Uro, Volume 5, Issue 2 (June 2025) – 4 articles

Advances in screening, early detection, and therapeutic innovations have significantly improved survival rates, transforming prostate cancer into a chronic condition for many men. However, these strides have also revealed persistent challenges in survivorship, including treatment-related side effects, disparities in care, and inequities in outcomes. This review explores the complex landscape of prostate cancer survivorship, with a focus on demographic disparities, barriers to care, symptom burden, and treatment patterns. Our findings highlight how factors such as race, socioeconomic status, and insurance type heavily influence patient outcomes. For instance, Black and Latiné patients often face delays in treatment initiation and are less likely to receive definitive therapies than White patients, leading to poorer survival outcomes. Furthermore, those with Medicaid or no insurance are more likely to receive systemic therapy only or no treatment at all, exacerbating existing inequities. Addressing gaps in diagnosis, treatment access, and survivorship care is essential to developing targeted interventions and policies that promote equitable, patient-centered care for prostate cancer survivors. Full article

Purpose: Urinary incontinence (UI) significantly impacts the quality of life, necessitating a range of treatments, from behavioral changes to surgical interventions. Electromagnetic muscle stimulation (HIFEM™) therapy presents an innovative, non-invasive approach to strengthening pelvic floor muscles (PFMs). Subjects and Methods: This retrospective, non-interventional case series study explores the efficacy and safety of HIFEM™ treatment in parous women experiencing stress (SUI) and mixed urinary incontinence (MUI). Nineteen women (mean age 54 ± 16) underwent six HIFEM™ sessions, with symptom progression tracked using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF), along with comfort and satisfaction questionnaires. Results: At baseline, the mean ICIQ-UI SF score was 7.9 ± 4.2 points. By the final questionnaire administration, the average score had dropped to 4.7 ± 3.5, reflecting a 50.6% reduction from baseline (p < 0.001). According to ICIQ-UI SF Item 6, 21% of subjects achieved complete continence. Additionally, the percentage of subjects experiencing urine leakage before reaching the toilet declined by 40% after the sixth treatment. Post treatment, the number of subjects who leaked urine while coughing or sneezing decreased by 50%. Conclusions: The treatment has shown high efficacy in lowering the ICIQ-SF scores across the study group, with a significant number of subjects regaining entire continence. Full article

Background/Objectives: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common condition in women of all ages. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been associated with UI, but gestational diabetes (GD), glucose intolerance first recognized during pregnancy, has received relatively little attention as an independent risk factor for UI. We explored the roles of GD and T2D, independently and in combination, on the risk of UI in a Black Women’s Health Study (BWHS), a follow-up of Black women in the U.S. aged 21–69 at enrolment in 1995. Methods: We analyzed the 28,978 parous women who had information on GD, T2D, and UI in 2011. We estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) using logistic regression with adjustment for several important variables, including age, parity, body mass index, and diuretic use. We also stratified analyses according to T2D status (T2D, no T2D). Results: The multivariable-adjusted ORs for women with a history of GD, compared to those without, was 1.18 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.37), for UI frequency of ≥1/week; the estimate among women with a history of T2D, compared to those without, was 1.16 (1.06, 1.27) for the same frequency. In stratified analyses, GD was associated with a 23% increased risk of weekly UI among women without a history of T2D, while there was no association observed among those with a history of T2D. Conclusions: In the BWHS, GD was positively associated with urinary incontinence, independent of T2D status. Our results suggest that women who experience GD—even without subsequent development of T2D—might be at increased risk of UI and may benefit from early intervention. Full article

Background/Objectives: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common condition affecting women worldwide, with pelvic floor muscle training exercises (PFMT) recognized as the first-line treatment for UI. Supplementation with bioactive compounds, such as collagen and magnesium, may enhance the effectiveness of PFMT. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of combining a food supplement containing collagen and magnesium with PFMT in women experiencing stress (SUI), urge (UUI), or mixed (MUI) urinary incontinence. Methods: A pilot clinical trial was carried out on 44 women with stress, urge, or mixed urinary incontinence. The improvement in urinary incontinence was assessed, before and after 6 weeks (W6) of product use, by the Questionnaire for Urinary Incontinence Diagnosis (QUID) and the clinical assessment of the gynecologist. Quality of life (QoL) was assessed as a secondary endpoint. Results: At Week 6, the baseline median QUID score in the active group was significantly reduced by 64% (p < 0.001), with 76% finishing the study with a negative diagnosis for UI. In contrast, the placebo group showed a reduction in QUID score by only 10% (p < 0.001), with just 25% of participants achieving a negative diagnosis for UI. QoL statistically significantly (p < 0.001) improved by 76% in the active group, while no changes were observed in the placebo group. Conclusions: Supplementation with the (Dermoxen^® PelviPlus™/Dermoxen^® Gynable^® Urocollagen™) tested product significantly improved urinary symptoms and quality of life, demonstrating a greater effect than pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) exercises alone. Dermoxen^® PelviPlus™/Dermoxen^® Gynable^® Urocollagen™ demonstrated efficacy across all three subtypes of UI. Full article