Headlines in Urology Treatment

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.

Exercise Can Benefit Men With Prostate Cancer

As little as 15 minutes of physical activity a day can substantially cut death rates in men with prostate cancer, new research hints.

"We saw benefits at very attainable levels of activity," lead investigator Dr. Stacey A. Kenfield of Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, noted in a statement from the American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference underway in Houston.

Report: U.S. cancer cases, deaths continue to decline

New cancer cases and mortality rates linked to the disease have fallen significantly in recent years for almost all gender and ethnic groups in the United States, researchers said Monday.

Cancer diagnosis rates decreased by an average of 1 percent per year from 1999 to 2006, the last year data are available, according to an annual report in the journal Cancer.

Mortality rates declined between 2001 and 2006, according to the report. The decline was bigger among men, at 2 percent per year. For women, it was 1.5 percent per year in the same period.

Moderate Exercise May Lower Prostate Cancer Risk

Ready for another reason to exercise? Men who exercise at even moderate levels may have a lower risk of prostate cancer than sedentary men, a new study suggests. Exercise has been shown to have numerous health benefits, but studies have come to conflicting conclusions as to whether a lower risk of prostate cancer is one of them.

In this latest study, researchers found that among 190 men who underwent biopsies to detect possible prostate cancer, those who regularly exercised were less likely to be diagnosed with the disease.

Vitamin D: It's Necessary, but Getting Enough Of It Is Not Necessarily Easy

For most of history, humans got all the Vitamin D they needed simply by being outdoors, absorbing the sun's ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet radiation triggers the body's production (a two-step process involving both liver and kidney) of the vitamin, which is technically a hormone. What the body didn't use right away, it stored in fat.

But over the millennia, humans moved into the shade. They migrated from equatorial regions to less sunny latitudes, switched from hunting and farming to indoor jobs and -- just in the past few decades -- began slathering themselves with sunscreen. As scientists in recent years began to assess the extent and import of this diminished exposure to sunlight, they've also amassed compelling research showing just how vital Vitamin D may be.

Statins guard against prostate cancer

Several new studies suggest statins help prevent prostate cancer and reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction.

"At this point in time, there seems to be mounting evidence that there may be a future role for statins in prostate cancer treatment or prostate cancer prevention," said Dr. Lionel L. Banez, from the Division of Urologic Surgery and Duke Prostate Center at Duke University Medical Center and lead author of one study. "There will definitely be more men taking statins for cardiovascular reasons, and this is a great opportunity for us to see how many of these men develop prostate cancer and whether these prostate cancers are aggressive."

All the reports were to be presented Sunday at the American Urological Association's annual meeting, in Chicago.

Drug recommended to prevent prostate cancer in some older men

Healthy men over 55 who are concerned enough about the risk of prostate cancer to undergo annual PSA screening should consider taking the drug finasteride daily to reduce their risk of developing the disease, according to a new prevention guideline released Tuesday.

"If a man is interested enough in being screened, then at least he ought to have the benefits of a discussion" with his doctor about taking the drug, Dr. Barnett S. Kramer of the National Institutes of Health said at a news conference revealing the guideline.

Low-Cost Strategies to Maintain Health During Hard Times

Everyone needs to make sacrifices during hard economic times, but you don't have to shortchange your health.

Experts with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston say people can live healthy and cut their risk of cancer without breaking the bank by following several free and low-cost strategies.

Get moving

Moderate to intensive aerobic exercise, including brisk walking, are good for the heart and can help cancer survivors reduce the risk of recurrence. "The most consistent evidence we have so far for reducing the risk of several types of cancer is exercise and avoiding becoming obese," D. Jeffrey Meyerhardt, a Dana-Farber gastrointestinal cancer specialist, said in a news release issued by the institute. Activities can include taking the stairs instead of an elevator, using a stationary bicycle or treadmill while watching TV, or playing a team sport.

Eat healthy

Keeping consumption of processed sugars, red meat and calories low, but fruits and vegetables high, helps you maintain a healthy weight and cuts the risk of certain cancers. "Many of the beneficial nutrients in fruits and vegetables are concentrated in the pigment or rich colors, which are often in the skins," said Stacy L. Kennedy, a nutritionist at Dana-Farber. An apple a day is a good start. The uncooked skin contains the cancer-fighting antioxidant quercitin. Pumpkin, sweet potato, squash (butternut and acorn), carrots and other orange fruits and vegetables contain carotenoids, cancer-fighting nutrients shown to lower one's chances of getting of colon, prostate, lung and breast cancer.

Quit smoking

Kicking the habit will save you money later in health-care costs. "Even though there have been many recent advances in lung cancer treatments, the most effective way to eradicate lung cancer is to prevent it from ever happening," said Dr. Bruce Johnson, director of the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology at Dana-Farber, noting that smokers who stay off tobacco for at least 10 to 20 years cut lower their chances of developing lung cancer by 50 percent. Though smoking is the cause of 80 percent of all lung cancers, according to the American Cancer Society, it also increases the risk of oral, throat, pancreatic, uterine, bladder and kidney cancers.

Mind your Ps and Qs

Obviously you save money by cutting out alcohol consumption, but you may also lower the risk of developing some cancers. For example, Dana-Farber researchers found one drink a day for postmenopausal women may raise their risk for breast cancer.

New Cases of Cancer Decline in the U.S.

The incidence of new cancer cases has been falling in recent years in the United States, the first time such an extended decline has been documented, researchers reported Tuesday.

Cancer diagnosis rates decreased by an average of 0.8 percent each year from 1999 to 2005, the last year for which data are available, according to an annual report by the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society and other scientific organizations.

Death rates from cancer continued to decline as well, a trend that began some 15 years ago, the report also noted. It was published online in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Many Ignore Symptoms of Bladder Trouble

During November, which is Bladder Health Month, the American Urological Association is urging people to talk with their physicians about any symptoms they may have of possible urological conditions. These include:

Incontinence. More than 15 million Americans experience either stress incontinence -- the loss of urine during such activities as coughing, sneezing, or even walking or running -- or urge incontinence -- frequent, uncontrollable urges to urinate. Both are treatable, often with minimally invasive management such as fluid management, bladder training, pelvic floor exercises and medication. If those fail, surgery is an option.