Genitourinary Cancers

The genitourinary tract refers to the urinary and the male genital tract. Cancer can form in any part of the genitourinary tract, including the prostate, bladder, kidneys, urethra and testis, as well as in the upper tract.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. The American Cancer Society estimates that one in every six men will develop prostate cancer in his lifetime. According to the American Cancer Society, about 238,590 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2013. Prostate cancer is very manageable and often curable. More than 98 percent of men with prostate cancer will live more than five years after diagnosis.

Because surgery and radiation can both be equally effective curative treatments for prostate cancer, it is important to review all of your treatment options. Ask your urologist about surgery and your radiation oncologist about radiation therapy. Learn about the risks and benefits of both to see what best meets your goals balancing cure and quality of life.

The bladder is located in the pelvis. It collects and stores urine and has a muscular wall that allows it to contract and expand. The American Cancer Society estimates that 72,570 new cases of bladder cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2013 and 15,210 people will die of the disease.

Cancer limited to the lining of the bladder is called non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). This type of cancer is sometimes called superficial bladder cancer. More than 75 percent of bladder cancer is diagnosed as a NMIBC and it has an excellent survival rate. Muscle invasive bladder cancer penetrates the layers of muscles in the bladder and is more likely to spread to other parts of the body but is often still quite curable. Bladder cancer is four times more common in men than in women. It is two times more common in Caucasians than African-Americans.