THORACIC AND URO ONCOLOGY

UROLOGICAL CANCERS

Urologic cancers are growths of abnormal cells that form in the organs of the urinary tract in both men and women, and in the testicles, prostate and penis of the male reproductive system,

Urologic, or urological, cancer can develop in any organ of the urinary system or the male reproductive system and is a term that encompasses the following cancers:

• Adrenal cancer

• Bladder cancer

• Kidney cancer

• Penile cancer

• Prostate cancer

• Testicular cancer

• Ureter cancer

As with other types of cancer, doctors treat most urologic cancers by attempting to remove the tumor (the clump of abnormal cells) surgically. For some conditions, physicians will recommend radiation therapy in place of or after surgery

COMMON SURGICAL PROCEDURES FOR UROLOGICAL CANCER:

KIDNEY CANCER:

Radical nephrectomy: 

This is a procedure to remove the entire affected kidney.. During this type of surgery, the oncologist may make incisions in the abdomen, under the ribs, or in the back to remove the entire kidney.

• Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN): This surgery is performed by making a few small incisions, instead of one large incision. 

• Partial nephrectomy: During this procedure, the surgeon removes only the part of the kidney that contains cancer. This type of kidney cancer surgery may be required to preserve kidney function in patients who have cancer in both kidneys, who have low kidney function, or who have one kidney.

TESTICULAR CANCER:

• Radical inguinal orchiectomy: With this procedure, the surgeon will remove the testicle with the tumor, as well as the spermatic cord that connects the testicle to the abdomen.

• Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection: If your doctor suspects that the cancer cells may have spread to nearby lymph nodes, this procedure may be performed at the same time, or during, a second surgery.

 PROSTATE CANCER :

• Radical Prostatectomy: This procedure removes the entire prostate. In most cases, the procedure is performed using Laparoscopy . 

• Biopsy: Prostate cancer is definitively diagnosed with a biopsy, a minor surgical procedure in which a sample of suspected cancer cells are removed for examination and testing by a pathologist

BLADDER CANCER : 

Transurethral resection: 

• This procedure, also called “transurethral resection of the bladder tumor,” is common for early-stage bladder cancers, or those confined to the superficial layer of the bladder wall. A wire loop at one end of the resectoscope is used to remove abnormal tissues or tumors.

Partial cystectomy: 

• If cancer has invaded the muscle layer of the bladder wall but is not large and is confined to one region of the bladder, it may be possible to treat the cancer by removing only part of the bladder. 

Radical cystectomy:

•  If cancer is aggressive and highly invasive, the entire bladder may need to be removed. This type of bladder cancer surgery is an extensive procedure but may help remove cancer cells from the body and reduce the likelihood of the disease recurring.

Reconstructive surgery: 

• They include Ileal conduit: In this approach, a small piece of intestine is connected to the ureters, creating a passageway for urine to pass out of the body from the kidneys. 

• Continent diversion: In this procedure, a pouch is made from a piece of intestine, and a valve is created in the pouch. Urine is stored in the pouch and emptied through the valve into a catheter attached to a stoma. With this approach, the patient does not have to wear a bag on the outside of the body.

PENILE CANCER :

• Circumcision 

• Partial Amputation of Penis 

• Total Penectomy with Perineal Urethrostomy 

• Penile Reconstruction

• IlioInguinal Block dissection 

Doctors can treat some small tumors with external beam radiation, but the most frequent treatment for penile cancer is surgery. In some cases, the physician can surgically remove only the cancer and some normal tissue around the cancer. If the cancer is only in the foreskin, circumcision may be sufficient to remove the cancer.

Dr Vimalathithan Says  , Our goal is to treat and ultimately eliminate urologic cancers while minimizing the effects of treatment on health and lifestyle