Your urinary system includes your bladder, kidneys, ureters and urethra. When you’re healthy, you may not give these organs much thought. But when urologic cancer disrupts this system’s functions, it can affect your whole life.
People throughout South Florida and the Treasure Coast trust our urologic cancer specialists. We treat urinary system cancers and cancers of the genitals with expertise and compassion. We focus on your health, comfort and dignity.
Urologic Cancer Care at Cleveland Clinic in Florida: Why Choose Us?
We offer urologic cancer treatment for cancers of the bladder, kidney and genitals. We also offer specialty care for prostate cancer. When you choose Cleveland Clinic in Florida, you benefit from:
Highly skilled providers: Our board-certified and fellowship-trained experts have completed extra training to treat urologic cancers. Your team includes the most highly trained specialists from all medical specialties, including urology, gynecology, urogynecology, surgery, radiation oncology, medical oncology, pathology, radiology and cancer genetics. Our navigators and support specialists help meet your needs during diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
Advanced tools and techniques: We offer minimally invasive procedures and robotic-assisted surgeries to treat tumors with precision. With these procedures, patients have shorter hospital stays, faster recovery and fewer side effects. Our experts give you access to the most advanced treatments for these cancers.
Recognized patient care expertise: The Commission on Cancer® has accredited our cancer services. We are consistently recognized for excellence in providing quality patient care. Learn more about our awards and recognition.
We use a range of advanced techniques to diagnose urologic cancers. We determine the size and location of tumors (cancer stage), and whether cancer has spread (metastasized), to inform your treatment plan. Our experts get you answers right away so you don’t have to wait to begin needed treatment. We start with a thorough physical examination. Depending on your symptoms, you may also have:
Imaging tests
Our urology imaging specialists take detailed views of your urinary system. We use these images to detect tumors or blockages. We perform:
Our specialists inject a contrast dye into a vein and take X-rays as the dye enters your bladder, kidneys and ureters. During IVP, also called retrograde pyelogram, doctors can see if there are any blockages or tumors in these organs.
Cystoscopy
Experts insert a thin instrument with a light and magnifying lens (cystoscope) through your urethra and into your bladder. During cystoscopy, we look for cell changes and retrieve tissue samples for biopsy.
Laboratory tests
We use blood tests for cancer to measure levels of specific proteins linked to certain types of cancer (tumor markers). These tests give our experts the information they need to personalize your care and treat cancer effectively.
Urine cytology
You provide a urine sample for our expert pathologists to examine under a microscope. During urine cytology, we look for abnormal cells that may show cancer.
Our multispecialty urologic cancer team collaborates to find the treatment that will give you the best possible outcome. We share information and expertise in formal weekly meetings where we discuss individual patients and work together to create a personalized comprehensive treatment plan for each person in our care.
We treat many urologic cancers with surgery. Our experts provide:
Bladder cancer surgery
We offer the most advanced minimally invasive surgical options to treat bladder cancer. Minimally invasive bladder cancer surgery helps preserve urinary function and lets you heal faster. You may have:
After removal of the entire bladder (radical cystectomy), your surgeon performs urinary reconstruction and diversion. Our experts use several reconstructive procedures that give your body another way to collect and empty urine when you no longer have your bladder.
Kidney cancer surgery
We treat kidney cancers with open (traditional) surgery and minimally invasive options, including robotic-assisted surgery. We use robotic-assisted surgery to remove kidney cancer with pinpoint accuracy, sparing healthy tissue. Our surgeons make tiny incisions that reduce the risk of complications and make your recovery easier.
Your surgeon may remove the kidney tumor and surrounding tissue (partial nephrectomy) or the entire kidney (nephrectomy). During radical nephrectomy, surgeons remove the adrenal gland, kidney and surrounding tissue. We perform:
Our urologic cancer experts remove penis tumors during surgery. You may have:
Simple excision: We use a sharp knife (scalpel) to remove the tumor and a small amount of surrounding tissue. We stitch the skin back together or may do a skin graft to cover the area if we remove a large amount of tissue and skin.
Mohs surgery: Specialists shave a thin layer of skin from the tumor’s location and examine it under a microscope. During Mohs surgery, surgeons continue to shave thin skin layers and examine each layer until no cancer cells remain.
Partial or total penectomy: When cancer has spread, surgeons remove part or all of the penis to eliminate tumors. In partial penectomy, we remove the end of the penis. In total penectomy, surgeons remove the entire penis and create an opening in the perineum (perineal urethrostomy) that allows urine to drain.
We treat some urologic cancers with nonsurgical therapies. You may also have certain therapies after surgery (adjuvant therapy) to eliminate any cancer cells that remain. Our experts provide:
Intravesical therapy for bladder cancer
Our urology specialists treat early-stage tumors of the bladder’s lining with intravesical therapy. We insert a thin tube (catheter) through your urethra to deliver drugs that destroy cancer cells directly to your bladder. For more advanced bladder cancers, you may have intravesical therapy after TURBT or in a series of weekly treatments called induction therapy.
Radiation therapy
The radiation oncology experts at Cleveland Clinic in Florida use radiation therapies to treat urologic cancers. We use high-energy beams to remove some tumors and shrink larger tumors to make surgery possible. We also use these therapies to provide palliative care, treatment for symptoms caused by cancer that has spread (metastasized).
Systemic therapy
We treat some urologic cancers with drugs that work throughout your body to destroy cancer cells. Depending on the cancer type, the stage of tumors and whether cancer has metastasized, you may have:
Talk to your doctor to see if you may be eligible to take part in a clinical trial. Our physicians lead research studies of new treatments for urologic cancers. Researchers in our Florida Research and Innovation Center also study ways to improve your quality of life during and after treatment. Search for a clinical trial that may benefit you.
Life doesn’t stop during cancer diagnosis and treatment. We help you manage whatever you may face during cancer treatment. We assist with scheduling appointments and accessing financial assistance and counseling services. Our trained specialists provide therapies to help you feel your best so you can focus on treatment and recovery. Learn more about the cancer palliative and supportive care program at Cleveland Clinic in Florida.
