- Specialized expertise in treating early-stage and advanced urologic cancers with a dedicated team of doctors, surgeons, nurses, and support staff. Go to Conditions Treated
- Advanced treatment options using leading-edge therapies, including those that use a tumor’s genetic makeup to target and destroy cancer cells. Go to Treatments
- Team-based approach with doctors, nurses, and other providers who collaborate across surgical, medical, and radiation oncology to tailor your care. Go to Your Care Team
- Clinical trials that are innovating safer, more effective therapies and changing the standard of care for urologic cancer. Go to Clinical Trials
- Comprehensive support services that extend beyond your physical health and help you and your family focus on wellness and healing. Go to Supportive Services
- Ease of access with locations across the Bay Area and coordinated scheduling so you can combine your treatments or see multiple specialists in one trip. Go to Connecting to Care
Our urologic cancer team treats people with cancers that develop in the urinary tract, including the prostate, kidney, bladder, penis, and testis. We also treat people who have cancers of the reproductive system (prostate, penis, and testes). We bring together specialists with in-depth training and experience in even the most advanced urologic cancers.
At Stanford Health Care, we understand how profoundly urologic cancers can affect your daily life. With the latest advances in cancer therapies, today’s treatments are highly effective and help preserve sexual, reproductive, and urinary function. From evaluation through treatment and follow-up, we tailor your care to your unique needs and goals to maximize your quality of life.
Our Urologic Cancer Program extends care to people with all types of urological cancer, including:
- Prostate cancer
- Kidney (renal) cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Testicular cancer
- Penile cancer
Find out how Stanford researchers diagnose and describe prostate cancers to find the best treatment options.
Urologic Cancer Treatments
Through our active clinical research program, we bring the latest advances to our patients for detecting, diagnosing, and treating urologic cancers. Our multispecialty team offers expertise from several fields of medicine for comprehensive care. With a compassionate approach, we develop a customized treatment plan that effectively targets the cancer while preserving function.
INNOVATION HIGHLIGHTS
- For people with positive results on prostate cancer screening tests, we use diagnostic MRI. Using imaging allows some people to avoid invasive biopsies and makes necessary biopsies more precise. Our team of surgeons has expertise in minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic procedures for cancers.
- Our expertise with focal therapies and radiation therapy, in addition to minimally invasive, robotic-assisted surgery for prostate cancer offer excellent results and helps preserve urinary and reproductive function.
- We’ve improved the early detection of bladder cancer by using urine testing, which is less invasive than endoscopy (a procedure that uses a scope to evaluate the bladder).
- In people with testicular cancer, we use MRI instead of CT scans for ongoing monitoring to reduce radiation exposure.
Although prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in people with prostates in the U.S., early detection leads to better treatment outcomes. Medical experts recommend prostate cancer screening for most people with prostates starting at age 55. Some black people, and those with a first-degree relative with prostate cancer, may be at higher risk and should talk with their doctor about starting screenings at age 50. Learn more about prostate cancer screening.
Our urologic oncologists have advanced training and extensive expertise in recognizing the signs and symptoms of urologic cancers. If you already have a diagnosis, our team will review your most recent test results. We may recommend additional testing to assure a precise diagnosis. From there, we build a treatment plan tailored to your needs and goals.
Diagnosing urologic cancer often involves invasive biopsies. Stanford researchers are developing less invasive tests that can diagnose urologic cancer using medical imaging or blood or urine tests.
If we suspect that you may have urologic cancer, you may need one or more tests, such as:
- Lab tests: Some types of cancer, including prostate, bladder, and testicular, release tumor markers into the blood or urine. Lab tests can detect these tumor markers and provide information about your overall health.
- Imaging: Doctors use advanced imaging to examine cancer tumors and evaluate whether the cancer has spread beyond its original location. The types of imaging studies your doctor may use in diagnosing urologic cancer include X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, CT scan and PET/CT scan.
- Cystoscopy: In this procedure, your doctor passes a flexible fiber optic endoscope through your urethra to examine the urinary tract.
- Biopsy: Your doctor collects a small tissue sample with a fine needle. A pathologist examines the tissue for the presence and type of cancer.
- Genetic testing: Some types of cancer are inherited. If a family member has received a cancer diagnosis, your doctor may recommend genetic testing to determine your risk.
Your treatment plan may include one or a combination of therapies. Each plan begins with a comprehensive review of your test results and tumor genetics. Our doctors draw upon their deep experience to develop a customized care path that is best suited for your condition.
For complex cases, our multispecialty teams participate in weekly case review meetings. Representatives from surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, genetics, and pathology discuss each case and identify the best treatment approach for each patient.
Our doctors are nationally recognized for high-quality care as measured by treatment outcomes, patient experience, and procedure volume. At Stanford Health Care, you’ll benefit from the most advanced and effective treatment options available, including:
Surgery is often the first treatment for many types of urologic cancer. We offer minimally invasive procedures whenever possible to reduce pain and recovery time and maintain sexual and urinary function.
Surgical procedures vary by the type and stage of cancer and range from removal of a small tumor to removal of an entire organ. Stanford surgeons have decades of experience and offer the most advanced techniques for each type of urological cancer:
- Bladder cancer surgery: Your surgeon may use a minimally invasive procedure through the urethra to remove small tumors from the bladder (transurethral resection of bladder tumor). Larger, more invasive tumors may require removal of part or all of your bladder (cystectomy). If your entire bladder is removed, our surgeons have extensive experience restoring urinary flow using incontinent diversion, continent diversion, and neobladder reconstruction procedures.
- Prostate cancer surgery: Robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy is a minimally invasive procedure to help to reduce recovery time and maintain sexual and urinary function, while treating the cancer.
- Kidney cancer surgery: A nephrectomy involves partial or full removal of the kidney. We perform most nephrectomies using robotic assisted laparoscopic procedures.
- Testicular cancer surgery: Removal of the testicle (radical inguinal orchiectomy) is often the first treatment for testicular cancer. If cancer has spread to the lymph nodes and residual disease is present after chemotherapy, our doctors perform a procedure to remove the lymph nodes (retroperitoneal lymph node dissection).
- Penile cancer surgery: The goal of surgery is to completely remove while preserving the penis. Penile cancer surgery typically removes the tumor and a small border of normal tissue. In rare cases of advanced cancer, the surgeon may remove part or all of the penis (penecmtoy).
Our medical oncologists are cancer specialists who use medications that you receive orally, intravenously (IV), or intravesically (delivered to your bladder through a catheter inserted into your urethra). Our treatment approach emphasizes using the most effective therapies with the fewest side effects.
The types of medical oncology therapy we use to treat urologic cancers include:
We frequently use these therapies together or in combination with other treatments. For example, chemotherapy before bladder surgery may make the surgical procedure more effective.
Stanford Health Care is at the forefront of targeted therapy use and development. These agents bind to proteins in cancer cells to destroy them or stop them from spreading but leave noncancerous cells alone. We continually offer new targeted therapies through clinical trials. You can find out if you are eligible to participate in a trial by talking to your doctor.
Radiation therapy destroys cancer cells using high-energy X-rays. The radiation can come from outside the body (external radiation) or a radiation source placed inside or next to the tumor (brachytherapy).
The types of external radiation that can treat urologic cancer include:
- 3D conformal radiation therapy
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy
- Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR/SBRT)
With SBRT, an intense dose of radiation is focused on the tumor. Stanford Health Care has been a leader in developing SBRT technology, and we continue to find ways to make radiation therapy safer and more effective. Current SBRT systems, including CyberKnife, Trilogy, and TrueBeam, expand treatment options and give our doctors flexibility in developing treatment plans.
Interventional radiology delivers cancer treatment directly to the tumor using minimally invasive techniques. For urologic cancers, our interventional radiologists offer tumor ablation. Using a needle or probe, we can obtain biopsies, apply microwaves or cryotherapy to the tumor to destroy it. We can also use high-intensity focused ultrasound energy on cancer tumors. Stanford Health Care is one of the few centers on the West Coast that offers high-intensity focused ultrasound for prostate cancer.
Cancer tumors have unique genes or proteins called biomarkers. By identifying these biomarkers, doctors can choose a treatment designed for that cancer. Some biomarkers can also help your care team monitor the tumor during and after treatment. Our experienced pathologists perform biomarker testing and work with your doctor to develop your treatment plan.
Your wellness plays a role in the success of your treatment. We offer a range of support services to assist you and your family throughout your cancer journey. Whether its spiritual counseling, a new wig, or help with your finances, we’re here for you whenever you need us.
Innovation Through Clinical Research
Some of Silicon Valley’s brightest scientific minds are at the Stanford Cancer Institute and the Stanford Medicine Cancer Center. Medical discoveries and clinical advances happen here. Our physicians and scientists work every day to improve cancer prevention, detection, and care. We offer advanced diagnostics, the latest treatment technologies and techniques, and pioneering therapies in development through clinical trials. Let us put innovation to work for you.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment. As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may have access to the latest, advanced clinical trials.
Open trials refer to studies currently recruiting participants or that may recruit participants in the near future. Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but similar studies may open in the future.
To learn more about the clinical trials we offer, visit: Stanford Cancer Institute Clinical Trials.
We know cancer is more than a condition—it's one of life's greatest disruptors. We offer you and your caregivers the support you need at every step of the way, including a team that actively listens, develops a plan for your unique situation, and stays with you from diagnosis to treatment and beyond.
Our urologic cancer specialists, advanced practice providers, nurses, and staff are passionate about healing. We work diligently to provide the highest level of coordinated and integrated urologic cancer care.
Your Doctors and Providers
Urologic Surgeon
Urologic cancer surgeons specialize in diagnosing and managing cancers affecting the genitourinary tract and male reproductive organs. Our surgeons specialize in treating cancer through traditional (open) and minimally invasive surgery. Cancer surgeons perform biopsies (taking tiny tissue samples) to test for cancer. They also surgically remove tumors and surrounding tissue to evaluate for the presence of cancer.
View All {0} Urologic SurgeonsMedical Oncologist
Medical oncologists have specialized training in diagnosing and treating cancer using medications, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone, and targeted therapy.
View All {0} Medical OncologistsRadiation Oncologist
Radiation oncologists have specialized training in using high-energy radiation to destroy cancer or prevent its spread while protecting healthy tissue.
View All {0} Radiation OncologistsAdvanced Practice Provider
Our skilled nurse practitioners specialize in diagnosing and treating urologic cancers. They see patients independently and occasionally alongside your doctor. APPs can give you a thorough exam, write prescriptions, and help prevent or treat any issues. Our APPs meet weekly to discuss patient needs.
View All 5 Advanced Practice ProvidersExtended Care Team
Nurses and Nurse Coordinators (RNs)
Nurses and nurse coordinators are registered nurses who coordinate your care with your urologic cancer team. They guide you from your first contact through follow-up care and help you find counseling, financial, and other support services.
Care Coordinators
Care coordinators provide you with information and assistance before and during your appointment.
- Medical Assistant: Medical assistants work with our team to help provide care. They may prepare you for an examination, assist your doctor, or take your vital signs before your appointment.
- Patient Care Coordinator: Our patient care coordinators help you with scheduling appointments and accessing your lab results. They are your first line of contact before you see your provider and will guide you during your GI cancer care.
- Patient Access Representative: Patient access representatives can answer your questions about health insurance coverage, help you apply for health insurance, and refer you to our financial counselors.
Genetic Counselors
Genetic counselors in the Stanford Cancer Genetics Program have special training to advise you and your family on identifying and managing any risk of inherited prostate cancer. They work with you and your doctors to coordinate genetic testing and help you understand the results.
Research Coordinators
Doctors at Stanford Medicine Cancer Center participate in research efforts to advance the understanding of urologic cancers and their treatment. Research coordinators help screen candidates for possible participation in clinical research trials.
Cancer Care Services
Part of your care involves managing your emotional and spiritual health. We offer you and your loved ones services that can help you stay strong through your treatment and recovery.
Our wide range of support services offer a single point of contact to assess your needs and connect you to the help you need. Contact our Cancer Care Services for your personal support plan.
We make access to care as simple as possible. We anticipate what you need and provide support when you need it. Our network of locations puts our services within your reach. User-friendly digital health tools help you stay connected with your care team. We accept most insurance plans and offer discounted transportation, short-stay options, and international travel and translation services. We help make sense of the details, so you can make decisions that are right for you.
Urologic cancer care is accessible and convenient at Stanford Health Care. Our scheduling staff can coordinate your appointments if needed, so that you can see multiple providers during a single trip.
For Referring Physicians
PHYSICIAN HELPLINE
Fax: 650-320-9443
Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Stanford Health Care provides comprehensive services to refer and track patients, as well as the latest information and news for physicians and office staff. For help with all referral needs and questions, visit Referral Information.
You may also submit a web referral or complete a referral form and fax it to 650-320-9443 or email the Referral Center at ReferralCenter@stanfordhealthcare.org.
HOW TO REFER
Email or fax a cancer referral form with supporting documentation to ReferralCenter@stanfordhealthcare.org or 650-320-9443.
If you would like to request an appointment at any of our locations, call 650-498-6000.