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Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence concerns me. Generally, people still tend to be concerned that their livelihoods will be replaced by an all powerful, all knowing artificial intelligence (AI) system. This at a time when the world’s largest technology companies (Amazon, Google, Apple),...

How to organise a urology taster week as a foundation trainee

Current exposure to urology in medical undergraduate curriculums is relatively sparse in comparison to the other surgical specialties with one study reporting just 42% of students having a compulsory attachment. These attachments were an average length of just one week...

Surgical treatment of LUTS secondary to BPH

For the vast majority of patients an initial trial of medical therapy for the management of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is indicated [1]. In a substantial minority of cases however, a surgical intervention...

The assessment and medical treatment of LUTS secondary to BPH

The term benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) describes prostate enlargement due to non-cancerous processes. Several aetiological mechanisms are involved, including hormonal and vascular alterations; abnormal regulation of apoptosis; and prostatic inflammation, which may stimulate cellular proliferation. With ageing, prostate enlargement can...

The medical management of LUTS/BPH – an update

For many years it has been recognised by both medical professionals and the general public that the development of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is highly prevalent and is predominantly age-dependent. Medical professionals understand that in men this is often,...

Recent developments in bladder cancer

There have been some exciting developments in bladder cancer over the last few years. Immunotherapy has prolonged survival in a proportion of patients with metastatic disease, with sustained efficacy in some. Advances in genetic analysis and molecular subtyping make personalised...

The burning issue of urinary tract infections

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) occur when bacteria colonise and proliferate in the urinary tract. These are characterised by specific clinical symptoms (dysuria, suprapubic tenderness, urgency and urinary frequency) which commonly occur alongside the finding of bacteriuria. UTIs are common –...

Urinary biomarkers for surveillance of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

Bladder cancer (BC) is the ninth most common cancer worldwide with a yearly incidence of approximately 430,000 cases. There is a male predominance and it is the seventh most common cancer in men worldwide [1]. Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC)...

The microbial syndicate: dysbiosis and origins of recurrent UTIs

Traditional dogma held that urine was sterile. However, recent molecular studies have revealed an underground microbial community, known as the urinary microbiome or ‘urobiome’ [1]. Far from being harmful, this community of microorganisms helps modulate immune responses, regulate inflammation, and...

Preparing for the FRCS (Urol) viva

Ping! You look down to your phone and you have just received an email saying, “Congratulations, you have now successfully completed The Joint Committee on Intercollegiate Examinations section 1 of the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (Urol) exam.”...

The value of Urolink: an OOPE experience

I was fortunate enough to be able to take some time out of my training after ST5 to pursue an Out Of Programme Experience (OOPE) year. During the Urolink meeting at the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) 2017 conference...

Management of stage 1 non-seminomatous germ cell tumours

Testicular cancer (TC) is the most successfully treated solid tumour, achieving a cure rate of 90-95% [1-3]. Testicular cancer is relatively rare with an incidence of 2207 cases in the UK in 2014 [4] and yet is the most common...