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Bladder
Cancer
Bladder cancer accounts for approximately 54,000 new cases of
cancer per year with approximately 12,000 deaths each year attributable
to the disease. Fortunately, two-thirds of the newly diagnosed
bladder cancers occur only on the lining of the bladder ( superficial
bladder cancer) and can be treated effectively by the urologic
surgeons at The University of Kansas Hospital. Blood in the urine
(called hematuria) is usually the first sign of bladder cancer.
Other symptoms which may not be recognized initially include
the need to urinate frequently both day and night, and the inability
to hold the urine once the urge to urinate occurs. A simple test
called cystoscopy, performed in the clinics at KU can usually
diagnose the cancer. Our physicians are experts in the diagnosis
of bladder cancer as well as its treatment. In addition, they
employ a number of methods to keep those with superficial bladder
cancer from recurring.
For those patients in whom the cancer is invasive (into the muscle
wall of the bladder) surgery to remove the entire bladder (cystectomy)
is often needed. The urologic oncologists at KU will employ options
to preserve the bladder when possible (bladder sparing), however
if removal is needed they have one of the nation’s largest
experiences.
For patients whose bladder must be removed surgeons must create
a new way for the body to store and empty urine. The urologic
oncologists at KU are well versed in the different urinary diversion
options. One such option performed by our urologists is the construction
of a “new” bladder using intestine called a neobladder.
This allows patients to urinate in a normal fashion. The Department
of Urology at KU has had good success with these reconstructive
techniques since their inception.
Unfortunately, some patients will have bladder cancer that has
spread beyond the bladder (to the lungs, liver or bones) prior
to surgery or after the removal of the bladder. Dr. Peter Vanveldhuizen,
is a medical oncologist who specializes in the treatment of urologic
malignancies and has a vast experience in the treatment of metastatic
bladder cancer. Working closely with the urologic oncologists
at KU, Dr. Vanveldhuizen provides the latest and most advanced
chemotherapy for the treatment of bladder cancer.
Kidney Cancer
Kidney
cancer affects some 30,000 people in the United States each
year, and close to 12,000 die from the disease. It is the eighth
most common cancer in men and the tenth most common in women.
Smoking is the major risk factor, but family history may also
play an important role especially for those with Von Hippel
Lindau disease.
Surgery remains the main treatment for kidney cancer. Depending
on the stage of the tumor, several different surgical approaches
can be applied to treat the cancer. For example, for those tumors
which are less than 5cm or in patients with only a single kidney,
the physicians at KU often recommend a partial nephrectomy. This
operation, which requires significant skill, focuses on preserving
as much normal kidney as possible while removing the cancerous
tumor. The Department of Urology has the necessary experience
and expertise to be able to offer this procedure even for the
most difficult tumors. In addition, our physicians perform the
very complicated laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, cryosurgery,
and radio frequency ablation. For those tumors which are larger,
radical nephrectomy or removal of the entire kidney may be necessary.
In these instances, we offer the latest techniques of treatment
including laparoscopic nephrectomy.
For those patients whose cancer has spread beyond the kidney,
our comprehensive approach utilizing our urologic oncologists,
medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists can provide complete
care. We offer the latest treatments available, including a number
of clinical trials for those who have failed traditional treatment.
Prostate Cancer
Prostate
cancer is now the most common cancer diagnosed in men in the
United States (excluding skin cancer) and is the second leading
cause of cancer deaths (after lung cancer). In 2007, approximately
219,000 men in the United States were diagnosed with prostate
cancer and 37,000 men die of the disease each year, according
to the American Cancer Society. As a man gets older his chances
of developing prostate cancer increases, with more than 75
percent of tumors being found in men over age 65. A family
history of prostate cancer may increase the chances of developing
the disease, particularly if his brother, father, or paternal
uncle was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and especially if
the relative was younger than 60 at the time of diagnosis.
For a man who is now 50 years old, his probability of being
diagnosed with prostate cancer is about 10 percent.
Prostate cancer is usually curable when detected early. This underscores the need for screening. The Department of Urology at the University of Kansas Hospital conducts a number of free prostate cancer screenings around the state. Our goal is to provide awareness and early screening to those who might otherwise not seek care. While some men seek medical attention because they are experiencing symptoms that might indicate prostate cancer (such as frequent urination or an inability to urinate, trouble starting or holding back urine flows, or frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs), most men experience no such symptoms. Hence, for many men, an abnormal finding during a routine screening examination is the first indication that they might have prostate cancer. An abnormal-feeling prostate and an elevated PSA level (greater than or equal to 4.0 ng/ml) are both possible indicators of the disease.
We offer the most advanced methods for the detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer. For those with an elevated PSA or an abnormal digital rectal exam our physicians may recommend a prostate biopsy done under ultrasound guidance. Using newer techniques of local anesthesia, our physicians make the procedure as comfortable as possible. When indicated, the University of Kansas Hospital, offers state of the art diagnostic equipment including one of the nation’s few combined PET/CT scanners to detect cancer that has spread at the earliest possible stage.
Most men are diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer (the disease is confined to the prostate). Our physicians will carefully discuss all treatment options including surgery, radiation therapy, and watchful waiting (careful observation without further immediate treatment) in terms patients can understand. In the past, surgery and radiation therapy have posed risks of side effects such as urinary incontinence, sexual potency problems, and rectal problems. Fortunately, the experience of our surgeons as well as our radiation oncologists helps to minimize these side effects. Our radiation oncologists offer the latest techniques in radiation including intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and brachytherapy (radioactive seed implantation into the prostate) which are aimed at providing cancer control while minimizing the side effects.
The urologic surgeons at the University of Kansas Hospital offer the latest techniques in prostate surgery. Dr. Brantley Thrasher is a well-known national expert in prostate cancer and is one of the only urologic oncologists in the United States performing radical retropubic, radical perineal, and robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy for prostate removal. The perineal approach and the robot-assisted approach have been shown to have less pain and less blood loss. Dr. David Duchene is another faculty member who is an expert in robotic prostatectomy and advanced laparoscopy, and is one of only two fellowship-trained robotic physicians in the Kansas City metro area. Dr. Jeffrey Holzbeierlein performs radical retropubic prostatectomies and in cases where the nerves responsible for erections must be removed, he is now performing pioneering, “nerve-graft” surgery, which can increase the likelihood of restoring sexual function in those men who require nerve resection. This nerve-graft surgery is available only at a small number of centers of expertise, of which the University of Kansas is one.
With a dedicated team of physicians consisting of fellowship
trained urologic oncologists, radiation oncologists, medical
oncologists specializing in the treatment of genitourinary malignancies,
pathologists, and radiologists, KU offers comprehensive cancer
care to the patient with prostate cancer.
Testicular
Cancer, Penile Cancer, and Adrenal Cancer
As relatively rare cancers, few physicians have much experience
in the treatment of these malignancies. Fortunately, the urologists
at KU have a large experience in both the diagnosis and treatment
of these cancers. They treat the most complicated to the relatively
straight forward cases of these cancers using the latest techniques
and information available.
Our comprehensive approach utilizing medical oncologists, radiation
oncologists, endocrinologists, and fertility experts provides
the patient diagnosed with these cancers complete care with attention
towards preserving quality of life.
©
The University of Kansas Medical Center