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Genitourinary Cancer Cancer Care in Nashville
Genitourinary cancer refers to cancers that affect the urinary system of both men and women. More specifically, genitourinary cancers include cancers of the prostate, kidney, adrenal glands, testicles, and bladder.
Receiving a GU cancer diagnosis can be a lot to process, but you don’t have to deal with it alone. The specialists at SCRI Oncology Partners in Nashville are recognized for their expertise in diagnosing, treating, and managing GU cancers. We are here to help guide you every step of the way during your cancer journey. Our oncologists are available for consultations to discuss the best next steps. They also provide second opinions to patients as they select their treatment plan and care team.
Meet Nashville’s Leading Genitourinary Cancer Doctors
At SCRI Oncology Partners, our genitourinary cancer doctors are committed to ensuring each patient receives a personalized treatment plan that includes the latest therapies and supportive care.
Risk Factors
Staging
Treatment
Clinical Trials
Types of Genitourinary Cancers & Their Symptoms
Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is one of the most common genitourinary cancers affecting men. It tends to be a slow-growing condition, although some types are more aggressive, giving most men an opportunity to evaluate their options. Many men start with active surveillance. Those who can’t undergo surgery or radiation sometimes start with medical oncology treatment options, including hormone therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy, or participation in a clinical trial. The recommended approach often depends on how likely the cancer is to grow beyond the prostate.
Due to its slow-growing nature, symptoms don’t tend to appear early on. When they do, however, you may experience urination issues, blood in your urine, pain and discomfort in the lower portion of your body, and a recent onset of erectile dysfunction.
Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer often begins in the lining of the bladder and can grow further into the muscle wall, becoming muscle-invasive. Depending on the specific type, treatments often include immunotherapy and targeted therapy (rarely chemotherapy), in addition to surgery. Bladder cancer can cause symptoms like blood in the urine and urination issues, including pain when urinating, frequent urination during the day and night, and feeling the need to urinate when the bladder isn’t full. Discuss any symptoms with a physician before other, more advanced symptoms occur.
Kidney Cancer
Kidney cancer, also referred to as renal cancer, begins in the kidney, which filters blood and produces urine. Some cases are found early, while others are diagnosed after the cancer has spread. Blood in the urine, persistent back or side pain, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, and fever are some common kidney cancer symptoms. If the cancer is advanced, often patients require immunotherapy and/or targeted therapy.
Testicular Cancer
Testicular cancer is less common but highly curable with surgery and/or chemotherapy, especially when found early. Most often, younger men are affected by this type of cancer. It is important to see a doctor if you notice pain or pressure in the testes, scrotum, lower belly, or groin. Another possible symptom of testicular cancer is a heavy feel to the scrotum, or a lump or swelling in one or both of the testes.
Less common types of GU cancers include:
- Adrenal cancers
- Ureteral cancer
- Urethral cancer
- Penile cancer
At SCRI Oncology Partners, our team is dedicated to helping patients across Nashville and Middle Tennessee understand their diagnoses and to providing personalized treatment options for various types of genitourinary cancers. Our GU specialists are committed to answering your questions and delivering compassionate care, which includes access to advanced treatment options.
How are genitourinary cancers diagnosed?
Most genitourinary cancer diagnoses will start with blood and/or urine lab tests. Different lab tests can also be used to identify possible biomarkers or tumor markers, to see if you may have cancer. If bladder cancer is suspected, your cancer care team may recommend a cystoscopy, in which a camera is inserted to examine the inner lining of the bladder and take biopsy samples as necessary. If kidney cancer is suspected, CT and MRI scans are often utilized to diagnose the cancer.
Some blood tests can help diagnose a few types of tumors, and there have been recent developments in testicular cancer blood tests. Many testicular cancers produce high levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), which act as tumor markers in the blood, suggesting testicular cancer. Specific levels of these proteins in a blood test can also help doctors determine which type of testicular cancer may be present.
When it comes to prostate cancer, it is often detected during routine screening before any symptoms arise. If results from a digital rectal exam or a blood test measuring prostate-specific antigens (PSA) show any concern, additional tests will be needed to confirm a diagnosis.
An official GU cancer diagnosis usually comes after reviewing the results of a biopsy, which is the removal of a small piece of tissue from the body for examination to determine whether it contains cancer cells. Next-generation sequencing may also be used to identify cancer biomarkers and select the best treatment. The exception to biopsying for diagnosis is testicular tumors. They are rarely diagnosed via biopsy. Rather, blood tests and ultrasounds are used. If the testicle is removed, it will be tested to confirm cancer.
Risk factors for developing genitourinary cancers
While we are not sure of all of the causes of genitourinary cancer, there are several factors that may increase the risk of getting a diagnosis.
Common risk factors include:
- Increase in age – Most GU diagnoses occur in people aged 50 or older. Meanwhile, testicular cancer usually affects men between the ages of 20 and 34.
- Family history – Having a first-degree relative who has had cancer raises your risk of developing the disease yourself. Inherited genetic mutations and certain genetic conditions can also play a role.
- Lifestyle factors – Tobacco use, being overweight or obese, and eating a diet high in saturated fats while being low in fruits and vegetables can elevate the risk of developing a GU cancer.
- Exposure to harmful chemicals – Individuals working with certain chemicals may experience an increased risk of bladder or kidney cancer. Most specifically, there is research linking exposure to arsenic and cadmium to kidney cancer and exposure to benzidine and beta-naphthylamine to bladder cancer.
Staging genitourinary cancers
Cancer staging refers to the process of determining the extent of cancer in the body, including the size of the tumor and whether it has spread to other areas. Understanding the stage of cancer is crucial for doctors, as it helps them assess the severity of the disease, plan the most effective treatment, and identify suitable clinical trials that could serve as potential treatment options.
The staging system most commonly used for genitourinary cancers is the TNM system, in which the following questions are addressed:
- T: What is the size and extent of the primary tumor? How large is the tumor? Has it grown into nearby areas?
- N: Has the cancer spread to nearby lymph nodes?
- M: Has the cancer spread to other organs such as the bones, brain, or lungs?
There are five stages: Stage 0 and Stages I through IV (1 through 4). The higher the number is in the stage scale, the more advanced the cancer. Staging for prostate cancer and bladder cancer will also include a grade. The grade describes how likely your cancer is to grow and spread.
Staging is complex, involving the tumor size, lymph nodes and whether it’s grown to impact other areas of the body.
How are genitourinary cancers treated?
Each patient has an individualized treatment plan depending on the type of GU cancer and its stage. Generally, most people are treated with surgery, radiation, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these treatments to achieve the best possible outcomes. Men with early-stage, slow-growing prostate cancer may choose active surveillance rather than starting treatment right away.
To identify which treatments may be most effective for a patient, next-generation sequencing iis often used. Next-generation sequencing, also known as NGS or genomic testing, is a tool used by your cancer care team to determine the presence (or absence) of specific cancer biomarkers. After taking a biopsy or blood sample, NGS allows your provider to test those samples for genetic changes that have developed over the patient’s lifetime that lead to the development of cancer.
Common GU cancer treatments
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy drugs are sometimes combined with other cancer treatments to help the immune system identify and destroy cancer cells more effectively, often by interacting with specific proteins to enhance the immune response.
Targeted therapy
Based on the genomic test results, there may be drugs added to your treatment plan that counteract a genetic change in order to slow the growth of cancer cells.
Hormone therapy
For men with more advanced prostate cancer, drugs can be used to reduce the amount of male hormones in the body, slowing the cancer’s growth.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is another approach. In chemotherapy, anti-cancer drugs circulate through the bloodstream to reach cancer cells throughout the body.
Radiation therapy
Especially for prostate cancer, radiation therapy is an option for ensuring all the cancer cells are gone after surgery in early-stage patients.
Genitourinary cancer clinical trials
Today’s clinical trials are tomorrow’s treatment options. A clinical trial can help determine whether a treatment, drug, or procedure offers a better way to treat a particular cancer or condition. The cancer research specialists at SCRI Oncology Partners are committed to offering the latest clinical trials to improve your outcomes and ensure our patients in the community have access to cutting-edge scientific advancements.
If you are looking for a local oncologist in Nashville, Tennessee, or you are interested in participating in a clinical trial for genitourinary cancers through our collaboration with Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI), a global leader in oncology research, the first step is to talk to our healthcare team.
We’re here to help, leverage our dedicated resources to learn more
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We’re here when you need us
If you were recently diagnosed or would like a second opinion, request an appointment with one of our experienced cancer doctors right here in Nashville.
We’re here when you need us
If you were recently diagnosed or would like a second opinion, request an appointment with one of our experienced cancer doctors right here in Nashville.
We’re here when you need us
If you were recently diagnosed or would like a second opinion, request an appointment with one of our experienced cancer doctors right here in Nashville.