International consultation on urological diseases: A decade of progress

The International Consultation on Urological Diseases (ICUD), under the cos ponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Societ y of Urology (SIU), and the International Union Against Cancer (UICC), is a ctive in the organization of global consultations on urological diseases. T he major urological associations from the five continents (the American Uro logical Association (AUA), the Urological Association of Asia (UAA), the Co nfederation Americana Urologia (CAU), and the European Association of Urolo gy (EAU)), together with societies with expertise in specific programs such as the International Continence Society, the International Society for Imp otence Research, the International Prostate Health Council, the American Ca ncer Society, the International Union Against Cancer, and the European Orga nization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, came together in the late 19 80s on the basis of their proven record in organizing successful internatio nal meetings on urological cancer to initiate the concept of the ICUD. At t he suggestion of the WHO, a First International Consultation on Benign Pros tatic Hypertrophy (BPH) was organized in 1991, not only to provide recommen dations to medical practitioners but also to define and plan future researc h on the subject. The formula, based on global multiprofessional collaborat ion and expertise, exceeded expectations, and other consultations were to f ollow, e.g., on prostate cancer, incontinence, erectile dysfunctions, and n osocomial infections. In 1994 it became necessary to establish a legal nong overnmental organization to foster the goals of the ICUD, essentially for t he creation of awareness, knowledge, and recommendations on the diagnosis a nd treatment of urological diseases. Prostate 45:194-199, 2000. (C) 2000 Wi ley-Liss, Inc.