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The PROMIS trial – time for multi-parametric MRI before a first prostate biopsy

Whilst the relatively random process of 12 core transrectal ultrasound guided (TRUS) prostate biopsy remains by far the most widely employed approach to prostate cancer diagnosis in the UK, its flaws as a standalone diagnostic strategy are increasingly apparent. TRUS-biopsy...

ICS updates in continence care: the role of the nurse continence specialist in continence services

The nurse who specialises in continence care is recognised as a key member of interdisciplinary teams seeking to deliver high quality integrated continence services. The recently published international service specifications for continence care [1] supports the use of specialist continence...

Use of Clavien-Dindo classification in urology part 2 – upper tract

A classification system of surgical complications was proposed by Clavien in 1992 [1] and further modified by Dindo in 2004 [2]. Clavien-Dindo classification has since then been validated through many retrospective case series as well as in comparative studies to...

Guide to gaining approval for a clinical study

This article focuses on gaining approval for clinical research involving NHS patients, although the principles can be applied to other types of research. It can be quite a daunting process for the uninitiated applicant. Often it can be made less...

Endoscopic management of upper tract urothelial carcinoma

Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is a rare disease accounting for 5-10% of all urothelial carcinomas and has an annual incidence in Western countries of 1-2 per 100,000 [1,2]. It occurs more commonly in the pelvicalyceal system as opposed to...

Men with a susceptibility to prostate cancer: implications of ethnicity in PCa risk-prediction and diagnosis

The diagnostic and therapeutic landscapes of prostate cancer (PCa) have advanced at great pace in the past decade. However, disparities in access to care, clinical outcomes and representation in therapeutic, interventional and genomic studies continue to exist between Afro-Caribbean (AC)...

Obesity and Urologic cancers: A student’s perspective on risk, systems and surgical implications

During my clinical placements, I began to notice that some patients did not fit neatly into the scenarios we learned about in lectures. One patient in particular had a raised PSA and several comorbidities, including obesity. What stood out was...

Mechanisms and prevention of catheterisation associated urethral injury (CAUI)

Urethral catheterisation is a common procedure performed by health professionals across different grades and specialties in a variety of clinical settings. An estimated 15-25% of hospitalised patients have a urinary catheter inserted during their inpatient stay and up to 13%...

Challenges of catheter associated urinary tract infection: is prevention better than cure?

Catheterisation is a common medical procedure in which a catheter (a hollow flexible tube) is inserted into the bladder in order to facilitate the drainage of urine. Catheters are usually passed into the bladder via the urethra, either to be...

‘No Deal’ Brexit – how might it impact urological practice in the UK?

On 29 March 2017, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, formally starting the two-year period for talks with the European Union (EU) in which to reach a...

Priapism

Priapism is defined as an abnormally persistent erection lasting greater than four hours, not associated with sexual desire [1]. Although relatively uncommon with an incidence of 1.5 per 100,000 [2], priapism has a risk of complications which can have a...