New York Methodist Hospitals Division of Urology, headed by Ivan Grunberger, M.D., is seeking qualified individuals to participate in three clinical research trials.

The first of the three trials involves an injectable treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate. The medication (which is not FDA approved) will be injected directly into the prostate gland and each participant in the trial will be monitored for a year. The trial is open to men over the age of 45. This treatment option may be appealing to patients who do not want to take daily medications and who are without severe symptoms that require surgical intervention.

The second trial will examine the effects of the drug fesoterodine on nighttime urinary frequency as well as general overactive bladder symptoms. Over 33 million men and women in the United States have an overactive bladder. The FDA recently approved fesoterodine for the treatment of the condition. Men and women over the age of 18 with overactive bladder may be eligible to participate.

The third clinical research study will use high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to treat low risk, localized prostate cancer. HIFU is not FDA approved for use in the U.S. However, patients currently travel outside the country to places like Canada, Europe, Japan and Caribbean to undergo the procedure. This trial is open to men over the age of 50 with low risk prostate cancer.

Individuals interested in participating in any of these research trials should contact the study's coordinator Celeste Egan at 718 230-1202.