Your doctors will tell you about the benefits, risks and side effects of the treatments being offered.
Each person is different and your surgery and/or treatment will be tailored to your needs and discussed fully with you before proceeding.
There is a number of treatments that can be used to treat urological cancers:
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Radiotherapy
- Other treatments
Before any sort of treatment is given by a doctor, patients must give their consent. This is an important process to make sure patients understand their treatment.
The treatment for each urological cancer is different:
Bladder cancer
Treatments usually differ between early stage, non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer and more advanced muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
For many patients with bladder cancer, surgery is the most appropriate treatment. Surgically removing the cancer is a major operation and it can take a number of weeks to recover.
Sometimes, during surgery for bladder cancer, it may be necessary for the surgeon to form a ‘stoma’ (urostomy) on the wall of your abdomen. This surgery is undertaken in the Belfast Trust Hospitals. A stoma is where an opening is made on your abdomen which allows waste to pass out of the body. There are different types of stoma and, if you need one, the type will depend on the location of your tumour and the type of surgery you need. The stoma may be temporary or permanent. For more information on the different types of stomas, please visit the
Some patients may also require chemotherapy to treat their bladder cancer and others may also receive radiotherapy to treat their bladder cancer.
Macmillan Cancer Support has a range of information on treatment for bladder cancer.
Stoma care nurses
The Trust specialist stoma care nursing staff will help patients look after their stoma and urostomy if one has been formed during their hospital stay and will encourage emptying and changing of the bag as often as is necessary.
Once at home, patients will still be able to phone their stoma care nurse for advice and may have contact with a community stoma nurse. The stoma care nurse can help to sort out any problems patients have with a urostomy.
Penile cancer
For many patients with penile cancer, surgery is the main treatment. There are several surgical procedures used to treat penile cancer:
- Wide local excision
- Microsurgery
- Laser surgery
- Circumcision
- Penectomy
Some patients may also require chemotherapy to treat their penile cancer and others may also receive radiotherapy to treat their penile cancer.
Read more about the treatment for penile cancer.
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is often very slow growing and for many men with prostate cancer, the disease may never progress or cause any symptoms.
Many patients have their prostate cancer monitored to begin with, rather than treating it straight away. This is called active surveillance.
Macmillan Cancer Support has a range of information on treatment for prostate cancer.
There is a number of different treatment options for prostate cancer:
- Surgery
- Hormone Therapy
- Radiotherapy
- Brachytherapy
- Chemotherapy
Renal (kidney) cancer
For many patients with renal cancer, surgery is the main treatment. There are several surgical procedures used to treat renal cancer:
- Partial nephrectomy
- Radical nephrectomy
- Laparoscopic nephrectomy
Cancer Research UK has a range of information on treating kidney cancer.
If the urology surgeon decides you are not suitable for surgery you may be offered an arterial embolization.
Macmillan Cancer Support provides detailed information on arterial embolisation for kidney cancer
Testicular cancer
For most patients with testicular cancer, surgery may be the most appropriate treatment. The surgical procedures used to treat testicular cancer:
- Orchidectomy
- Lymph node dissection
Chemotherapy may also be used to treat testicular cancer and some patients with testicular cancer may receive radiotherapy.
Read more about treatment of testicular cancer.
After treatment
After treatment is completed, patients will have regular check-ups.
Patients who have had treatment for a urological cancer will have regular follow up appointments with their surgeon or oncologist.
It is very important that you attend your follow up appointments.
Patients experiencing worrying symptoms that they think may be related to their cancer should get in touch with their GP or consultant as soon as possible.