Genitourinary Cancer

UT Southwestern Medical Center’s genitourinary cancer team relentlessly strives to find new methods for prevention and early detection of genitourinary cancers and work  tirelessly to improve treatments for all stages of these diseases. We work together across disciplines to provide each patient with the best advice and consultation, leading to the most appropriate treatment plan and best outcomes.

As the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in North Texas, we deliver the best cancer care available today and push to discover new treatments. NCI designation means we offer patients the ability to participate in the broadest possible range of clinical trials, with access to potential therapies not available at other facilities.

Where Patients Come First and Experience Matters

Genitourinary cancers are cancers that affect the urinary and male genital systems, specifically such organs and glands as the bladder, kidney, prostate, and testicles.

At UT Southwestern, our patients are our priority. They benefit from the knowledge and experience we gain from treating hundreds of genitourinary cases each year, accounting for about 25 percent of cancers seen at UT Southwestern. This high volume translates into excellent care for each and every patient.

Our team has one of the region’s highest volumes of patients treated with robotic prostatectomies. For men considering this procedure, the surgeon’s experience should be a top priority.

Integrated Care, Specialized Expertise

We offer access to the most advanced treatments available, provided by practitioners who are fully interconnected with a sophisticated electronic records system that facilitates easy consultation and discussion between doctors. In addition, we meet weekly with the entire genitourinary cancer team to discuss complex cases.

Even in less complex situations, specialized expertise is essential to each patient’s care. Our team focuses on genitourinary cancers every day and works together to offer every patient a unique treatment plan designed to achieve the best possible outcome and preservation of quality of life.

UT Southwestern’s state-of- the-art treatments for genitourinary cancer include:

• Medical treatment: Use of drugs, such as chemotherapy and personalized drug therapies
• Surgery: Treatment with minimally invasive or robotic procedures
  
• Radiation therapy: Several options such as brachytherapy
  
• Radiofrequency ablation: Heated radio waves to destroy cancer cells
  

Research and Clinical Trials

UT Southwestern’s cancer researchers continue to make important progress in learning more about the causes of and cures for genitourinary cancers.

In prostate cancer alone, for example, investigators have identified biomarkers that can pinpoint recurrence and have discovered that some hormonal dietary supplements can promote prostate cancer progression. These are just two examples of discoveries that could eventually improve the lives of countless men.

UT Southwestern’s emphasis on research gives many patients opportunities to participate in clinical trials that offer the latest new treatments for genitourinary cancers. Those who qualify for study participation might be offered promising therapies years before they’re available to the public. Patients should speak with their doctors about available clinical trials.

Support Services

Patients with genitourinary cancer also are encouraged to take advantage of UT Southwestern’s many patient support services. Our whole-patient approach to care means that clinicians also strive to help patients with issues such as pain management, nutrition, psychosocial adjustments, and cancer’s impact on their families.