Genitourinary Cancer

The Lahey Health Cancer Institute (LHCI) offers the latest tools and techniques for screening and diagnosing genitourinary cancer, which includes prostate cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, testicular cancer, and adrenal cancer.

More Options Than Ever Before

A doctor meeting a patient in an exam roomWe offer more weapons than ever before in the fight against genitourinary cancer. At LHCI, people who previously had few – or no – therapeutic options can benefit from a wide range of comprehensive, evidence-based approaches to treat their cancer while preserving their quality of life.

Team of Providers

At LHCI, providers from various disciplines come together to diagnose genitourinary cancer and form a treatment plan, including radiologists, surgical oncologists, genitourinary surgeons, pathologists, and other experts.

Many types of genitourinary cancer are curable when discovered and treated appropriately in their early stages. Our goal is to provide precise diagnosis and staging of a tumor to help guide the most appropriate treatment plan.

If Cancer is Confirmed

If your test results show genitourinary cancer, be assured that you will not be in it alone. We will pair you with a patient navigator to help guide you through treatment decisions and survivorship. We will support you, educate you, and treat you according to best practices and the highest clinical standards.

Individualized Care

Treating prostate cancer requires a truly individualized approach. Older men with slow-growing tumors may choose not to be treated, as it may be many years before the cancer becomes life-threatening. At LHCI, men under age 70 and those with aggressive tumors are given a wide range of treatment options to consider.

Medical oncology is where some of the greatest advances in survivorship are happening. Today’s systemic treatment options for genitourinary cancer – which includes prostate cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, testicular cancer, and adrenal cancer – are expanding beyond traditional therapies.

Groundbreaking Research

Groundbreaking research has led to the implementation of new biological and immunotherapies that are helping more patients live longer and better. Our medical oncology physicians and nurses have extensive experience in the use of these new treatments.

Oncology Care Model

Chemotherapy treatment at LHCI reflects the Oncology Care Model (OCM) designed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, in which we provide a wide variety of special support services for patients receiving chemotherapy. Learn more about OCM.

Chemotherapy

Today’s chemotherapy drugs are more effective than ever before. Most chemotherapy regimens have fewer side effects, and if side effects do occur, we have treatments to help manage them.

The chemotherapy units throughout the Lahey Health are designed to enhance patient comfort and ease of treatment. Family members or friends may stay with you while you are receiving chemotherapy. Many of our locations provide free television service and free WiFi.

Molecular-Targeted Therapies

Molecular-targeted cancer therapies are drugs or other substances that block the spread of cancer by interfering with specific molecules involved in tumor growth. It includes drugs that:

• Interfere with the signals needed for cell growth or the blood vessels that feed a tumor
• Promote the death of specific cancer cells
• Stimulate the immune system to destroy specific cancer cells
• Deliver toxic drugs to cancer cells
• Targeted drugs can be used to address genitourinary cancer cells with a certain genetic makeup. Because every cancer is unique, we will analyze the genetic makeup of your specific cancer to match you with the most effective targeted treatment for the best possible outcome.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy for cancer involves the use of substances either made in the human body or in a laboratory to boost the body’s immune system. The goal is to stimulate your body’s immune system to fight against your particular type of cancer.

Fertility Counseling and Genetic Testing

If you are concerned about how your treatment might affect future plans to have a child, we offer fertility counseling services. We also offer genetic testing for you and family members, to look for certain markers that could help assess risk as well as guide treatments and decision making.

The Lahey Health Cancer Institute (LHCI) offers a full range of radiation therapy options for genitourinary cancer, which includes prostate cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, testicular cancer, and adrenal cancer. We are focused on not exposing you to unnecessary radiation, so we are particularly skilled at adapting our services to treat you with the least amount of radiation needed.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Among our radiation therapy options at Lahey Health is a procedure called stereotactic radiosurgery. This is a form of radiation therapy that focuses high-power energy on a small area of the body. It is used to treat a number of different types of cancer, including prostate cancer and kidney cancer. Stereotactic radiosurgery targets and treats cancerous tissue while minimizing damage to nearby healthy tissue.

Brachytherapy

Another type of radiation therapy at LHCI is brachytherapy, often used to treat prostate cancer. In this procedure, radioactive pellets that resemble seeds are placed into the prostate gland. These seeds give off radiation to kill prostate cancer cells.

External Radiation

External radiation, also called external beam radiation, is the most common type of radiation therapy to treat cancer. At Lahey, we have the most up-to-date equipment and experienced radiologists to allow for more precise delivery of the high-energy beams used to kill cancer cells while doing less damage to normal tissues.

Quality and Safety Accreditation

Your safety is very important to us. Some of our quality and safety initiatives for radiation therapy include:

• Lahey uses the XECAN patient care and safety management system, which is technology that helps ensure the correct treatment of cancer patients.
• We have an overarching safety program called the Radiation Oncology Safety Initiative (ROSI), which focuses on all aspects of radiation oncology that have an effect on safety.
• We are members of the Clarity Patient Safety Organization (PSO), which operates the national Radiation Oncology Incident Learning System. By belonging to a national incident-learning database, we are able to compare our experience to that of all other participating institutions in the country, enhancing the potential for discovering significant error-prevention opportunities.
• All of the radiation therapy sites within the Lahey Health system are accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR), which ensures quality and safety in patient care.

The surgeons at the Lahey Health Cancer Institute (LHCI) who treat genitourinary cancer are second to none. They have extensive experience in cancer treatment and are experts in the very latest techniques, including minimally invasive and robotic surgery procedures.

At the Forefront

For example, Lahey urologists have led the way in developing open and minimally invasive treatments for prostate cancer to improve the quality of life for those who undergo treatment for the disease.

Because of the number of patients we treat at Lahey Health, our physicians are exceptionally proficient in genitourinary cancer surgery for prostate cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, testicular cancer, and adrenal cancer.

Robotic Surgery

One growing option in treating genitourinary cancer is robotic surgery. As with traditional laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon operates through tiny incisions. The robot serves as extensions of the surgeon’s hands, and is designed to translate the surgeon’s hand movements into precise movements of instruments within the surgical site.

The robotic surgery system can improve the surgeon’s visualization of delicate tissues and nerves by providing a magnified, 3D view of the surgical site. It also increases the surgeon’s dexterity by allowing for 360-degree rotation of surgical tools.

Minimally Invasive Options

Lahey provides minimally invasive surgical options for treatment of various types of genitourinary cancers, including laparoscopic prostatectomy and laparoscopic bladder reconstruction.

Robotic and minimally invasive procedures can be used to treat prostate cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, and much more. When compared with traditional open surgery, these procedures can mean a quicker recovery with less pain.