Once suspected of having bladder cancer, the patient will be referred to a urologist, a doctor that specializes in treating urinary tract diseases and conditions. At times, the patient will also need the services of an oncologist, a doctor that specializes in treating cancer.
What to Look for in a Urologist
Urologists specialize in the medical and surgical aspect of male reproductive system and the urinary tract of both sexes. This wide field is further divided into 7 subspecialty areas that deal with female urology, kidney stones, male infertility, neurourology, pediatric urology, renal transplantation, and urologic oncology. Urologists undergo years of rigorous formal training and a number of certification exams before they can apply their specialty in the medical field.
In the United States, prospective urologists must graduate from an approved medical school and complete a urology residency program. The residency program takes at least 5 years and must be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Urology is considered a surgery subspecialty where practitioners are required to do a large number of surgical procedures if needed. Because of this, one year of the 5-year residency program is spent on general surgery and 3 years are dedicated to urology. After completing graduate education, surgeons …show more content…
The patient can undergo a surgery called transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). During the procedure, a small wire loop is passed through the bladder via a cystoscope to burn the cancer cells away with an electric current or high-energy laser. Another type of surgery, segmental cystectomy, involves the removal of the part of the bladder that contains cancer cells. There is also a non-surgical procedure called biological therapy or immunotherapy that uses drugs to signal the body's immune system to help fight cancer
What to Look for in a Urologist
Urologists specialize in the medical and surgical aspect of male reproductive system and the urinary tract of both sexes. This wide field is further divided into 7 subspecialty areas that deal with female urology, kidney stones, male infertility, neurourology, pediatric urology, renal transplantation, and urologic oncology. Urologists undergo years of rigorous formal training and a number of certification exams before they can apply their specialty in the medical field.
In the United States, prospective urologists must graduate from an approved medical school and complete a urology residency program. The residency program takes at least 5 years and must be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Urology is considered a surgery subspecialty where practitioners are required to do a large number of surgical procedures if needed. Because of this, one year of the 5-year residency program is spent on general surgery and 3 years are dedicated to urology. After completing graduate education, surgeons …show more content…
The patient can undergo a surgery called transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). During the procedure, a small wire loop is passed through the bladder via a cystoscope to burn the cancer cells away with an electric current or high-energy laser. Another type of surgery, segmental cystectomy, involves the removal of the part of the bladder that contains cancer cells. There is also a non-surgical procedure called biological therapy or immunotherapy that uses drugs to signal the body's immune system to help fight cancer