Latest Videos Archives

A Medical Oncology Perspective on Treating Advanced Prostate Cancer During COVID-19

Posted by Daniel P. Petrylak, MD | May 2020

Daniel P. Petrylak, MD, Director of Genitourinary Oncology, Professor of Medicine and Urology, Co-Leader of Cancer Signaling Networks, and Co-Director of the Signal Transduction Program at Yale University Cancer Center in New Haven, Connecticut, shares his perspective on treating advanced prostate cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Petrylak is only seeing patients who need to be treated and is pre-screening patients by checking temperature and travel history. If a prostate cancer patient is advanced and develops COVID, he suggests deferring treatment for all non-life threatening situations until the patient tests negative for COVID. According to Chinese data, cancer has predisposed people to a more aggressive course of COVID, so PCa patients should self-isolate to protect themselves from the virus. Dr. Petrylak also shares that chemotherapy may blunt the immunoresponse system on a long term basis, so patients should weigh the risks and benefits for pursuing treatment and take precautions of self-isolating, washing hands, and social distancing if they use chemotherapy treatment.

Ergonomic Solutions for Urologists

Posted by Neil H. Baum, MD | May 2020

Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Clinical Urology at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans, Louisiana, discusses how ergonomics affects nearly every urologist practicing today. Back and neck pain has an incidence rate of more than 50% for urologists which is the result of the introduction of minimally invasive and robotic surgeries. Despite this, there have been no significant changes to the operating rooms. Dr. Baum provides some solutions for how urologists can avoid ergonomic injuries. He details eight different, easy-to-implement solutions for this common problem, everything from adjusting the patient’s position, to using gel insoles, to playing music.

Perioperative Hypogonadism in Men Undergoing Radical Cystoprostatectomy for Bladder Cancer

Posted by Jeffrey M. Holzbeierlein, MD | Apr 2020

Jeffrey M. Holzbeierlein, MD, Director of the Division of Urologic Oncology at the University of Kansas Hospital and Director of Clinical Research for the Urology Department at KU, discusses how to improve outcomes around cystoprostatectomy. Even when this treatment is technically successful, many patients still suffer from post-surgical complications and it has a high morbidity rate. Dr. Holzbeierlein highlights significant weight loss and muscle wasting post-surgery as being associated with these increased rates of complication and death. He hypothesizes that this issue, known as cachexia, could be caused by hypogonadism, and could lead to poor outcomes after radical prostatectomies. Dr. Holzbeierlein and his colleagues conducted a study to test this hypothesis and he goes over its methods, results, limitations, and conclusions. He also previews his and his colleagues’ next steps and how their research might impact cystoprostatectomy.

Geriatric Considerations in Urinary Incontinence and Overactive Bladder (OAB)

Posted by Una Lee, MD, FPMRS | Apr 2020

Una Lee, MD, FPMRS, a urologist at the Virginia Mason Medical Center, discusses concepts physicians should consider when managing urinary incontinence and overactive bladder (OAB) in geriatric populations. First, Dr. Lee reviews the “5 M’s”: mind, mobility, medications, multi-complexity, and what matters most to the patient, or care goals/preferences. Additionally, she addresses the role of frailty in older adults, which is associated with increased risk of poor health outcomes. Lastly, she reviews data about the association of anticholinergic medication use and dementia.

Update on Brachytherapy for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer in 2020

Posted by Steven J. Frank, MD, FACR, FABS, FASTRO | Apr 2020

Peter J. Rossi, MD, a radiation oncologist with Kaiser Permanente and Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and Steven J. Frank, MD, a professor of radiation oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, present important updates on brachytherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer. Dr. Rossi notes that radiation-resistant tumors can be treated with well-executed brachytherapy, and highlights the level-one evidence for prostate brachytherapy over other treatments. He also discusses some drawbacks to brachytherapy, particularly toxicity, and how they can be addressed. Dr. Frank follows, discussing MRI-assisted radiosurgery (MARS) and highlighting the strengths of MRI over CT scans and ultrasounds in brachytherapy. He also outlines the findings of a study he led regarding the use of MRI-assisted brachytherapy, emphasizing that the quality of MRI imaging allows for higher quality of care and largely avoids the problem of toxicity. Dr. Frank also discusses the difference between MRI-guided and MRI-assisted therapy, and highlights important steps to avoid certain negative outcomes.