talk about it. The prostate produces fluid which carries sperm from the body. It's located close to the bladder - so difficulty passing urine or even needing go more often at night are signs that men might want to get checked out.

Study: Erectile dysfunction may indicate heart disease, death risk

Erectile dysfunction is a strong predictor of death in men with cardiovascular disease, according to new research out this week.

German researchers said in the current issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association that men with cardiovascular disease, also known as heart disease, and ED were twice as likely to die from all causes than men who did not have erectile dysfunction. And those with ED were 1.6 times more likely to suffer from a serious cardiovascular problem such as a heart attack or stroke.

Obesity linked to higher risk of kidney stones

Obese people are more likely to develop kidney stones than normal weight individuals, but severe obesity doesn't seem to further increase risk, research in the Journal of Urology shows. Kidney stones are solidified deposits of minerals and acid salts. "Passing" the stones in the urine can be extremely painful. Rarely, a person will require surgery or other types of treatment if they are unable to pass the stone on their own.