Prostate cancer metastases to bone: observational study for the evaluation of clinical presentation, course and treatment patterns. Presentation of the METAURO protocol and of patient baseline features.

Aim: The aim of the present study is to describe the research protocol and preliminary results of an observational survey on presentation patterns of prostate cancer metastasis to bone (METAURO), involving urology departments in several Italian hospitals.

Materials And Methods: The study design was observational and inclusion criteria required subjects with prostate cancer patients who were first diagnosed with metastatic bone disease not more than 18 months before. For each patient recruited to the study, a retrospective evaluation and a prospective surveillance were undertaken.

Prognostic role of cell apoptotic rate in prostate cancer: outcome of a long-time follow-up study.

The tumour apoptotic pattern is described as a good predictor of outcome in patients with prostate cancer (PCa). So far no authors have evaluated the role of apoptotic characteristics in patients who have undergone radical prostatectomy (RRP) alone. The aim of the present study is to estimate the prognostic role of the apoptotic index (AI) in a group of patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma subjected to RRP with no adjuvant therapy.

Penile Doppler ultrasound assessment of the cavernous arteries.

Objective: To evaluate the possible relationship between the basal and dynamic diameter of the cavernous arteries and altered peak diastolic (PDV) and systolic values (PSV) in patients undergoing penile Doppler ultrasound for differential diagnosis of erectile dysfunction (ED).

Materials And Methods: From December 2003 to December 2004 we examined 132 consecutive patients suffering from erectile dysfunction and 30 controls. All patients underwent penile Doppler ultrasound in basal and dynamic conditions and all the examinations were performed by measurements of the cavernous arteries diameters in basal and dynamic conditions.