IC Disease

I just read an article tonight that talks about how many people ignore symptoms of bladder trouble and that most people are not paying enough attention to what their bladder is telling them.  November is Bladder Health Month and urologists across the country want to make the public aware of many of the bladder problems people face:

Incontinence - More than 15 million people in the United States suffer from stress incontinence or urge incontinence.

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) - Approximately 40% of women and 12% of men will suffer from at least one urinary tract infection sometime during their lives. 

Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) - People who have an enlarged prostate can suffer from LUTS which causes frequent urination, the need to push or strain to initiate urination, nocturia and urgency.

Bladder Cancer - Approximately 53,000 Americans are diagnosed yearly with bladder cancer.  One symptom is blood in the urine along with frequent urination and pain with urination are also common symptoms of bladder cancer.

Bedwetting - Bedwetting may be caused by many several factors from age to neurological problems. 

Interstitial Cystitis - I was happy to read that IC Disease was included in this article.  To read more of the article, click HERE.

Here are some links to some of the latest news available around the web on bladder cancer and incontinence.  Enjoy reading!

New Treatment for Bladder Cancer

Doctors are using new techniques with robots to help bladder cancer patients whose bladders have been removed. May Williamson, 61, has recovered fully after undergoing a revolutionary treatment for bladder cancer. She was diagnosed a week before her birthday when she noticed a subtle sign.

WCSH6.com

Combination Of Behavior And Drug Therapies For Urge Incontinence Has Beneficial Impact On Patient Satisfaction

While urge incontinence, or “overactive bladder,” is commonly treated with pharmacotherapy and behavior modification, most patients do not achieve complete continence with either therapy alone. In a trial, 307 women with urge incontinence were randomly assigned to 10 weeks drug therapy plus behavioral training or drug therapy alone.

MediLexicon

Urinary Tract Infections — Dr. Michelle Wall

Dr. Michelle Wall is an internist at Baptist Hospital.

Almi: I would like to know what caused gall stones in young girls and how they are usually treated?
DR WALL: Almi, what age range of girls are you referring to?
almi: 9
QUESTION: Almi, Dr. Wall suggests you speak to a pediatrician regarding the gall stones in a 9-year-old child. If you need a pediatrician, call 284-LIFE to find a physician at Baptist Hospital who can help you.
Almi: I have talked to her doctor but we did not discuss the cause of gallstones. It appears no one really knows?

Tennessean.com

Fourth International Consultation On Incontinence (ICI) - Surgery For Urinary Incontinence In Men Committee Highlights

PARIS, FRANCE (UroToday.com) - Dr. Herschorn opened the final day of the 4th ICI with Committee 13’s recommendations on surgical treatments for UI in men. He began by outlining the areas that the committee chose to examine, notably surgery for post-prostatectomy incontinence (PPI) (including benign disease, radiation therapy, cryosurgery, with cystectomy), post-traumatic incontinence, unresolved pediatric incontinence, refractory urge incontinence, male urinary fistulae, and a separate section on special considerations with the artificial urinary sphincter (AUS).

MediLexicon News

Continence Awareness Week 1-6 September 2008

New Zealanders know what it’s like to experience “Life’s little spills”. Loss of bladder or bowel control regularly affects nearly 600,000 of us. Mothers and children are especially vulnerable and the focus of this year’s Continence Awareness Week (1-6 September).

Scoop

Incontinence device boosts AMS

Shares of Minnetonka-based American Medical Systems advanced nearly 13 percent Wednesday after the company beat analyst expectations for second-quarter earnings on surprisingly strong sales of devices to treat incontinence in men.

Twin Cities

Urinary Incontinence is a Quality of Life Issue for Newly Diagnosed Patients

Dr. David Staskin began the afternoon session by focusing on the initial assessment of UI in men and women. In women, the most important first steps are identifying incontinence and determining the degree of bother and the desire for treatment. In contrast to the previous consultation, this committee did not feel it necessary to identify the subtype of incontinence as part of the initial evaluation as long as conservative treatments are being used. Only if pharmacotherapy is to be started need the subtypes of incontinence be identified.

Newswise Medical News

Smoking Causes Half Of All Bladder Cancer Cases

Not many people know that smoking causes bladder cancer, according to a new study published in The Journal of Urology® by Drs. Seth A. Strope and James E. Montie of the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor. In fact, only slightly more than one third of adults surveyed connected smoking with an increased risk of bladder cancer. The American Urological Association (AUA) and the AUA Foundation want people to know that smoking is a leading risk factor for this devastating disease.

MediLexicon

Robotic Surgery Extends Benefits To Bladder Cancer Patients At NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell

Robotic surgery, largely pioneered for prostate cancer surgery, is rapidly being adapted for use in other areas, including for bladder cancer patients. Urologic surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center now have significant experience — and have demonstrated considerable success — with robotics for removal of the bladder, also known as cystectomy. Their findings are published in a recent edition of the peer-reviewed publication, the British Journal of Urology-International.

MediLexicon

Daily broccoli juice beats bladder cancer in elderly man

Ray Wiseman, a 79 year old grandad was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2003, at the time his prognosis was not good and Ray was not expected to survive. However recent scans have revealed that the cancer has stopped spreading and his chances of a recovery have greatly improved.

News-Medical.net

AACR Announces New Grant Opportunity For Bladder Cancer Research

The American Association for Cancer Research is currently accepting applications for grants designed to help drive research advances in the treatment of bladder cancer, the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and the eighth in women.

MediLexicon

Vegetables have a lot of nutritional value and as children that is one food that we were not allowed to leave on our plate. How many of us heard from mom and dad, “You need to eat all of your vegetables!”

Times have changed a lot since many of us have been kids and now research is showing that it is better to eat a lot of veggies raw instead of cooked. Much of the nutritional value can be depleted once the vegetables are cooked.

Scientists at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York have found that cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are a few examples) may help reduce incidences of bladder cancer. People who consume three or more servings a month of cruciferous veggies may very well reduce their risk of bladder cancer by 40%.

It’s amazing how few servings you have to eat to help protect your bladder but the catch is these veggies need to be eaten raw. Another benefit? These types of vegetables are IC friendly!