Genitourinary (Prostate, Bladder, and Testicular) Cancers
Genitourinary (Prostate, Bladder, and Testicular) Cancers
Radiation therapy is commonly used to cure prostate cancer and bladder cancer. It is less often used to treat cancers of the testicles, ureters, or kidneys. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers treated with radiation therapy, as it is an effective alternative to surgical removal of the prostate, while typically causing less sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence than surgery does. External beam radiation therapy is typically delivered to the prostate for a total of 5-28 treatments, whereas other patients receive a brachytherapy implant either by itself or along with the external beam radiation therapy. Radiation can cause long term rectal side effects, but we do everything we can to minimize this by offering patients a hydrogel spacer to temporarily push the rectum and prostate away from each other. Hormonal therapy is also often added to the radiation therapy to make the cancer cells more sensitive to the radiation. In the case of bladder cancer, surgery typically involves removing the entire bladder, but similar potential for cure can be achieved for many patients with a combination of 4-7 weeks of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, while leaving the bladder in place and preserving urinary function. In all cases, we work closely with the urologic oncology and medical oncology teams at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School to coordinate your care.
