Kidney cancer is a cancerous tumor that is located within one of the kidneys, which are found in the lower back region. Those who have one of the following risk factors: male gender, older age, smoking, obesity, and genetics are generally more susceptible to kidney cancer. Unfortunately, kidney cancer is difficult to detect and does not produce many noticeable symptoms; it is generally discovered when a patient is being seen and checked out for another medical issue. With that being said, blood in the urine, weight loss, a palpable mass, and lower back pain can all be symptoms of kidney cancer, which can be noticeably visible to the patient or revealed through a CT scan, renal ultrasound, or MRI.

The Treatment Options Explained

At Urology Austin, with state of the art equipment and specially trained physicians in the robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery, your options for removing the cancer are varied. This minimally invasive procedure allows for the cancerous portion of the kidney to be removed with minimal incision and a quicker recovery time. There are also other methods available including: open surgery, cryosurgery, and radiofrequency ablation, depending on the size and location of the cancerous tumor. Our highly knowledgeable doctors will be able to guide you in deciding which treatment option is the best for your condition.

The Study Explained

The researchers at the University of Chicago fed CAPE to mice who had early stages of prostate cancer and their cancer seemed to stop growing. After stopping the CAPE feedings, the cancerous tumors returned and continued to grow. The study also showed that six weeks after eating CAPE, the mice had tumors that were half as small as the tumors of the mice that were not being fed CAPE.

What This Means For Human Cases Of Prostate Cancer

While this study does not include the testing of CAPE in humans, all mammals possess the cells that were tested in the mice. This demonstrates that this compound can likely produce positive results in the future for prostate cancer patients in conjunction with other cancer treatment options.

A Basic Guide to Urology Austin‘s Treatment Options
At Urology Austin, our highly-trained doctors have a variety of treatment options depending on the cancer type ranging from: blood work, a scrotal ultrasound, surgical removal of the mass (if a tumor is found). In addition, an abdomen/pelvis CT scan accompanied by a chest x-ray can be performed upon diagnosis, which guides treatment options and determines if the cancer has spread elsewhere in the body.

Millions of Americans, primarily women, suffer unnecessarily and in silence from overactive bladder, or urinary incontinence, as we refer to it in the medical community. Symptoms of overactive bladder include uncontrolled urge to urinate, frequent urination and uncontrolled urinary leakage.

About 3.2 million people take oral medications from the class called anticholinergics, but more than half of these patients stop because they aren’t effective.

Botox is already FDA approved to treat various medical conditions, including urinary incontinence in patients with neurological conditions such as spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis. But even more patients suffer from idiopathic overactive bladder, which means there’s no known cause of the leakage. Allergan, the maker of Botox, is trying to gain FDA approval for those patients.

The new studies show Botox significantly reduced bladder leakage compared to placebo. The studies involved patients whose condition wasn’t caused by a neurological disorder. Treatment with Botox was well tolerated, with urinary tract infection being the most common side effect in about 15-20% of the patients.  But they also reported an improved quality of life.

Botox is also approved for other medical conditions such as migraine headaches, eye muscle disorders, and upper limb stasticity.

I’ve used Botox for some of my urinary incontinence patients and they’ve had wonderful results. If you would like more information about treatments for urinary incontinence, go to our website at www.urologyaustin.com .

About Dr. Grady Bruce:

Dr. Grady Bruce is a board-certified urologist specializing in general and female urology. His office is located at 16040 Park Valley Drive, Building A, Suite 111, in Round Rock. For more information, call (512) 248-2400.

Jeans Day occurs on the second Friday of every month. Employees can pay $3 to wear their favorite pair of jeans and site managers collect the funds. UA physicians then match the total.

The Staff Activity Committee chooses a local charity. Past recipients of Jeans Day include the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Camp Kesem, University of Texas and The Capital Area Parkinson’s Society.

Here’s a brief description of some of the charities Urology Austin assists:

The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Relay for Life is a unique way to celebrate the lives of the people who have battled cancer. The strength of survivors inspires others to continue their fight. It is also a way to remember those who have lost loved ones to the disease.

 Camp Kesem, University of Texas. Camp Kesem is a special one-week camp which provides a safe and supportive camp experience for children who have, or have had, a parent with cancer. The Livestrong Foundation promised to match any donations received, so the monies collected by Urology Austin were actually tripled last month.

The Capital Area Parkinson’s Society  (CAPS)  provides those impacted by Parkinson’s Disease, many of whom may know very little about their disease, a forum in which to discuss their situation with others similarly afflicted. CAPS offers care partners a support group in which information on the care of those with Parkinson’s Disease can be received and exchanged, and through which the needs of the carepartner can be addressed. In addition, CAPS provides a forum for the discussion and dissemination of new information on the Parkinson’s Disease and related areas.

The European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) studied 182,160 men between 50 and 74 years old, with a core age group of 162,388 men 55 to 69 years old. The trial was conducted in eight European countries. Men randomly assigned to the screening group were offered PSA screening. Men in the control group were not offered screening. The results showed that for all patients, there was a 21% survival advantage, and more importantly, for those with the longest follow-up (over 10 years) this increased to 38%.
“The ERSPC confirm what those caring for patients with prostate cancer have observed over the last two decades, that we are detecting cancer earlier and saving lives,” said Dr. Kapoor, President of LUGPA and Chairman and CEO of Integrated Medical Professionals, PLLC. “The decision on how to screen and treat prostate cancer should be made by patients and their doctors, and no government agency should try and restrict men’s ability to control their own health care.”
Those at the greatest risk for prostate cancer—such as African-American men, the
underinsured, men living in rural areas, and men with a family history of prostate cancer, need most urgently to hear about the value of PSA screening and know that it can save their lives. Further evidence of the effectiveness of prostate cancer screening in the United States is the statistics relating to prostate cancer mortality: over the last two decades, the incidence of prostate cancer has remained stable, but the death rates from this disease have decreased by nearly 40 percent. Early detection is critical to the success of prostate cancer treatments.
Visit http://lugpa.org/default.aspx for more information about the value of PSA screening.

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About
LUGPA represents 98 large urology group practices in the United States, with more than 1,800 physicians who make up more than 20 percent of the nation’s practicing urologists. LUGPA and its member practices are committed to best practices, research, data collection, and benchmarking to promote quality clinical outcomes. Visit http://lugpa.org/default.aspx for
more information about LUGPA.

The Fertilization Centre in Sao Paolo, Brazil have found that the same dietary habits that apparently affect female fertility rates also affect male fertility. Researchers studied 250 men participating in an in-vitro program with their partners, questioning them on their eating and drinking while also securing sperm samples to examine such fertility factors as concentration and motility. The studied included alcohol consumption, BMI (body mass index) and smoking as additional variables.

And now the results…as you may have suspected, smoking and consumption of alcohol inhibited the success of the IVF treatments – but so did consuming large quantities of red meat. Coffee consumption had a negative effect on fertilization as well. Fruits and cereal grains, on the other hand, boosted the speed, agility and concentration of sperm cells, making these foods the big winners on the fertility front. But don’t eat too much – excess weight can get in the way of successful IVF. Study participants with high BMI numbers (above 24.9) had more difficulty in achieving pregnancy.

All of these findings stress the need for healthy lifestyle and dietary choices for couples trying to conceive via IVF. We encourage both of you to get plenty of grains, reduce your intake of red meat, coffee and alcohol, quit smoking (please!), and watch your weight. The only round belly we want to see is the one that promises a new family member!

Since the recommendations, The American Urological Association (AUA) has been working tirelessly to spread the word about the value of the PSA test for prostate cancer screening and their complete disagreement with the USPSTF recommendations.

Others are following suit. On January 17, 2012, the New Jersey state legislature passed an act (AJR89/SJR77) opposing the USPSTF recommendations on P.S.A. testing. They are the first state to take this action, which guarantees coverage for the test in spite of the USPSTF recommendation, and the AUA has said they applaud them for taking this bold and decisive stand.

Urology Austin patients are still expressing some confusion over the P.S.A. screen.

We continue to tell them that the test does in fact save lives. The AUA Best Practices Guidelines recommend offering P.S.A. screenings to any male over age 40 with a 10 year or greater life expectancy.  PSA screening risks and benefits should be discussed with all male patients who fit this category.

We also urge you to continue sharing your opinions with lawmakers and members of the Central Texas community about the value of prostate cancer testing. We believe men who are in good health and have more than a 10 year life expectancy should have the choice to have the P.S.A. screen and not be discouraged from taking the test.

Why do we encourage our patients over 40 to get a P.S.A. test? Just look at the statistics:

• One in six men in the U.S. will get prostate cancer, making it the second most common cancer among men after skin cancer
• 217, 730 were diagnosed with prostate cancer last year. More than 32,000 men died from the disease
• The P.S.A. test, routinely given to men over age 40, measures the protein, prostate-specific antigen, that’s released by prostate cells. There is little doubt that it helps identify the presence of cancerous cells in the prostate.

For more information, go to www.urologyaustin.com

Yes, it’s true. Many avid basketball fans see March Madness as the perfect time to play their own form of “zone defense” by having this simple yet highly effective birth control procedure done. It’s become such a trend, in fact, that some urologists are actively promoting it with items like sports magazines, pizza delivery deals and so forth. Actually, the reasoning behind it is sensible enough. There’s nothing like a sports tournament keep even a casual fan glued to the living room couch all day. Vasectomies are not particularly painful, but there is some swelling and men generally need a few days’ recovery time where they can sit still in a comfortable spot. What better time to schedule the procedure than just before a nice long session on the couch watching your favorite teams battle for it all?

Have you been putting off your vasectomy because you keep waiting for the “right time?” If you have any interest in NCAA basketball, that right time might as well be March Madness. If you’re nervous about any time being the right time, don’t be. A Urology Austin vasectomy is a quick outpatient procedure. The minimal discomfort you feel is easily managed with over-the-counter medication, and you’ll feel just fine after some quiet time with an ice pack and everybody’s favorite sport – watching TV!

“Like” Urology Austin’s Facebook page and tell us who you think will be in the Final 4 and the first 150 people will be entered to win a new Kindle Fire.

Prostate Cancer and Obesity: A Deadly Combination

That annoying spare tire that some men in Austin have dismissed as an inevitable part of the aging process may also fuel a more dangerous and life threatening situation –  prostate cancer. According to a recent study at Duke University Medical Center, obese men may carry up to six times more risk for developing this deadly cancer than men of normal weight. Even mildly overweight men seem to carry an elevated risk. The message is clear: If you are a prostate cancer patient or survivor in Austin, watch your weight!

Dr. Christopher Kato and his team studied 287 men who had recurrences of their cancer after under-going radical prostatectomies, or removal of the prostate gland. The study group first received treatment designed to lower their testosterone levels, eliminating excess testosterone as a potential factor in the cancer’s spread.

This treatment continued for a median 52-month period, with the entire study period extending for six years following prostatectomy. The doctors found that the higher an individual’s BMI (body mass index), the higher the risk of the spread of prostate cancer. In fact, 77 percent of the study group had a BMI above the normal limit of 24.9. Even the overweight but non-obese members of the study displayed 3 times the risk of a normal BMI for prostate cancer. And these findings weren’t the first, either – earlier studies had already indicated a doubled risk where obesity was involved.

Why would extra pounds stimulate prostate cancer growth? That’s unclear as yet, though it’s possible that obesity may result in a kind of inflammatory reaction in cells that in turn feeds the cancer. Whatever the exact cause, here at your source for men’s prostate health, Urology Austin, we urge you to keep your weight under control and stay as close to a normal BMI as possible.