Urological cancers affect organs in the urinary and reproductive tract, including the bladder, kidney, ureter (tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder), penis, and in men, the prostate. They can also spread to other parts of the body.
People with urethral cancer can try active surveillance, where doctors follow them without giving them treatment unless there are changes in their test results. Other options include surgery and chemotherapy.
Symptoms
A cancerous growth forms in the cells that line your kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra. These are called urologic cancers, and both men and women can develop them. They’re more common in older men.
Bladder cancer is the most common type. It starts in the cells that line your bladder, which expand when it’s full and contract when it’s empty. These same cells line the inside of your kidneys and ureters, so bladder cancer can also start in those tissues.
Symptoms vary, depending on the location of the tumor. Prostate cancer may cause a dull ache in the abdomen or groin, or a pain or lump in your penis or testicle. Prostate cancer can also affect urination, so you might feel the need to urinate often or have blood in your urine (hematuria). In some cases, cancers that begin in the urethra don’t cause any symptoms at all.
Urology specialist Melbourne can diagnose urologic cancers using lab tests, imaging studies, and biopsy. They also may recommend a treatment strategy that doesn’t involve surgery, such as active surveillance or other monitoring methods. Other treatments include chemotherapy and radiation therapy. In addition, biologic therapies (also known as biotherapy or immunotherapy) encourage your own immune system to fight cancer cells. They’re used to treat prostate, kidney, and bladder cancer. A less common procedure is cryoablation, which freezes cancerous tissue to kill it
Diagnosis
The urinary tract carries urine from the kidneys through the ureters (thin tubs of muscle on each side of the body), into the bladder and urethra. The four types of cancer that can affect the urinary tract include bladder, kidney, prostate and testicular.
The first step in diagnosing these cancers is for a physician to perform a physical exam of the pelvis and rectal area. Blood tests, a urine sample and a biopsy will also likely be ordered.
A biopsy is a tissue sample that doctors can look at under a microscope to see if cancer cells are present. Typically, this is done before surgery, but it may be performed after other treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy to confirm the diagnosis.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams such as x-rays to control or kill cancer cells. It is used in place of or in addition to surgery for urological cancers such as those of the bladder, kidney, prostate and testicles in men and women. It can also be used to treat some noncancerous growths. Chemotherapy is a type of drug that uses chemicals to stop the growth of cancer cells or prevent them from multiplying. It can be taken by mouth or injected directly into a body cavity, such as the abdomen. It can also be put into the urethra through a catheter.
Treatment
The urinary tract is vital to our health. It removes waste and sends us urine, which contains nutrients for our body. When the organs of this system develop cancer, it can be very serious and cause discomfort. This includes the bladder (which stores urine until it is ready to exit), ureters, prostate and penis. Cancers that occur in these organs are called urologic cancers, and they can be found in men and women of any age.
The treatment options for urological cancers vary, depending on the specific tumor and your needs. But they may include surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. You might also receive biologic therapy, which encourages your body’s natural immune system to fight disease.
For instance, if you have a tumor on your urethra, a doctor might perform surgery to remove the affected area or give you a tube to pass urine. Alternatively, he or she might use a procedure known as cryoablation to freeze tissue, which kills cancer cells.
The chance that a urologic cancer will return after treatment depends on the type and stage of the tumor. You might need to have regular checkups and tests for signs of a recurrence. This is often called active surveillance.
Prevention
Cancer is a disease that occurs when cells become abnormal and grow out of control. Cells typically multiply and die as they should, but a change in the genetic code (mutation) can lead to uncontrollable growth of new cells and formation of a tumor. Mutations can be caused by exposure to radiation or chemicals, poor diet, certain medical conditions and genes.
Urologic cancers affect the organs of the urinary tract and the male reproductive system. Four types of cancers are associated with this system, including bladder, prostate, kidney and testicular cancer. Fortunately, these cancers are often preventable through changes in lifestyle and adherence to medical advice.
Men should regularly visit their urologist for screening, especially when they are older than 40. They should also talk to their doctor if they notice any unusual symptoms, such as blood in the urine, pain in the groin or pelvis area, a weak stream of urine or trouble holding in urine when urinating.
The most common treatment for urologic cancers is surgery, which removes the tumor and any surrounding unhealthy tissue. Depending on the type of cancer, doctors may also use chemotherapy or radiation to kill remaining cancer cells. They may also recommend targeted therapy, which uses drugs to attack cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. For all cancer treatments, patients should work closely with their urologists to manage side effects and follow their doctors’ advice.
Perera Urology
Suite 118/55 Flemington Rd,
North Melbourne VIC 3051
1300 884 673
www.pereraurology.com