When to See a Urologist

There are some major symptoms that would be a sure sign that you need to see a Urologist at University Urology or even your local Urologist.

When there is a continued urge to urinate more than usual, this could be a sign of a bladder infection. When the bladder does become infected, spasms will occur, which make the person feel they have to urinate often when they really don’t. A urologist can do a test to see if you have a bladder infection or not.

With older men, a frequency of urination without much output at all may be a sign of an enlarged prostate. To find out, a urologist would perform a complete exam and then make a diagnosis.

Moreover, people often develop tiny stones made of calcium deposits in the urinary tract. If the stone happens to be too big, it may block the urethra. If this happens, urinary output can be stopped. Signs of this would include pain in the lower back and abdomen. 

Pain felt in the abdomen area can be a lot of different things, but if it’s painful along with having some burning sensations during urination, or if there is frequent urination or even the problem of not being able to urinate, a visit to the urologist could tell if there is an infection.

For people diagnosed with prostate or bladder cancer, it’s important to see a urologist. There are specialists in urology (urologic oncology) that work specifically with patients that have prostate and bladder cancers. If the patient is a child, they should also see a pediatric urologist.

Treating Bladder Cancer with Care and Compassion

Bladder cancer has several treatment options, but the extent of the cancer and the stage of the cancer may help determine which treatment is best. Sometimes, several different treatments are used.

Surgery is the main source of treatment for bladder cancer. There are several different types of surgeries that can be done depending on the severity of the cancer. Part of the bladder, or sometimes even the entire bladder, can be removed with a partial cystectomy. While this surgical procedure is being performed, the lymph nodes in the pelvic area can be taken out as well to screen for cancer. There is also a surgical procedure called transurethral resection that is less invasive. During this procedure, a cystoscope is put inside the bladder via the urethra. The cancer is then cauterized with electricity, or end loops on the wire cuttings can be used to cut cancer out. Fortunateky the vast majority of bladder tumors are non invasive and can be treated via a scope.

Radiation therapy is another optional treatment for bladder cancer. This can be done through a local radiation or an external beam radiation. When using the external beam type of radiation, strong beams of radiation are aimed directly at the location of the cancer, but from the outside of the body. With the internal radiation, pellets of radioactive contents are put into the area that is cancerous. Radiation is also used after surgery has been performed. This is helpful in being sure to kill any cells remaining that could be cancerous. Reoccurrence and progression rates can be decreased with intravesical chemotherapy or immunotherapy such as BCG or Mitomyacin.

Chemotherapy is another treatment alternative for advanced bladder cancer. The drug can be taken orally or through an IV through the muscles, or directly placed into the bladder. If chemotherapy is done before surgery, the hope is that it will shrink any tumors. If it is used after surgery, it is used to alleviate the chance of reoccurrence or to kill any leftover cancerous cells. Often times, chemotherapy medications are combined.

At University Urology, we are committed to working with you during this difficult time to find the treatment options that will work best. No matter what method you end up using to treat your bladder cancer, we pride ourselves on the compassionate care we offer, and we look forward to giving you the help you deserve.