Urologic Cancer Care

Lahey offers the latest tools and techniques for screening and diagnosing genitourinary cancer. Depending on a range of factors, your doctor will recommend the proper screening tool for you. It may include blood and urine tests, or various imaging tests.

The doctor also may want a biopsy, which is a small tissue sample that’s closely examined in a lab. Or they may perform a cystoscopy. During this procedure, the doctor inserts a thin tube with a camera (a cystoscope) through the urethra to view inside your bladder. We tailor urologic care to your personal symptoms and medical history.

At Lahey, providers from different medical specialties come together to diagnose genitourinary cancer and form a treatment plan. Your care team may include radiologists, surgical oncologists, genitourinary surgeons, pathologists and other experts.

Many types of genitourinary cancer are curable when discovered and treated properly at an early stage. Our goal is to provide a precise diagnosis as soon as possible so we can develop an effective treatment plan for you.

Through our tumor boards, our experts collaborate on the best, personalized plan as soon as your cancer is diagnosed. If your test results show genitourinary cancer, we’ll also pair you with a nurse navigator to guide you as your physician team begins treatment.

Advanced, Innovative Treatments

At Lahey, you have access to advanced, innovative treatments for genitourinary cancers:

• Chemotherapy, which is more effective than ever before — and with fewer, manageable side effects
• Immunotherapy to stimulates your body’s immune system to fight against your particular type of cancer
• Molecular-targeted therapies that block the spread of cancer by interfering with specific molecules involved in tumor growth
• Radiation therapy, including stereotactic radiosurgery and brachytherapy
• Surgical oncology using minimally invasive and robotic techniques, such as ablative treatment for kidney care

We have a longstanding tradition of providing excellent, personalized care for patients with urologic cancer. Our experienced, professional, highly trained and caring providers are here for you, working as a team to beat your cancer.

Our Strong Focus on Genitourinary Cancer Research

At Lahey, we are deeply committed to research and clinical trials to better diagnose, treat and prevent urologic cancers. Our Urologic Oncology Research Laboratory studies biologic markers for cancer so we can offer the very latest therapies to our patients.

In addition, ask your doctor if you may qualify for a current cancer clinical trial through the Lahey Institute of Urology.

Bladder Cancer

We offer state-of-the-art care for patients with bladder cancer:

• Radical cystectomy with urinary diversion: Surgical removal of the bladder in patients with bladder cancer and creation of a bladder replacement
• Pelvic lymph node dissection: Surgical removal of the regional lymph nodes of the bladder in patients with high-risk bladder cancer
• Immunotherapy
• Intravesical chemotherapy
• Intravesical therapies: Including Bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy (BCG)
• Upper tract instillation treatment: A technique used in select cases to treat patients with multifocal/upper tract urinary tract cancers

If needed, we offer the full spectrum of urinary tract surgical reconstruction such as:

• Continent orthotopic neobladder
• Continent catheterizable urinary reservoir
• Ileal conduit/urostomy

Patients with bladder cancer may be eligible for a bladder-sparing approach for treatment. Our highly experienced staff is available at multiple sites to provide treatment close to you.

We collaborate in clinical trials for new and different therapies to prevent bladder cancer or decrease the chances it will progress or recur.

Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer is a disease that is treated primarily by surgery. At Lahey, we place emphasis on nephron-sparing surgery to help preserve renal function in patients who might otherwise suffer from kidney failure. We offer robotic as well as open renal surgery depending on the individual patient’s needs.

For patients who have advanced kidney cancer, Lahey is among the most highly experienced medical centers in the country in treating kidney cancer involving the vena cava.

Ablative Treatment for Kidney Cancer

Ablative therapy for renal masses (kidney cancer) uses an array of energy sources to treat renal tumors. The tumor is either super-cooled (cryotherapy) or super-heated (radiofrequency ablation) using a probe placed into the kidney tumor. The goal is to destroy the cancerous tissue without physically removing the cancer.

Surgical Treatments for Kidney Cancer

• Renal cyst marsupialization: Technique to treat problematic renal cysts
• Radical nephrectomy: Removal of an entire, tumor-bearing kidney, including the Gerota’s fascia and regional lymph nodes
• Partial nephrectomy: Technique used to remove a renal tumor while preserving the kidney
• Nephroureterectomy: Removal of the kidney, ureter and bladder cuff for renal tumors

In the past, most of these procedures were performed with small incisions (laparoscopic). Today they are performed with robotic assistance. The probe is placed through a very small incision in the skin.

These procedures are performed in conjunction with interventional radiologists. They can be an effective treatment option for patients with small kidney tumors.

Adrenal, Testicular, Penile and Urethral Cancers

Adrenal, testicular, penile and urethral cancers are less common. However, our highly experienced and skilled surgeons have cared for a great number of patients with these diseases. 

Lahey has one of the largest urethral cancer treatment programs in the country. We bring a multidisciplinary approach to your care. Our physicians collaborate with colleagues in medical oncology and radiation oncology. We treat these challenging diseases through different techniques such as:

• Adrenalectomy: Removal of the adrenal gland in patients with an enlargement of the gland
• Nephroureterectomy: Removal of the kidney, ureter and bladder cuff for tumors of the pelvis or ureter
• Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND): Removal of retroperitoneal lymph nodes in patients with testicular cancer in clinical stage I, IIA or IIB

Prostate Cancer

Our prostate cancer specialists are recognized leaders in developing open and minimally invasive treatments for prostate cancer. Our efforts have greatly improved the quality of life for those treated for the disease.

If you are concerned about how your treatment might affect future plans to have a child, we offer fertility counseling services. We offer genetic testing for you and your family members. Testing looks for certain markers that could help assess your risk as well as guide your treatments and decision making.

And we offer a range of cancer rehabilitation and other support programs to guide you through treatment and after recovery.