European urology
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Online journal clubs have increasingly been utilised to overcome the limitations of the traditional journal club. However, to date, no reported online journal club is available for international participation. ⋯ Social media provides a potential for enormous international communication that has not been possible in the past. We believe the pioneering #urojc is both viable and sustainable. There is unlimited scope for journal clubs in other fields to follow the example of #urojc and utilise online portals to revitalise the traditional journal club while fostering international relationships.
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Biomarkers based on detecting prostate cancer (PCa)-specific transcripts in blood are associated with inferior outcomes, but their validation in a clinical context is lacking. ⋯ This validated RT-PCR assay detecting prostate-specific RNA in whole blood is prognostic for survival and may assess patient risk in tandem with CellSearch CTC enumeration. Its clinical utility is being prospectively explored.
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Comparative Study
What is the most bothersome lower urinary tract symptom? Individual- and population-level perspectives for both men and women.
No study has compared the bothersomeness of all lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) using a population-based sample of adults. Despite this lack of evidence, investigators have often cited their LUTS of interest as the "most bothersome" or "one of the most bothersome." ⋯ Urinary urgency was the most common troubling symptom in a large population-based study; however, for individuals, urgency incontinence was the most likely to be rated as bothersome.
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The diagnostic performance of a genetic score based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is unknown in the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) range of 1-3 ng/ml. A substantial proportion of men in this PSA span have prostate cancer (PCa), but biomarkers to determine who should undergo a prostate biopsy are lacking. ⋯ A risk score based on SNPs predicts biopsy outcome in previously unbiopsied men with PSA 1-3 ng/ml. Introducing a genetic-based risk stratification tool can increase the proportion of men being classified in line with their true risk of PCa.