The American Urological Association 2019 Annual Meeting
The annual meeting of the American Urological Association was held from May 3 to 6 in Chicago and attracted more than 12,000 participants from around the world, including clinicians, academicians, allied health professionals, and others interested in urology. The conference highlighted recent advances in the prevention, detection, and treatment of urologic conditions, with presentations focusing on the advancement of urologic patient care.
In one study, Sophia Goodridge, M.D., of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, and colleagues found that bowel dysfunction outside of a known medical diagnosis is prevalent at rates higher than realized.
Among 4,789 participants who met inclusion criteria, the investigators found that 2,661 (55.6 percent) reported at least one episode of bowel leakage during the previous 90 days. In addition, 29 participants reported staying at home more often than they would like due to their bowel issues, while depression was positively associated in patients who reported more than one episode of bowel leakage.
“Patients experiencing uncontrollable bowel leakage limit their social engagements and report higher rates of depression than those who do not experience bowel leakage,” Goodridge said. “This information is critical for clinicians, particularly those responsible for the care of women, as this knowledge can lead to holistic and improved patient care. We are given a unique opportunity to help women who may not feel comfortable sharing this information outright without being probed. It’s time we start asking all patients, regardless of age, about bowel habits and fecal incontinence.”
In another study, Jason Izard, M.D., of Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues used a large cohort of men in Canada enrolled in the RADICAL-PC study to analyze the prevalence and predictors of depression in a contemporary sample of patients beginning androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).
“In the 407 patients in the RADICAL-PC about to start ADT, we found a high-point prevalence of clinically significant depression of 10.6 percent. When we analyzed risk factors for clinically significant depression, we found that those with a poor functional status (as measured by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status) are at higher risk for clinically significant depression, whereas retirement from work seems to have a protective effective against depression. Therefore, we found that those patients who are about to be placed on ADT, which carries an increased risk of depression, are already at increased risk of depression prior to starting ADT,” Izard said. “Prostate cancer providers should be aware of the high rate of clinically significant depression prior to starting patients on a medication that is already linked to increased rates of depression as a side effect. This has implications in terms of identification of these patients and appropriate referrals for psychiatric recourses in this high-risk group.”
Preston Kerr, M.D., of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and colleagues used several large databases to evaluate the association between the proximity of oil refineries and bladder cancer.
The investigators identified a total of 45,517 incident bladder cancer cases, of which 5,501 were within 10 miles of an oil refinery. Specifically, in adjusted analyses, bladder cancer risk was significantly higher among men compared with women (risk ratio, 3.41) and increased among individuals living within 10 miles from an oil refinery compared with those living further away.
“We found that living within 10 miles of an oil refinery is associated with a slightly increased risk of bladder cancer; however, further research is needed to confirm our findings,” Kerr said. “In a large population-based study such as this, we cannot deduce cause and effect.”
AUA: Marijuana Tied to Increased Risk for LUTS Medications in BPH
MONDAY, May 6, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Marijuana use is associated with both sperm functional defects and an increased risk for being on a lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS) medication among men with benign prostatic hyperplasia/LUTS, according to two studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association, held from May 3 to 6 in Chicago.
Abstract – Lloyd/Carmichael
Abstract – Hallak
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AUA: Atenolol Linked to Drop in Low-, Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer
FRIDAY, May 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Atenolol is associated with a reduction in incident intermediate- and low-risk prostate cancer, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association, held from May 3 to 6 in Chicago.
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