Urology cancer

Urology cancers include any malignant tumours involving prostate, bladder, kidneys, ureter, testicle or penis. The combination of these various cancers involves a large workforce across all hospitals within our Trust. Some of these cancers are quite rare but all tumours will require a multidisciplinary approach and may involve referral and treatment away from your local hospital.

To find out more about each type of cancer, visit:

Prostate cancer – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer
Bladder cancer – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bladder-cancer
Kidney cancer – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/kidney-cancer
Testicular cancer – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/testicular-cancer
Penile cancer – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/penile-cancer

Investigations

Availability of services across Mid and South Essex depend on the area of suspicion for cancer. Below are highlighted some of the common investigations that may be needed for each cancer site:

Prostate - Blood tests, MRI scan, CT scan, bone scan, PSMA PET scan, biopsies.
Bladder - Blood tests, MRI scan, CT scan, FDG PET scan, flexible cystoscopy, general anaesthetic cystoscopy and biopsies.
Kidneys - Blood tests, MRI scan, CT scan, FDG PET scan, ultrasound scan, general anaesthetic ureteroscopy, CT/ ultrasound guided biopsies.
Ureter - Blood tests, MRI scan, CT scan, FDG PET scan, ultrasound scan, general anaesthetic ureteroscopy and biopsies.
Testicle -Blood tests, MRI scan, CT scan, ultrasound scan
Penis - Blood tests, MRI scan, CT scan performed locally however due to its rarity Penile cancers are normally always referred to St Georges general Hospital in London.

Treatments for each cancer can vary and may need surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these treatments.

If you have any questions about treatment or investigations for any of these cancer sites then please contact the site-specific clinical nurse specialist (CNS) team local to you for more information.

Pelvic radiation disease service

Patients who have had pelvic radiotherapy to treat certain cancers can suffer side effects to the bowel, bladder and sexual organs. Symptoms may vary from person to person but could include:

needing to go to the toilet more (bowels and/or passing urine)
mucus or blood from the back passage
tiredness
difficulty in having sexual intercourse
leaking urine or blood in your urine

Side effects caused by pelvic radiotherapy is called pelvic radiation disease (PRD). Pelvic radiation disease can:

affect you during or shortly after treatment and last longer than 3 months.
begin months or even years after treatment
be quite significant in making day-to-day life difficult.

If you are affected by these side effects and need support, get in contact with Southend Hospital’s pelvic radiation disease clinic at 01702 435555 using extension 6897.

Meet the team

Oncology consultants based on each site.

Urology consultants specialised in pelvic and renal surgery working across all sites but with specialist surgeries centralised to Southend and Broomfield.

Clinical nurse specialist services based on each site.

Designated enhanced recovery support at both Southend and Broomfield.

Contact us

You can get in touch with one of the team at:

Basildon – call 01268 524900 using extension 8491.
Broomfield – call 01245 362000 using extension 4499.
Southend – call 0300 443 7499.

Useful links

Local Support Groups - your local urological cancer support group. Run by patients and family members where a diagnosis of prostate and other urological cancers have been made: