AUA: American Urological Association Annual Meeting

Speakers at the 2024 American Urological Association (AUA) annual meeting highlighted the innovations and advancements that are pushing the field of urology forward.

Three posters from the American Urological Association (AUA) 2024 Annual Meeting focused on urinary incontinence in female athletes, prenatal care for fetuses with spina bifida in California, and the experiences of women residents at the Brady Urological Institute.

New therapies being developed are moving into earlier lines of therapy, with the idea that most patients with early-stage prostate cancer will progress and need additional therapy later.

Risk factors and prostate-specific antigen are both important when determining how to move forward with treatment, explained Angela Jia, MD, PhD, of University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

There are increasingly more bladder-sparing strategies for patients with even aggressive bladder cancer, said Alexander Kutikov, MD, FACS, chair, Department of Urology, Fox Chase Cancer Center.

During her session, Polina Reyblat, MD, Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, highlighted best practices urologists should incorporate to make transgender and gender-diverse patients comfortable during physical exams and avoid retraumatization.

With more therapies available in bladder, kidney, and prostate cancers, collaboration among health care providers can help ensure patients are getting the most appropriate care for their type and stage of cancer, said Mary Dunn, MSN, NP-C, OCN, RN, of University of North Carolina.

Stephanie T. Page, MD, PhD, UW Medicine Diabetes Institute, presented on ongoing research and growing interest in new male contraceptive options, such as an oral pill and a hormonal transdermal gel, at the American Urological Association 2024 Annual Meeting.

There are many options to try for patients if one therapy doesn’t work, but there are challenges around getting new treatments into the clinic, said Joshua Meeks, MD, PhD, of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

The novel intravesical drug delivery system releases erdafitinib locally within the bladder while limiting systemic toxicities.

Patients with small or slow-growing tumors or those with comorbidities that make them higher risk are likely better candidates for active surveillance, explained Yuzhi Wang, MD, of Henry Ford Health Vattikuti Urology Institute.

Quoc-Dien Trinh, MD, MBA, chief of urology at Brigham & Women's Faulkner Hospital, highlighted successful efforts to improve prostate cancer care access for underserved communities in Massachusetts.

Evolving treatment for bladder cancer is going to require a multidisciplinary team to ensure patients are receiving optimal care, said Neal D. Shore, MD, FACS, medical director of the Carolina Urologic Research Center.

Updated findings from SunRISe-1 also showed that all but 1 responder achieved complete response within 12 weeks of treatment with the targeted gemcitabine delivery system.

Speakers discussed the disparities in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening rates among different racial groups and explored the potential of free PSA percentage as a predictive marker for future prostate cancer risk.

The annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) not only presents the newest therapies coming out but showcases the latest in how treatments are being used in the real world, said Stephen Freedland, MD, of Cedars Sinai.

The American Urological Association (AUA) 2024 Annual Meeting will highlight the latest innovations and future trends in urology, featuring dynamic plenary sessions, educational opportunities for providers, and discussions on cutting-edge treatments and global health initiatives.