Guidance on Troubleshooting Urostomy Management
Terran W. Sims, MSN, ACNP-C, CNN, COCN-C, shares practical, evidence-based strategies for troubleshooting urostomy complications and empowering patients through education and technology.
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University of Virginia
Streamlining Management of the Neurogenic Patient Population with or without Incontinence
Mikel L. Gray, PhD, FNP, PNP, CUNP, CCN-AP, FAANP, outlines a comprehensive approach to managing neurogenic bladder—with or without incontinence—through pharmacologic, non-pharmacologic, and emerging regenerative therapies.
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Chronic Catheter Patients Made Simple
Mikel L. Gray, PhD, FNP, PNP, CUNP, CCN-AP, FAANP, simplifies the management of chronic catheter patients through practical strategies for selection, maintenance, and infection prevention. He reviews catheter types, indications, and techniques to improve patient outcomes and reduce complications.
Read MoreLong-Term Outcomes with Monotherapy for LR and fIR Prostate Cancer
As part of a special course on brachytherapy for prostate cancer from the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) and Grand Rounds in Urology, Timothy N. Showalter, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, discusses long-term outcomes of and recent advances in brachytherapy monotherapy for low-risk (LR), favorable intermediate-risk (fIR), and selected unfavorable intermediate-risk (uIR) prostate cancer. He begins by listing potential advantages of brachytherapy monotherapy, highlighting that it features a single episode of care, is cost-effective, is multidisciplinary, has excellent long-term outcomes, features established technology to support tailored dosimetry and quality, and has been the subject of recent advances that enhance implant quality and reduce toxicity. Dr. Showalter then considers patient selection for brachytherapy monotherapy, noting that MRI may be useful in selecting patients with LR, fIR, and selected uIR disease. He emphasizes the importance of assessing whether a patient’s anatomy is suitable for implant based on gland size and arch interference, as well as the need to determine whether a patient has adequate baseline urinary function. Dr. Showalter also lists contraindications to brachytherapy monotherapy, including relative contraindications such as a large TURP defect, a large gland, and a large median lobe, as well as absolute contraindications such as inability to tolerate anesthesia, unacceptable operative risk, and the absence of a rectum. He then moves on to consider long-term outcomes of brachytherapy monotherapy, noting that for LR, fIR and selected uIR, follow-up data indicates biochemical progression-free survival of greater than 90%. Dr. Showalter also observes that outcomes are favorable in terms of toxicity, although there are some declines in urinary and sexual function. Finally, Dr. Showalter briefly summarizes recent advances in brachytherapy, emphasizing the role of advanced imaging such as MRI in helping to tailor brachytherapy dose and increase the personalization of care.
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Updates in mpMRI
Kirsten L. Greene, MD, MAS, FACS, the Paul Mellon Professor and Chair of Urology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, gives an update on multiparametric (mp) MRI’s current role in prostate cancer detection, surveillance, staging, and recurrence. She defines mpMRI as featuring diffusion weighted images and being dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE), but also notes that biparametric MRI, which omits DCE, appears to be an effective option as well. Dr. Greene goes over the different MRI-targeted biopsy trials for prostate cancer detection, including PROMIS, PRECISION, MRI FIRST, 4M, TRIO, and PRECISE, and she explains that all of these show that mpMRI has superior sensitivity to transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) for high-grade disease, but that mpMRI alone does miss anywhere from 5 to 10% of clinically significant cancer. For this reason, Dr. Greene says, the recommendation is to use MRI prior to biopsy and use image-guided techniques, but also keep systemic biopsy. She then briefly discusses the NCCN 2021 guidelines for use of mpMRI for initial biopsy, confirmatory biopsy, prior to second biopsy, and for recurrence. Dr. Greene also looks at mpMRI for serial imaging during active surveillance, explaining that it is useful for identifying missed or anterior lesions and for delaying the next biopsy after confirmatory biopsy, but also that when to stop active surveillance based on MRI alone is controversial. She also considers the future of mpMRI in combination with PSMA PET. Dr. Greene concludes that there is a clear role for MRI (multi and biparametric) in detection, active surveillance, pre-treatment staging, and recurrence, and she reminds viewers that MRI accuracy depends upon the equipment and the experience of the radiologist.
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