Steven K. Wagner

When the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reported that routine prostate cancer screening for older men appears to result in little benefit, the announcement raised more than a few eyebrows in the urologic medical community.

STANFORD, California-In a bid to become free of commercial influence, Stanford University School of Medicine has cut off funding from pharmaceutical and medical device companies for some continuing medical education (CME) programs. As of last month, educational offerings will be held at Stanford facilities rather than resorts and hotels, whenever possible.

The lead investigator in an evaluation of bevacizumab (Avastin) combined with sunitinib malate (Sutent) for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) said the project would be abandoned. FDA issued a product safety alert after Genentech, Avastin’s developer, reported serious complications in several patients enrolled in the phase I trial.