Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, yet it often receives far less attention than other smoking-related cancers. According to the GLOBOCAN global cancer fact sheet, bladder cancer is among the top 10 most frequently diagnosed cancers globally, with more than half a million new cases diagnosed each year worldwide. It occurs significantly more often in men than in women, and the risk rises steadily with …
Kidney stone disease remains one of the most common and painful conditions in urology, affecting millions worldwide each year. Global data show a continued rise in incidence (more than 100 million new cases in 2021) making prevention and long-term management a priority for both clinicians and patients. Despite significant advances in minimally invasive treatment, many patients still ask a familiar question: “Is there a natural remedy that can help …
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Urologist William Lynes discusses his article, “The decline of the doctor-patient relationship.” William explains why he believes this relationship, the critical center of medical care, is broken after 40 years of insidious …
Studies show that many patients have strong convictions regarding their rights and values. Some avoid or delay life-saving medical procedures due to modesty concerns, which can stem from religious, cultural, or personal reasons, or anxieties from previous bad experiences in medical settings. Some patients even travel to another state or country to seek medical care. Others who have been diagnosed with PTSD from abuse in medical settings avoid medical care …
I wield my instrument with confidence and precision. It slices through the air as an extension of my dominant hand. My feet shift slightly; I anticipate needing to reposition my body for the next step. I execute the move flawlessly. No, I’m not in the midst of performing a medical procedure: I’m on the tennis court. My husband had been encouraging me to take up tennis for a while, but …
Testosterone therapy is receiving renewed attention, not only from patients but also from regulatory agencies. In recent months, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated the safety information for testosterone products, reflecting new evidence on cardiovascular risk. This has generated understandable questions among men who are considering therapy and clinicians who prescribe it.
As a urologist, I frequently meet patients who are uncertain about the safety of testosterone treatment, particularly …
Most people exercise to improve cardiovascular fitness, metabolic health, or mood, but regular physical activity also plays a significant role in sexual and urinary function. As a urologist, I routinely see how movement influences two intimate yet essential systems: the reproductive system and the lower urinary tract.
When patients present with urinary leakage, erectile changes, or reduced libido, they often expect a prescription or procedure. Yet for many, measurable improvement begins …
Female athletes have redefined strength and endurance, but one common issue still hides in silence: urine leakage during training or competition.
It’s more common than most realize. In certain sports like gymnastics, trampolining, and CrossFit, the rates are particularly high. Still, many women keep silent, assuming it’s a normal side effect of being active or that nothing can be done.
As a urologist, I often meet women who are in top physical …
Most men have heard jokes about finishing too soon, but few talk about it seriously, even when it causes anxiety, frustration, or distance in their relationships. Premature ejaculation (PE) is one of the most common male sexual health concerns, yet it remains buried under stigma and silence.
As a urologist, I often meet men who have struggled quietly for years, wondering whether what they experience is “normal,” if it can be …
Something is wrong with our health care system. Our country spends more per capita than any other developed nation, yet we have some of the worst health care outcomes. Rising costs are making health care prohibitive. Access to the system is becoming a growing concern. Medical care has become bureaucratic, bulky, and inefficient. I am a retired physician, a urologist, who has observed the health care system from outside medical …
What if the career you spent your life building, the one filled with achievement, purpose, and prestige, is now the cage you cannot escape? That question did not just haunt me; it held me back for years.
I was a successful urologist, specialized in advanced prostate cancer detection, robotic surgery, and men’s health. From the outside, I had it all: a thriving practice, financial security, a respected reputation, and a steady …
“It is, I think, not easy to exaggerate the importance of the informal social element in the promotion of science and learning.”
– Abraham Flexner, 1930
As stated by Mr. Flexner, the importance of the informal social element of science and learning is one of the key fundamentals of the hidden curriculum, a well-understood but unspoken rule in medical education and training. The hidden curriculum consists of the unspoken or implicit …
As a urologist, I consider myself an expert on the subject of prostate cancer. Here is a urologist’s view of a hypothetical announcement from a former U.S. president, five months after leaving office, of widespread high-grade metastatic prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in males. It begins as a cancer in the prostate, and with progression, metastatic disease occurs, primarily in the axial skeleton. Prostate cancer is known …
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Prostate cancer treatment is evolving, and focal therapy is gaining relevance as part of that change.
For decades, patients and their physicians have had limited options: whole-gland treatments like radical prostatectomy or radiation, or active surveillance. But what about the men who fall somewhere in between? What about those who need more than monitoring, yet want to avoid the significant side effects associated with whole-gland therapy?
That is where focal therapy enters …
When a teenage boy develops sudden testicular pain, it should always be treated as an emergency. The most urgent concern is testicular torsion, where the spermatic cord twists and cuts off blood supply to the testicle. In these cases, every hour counts; waiting too long can mean permanent damage, loss of the testicle, and even future fertility problems.
Torsion happens most often in boys and adolescents because the testicles grow …
Most of us have done it: a new symptom pops up, and instead of calling a doctor, we type it into Google. In that moment, the internet feels like the fastest way to get answers. But when it comes to urology, a field where stigma, fear, and embarrassment often hold people back, the flood of conflicting or misleading information online can do more harm than good. That’s where digital health …
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Urologist Fara Bellows discusses her article “When recurrent UTIs might actually be bladder cancer.” Fara shares the story of a 91-year-old patient whose recurrent urinary infections masked an underlying bladder cancer diagnosis, …
Kidney stones are not only about what you eat or the genes you inherit. They are also about where you live and how hot it gets. Every summer, urologists notice the same pattern: as the temperature climbs, so do the visits for kidney stones. Because heat and humidity do not just make us sweat, they change how our bodies handle water and minerals. Dehydration concentrates the urine, crystals form more …
Varicocele is one of the most common findings in men being evaluated for infertility. Roughly 15 percent of all men have one, and the number climbs to about 40 percent among men with fertility problems. Yet despite how common it is, a varicocele remains a confusing diagnosis. Some men are told they need surgery right away, while others are advised to do nothing at all.
The truth is somewhere in between. …
Over the past decade, cycling has evolved from a sport into a full-fledged lifestyle. From weekend road warriors to dedicated commuters, millions of men around the world rely on their bikes for exercise, stress relief, and environmental consciousness. But a question often comes up in clinic rooms, whispered more than spoken aloud: “Is all this cycling hurting my fertility?”
It is a valid concern, especially for men trying to conceive. The …
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