Year in Review in 2019

In 2019, quality improvement has been a central theme throughout leading articles on nephrolithiasis. Real-world outcomes were published on the natural history of stones and residual fragments, patient compliance with medical therapy and treatment-related opioid use. In-depth review of these topics will enhance provider–patient counselling and shape future paradigms in stone disease.

In men with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, enzalutamide and apalutamide improve overall survival compared with androgen deprivation therapy alone. Also, radiotherapy of the primary tumour is beneficial in patients with low tumour burden. In the non-metastatic castration-resistant setting, a positive trial for darolutamide was reported. In the metastatic castration-resistant setting, the role of cabazitaxel in treatment sequencing was clarified.

The role of testosterone in female sexuality is still controversial. In 2019, a meta-analysis and a Position Statement on testosterone therapy for hypoactive sexual desire disorder in menopausal women and a Position Statement on the potential sexual adverse effects of hormonal contraception have begun to close this gender gap.

In 2019, the Bladder Cancer Molecular Taxonomy Group (BCMTG) presented a consensus molecular classification comprising six subtypes of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). The non-luminal subtypes were the most consistent with previous models. Subsequent studies in 2019 have revealed molecular heterogeneity among the luminal subtypes and their possible clinical ramifications.

Many interesting studies on urological infection have been published in the past year including nonantibiotic therapy for acute cystitis, the utility of the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score, specific identification of health-care-associated urinary tract infection and a multidisciplinary approach to prostatitis.