Medical evaluation of BPH

When making treatment decisions for BPH we are dependent on the data reported in the published literature on the efficacy of individual drugs and therapies. But there are limitations to these data as the clinical evidence produced is not necessarily a reflection of the results that might be expected in a normal population, as discussed by François Desgrandschamps. The important aspects of sexuality and quality of life are addressed by Michael O'Leary. These are areas which should be taken into consideration when making treatment choices and when evaluating the effects of the treatment. One of the more important complications of BPH is acute urinary retention (AUR). It has been shown that certain treatments for BPH can impact risk factors for AUR, as the article by Claude Schulman points out. These topics were the focus of a satellite symposium held during the XVIth European Association of Urology Congress in Geneva on 8 April 2001.