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Sexually transmitted diseases caused by bacteria, viruses and protozoa can affect the male genital tract. Gimenes and colleagues discuss the evidence for effects of sexually transmitted pathogens on semen, sperm and male infertility.
Multidiscliplinary teams (MDTs) are increasingly used to aid decision-making in the care of patients with cancer, but their clinical value can be difficult to quantify. A prospective study has now assessed the use of MDTs for patients with urological cancers. Future refinement of MDT organization is required to optimize effectiveness.
A fundamental shift in the understanding, detection and treatment of prostate cancer has occurred over the past 10 years, especially in the use of screening, active surveillance, novel therapies and radical surgery. These discoveries have changed how clinicians and patients approach prostate cancer.
The prostate is still largely assessed by random biopsy, but developments in prostate MRI and fusion with transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) have made targeted biopsy of the prostate a reality. MRI/TRUS techniques promise to address the issues of overdiagnosis and underdiagnosis in prostate cancer.
Over the past decade, management of common urological problems has metamorphosed in the field of female urology and voiding dysfunction; from treatment of routine stress urinary incontinence (SUI) with synthetic sling placement, to management of refractory overactive bladder (OAB) with neuromodulation.
Treatment of erectile dysfunction by maximizing nitric oxide signalling is not effective for all aetiologies of the condition. In this Review, the authors describe the role of the Rho kinase pathway in erectile dysfunction, its interactions with the nitric oxide pathway and progress towards therapeutic modulation of Rho kinase signalling.
Several advances in kidney cancer have occurred over the past decade, including the discovery of mutations in chromatin remodelling genes and genomic heterogeneity in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Altered metabolic patterns in ccRCC and papillary RCC have become apparent, and new drugs for ccRCC have been approved.
Ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) is characterized by impaired flow of urine from the renal pelvis to the ureter and if left untreated can significantly impair renal function. Khan and colleagues provide an overview of the diagnosis and surgical treatment of UPJO, proposing optimal management strategies for this common condition.