Urologic Cancer at Wellstar Georgia Cancer Center
The Urologic Cancer team at Wellstar Georgia Cancer Center focuses on urinary tract and genital cancer care through groundbreaking treatments and clinical trials not available anywhere else in the region.
Advanced Care for Urologic Cancer
Urologic cancer includes both the male and female urinary tracts, as well as cancers of the male reproductive organs. Cancers of the female reproductive organs are classified separately as gynecologic cancers. At Wellstar Georgia Cancer Center, the care you receive for urologic cancer goes beyond what other centers in the region can deliver. From diagnosis and treatment to follow-up care, we offer a multidisciplinary, collaborative team to give you the best possible outcome. Our experts specialize in advanced procedures such as minimally invasive robotic surgery and are constantly working to develop new and effective treatments for urologic cancers through research and the latest clinical trials, thanks to our partnership with Augusta University and Medical College of Georgia. Our comprehensive approach to care is further evidenced by our urologic cancer survivorship programs. These support programs include access to mental health professionals as well as sexual medicine specialists, who help patients cope with the sexual and urinary dysfunction that can occur as a result of treatment.Conditions we treat
Our team provides comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of cancers (occurring in both men and women) of the:- Bladder
- Kidney and renal pelvis
- Urinary tract (including urethra and ureter)
- Prostate
- Penis
- Testicles
Our Services
Urologic Cancer Procedures
Many of Wellstar Georgia Cancer Center’s state-of-the-art urologic cancer procedures are not performed anywhere else in Georgia or South Carolina. Our highly trained surgical team is skilled at a range of advanced procedures, from traditional open surgery to minimally invasive surgery using the robotic da Vinci Surgical System. We specialize in:- Bladder surgery
- Robotic or open radical cystectomy: Removal of the bladder in cases of advanced bladder cancer
- Neobladder, or continent diversion: For creation of a new bladder to allow for urine drainage without an external stoma
- Transurethral resection of bladder tumors: An incision-free surgery that removes less aggressive tumors of the bladder through the urethra
- Cryosurgery: A procedure that can treat certain types of cancer, including kidney and prostate, by freezing malignant cells
- Kidney surgery
- Robotic or open partial nephrectomy: A procedure that is performed with fluorescent image guidance to precisely remove a kidney tumor while leaving the rest of the kidney intact
- Laparoscopic, robotic or open nephrectomy and nephroureterectomy: Complete removal of the kidney and ureter in cases of large kidney tumors, as well as cancers of the renal pelvis and ureter
- Prostate biopsy: Taking tissue samples from the prostate gland to check for cancer or other abnormalities
- Prostate surgery
- Robotic or open radical prostatectomy: Removal of the prostate gland and some surrounding tissue with optimal preservation of sexual and urinary function
- Rectal spacing to prostate: Devices used to create additional space between the rectum and the prostate gland. They help minimize radiation exposure to the rectum during therapies like external beam radiation.
- Ureteroscopy and laser ablation: A procedure that uses a laser to remove tumors in the renal pelvis and ureter, preventing the need to remove the entire kidney
Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy & Hormone Therapy for Urologic Cancer
Depending on the type of urologic cancer, your doctor may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy or hormone therapy in your treatment plan.- Intravesical chemotherapy: Powerful drugs are placed directly into the bladder to destroy bladder cancer cells.
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): A type of high-precision radiation therapy. IMRT uses a computer to customize both the shape and strength of the X-rays to precisely deliver radiation to specific places within a tumor, while minimizing the radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissues.
- Internal radiation therapy: Small radioactive seeds are implanted directly into the tumor.
- Conformal external beam radiation treatment (EBRT): This newer type of EBRT directs radiation to the tumor from multiple directions to help minimize the exposure to surrounding healthy tissues. Many doctors now recommend conformal EBRT when it‘s available. Some types of conformal EBRT use higher doses of radiation for shorter periods of time, which also reduces the damage to healthy tissue.
- Hormone therapy: Can be used in conjunction with other treatments to either slow the growth of tumors that need hormones to grow or to reduce the symptoms in patients with prostate cancer who are not candidates for surgery or chemotherapy
Urologic Cancer Support
Wellstar Georgia Cancer Center provides our patients with continual cancer support care. We offer:- Nurse navigators, who specialize in your specific cancer and are here to inform and assist you throughout your treatment
- Physical therapy, such as pelvic floor rehabilitation for incontinence
- Cancer support groups, including Zero Us Too for prostate cancer
- Urologic cancer survivorship programs, where we address the mental and physical health needs that can occur as a result of your cancer treatment.