Urological Oncology

Urological oncology is a highly specialized field requiring advanced training and expertise in the treatment and management of cancers of the kidneys, bladder, prostate, and male reproductive organs. Getting the best possible care for cancer relies on the coordinated expertise of surgical specialties with imaging, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy.

Urological oncologists in the Division of Urology in the Department of Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston collaborate with colleagues from other specialties, including medical and radiation oncology for chemotherapy and radiation treatment plans, radiology for state-of-the-art imaging used in the diagnosis of urological cancers, and other surgical specialties when needed for complex care. The care team emphasizes multimodal therapy, which is a comprehensive approach to treatment using a combination of various therapeutic techniques, such as complex surgical procedures, while also considering multiple aspects of a patient’s well-being, with careful attention given to quality-of-life issues. Every treatment plan considers how normal body functions can be maintained or restored after surgery, and we work closely with our reconstructive surgeon specialists. Our surgeons perform minimally invasive procedures using laparoscopic and robotic techniques.

Cancers we treat

  • Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, but the level of concern can vary widely depending on how aggressive the disease is. Advanced diagnostics, such as those provided at UTHealth Houston, are a critical first step in the process. Treatment for prostate cancer depends on the severity and can include surveillance monitoring only, total removal of the prostate, and radiation and hormonal therapies. If the cancer is detected early enough, newer focal therapy techniques that precisely target the cancer inside the prostate can be effectively used to treat the cancer, while possibly sparing quality of life effects that are often damaged by more radical treatments. Additionally, UT Physicians urologist Steven Canfield, MD, is pioneering new focal therapy technology, such as the NanoKnife procedure, which uses electrical field pulses for precise tumor destruction while sparing surrounding healthy tissue.
  • Kidney cancer can be treated with total or partial removal or ablation of the kidney. At UTHealth Houston, we perform minimally invasive surgery and employ advanced techniques for kidney-sparing surgery. We work with our oncology team, as well, when chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy may be needed.
  • Bladder cancer can be superficial, confined to the inner lining of the bladder, or invasive, extending into the muscular layer. Treatment depends on these different levels of aggressiveness and may include minimally invasive tumor removal using a scope (endoscopic resection), therapies delivered directly into the bladder (instillation therapy), surgical removal of the bladder, or chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy.
  • Testicular cancer may involve surgical removal of the testicle, followed by further monitoring, medical, or surgical treatment based on the stage and type of cancer.
  • Penile cancer is a rare type of cancer affecting some men. Surgical treatments are often combined with chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Meet the team

Steven E. Canfield

Steven E. Canfield, MD

Professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Urology

Director, Division of Urology

Tung Shu, MD

Tung Shu, MD

Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Urology