Treatments

  • Surgery

    When it comes to urethral cancer, surgery is the most common treatment. The goal of surgery is to remove the tumor from the urethra, so as much of the urethra as possible can remain to keep the best urinary control. Types of surgery include the following. Your doctor will discuss what approach may be right for your case.

    • Excision of the Tumor: Cancer and a small margin of healthy tissue around it are removed through an open incision or laparoscopically with the aid of robotic technology.

    • Transurethral Resection (TUR): The cancer is removed using a special tool inserted into the urethra.

    • Electro-resection with Fulguration: The surgeon removes the tumor with a lighted tool that has a small wire loop to burn the tumor away with high-energy electricity.

    • Laser Surgery: Using a narrow beam of intense light instead of a scalpel, the surgeon makes bloodless cuts into the tissue or to remove or destroy it.

    • Lymph Node Dissection: In this procedure, your doctor removes lymph nodes in the pelvis and groin.

    • Reconstruction: If the urethra is removed, the surgeon will make a new way for the urine to pass from the body. Some patients receive chemotherapy or radiation therapy after surgery to ensure all cancer is destroyed.

  • Chemotherapy

    The purpose of chemotherapy is to shrink cancer cells that spread to other body parts. It also treats tumors that cannot be treated with surgery or radiation therapy. Chemotherapy might also help reduce a tumor's size before surgery.

    • If you require intravenous (infusion) chemotherapy, you can receive it at the Comprehensive Treatment Unit (CTU) at Sylvester's main location in Miami. It's a 12,000-square-foot unit that includes 33 recliners and 11 private rooms.

    • If you'd like, you can also have your infusion treatments at the Kendall, Plantation, Hollywood, Coral Springs, and Deerfield Beach locations.

    • Radiation Therapy

    This treatment is sometimes used before or after surgery. It can shrink a tumor, as well as treat cancer cells that can remain after surgery. If surgery is not possible, radiation therapy alone can be used in cases of urethral cancer. External radiation therapy precisely sends high levels of radiation directly to the cancer cells using a machine directed at the body. Sometimes, internal radiation therapy called brachytherapy can be used directly into the urethra to kill cancer cells.

  • Active Surveillance

    When the cancer is slow growing, or when treatment presents a high risk, this approach may be an option in some cases. It involves just regular monitoring of your cancer at scheduled follow-up appointments instead of immediately treating your cancer.