PSA, Interstitial Cystitis, the Impact of Race on Prostate Cancer

Newswise — Prostate-specific antigen (PSA), interstitial cystitis and the impact of race on prostate cancer are three hot topics in urology, and the American Urological Association (AUA) will offer three unique opportunities for attending media to speak with experts on these topics during its 100th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Antonio from May 21 – 26, 2005. Top urologists will address the issues in intimate “Ask the Expert” sessions.

Prostate-specific Antigen: William J. Catalona, M.D. will address the issue of PSA to reporters on Sunday, May 22 at 9:30 a.m. Dr. Catalona is a leader in PSA research, early detection of prostate cancer, prognostic indicators and radical prostatectomy. Dr. Catalona is presenting a number of key studies during the meeting, including the following abstracts:

• Serum PSA Correlates More Strongly with Percentage of Cancer and Cancer Volume than with Prostate Size (949)
• PSA Velocity Cutoff for Recommending Biopsy: Positive Predictive Values (534)
• Identifying Patients at Risk for Benign Versus Life Shortening Postoperative Prostate-Specific Antigen Failure (1678)
• Predictors of Subsequent Prostate Cancer in Men with a PSA Level of 2.6 – 4.0 ng/ml and an Initially Negative Biopsy (1461)
• Do Most Patients with a PSA-Detected Prostate Cancer and a Very Large Prostate Gland Have a “Clinically Insignificant Tumor? (475)

Interstitial Cystitis (IC): Kristene Whitmore, M.D. will focus discussion on interstitial cystitis, a painful bladder condition affecting millions of women around the world on Sunday, May 22 at 1:00 p.m. She will answer questions about the disease, as well as comment on a newsworthy abstract on IC, Sacral vs. Pudendal Nerve Stimulation for the Treatment of Interstitial Cystitis: A Prospective, Single-Blinded, Randomized, Crossover Trial (293).

Race and Prostate Cancer: Isaac J. Powell, M.D. will address the issue of prostate cancer in African American men during his session on Monday, May 23 at 10:00 a.m., where he will also present his abstract, African-American Men, Ages 40-59, Unlike Caucasian Men, Present with as Aggressive Prostate Cancer as Older African Americans (269). Dr. Powell is a leading researcher in prostate cancer as related to African American men.

All “Ask the Expert” sessions will take place in the Press Interview Room, located in room 202B of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association, Inc. is the pre-eminent professional organization for urologists, with more than 13,000 members throughout the world. An educational nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, the AUA pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care by carrying out a wide variety of programs members and their patients, including UrologyHealth.org, an award-winning on line patient education resource, and the American Urological Association Foundation, Inc., formerly AFUD.

For full copies of abstracts, vist http://www.aua2005.org or contact the Press Room.