Cancer Center

Health Science Campus • Ruppert Health Center
Door A • Phone: 419.383.6644  •  cancer@utoledo.edu
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Comprehensive Genitourinary Cancer Center

The Comprehensive Genitourinary Cancer Center offers state-of-the art diagnostic and treatment programs for patients with all types of genitourinary malignancies, including cancer of the:

  • Bladder
  • Kidney (Renal)
  • Prostate
As with the other specialized centers in the Cancer Center, patients find all the specialists they need in one convenient location, including urologic surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, oncology nurses and social workers. They work together closely, using the latest methods for diagnosis and treatment. Patients benefit from this cooperative approach by receiving a treatment plan tailored for them personally from all the cancer specialists involved in their care.

Like most cancer, cancers of the genitourinary system are treated with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Patients receive extensive information about the advantages and disadvantages of each approach and treatment plans are thoroughly discussed with patients and family members as well.

Patients at the Comprehensive Genitourinary Center are invited to participate in experimental therapies as well as clinical trials, when appropriate. Visit the Clinical Trials & Experimental Therapies section of our Web site to learn more about the research efforts currently underway at the Cancer Center.

Bladder Cancer

An estimated 54,000 Americans are diagnosed with bladder cancer annually. Blood in the urine is one of the first signs of bladder cancer.

Other symptoms of bladder cancer are increased frequency of urination and discomfort during urination.

Bladder cancer is diagnosed with a procedure in which a flexible instrument, called a cytoscope, is inserted into the bladder and the lining of the organ is examined.

Treatment options for bladder cancer depend on the stage of the cancer, or the extent of invasion of cancer cells to other tissues. If the disease is caught early, the five-year survival rate is 95 percent.

Kidney (Renal) Cancer

There are 30,000 cases of kidney cancer in the U.S. every year. Blood in the urine is one of the first symptoms and should not be ignored. Other symptoms may include pain in the side, unexplained weight loss or fever.

Physicians usually diagnose renal cancer with an ultrasound or a CT scan of the kidneys, both noninvasive tests.

Treatment options vary. In some cases, only the cancerous portion of the kidney is removed, a procedure called a partial nephrectomy, which preserves the kidney's function. In other cases, the entire organ is removed, a standard treatment for many years. If the cancer has spread outside the kidney, treatment may be surgical removal of the kidney and additional therapy with a drug to bolster the immune system.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men with approximately 180,000 new cases are diagnosed annually. The disease progresses at a relatively slow pace, which allows men to take the time to examine treatment options.

The early stages of prostate cancer usually produce no visible symptoms. The disease is detected and evaluated by a combination of a blood test for prostate specific antigen (PSA) and a digital rectal examination, in which the doctor examines the prostate gland with a finger to detect abnormalities. If cancer is suspected, a needle biopsy of the prostate is performed to confirm the diagnosis.

Treatment options include surgery to remove the prostate, highly-targeted external beam radiation therapy and radioactive seed implants.